Na'aman River

The Na'aman or Na'mein River is a stream in northwestern Israel. To the ancient writers Pliny, Tacitus, and Josephus, it was known as the Belus or Belos River of Phoenicia.

Course

The Na'aman River originates from springs near Ein Afek and flows through the Zebulun Valley from south to north before emptying into the Bay of Haifa south of Acre on the Mediterranean Sea. It previously flowed directly south of Tel Akko but has shifted over time to be about away.
The En Afek Nature Reserve near the Haifa Bay suburb of Kiryat Bialik, is the last remnant of the Nahal Na'aman wetlands.

History

Once known as Belus or Belos, the river is mentioned by Isidore of Seville. According to the legend, this is where glass-making was invented. Tacitus also mentions glassmaking at the Belus. Pliny the Elder, using the name 'Pacida', mentions that the river flowed from Lake Cendevia for to the sea near "Ptolemais Ace", and that it was celebrated for its vitreous sands. The name is based on Baal.