Reading and studying about the Bible lands is good, but being there is best. Last September as we traveled around at the end of the long dry season, even though I thought I had made it perfectly clear, one of the tour members asked, “Is it always this dry?” I tried to explain it again.
For a few tips on the rainy season in Israel, see here. For more information about what happens during the winter rains in Israel, see Rivers in the Desert here.
Somewhere I read a comment by a photographer that the best photo is the one when you have your camera. Lots of truth to that. But another idea is that the best photo is when you have your camera and something significant happens.
Brook of Elah after 3 days of rain Jan. 9, 2013. Photo: Carl Rasmussen.
Well, Prof. Carl Rasmussen had his camera on January 9, and something significant had happened. He was in the Valley of Elah after three days of rain. The usually dry brook (nahal or wadi; 1 Samuel 17), of Elah was flowing with water. His photo shows Tel Azekah and the brook as it runs below it.
If you would like to see this beautiful photo in a large resolution, see here.
Here is a photo I made in August, 2008, showing the book [brook] from the same position – dry as a bone. [see comments]
Brook of Elah below Azekah, August, 2008. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Ferrell's Travel Blog 
Thanks Ferrell. I remember one of the tour members asking about it being dry. Living in California I very well understand the concept of rainy and dry seasons :-).
Reader/friend Steve Braman called attention to the typo. He said, “You have book instead of brook. It made me laugh, some books are as dry as bone :-).” Maybe it was a Freudian slip. Or maybe I meant to say sermon.
Follow Steve’s blog here: http://bramanswanderings.wordpress.com/
Nice to have the 2 comparison photos. “Wadi” is one of the many terms I first learned in Phil’s [Roberts, late Bible professor at Florida College] class.