Nahal Sorek

The Hebrew name Nahal Sorek means "wadi of choice vines". The river is known in Arabic by a variety of names, including (in its upper reaches) Wadi es-Sarar and (at its mouth) Nahr Rubin. The former name means "wadi of pebbles", while the latter name means "river of Reuben", in reference to Reuben, son of Jacob, who is said to have been buried on the river's southern bank. ==Railway==

The historic Jaffa–Jerusalem railway, opened in 1892, follows the Valley of Sorek and the tributary Valley of Rephaim as it climbs from the coastal plain to Jerusalem. It was superseded in 2018 by a more direct high-speed line. ==Nature Reserve==

The Nahal Sorek Nature Reserve, created in 1965 and since expanded, spans over 11000 dunams, from the Avshalom Cave Nature Reserve near Beit Shemesh to moshav Nes Harim. ==Desalination plants==

Near the mouth of the Nahal Sorek are two large seawater desalination plants, Palmachim and Sorek, the latter being, when used at full capacity, the largest of its kind in the world (as of 2013). ==Gallery==

File:General view of Nahal Sorek as seen from Tur Shimon eastward.jpg|View up the Valley of Sorek from Tur Shimon File:NahalSorekRefaimJaffaJerusalemRailroadRoad386Jan272023.jpg|Overview of the point where the valleys of Rephaim (left) and Sorek (right) converge File:BarGioraRailwayStation2.jpg|Abandoned railway station in the Valley of Sorek File:Mamluk bridge, Yavne008.jpg|The 13th-century Yibna Bridge, seen from the dry bed of the Sorek File:By Ovedc - Nebi Rubin 31.jpg|The Sorek near its mouth File:Soreq026.jpg|The mouth of the river ==See also==