A view of Ein Hod at 1800. By a French artist

The sense of history is strong on this hill. The artists rebuilding Ein Hod have discovered both Greek and Roman coins among the ruins of the abandoned village. Evidence has also been found of a settlement and citadel dating from early times . The 12th century fortress built by the Crusaders on the shore of Athlit, directly in front of Ein Hod, gives a romantic tone to the entire landscape. In the Musee de l 'Homme in Paris there is an old map of the Holy Land in which the hill of Eil1 Hod is included as part of the feudal domain of Athlit while the fortress is called the Lords' Castle .  The nearby hill evidently served as a vacation retreat for the French soldiers ­and stones Cut and decorated in the particular style of the Crusaders have been found among the building blocks used in the houses of Ein Hod . In rebuilding the village, the traditional arch ­supported construction has been preserved and the historical ruins have been restored.

Here is the hill commanding the sea , crowned by ancient sun­baked stone houses, a center for man 's solitude in nature, for concentration , for renewal. And from here goes forth a call to every artist who admires the new and the original to come to Ein Hod and participate in the development of an Israel art center. We knew that in order to find ourselves we must leave the town for a place where we could live more simply and modestly, to garden a little, to remove ourselves somewhat from society. We knew that only under these conditions, when the artist has merged himself with nature , and it will take more than one generation, could an Israeli art develop.  Because meanwhile all that goes by the name of Israeli art is derived from the folklore of other nations. From this point of view , we are the "generation of the desert". No national art has ever emerged except out of folk art . We believe that only by dedicating ourselves to the creation of folk values can we provide a foundation for a real Israeli art. We think very seriously about educational work - courses, the foundation of an academy be­cause hidden therein is the future. The teacher and the pupil in the academy will explore together the means of expressing what is in and around us and thus will they build the bridge between the distant past of our nation and our own epoch.

"Ein Hod Artists'  Village" the very name makes it clear that Ein Hod is more than just a place to live : it is an idea become reality. The name "Ein Hod" means "fountain of glory" throughout Israel and abroad it is coming to be known as a center of Israeli art. Here painters , sculptors and craftsmen have come together to find the peace of spirit necessary for creative work .
The artists of Ein Hod recognize that educational activities should play an important part in the framework of such a village. Many of the villagers are themselves teachers of various arts and crafts and the teaching programmers which they set up within the village have attracted a number of illustrious teachers and lecturers from Israel and abroad. Ein Hod has also attracted practitioners from various other fields of art :  membership of the cooperative village includes writers, musicians ,  dancers and actors , and courses in these fields are also available from time to time . The villagers have developed workshops for ceramics , lithography ,  mosaics and weaving and have established a gallery for the exhibition and sale of the works of village artists. The village has also absorbed new immigrant artists and craftsmen who have found their home and their living in Ein Hod . The newest workshop in Ein Hod is that of mosaics . In addition to all the foregoing cooperative ventures ,  a number of villagers have established workshop facilities of their own for the production of all manner of arts and crafts .
Ein Hod was founded , or re-founded , ten years ago