Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 127, July 2015, pp. 1-8. | Page 4

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A makhtesh has steep walls of resistant rock surrounding a deep closed valley.
One of five makhteshim in Palestine and seven in the world, HaMakhtesh
HaGadol is the second largest, being exceptional in that it is drained by one river,
River Wadi El-Jemen or El-Hadire (Nahal Hatira). Makatesh Gadol was
discovered and named before Makhtesh Ramon which is the largest Makhtesh in
Palestine (Wikipedia).
HaMakhtesh HaGadol is near Tel Rahma (Yeruham), dating back to the 10th
century BCE. On the outskirts of Yeruham is an ancient well, Be'er Rahma. Some
archeologists have identified it as the well where the biblical Hagar drew water
for her son Prophet Ishmael (Wikipedia).

The above is the marine snail Pseudotorinia (Architae-group) retifera. It used to be
called Discohelix retifera, and you can see why. It may not be in the same genus, but you
can see that this modern group and Discohelix are closely related. Discohelix itself is now
known only from the fossil record (Wilson, 2013).
http://woostergeologists.scotblogs.wooster.edu/files/2013/07/Pseudotorinia-Architaegroup-retifera.jpg
Vetigastropoda is a major taxonomic group of sea snails, marine gastropod
mollusks that form a very ancient lineage. Taxonomically the Vetigastropoda are
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 127 – July 2015