A spectacular carpet of colourful wildflowers have emerged on the dry shores of the dry Dead Sea following a long period of rain in Israel this winter.

Israeli wildlife photographer, Avner Rinot, has shared the stunning pictures on social media.

The four mile stretch between Kibbutz Kalya and Ovnat on the western shore of the Dead Sea is flourishing with fields of annual species whose seeds can lay dormant in the desert for years until there is enough water for them to germinate.

These include swaths of Rainbow Toadflax, which comes in mauve, yellow or white, with orange dots’ pink-leaved rumex; yellow Faktorowsky’s Aaronsonia; and white mignonette. Poppies abound, too.

Israel is known for its sunshine, but we also know that the Jewish people’s return to the land has caused the desert to bloom. The Bible teaches us that rain is a sign of blessing, in fact, Scripture states that if Israel obeys God, “then I [God] will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:4)

Currently, Israel is experiencing this blessing of rain and as a result, the Jewish people are also seeing a steady rise in the water level of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) according to Israel’s Water Authority.