Located twelve kilometers north of Nazareth near the Arab town of Shefaram, it falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council.

The tel is in the western end of the Beit Netofa Valley, and covers an area of roughly 100 dunam (25 acres).

In the Amarna letters, the settlement of Ḫinnatuna is mentioned as a location where caravans passed on their route from Babylonia to Egypt.

Gar'in Nitzan recruited members from across the United States and joined forces with the Israeli branch, the Masorti Movement.

In Israel, they hired Rabbi Ehud Bandel to organize high school seniors interested in joining a Nahal gar'in.

In September 1984, the founders moved into the new kibbutz, which was named for a biblical town that existed in the area and is mentioned in the Book of Joshua.