Tzofar is a moshav

Moshav

Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...

 in southern Israel, near Route 90

Route 90 (Israel)

Route 90 is the longest Israeli road, at about 480 km, and stretches from Metula and the northern border with Lebanon, along the western side of the Sea of Galilee, through the Jordan River Valley, along the western bank of the Dead Sea , through the Arabah valley, and until Eilat and the...

, about 120 km north of Eilat. It lies south of Sapir

Sapir, Israel

Sapir is a communal settlement near Route 90 in southern Israel. It belongs to the Central Arava Regional Council. It was founded in 1978 and is named after Pinchas Sapir....

 and north of Tzukim

Tzukim

Tzukim , also Zuqim, is a communal settlement in southern Israel. Located in the Arava, 8km south of Tzofar, it falls under jurisdiction of the Central Arava Regional Council. Tzukim was founded in 2001 on land vacated by the Bildad army camp. Bildad also served as a transit point for new...

. It belongs to the Central Arava Regional Council

Central Arava Regional Council

The Central Arava Regional Council is a Regional Council in the South District of Israel.It encompasses 7 or 8 settlements near the eastern border of Israel, south of the Dead Sea...

. In 2005 it had a population of about 300. The name derives from the nearby Tzofar stream and is also referring to one of the "friends" of Job (f.e. Job 2:11). In the Negev there are also kibbutzim with the names of the 2 other "friends": Mahane Bildad in the middle and Elifaz in the southern Arava.

History

The settlement was originally founded as a Nahal settlement

Nahal settlement

Nahal settlements were settlements established by Nahal soldiers in Israel and Israeli-occupied territories. Supporting Jewish settlement growth and expansion throughout Israel was once the main focus of the Nahal military brigade. The goal for every Nahal settlement was to become a civilian...

 in 1970 where Bildad Camp is currently located. In 1975 it was established as a moshav by city residents and native moshavniks and relocated several kilometers north to reach is present-day location.

After the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, Israel transferred a portion of the land area in Tzofar to Jordanian control, but Israel rented the land so that Israeli workers from the moshav could continue to cultivate it.

Economy

Winter farming is the main industry of the moshav. The produce is intended mainly for export, while some of it is sold locally. Vegetables grown in the moshav include melons, peppers, and tomatoes.

An attempt has been made to farm lobster in artificial ponds.

Pens for cattle have been constructed to serve as a holding place for cattle being imported into Israel.

The moshav also contains a grove of palm trees jointly owned by all the inhabitants.

A secondary source of income is tourism, based on the proximity of Tzofar to the ancient Nabatean spice route and to an ancient Nabatean city.