. ▁Al phon se ▁de ▁Lam art ine ▁visited ▁the ▁place ▁during ▁his ▁travel ▁in ▁Leb anon ▁( 1 8 3 2 – 3 3 ), ▁mention ing ▁the ▁ced ars ▁in ▁some ▁texts , ▁and ▁Henry ▁Bor de aux ▁came ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁wrote , ▁Y amil é , ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁the ▁place . ▁Conc ern ▁for ▁the ▁protection ▁of ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁" ced ars ▁of ▁God " ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁when ▁the ▁ ▁gro ve ▁was ▁surrounded ▁by ▁a ▁high ▁stone ▁wall , ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁Queen ▁Victoria , ▁to ▁protect ▁sap lings ▁from ▁brow sing ▁by ▁go ats . ▁Nevertheless , ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁British ▁troops ▁used ▁ced ar ▁to ▁build ▁rail ro ads . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁history ▁Time , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁explo itation ▁of ▁the ▁C ed ars ’ ▁wood , ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁decrease ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁ced ar ▁trees ▁in ▁Leb anon . ▁However , ▁Leb anon ▁is ▁still ▁widely ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁ced ar ▁tree ▁history , ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁em blem ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁the ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁Leb an ese ▁flag . ▁The ▁remaining ▁trees ▁surv ive ▁in ▁mountain ous ▁areas , ▁where ▁they ▁are ▁the ▁dominant ▁tree ▁species . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁case ▁on ▁the ▁s lop es ▁of ▁Mount ▁Mak mel ▁that ▁tower ▁over ▁the ▁K ad ish a ▁Valley , ▁where ▁the ▁C ed ars ▁of ▁God ▁are ▁found ▁at