▁an ▁alt itude ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁. ▁Four ▁trees ▁have ▁reached ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁, ▁with ▁their ▁tr unks ▁reaching ▁. ▁ ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁C ed ars ▁of ▁God ▁were ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁UN ES CO ▁list ▁of ▁World ▁Heritage ▁S ites . ▁ ▁Current ▁status ▁The ▁forest ▁is ▁rig or ously ▁protected . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁to ▁tour ▁if ▁esc orted ▁by ▁an ▁author ized ▁guide . ▁After ▁a ▁pre lim inary ▁phase ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁land ▁was ▁cleared ▁of ▁det rit us , ▁the ▁sick ▁plants ▁treated , ▁and ▁the ▁ground ▁fert il ized , ▁the ▁" Com mit te e ▁of ▁the ▁Fri ends ▁of ▁the ▁C ed ar ▁Forest " ▁initi ated ▁a ▁re for est ation ▁program ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁These ▁efforts ▁will ▁only ▁be ▁appreci able ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁dec ades ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁slow ▁growth ▁of ▁ced ars . ▁In ▁these ▁areas ▁the ▁winter ▁offers ▁incred ible ▁scen ery , ▁and ▁the ▁trees ▁are ▁covered ▁with ▁a ▁blank et ▁of ▁snow . ▁ ▁Bib lic al ▁and ▁other ▁ancient ▁references ▁The ▁C ed ar ▁Forest ▁of ▁ancient ▁Mes op ot am ian ▁religion ▁appears ▁in ▁several ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁Ep ic ▁of ▁Gil g ames h . ▁ ▁The ▁Leb anon ▁C ed ar ▁is ▁mentioned ▁ 1 0 3 ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁Bible . ▁In ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁text ▁it ▁is ▁named ▁ ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Greek ▁text ▁( L XX )