Abu Gosh

On the way up from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, among turns and bends of the hilly scenery, lies the village of Abu Gosh. It is a Christian-Arab village built on a mountainside. Looking up from its lowest point, you will see a charming and picturesque village.

The village of Abu Gosh was first settled over 6,000 years ago. In the biblical period, it was known as Kiryat Ye'arim, and was a ceremonial center where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. In the Byzantine era (some 1,500 years ago), Kiryat Ye’arim became a holy place and a church was built in the village. During the Crusader Period (about 1,000 years ago), the village was ascribed as the place where Jesus revealed himself after his resurrection – that is, Emmaus – and the Benedictine Monastery was built. The monastery is one of the most beautiful buildings preserved from the Crusader Period, and can still be visited. It is located in the heart of a well-tended garden with ancient trees. Impressive frescoes are painted on the inner walls, and a fountain flows from the crypt at the base of the monastery. 

The Church of Notre Dame de l’Arche d’Alliance (Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant) is located at the highest point in the village, facing the impressive scenery of the Jerusalem Hills. This church was built in 1924 on the remains of an ancient Byzantine church. A large statue of the Virgin Mary was placed in the courtyard of the church, and is visible from every direction in the complex. Nuns live in the church, which also has several guest rooms.

The present village was built in the Ottoman period by the Abu Gosh family, whose descendents represent the majority of the residents of the place (some 5,500 people).

Twice a year – on Shavuot (the Festival of the First Fruits) and on Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) – both churches hold festivals for vocal music, which are attended by groups and choirs from round the world, and the place teems with people.

But in Israel, Abu Gosh is synonymous with hummus. And not the simple hummus you get in the city, but a wonderful, delightful mixture served in a variety of ways and with spicy garnishing. In fact, in recent years Abu Gosh has turned into the country’s “hummus center.” In addition to the “authentic” Abu Shukri restaurant and to the “original” Abu Shukri restaurant, there are many other restaurants throughout the village, focused around hummus and authentic Arabic food. Besides tasty and even cheap food, Abu Gosh offers additional tourist attractions. 

The village has a few guesthouses, colorful shops selling glass products, a candle shop, and, of course, places to buy Baklava and different types of sweet foods. Near the village there are several sites worth visiting, such as the Ein Khemed National Park, Har ha-Ru’akh (literally, the Mountain of the Wind), and more.

fertile lansdscape in The Kibbutz

Israel’s kibbutz communities, nestled in its most scenic and fertile landscapes, are one of its best-known Israeli “products,” representing a unique, rural way of life whose historic hallmark is sharing. The kibbutz movement began around the turn of the 20th century when groups of young pioneers from Eastern Europe decided to combine their commitment to egalitarianism and their love of nature and working the land with their Zionist creed. These first kibbutzniks, as members of these communities are called, founded Degania on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee, which is still blooming and going strong.

Today there are approximately 270 kibbutzim throughout the country. Interestingly, as famous as the kibbutz movement is, only about 1.5% of Israel’s population has chosen this way of life, making it an even more special phenomenon you’ll want to learn more about when you visit. Their role has certainly been the inverse of their small numbers – it is impossible to imagine Israel without the kibbutz contribution to agriculture, industry, as a first home for immigrants and, in the early years, in defense of its borders.

Many say the kibbutz secret of success has been its willingness to change with the times. More than a generation ago, for example, they gave up the idea of children sleeping in group quarters watched over by kibbutz caregivers, which in the old days was considered essential to maximize working hands. And today, some kibbutzim have decided to foster greater individual enterprise, while continuing to share elements of their cultural and social lives. Still others have kept the traditional framework of a redistribution of the resources of all members.

Since all kibbutzim began as farms, they are located in Israel’s most beautiful regions. That makes them an alluring destination for visitors, and many operate hotels and/or bed-and-breakfast facilities, craft shops, galleries and other attractions and tourist services. In fact, visitors who want both to meet these unusual folks and enjoy their hospitality can plan their entire Israel trip staying overnight only at kibbutzim! With lots of room to run around outdoors, kibbutz accommodations are great for families with young children. Some kibbutzim run tours of their community, and boast museums of their pioneering days and/or the heritage sites and artifacts found right on their land.

An unforgettable opportunity to get acquainted with kibbutz life, to make life-long friends among the kibbutzniks and other people from around the world, and to see Israel at the same time is by volunteering on one of 30 or so kibbutzim for a minimum of two months and a maximum of six months. If you love green pastures and waterscapes, you may look for a kibbutz volunteer program in northern Israel’s Hula Valley or near the Sea of Galilee. In contrast , there are dramatic desert scapes in the Negev or the Arava, where you can help make the arid land bloom.

Visit the ruins of Beit She'an

A tour of Beit She’an is like a walk through time. Among the residential buildings, modern public buildings, and modern shopping centers are ancient buildings that were once public institutions, archaeological sites and impressive ruins. Beit She’an is one of the most ancient cities in the country. It is a historical gem that unfolds the fascinating story of a rich period full of changes, climaxing in the National Park of Beit She’an to the north of the city.

Tel (the Hebrew name for abandoned ruins that often appear as hillocks in the countryside) Beit She’an was first settled way back in the Chalcolithic Period (some 5,000 to 6,000 years ago). The city has had many conquerors, among them the Egyptians some 3,500 years ago. A few hundred years later, the Philistines conquered it (it was they who fastened Saul’s body to the wall of Beit She’an after the famous battle on Mount Gilbo’a: 1 Samuel 31 .8 – 11). Beit She’an became part of the kingdoms of David and Solomon, and was eventually destroyed in a fire, apparently at the hands of the King of Assyria (in 732 BCE). 

Beit She’an was rebuilt as a Hellenistic city about 2,300 years ago, and was renamed Scythopolis (“City of the Scyths”). In the succeeding Roman period, it spread south, reaching the peak of its greatness in the fifth century, when it had 30,000 – 40,000 inhabitants. The remains of this magnificent city can be clearly seen at the city’s main site – the National Park of Beit She’an, which is one of the country’s most beautiful and impressive national parks. In the northern part is Tel Beit She’an – the location of ancient Beit She’an. South and east of it are the ruins of Roman-Byzantine Scythopolis, which tell of its richness and greatness.

The city extended over an area of some 370 acres, and you can still see the remains of the wall that surrounded it. In addition, several impressive buildings have been uncovered in the national park, including a theatre (still used for events and shows), a public bath-house (the largest found to date in Israel), two magnificent colonnaded streets, a Roman temple, a decorative fountain building (nymphaeum), a large basilica marking the center of the city, and of course the reconstructed mosaic on which you can see Tyche, the Roman Goddess of Good Fortune, holding the Horn of Plenty.

The city remained at its peak for several more years, following which it declined. After the Arab conquest, it sank to the status of a small town. Upon the establishment of the State of Israel, it was resettled and new immigrants came to live here. Today, the city numbers some 18,000 inhabitants. 

As mentioned, there are more ruins within the precincts of the new city of Beit She’an, including a Roman amphitheatre (hippodrome), an affluent person’s residence from the Byzantine period, and the remains of a bridge from the Roman period on Nakhal Kharod, which flows at the outskirts of the city. In another part of the city are ruins from later periods, including the remains of a Crusader fortress, a mosque from the Mamluk period, a Turkish government house, and several basalt stone houses from the time Beit She’an was under Arabic rule.

The area surrounding the city is profuse with springs and, consequently, there are abundant nature sites and places to tour. The new youth hostel, one of the most impressive in the country, is worth a visit.