ROUTE No. 1 -
Jerusalem - Jericho - Qumran - En Feshkha - En Gedi - Massada
ROUTE No. 2 (Judaea) - Jerusalem -
Bethlehem - Gush Etzion - Hebron
ROUTE No. 3 (Samaria or Shomron) - Jerusalem - Nebi Samwil - El Jib -
Ramallah - Ofra - Ma'ale Ephraim - Rosh Ha'ayin
ROUTE No. 4 (The Judaean Hills) - Jerusalem - Bet Jalla - Batir - Mevo
Beitar - Ein Karem
ROUTE No. 1
TOP
Jerusalem - Jericho (28 km.) - Qumran (48 km.) - En Feshkha (51 km.) - En
Gedi (93 km.) - Massada (109 km.)
(Start on Road No. 1 and join Road No. 90.)
(Distances in brackets refer to start of route.)
Don't be fooled into thinking that these 109 km. can be zipped up in a couple
of hours. You will be visiting places where civilization fermented, where man
first settled in an urban society and where he penned some of the greatest
literature the world has ever known. In addition, you are sure to want to swim
at one or two of the four oases along the route.
Some may want to return to Jerusalem at the end of the
sightseeing. But this is a good route to link up with trips radiating from Beer
Sheva, and you may decide to sleep over in the capital city of the Negev, or in
Arad.
The abrupt descent from 835 m. above sea level in Jerusalem
to 250 m. below sea level at Jericho makes for stupendous vistas of rolling
scenery.
Before starting off it is advisable to take along a spare
can of gasoline and water as these facilities are scant in the parched
Wilderness of Judaea. In addition, guard against the possibility of a pounding
sunstroke and a roasting sun tan by wearing some form of head covering.
Road No. 1 to Jericho crosses the Kidron Valley and curves
round the base of the Mount of Olives, leaving behind a trail of villages on
Jerusalem's periphery, including Bethany, where Jesus raised Lazarus from the
dead.
About 1 km. later there is a turn-off left to a deserted
military camp constructed by the Jordanian Arab Legion out of tombstones
uprooted from the Jewish cemetery on the Mt. of Olives between 1948 and 1967.
After 3 km. you come to the newly built town of Ma'ale Adumim.
A few kilometres away is Mishor Adumim, an industrial suburb
of Jerusalem.
About 17 km. from Jerusalem the road rises sharply to an old caravanserai.
Enclosing a deep well, it is regarded as the Inn of the Good Samaritan,
immortalized in the parable recited by Jesus (Luke 10:30-37). This is the
original Ma'ale Adumim (``red ascent'').
Ruins of a Crusader castle peek out from the red earth
nearby. Iron oxide is responsible for this scarlet tint.
When you reach the fork in the road 4 km. later, with signs to Mitspe Yericho
and Wadi Qelt, turn left along the old road to Jericho, for an hour's detour
into the deep gorge of Wadi Qelt. Drive the next 5 km. until you reach the lip
of the gorge. Park here and take the path winding down for a half-hour walk.
WADI QELT
JERICHO
QUMRAN
EN GEDI
TOP
ROUTE No. 2
TOP
Judaea
Jerusalem - Bethlehem (8 km.) - Gush Etzion (19 km.) - Hebron (36 km.).
(Distances in brackets refer to start of route.)
Whether you go all the way through to Beer Sheva is immaterial but visits to
Bethlehem, Gush Etzion (the Etzion Bloc) and Hebron should rank high in
anyone's itinerary of the Holy Land. Each, in its own way, strikes a religious
or nationalistic chord, with several points along the way providing added
attractions.
Bethlehem and Hebron are part of the Palestinian autonomous
areas. The old road to Bethlehem is a clear, straight run immediately after the
Jerusalem railway station. It is idyllically rustic with olive groves and the
gently sloping hills adding to the scenic attraction beyond. There is a new
tunnel from the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo to the Etzion Bloc that doesn't pass
Bethlehem.
On the way to Bethlehem is the Biblical Resources Pilgrim
Centre. It boasts a Scripture Garden with reconstructions of items from the
biblical world, such as a wine press, a threshing floor and water systems.
There are also magnificent views across to Bethlehem and the Judaen Desert, and
a cafeteria. You can even enjoy a four-course Biblical Meal in a Roman villa!
Open: Mon.-Sat. 8.30 a.m.-5 p.m. (summer), 8.30 a.m.-4.30 p.m. (winter).
Biblical Meals by appointment. Entrance fee (children under 5 free). Tel.
(02)767361.
Some minutes after leaving Jerusalem, on your left, is the
Greek Monastery, Mar Elias, named after the prophet Elijah. Built in the 6th
century, it was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in the 14th century.
Bethlehem's church-steepled skyline appears but such is the enchantment of this
city that there seems to be no separation between its perimeter and the
countryside.
Bethlehem is a town so grey with tradition that it was prominent in the Jewish mind some 1,600 years before the birth of Jesus, when Rachel, wife of the patriarch Jacob, was buried here. Rachel's tomb is on your right, before the turning (left) to Bethlehem. The road ahead is to Hebron.
BETHLEHEM
GUSH ETZION (ETZION BLOC)
HEBRON
TOP
ROUTE No. 3
TOP
Samaria or Shomron
Jerusalem - Nebi Samwil (5 km.) - El Jib (10 km.) - Ramallah (19 km.) - Ofra
(26 km.) - Ma'ale Ephraim (50 km.) - Rosh Ha'ayin (92 km.) (Road Nos. 437, 60,
3, 458, 505.)
(Distances in brackets refer to start of route.)
The highway through Shomron (Samaria) is a trail into antiquity, traversing the
heart of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. It is also the ``West Bank'' that was
conquered by the Kingdom of Jordan in 1948 and fell to Israel in the Six Day
War (1967). This is the contested area, most of which is being handed over in
stages to Palestinian control.
The easiest way of getting here from the northern part of
Jerusalem is from the Central Bus Station towards Ramat Eshkol. It is 5 km. to
Nebi Samwil, heading north west on the Golda Meir Road. This road passes the
newly built suburb of Ramot Allon, named after the late Yigal Allon. Head in
the direction of the prominent minaret of Nebi Samwil.
ROUTE No. 4
TOP
The Judaean Hills
Jerusalem - Bet Jalla (10 km.) - Batir (18 km.) - Mevo Beitar (24 km.) - Ein
Karem (50 km.) (Road Nos. 60, 375, 386.)
(Distances in brackets refer to start of route.)
This route takes a few hours and leads through scenic countryside surrounding
Jerusalem, on to the last stronghold of Bar Kochba and then to the village
where John the Baptist was born. Be careful on the narrow mountain roads.
Follow Route No. 2 to Bethlehem after Rachel's Tomb turn
right to the Christian hamlet of Bet Jalla. Ascend to the peak of Mt. Gilo and
follow the signs to Deir Kremizan Monastery. This picturesque Silesian
monastery trains men for the priesthood but is more famous for its delightful
wines and for the ancient tombs on the slopes of the terraced hill.
On leaving the monastery turn right up the hill. Next to the
Everest Hotel you will see a former British army and Arab Legion camp, now the
Field School and settlement of Har Gilo. At the entrance you'll find a Roman
mausoleum and ancient agricultural implements. From the observation tower,
there is a magnificent view of southern Jerusalem and Beit Jalla, Bethlehem and
the Judaean Desert.
Drive onto the main road, No. 375, turn right and then left.
Now you are in open, rocky country. At the fork veer right for the Arab village
of Batir, where Bar Kochba made his last stand on the hill at the edge of the
square known as Kasr al-Yahud (Jews' Fortress). This was the ancient site of
Beitar. It fell to the Romans in 135 CE after a protracted siege.
Parts of the ancient walls form supports for the terraces in
the village. While here note the remains of two Roman siege camps on the
southern side and an inscription close to the village spring, commemorating the
presence of the two Roman legions.
Return to the main road and take the right fork. Pass the
village of Hussan and soon after it the remains of concrete tank barriers
erected by the Jordanians near the pre-June 1967 borders.
Drive on, passing moshav Mevo Beitar and the houses of Zur
Hadassah built on grey concrete bomb shelters. Parts of Jerusalem are visible
most of the time. Drive straight on past Nes Harim and one of Keren Kayemet's
(JNF) tree-planting centres. On your right you will see a sign for the Soreq
Cave in the Avshalom Nature Reserve. Well worth a visit, it was discovered in
1968 and opened to the public 10 years later. You can see superb stalactites
and stalagmites, including a rare formation known as ``Cave Corals.'' Other impressive
formations have been nicknamed ``City of Pagodas,'' ``Mexican Hats'' and
``Elephant Ears''. For opening hours, call (02)9911117.
Return past Nes Harim, and at the road junction to Qiryat
Gat and Ashqelon turn towards Jerusalem, taking Road No. 386. Down the hill,
the road eventually crosses the stream of Nahal Soreq, close to the railroad
linking Jerusalem with the coast.
Pass Even Sapir, with the Hadassah Medical Centre perched
above the valley. The road leads into the village of Ein Karem, just inside the
Jerusalem city limits. (See Jerusalem ``Places to Visit'' for visiting hours in
the churches.)
Close to the centre of the village is the Franciscan Church
of St. John the Baptist, built in 1885. The Byzantines built the first church
over this site in the 5th century. A stairway leads down to the Grotto of the
Nativity of St. John.
On leaving the church cross the main road running through
the village and arrive at the Fountain of the Virgin below the minaret. You
will have to climb the hill to reach the Catholic Church of the Visitation on
the summit. The Magnificat, etched in 42 languages in the courtyard,
commemorates Mary's visit to Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:46).
From here you return to Jerusalem. Some people consider it a better idea to start from Ein Karem, which is only a few kilometres outside Jerusalem, and travel this route in reverse.