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Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

The Shfela (Judean Lowlands) is the rolling hill country between Israel’s coastal plain and the Jerusalem hills. It’s a corridor of biblical battlegrounds and Roman-Byzantine remains: the Elah Valley where David met Goliath, the Ayalon Valley, and the Christian heritage of the surrounding villages.

4 articles

4 articles
Israelite gate at Tel Gezer
Centre · Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

The Ayalon Valley

A day in the Ayalon valley between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: Tel Gezer's Israelite gate, Mini Israel, the Crusader Toron des Chevalliers and Latrun's silent Trappist monks, ancient Emmaus, the Tombs of the Maccabees and Neot Kedumim.

Israelite gate at Tel Gezer Mini Jerusalem at Mini Israel Inside le Toron des Chevalliers The Trappist Church at Latrun Byzantine period baptistery at ancient Emmaus Second Temple Period tomb in the Ayalon-Canada Park The Tombs of the Maccabees - burial site of Mattisyahu himself? View over the biblical landscape of Neot Keduim
Sidonite Burial Cave at Maresha
Centre · Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

The Shfela (Judean Lowlands) in the Roman & Byzantine Periods

A day across the Judean Lowlands: Tel Maresha's underground caves, the Roman city of Beit Guvrin (Eleutheropolis), and crawling through the Bar Kochba Revolt tunnels at Horvat Midras.

Underground columbarium at Tel Maresha Sidonite Burial Cave at Maresha Roman oval amphitheatre at Beit Guvrin Squeezing through the tunnels used during the Bar Kochba Revolt
Convent of the Sisters of Bethlehem, Beit Jamal
Centre · Jerusalem

Christianity in the Judean Hills

The final of five field trips on Christian sites: Abu Ghosh, Ein Kerem and Beit Jamal. Crusader churches, the birthplace of John the Baptist and a Salesian monastery on the way home.

Olivier - the wonderful Benedictine monk in Abu Ghosh Church of the Visitation, Ein Kerem Mary's Spring, Ein Kerem Church of St John the Baptist, Ein Kerem Spring at St John in the Desert, Even Sapir Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant, Kiriat Yearim Convent of the Sisters of Bethlehem, Beit Jamal Church of St Stephen, Beit Jamal
Samson's Tomb on Tel Tzora
Centre · Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

The Biblical Judean Lowlands (Shfela)

A field-trip day across the Judean Lowlands (Shfela) — the Tzora forest, Tel Beit Shemesh, the recently discovered Khirbet Qeiyafa, Tel Azeka over the valley of David and Goliath, and Tel Lachish.

Samson's Tomb on Tel Tzora Sculpture Garden in Beit Shemesh Inside the ancient cistern at Tel Beit Shemesh The Israelite fortress from the period of King David at Khirbet Qeiyafa View over the Judean Lowlands (Shfela) from Tel Azeka View over the Judean Lowlands (Shfela) from Tel Lachish
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