The Bible Comes to Life in the Judean Foothills

For over three millennia, tradition and the Biblical historical account place King David as a great warrior who fought the Philistines and unified the tribes of Israel under one kingdom. Yet, only until recently, King David was a very elusive figure in archeological and non-Biblical sources.  This changes when the excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa  exposed a fortified city with remnants dating to the time of King David located in the area where the Bible places the famous battle between the anonymous red-haired shepherd, David and the Philistine giant, Goliath. 

The Judean foothills continue to be fortified as King Rehoboam builds the city of Lachish, which later falls after a long siege imposed by the Assyrian Emperor Sennacherib. Lachish is rebuilt and fortified by Kings Manaseh  and Josiah, becoming the area’s stronghold  but falls again after the invasion of the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.

Nearby is Maresha, also a biblical city captured by Nebuchadnezzar which became an Idumean city, and then developed as a Helenistic city encompassing Greek and oriental cultures. It was destroyed in 40 CE  during the  struggle between the Hasmoneans and Herod, the latter supported by the Romans. The neighboring Beit Guvrin succeeded Maresha as the area’s main  settlement, an important Roman city and a symbol of the Jewish revolt. 

Our tour:

• Khirbet Qeiyafa:  We will  learn  how archeology and Biblical research all come together.  While citing from the Book of Samuel, we will relive the battle between David and Goliath pointing out almost precisely where it took place.

• Lachish:  We will walk through the remnants of  the fortified Judean city.  We will  envision the ruthless siege and conquest by Sennacherib, and the inhabitants’ brave attempts to defend their homes

• Maresha-Beit Guvrin National Park- a UNESCO World Heritage Site: We will enter fascinating caves and discover how they served the ancient inhabitants  as quarries, cisterns, storerooms, tombs and of course see  the famous columbarium. At the Roman Amphitheater we will  learn about the notorious animal/human battles and find out if there were Jewish gladiators

• Special attraction -  Mony Estate Winery: Founded by Shakib Ertol, a Christian-Arab from the Galilee fell in love with the lush slopes of the Judean mountains It is a state-of-the-art winery, with wines aged in wooden barrels in a natural limestone cave. The winery is a Kosher Le’Mahadrin, and is a symbol of the co-existence in Israel. 

• Additional Wine tasting experience as time allows