Meet Bet Shearim National Park Bet She’arim were due to the fact that it was home to a great rabbi – Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi – who was the religious, spiritual and political leader of the Jewish people at the time, and compiler of the Mishnah (the oral laws). Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wanted to be buried in Bet She’arim, and his tomb was built during his lifetime. The story of the town encapsulates the story of Jewish settlement of the time, the story of its people, their actions, and their great faith.
Main points of interest
The synagogue
The basilica
The olive press
The statue of Alexander Zaid – the “Watchman”
Sheikh Abreik
The upper path – a hiking trail focusing on the summit of the Bet She’arim hilltop
The lower path – a hiking trail among the burial caves in the central part of the park
The Coffins Cave
The cave of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi
The Museum Cave
The Menorah Caves
Summer hours:
Sunday–Thursday and Saturday: 17:00 – 08:00 Friday and holiday eves: 16:00 – 08:00
Winter hours:
Sunday–Thursday and Saturday: 16:00 – 08:00 Friday and holiday eves: 15:00 – 08:00 Holiday eves: 13:00 – 08:00 Yom Kippur eve: 13:00 – 08:00
