Page 18 - Holyland Magazine - 2017 Edition

with breathtaking views of the surrounding
countryside. As the Book of Revelation tells us,
it is here, on Tel Megiddo (Armageddon), that
the last battle of the end of days will take place: of the 3rd century AD, and here he compiled
“And he gathered them together into a place
called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon”
(Revelation 16:16). A little south of here is
another, more intimate, lookout point, where
you can pray, sing hymns or just close your
eyes and imagine this much-anticipated future.
From here, you can see Mt. Gilboa and Mt.
Tabor, Givat Hamore, the hills of Nazareth and
the Jezreel Valley. In the middle of Tel Megiddo
a circular some traces of Canaanite temples
and a circular sacrificial altar.
Let us move on to the southern stable
complex, with recreations of an ancient
stable and a chariot. Go down 173 steps
into a subterranean water system, and walk
a short tunnel (around 50 yards) towards
the city’s water reservoir. Today’s exit was
blocked in ancient times, so that no enemy
could access and contaminate the reservoir.
This way, its inhabitants enjoyed a steady
water supply throughout the year, as well as
in times of siege. At the end of the tunnel, you
will walk up 83 steps to a new exit cut in the
wall, and within seconds you’ll move back
from the first millennium BC straight into the
third millennium AD, and the modern-day
parking lot awaiting outside.
Zippori National Park harbors an
ancient city from the 1st century BC. The
town reached its heyday in the 1st-4th
Mosaic in Roman villa at Zippori.
Photo: Sharon Goldson
18
centuries AD, when it was described as “the
ornament of all Galilee” and its capital. Rabbi
Yehuda HaNasi lived here at the beginning
the Mishnah. In the Byzantine era, Zippori
became a Diocese, and was a mixed town
of Jews and Christians, right to the end of
the Byzantine rule, when the city declined.
On a tour of Zippori, you will discover some
important public buildings, as well as town
houses, with a synagogue, churches, the
Roman street layout (the Cardo and the
Decumanus), a Crusader Castle and a
theater. Do not miss out on the wonderfully
preserved floors, including the Nile Mosaic,
the Dionysus Mosaic, the Synagogue
Mosaic, the Orpheus Mosaic and more.
Also visit the impressive water system, with
its huge reservoir (150,000 cubic ft.) and
narrow 6-shaft tunnel.
A tour of Zippori provides a glimpse into the
past of a rich and cosmopolitan city, home to
Jews, Pagans, Christians and Muslims.
At the top of the hill stands a citadel, with a
gorgeous rooftop view of the Upper Galilee,
Safed, Mt. Meron and the hills of Nazareth,
all the way to Mt. Carmel and Mt. Hermon.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has
set up access roads, paths for people with
disabilities, as well as a Visitor Center with a Bet Shearim. Front of the burial cave complexes
souvenir shop, a model of the city and some
explanatory films and illustrative panels.
According to one Christian tradition, Zippori
was home to Anne and Joachim, Mary’s
parents and Jesus’ grandparents. A church
Good to know!
Bet Shearim National Park is home
to a one-time Jewish town and is
the burial place of Rabbi Yehuda
HaNasi, one of the most prominent
figures in Jewish history in the 2nd
and 3rd centuries AD. Upon his
death, it became a major burial
ground for Jews in the Land of Israel
and the Diaspora, all wishing to be
buried next to him. In 2015, the Bet
Shearim necropolis was declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 30 underground burial cave
complexes carved into the bedrock
hold about 2,000 burial niches
and 150 sarcophagi. The walls are
decorated with reliefs of animal
and human images, and hundreds
of inscriptions in four languages,
listing the names, occupations and
places of origin of the deceased.
One highlight is over 80 examples
of the menorah: this Jewish symbol
appears everywhere, with drawings,
reliefs and etchings. It seems like
the Jewish heart of the Mishnah and
Talmud continues to throb in this
magical place to this day. The site
has a cafeteria and a souvenir shop.
Photo: Tsvika Tsuk