Wineries, bible and contemporary history in the Judean foothills

This one-day tour takes us to the countryside setting of the Shfela, the Judean foothills.

Known for it's vineyards and excellent wine, it is the backdrop to several momentous biblical stories, notably the adventures of the mighty Samson and the duel between David and Goliath.

Here the nascent Israeli army braved the siege of Jerusalem in the war of independence in 1948.

On route, the town of Ramla harbors some architectural gems from the Crusader and Mameluke eras.

​

- In Ramla we visit the big mosque - a crusader church turned mosque, and the white tower, a remanent       of the Mameluke times in the 13th century. 

- At the Har'el observatory we will learn of the Burma road, a road blazed through the mountains to break     the Arab siege of Jerusalem during the 1948 war of independence.

- Tel Azeka overlooks Ha'Ella valley, where the young shepherd boy David slew the giant Philistine Goliath,     granting King Saul and the Israelite army the victory.

- For lunch and later during the day we will visit 2 of the regions' superb wineries. The red and white wines of this area have received many accolades.

- At the Beit-Guvrin UNESCO heritage site we will visit caves dug into the soft chalk for various purposes, e.g. growing pigeons, burial, storage, and hideout.