Beit Guvrin, located in the Judean Foothills region, is one of the most fascinating and impressive historical sites in Israel. Here, you’ll find stories that go back to the days of the First Temple, and get a chance to learn more about the rich history of the land of Israel. But most of all, Beit Guvrin is famous for its unique caves, which were dug here thousands of years ago, and tell the unique story of interesting ancient times.
The Story of the City of Maresha
Maresha was one of the cities of the kingdom of Edom in the days of the First Temple, and it is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Joshua, as one of the cities of the tribe of Judah. After the destruction of the First Temple, all the Jewish inhabitants of Maresha were exiled, and the city was settled again by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BC.
After the conquests of Alexander the Great (332 BC), a Greek community developed in the city, consisting of citizens and retired military personnel, who developed the city, which received the status of a polis. The city was the capital of the Idumea region of the Helenist empire, and its connections outside the country made it a city of great importance in the land of Israel.
During the Hasmonean rebellion in the 2nd century BC, the city served as a base for Greek attacks on the army of Judah the Maccabee. The Hasmonean ruler John Hyrcanus conquered the city in 111 BC and converted its inhabitants to Judaism. The inhabitants of Maresha resisted the occupation and conversion and suffered a severe blow, and so after that, the city has gradually declined, before being entirely destroyed in 40 BC.
The History of Beit Guvrin
In the days of King Herod (37 to 4 BC), Beit Gubrin was established on top of the city of Maresha, as the capital of the Idumea region. During the years of the Great Revolt (66 to 70 AD), the Jewish inhabitants of the city were murdered during Vespasian’s conquest campaign, which killed about 10,000 of the residents.
Since the Great Revolt, Beit Guvrin had become a Roman city, and in the year 200, it got the status of a polis, by the name of Eleutheropolis – a city of the free. With the beginning of the Byzantine period (324 to 638), the status of Alaotropolis became even more important, and it controlled large areas – from the Beer Sheva Valley to the Elah Valley in the north, and the Dead Sea in the east to the Mediterranean coastline in the west. Churches and monasteries were established in the city, and it even appears on the Madaba map as a large city surrounded by a wall, with public buildings and several churches.
Beit Guvrin has lost all of its importance in the Arabic rule over the land of Israel, as the Muslims did not develop it, and even used some of the city’s caves as building material for other cities. Today, next to the ancient ruins of Beit Guvrin, there is a small kibbutz by the same name.
Beit Guvrin caves
The tour of the Beit Guvrin Caves in the Beit Guvrin National Park will lead to several impressive caves, as each one tells a different story and served a different purpose at the time. Here are some of the must-see caves of Beit Guvrin.
The Polish Cave
The first cave you encounter on your route. The Polish Cave is a cistern that was dug in the Hellenistic period.
There is a rock in the center of the pit, and on the sides of the pit, you will see about 200 pigeon coops, which host pigeons even to this day.
The cave is called the Polish Cave because, during the Second World War, several Polish soldiers visited the place. During their visit, the soldiers engraved on the rock the year they visited (1943), an inscription that says ‘Warsaw Poland’ and the symbol of the Polish army – an eagle.
Columbarium Cave
A large, cross-shaped cave, with 2,000 pigeon coops. The original purpose of the cave is still unknown, as two main theories try to explain this unique phenomenon.
The first hypothesis about the cave’s purpose is that the columbarium cave was used to keep the ashes of the dead after they were cremated. Many types of columbariums of this purpose were discovered in Italy, and mainly in Rome.
According to the second hypothesis, the Columbarium cave was simply used to raise pigeons, either for ritual purposes or for food and the production of pigeon manure.
Interestingly enough, the examination of the material at the cave did not reveal any evidence that supported any of the Theories. Regarding the first hypothesis, no remains of teeth or human bones were found in the cave, or in many other columbariums that were found in Maresha. In addition, the discovery of the Sidonian Cave, a burial cave found at a site not far from this one, shows that the bodies at this time were buried in caves and not cremated.
As for the second hypothesis, no remains of pigeon droppings were found in the soil samples taken from the cave. The evidence shows that there is a chance that the purpose of the cave was completely different, but as of now, it is still unknown.
Hapa’amon Caves
One of the most impressive parts of the Beit Govrin tour is the visit to the Bell Caves, a network of over 80 caves connected by passages. The caves were excavated by digging a small hole in the hard rock, and expanding it while digging deeper into the softer limestone rock, creating a bell-shaped cave. Today, in many cases, you can still see the hole in the ceiling from which the excavation of the cave began, and the height of the larger caves reaches about 15 meters/49 feet.
Several inscriptions in Arabic were discovered in the caves, indicating that they were excavated in the early Arab period, in the tenth to seventh centuries AD.
Ancient Beit Guvrin city sites
amphitheater
An amphitheater is a typical structure of Roman culture. The amphitheater was used for gladiatorial combat competitions, shows, and military training. This amphitheater had about 3,500 seats and was used for about 200 years until it was damaged by an earthquake in 363.
The Roman Baths
The Roman bathhouse is the only imperial bathhouse discovered so far in Israel, and it is similar in structure to the bathhouses built in Rome.
The bathhouse was built at the beginning of the 3rd century and was used until the 7th century. It had pools, baths, hot rooms, a cold room, sweat rooms, massage rooms, toilets, changing rooms, and a yard.
In the 13th century, the Crusaders built a citadel on the remains of the bathhouse.
The Crusader Citadel
This Crusader Citadel was built on the remains of the Roman bathhouse in 1134 and handed over to the Hospitaller Order. The fort had at least two floors and icluded an open courtyard. In addition, remains of several ovens were found along the citael’s western wall.
The fort was abandoned in 1187 after the Crusaders lost to the Muslims, who used the fort until the Ottoman period.
