West Bank
Judaea and Samaria
About West Bank (Judaea and Samaria)
The West Bank is known within Israel by its biblical names Judaea and Samaria.
The name was given to the territory because it sits on the west side of the Jordan River. It is rich in history and has archaeological sites and rugged landscapes.
One of the best-known biblical stories in the region of Samaria is in John 4 when Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well.
Visits to ancient archaeological sites including Shechem, Shiloh, Bethel, Sychar and Ai in Samaria relive biblical stories and give a greater understanding of the passages in which they are found.
The Samaritans believe in the God of Israel but they worship at Mount Gerizim with their own adapted worship practices.
On display in the Good Samaritan Museum are ancient mosaics and archaeological findings from the territories. The site may have been the location of the event of the “Parable of the Good Samaritan”.
By local Christian tradition, the Monastery of the Temptation is the site where Jesus spent forty days and nights after His baptism.
In 340 CE Christian monks established the monastery at the site, utilising the caves on the adjacent cliff overlooking Jericho.
Highlights
- Step into the ancient city of Jericho, reputed to be the oldest city on the planet.
- Visit Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, the traditional site where people believe Jesus was born.
- Enjoy a cable car ride to see the Greek Orthodox Monastery built into the mountainside of Mount of Temptation.
- Take a tour to see the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
- See Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal where the significant event of Deuteronomy 27-30 occurred.
- Explore Shiloh where the Tabernacle of Moses resided.
- Discover Bethel where Jacob dreamed of the ladder with angels ascending to and descending from heaven.
