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City in Israel
Photo: חיים בוזנה, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
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The ancient city of Beit Shemesh, a city mentioned in the Bible. It is located on a hill just west of the modern city, across road 38. You can walk around the tel freely and see some of the ancient ruins, but they will be hard to appreciate without a guide or prior knowledge.
Another Biblical city, this one known as a Canaanite city against which Joshua fought. It is still an active archaeological site. You can see the impressively tall remains of the Canaanite city wall. It makes clear why, according to the Bible, the Israelites were afraid to enter the land because the walled cities reached "up to the heavens" and were unconquerable.
A unique museum which explains the role of animals in Jewish tradition. Kosher laws, the shofar, and many other topics are explained using live specimens, preserved skeletons and hides, and other hands-on exhibits. You need to visit as part of a group tour - contact the museum and they will help arrange a joint tour with other visitors.
Presents the history of Israel's police forces, starting with the communal guard organizations that were created in the late Ottoman period, and ending with current police activities. In addition to traditional exhibits, there are video and holographic presentations.
By train
As of 2023 Beit Shemesh is the terminus for trains from Tel Aviv, service to and from Jerusalem has been cancelled. Services are roughly half-hourly.
By bus
There are frequent buses from Jerusalem. Less frequent buses run from Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, and other locations.
The city is built on a series of hills with open space between them. This makes it pleasantly quiet, but hard to get around on foot. If you are not driving, you will probably want to use the internal city buses.
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Tel Aviv · International · TLV
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