HERODION AND GOOD SAMARITAN INN

Service Description

This is a unique tour into the munificent sites in the Judea Desert - Herodion and Good Samaritan inn. Herodion was built by King Herod as his summer palace, powerful fortress and, finally, as his mausoleum. This huge artificial volcano stands alone between Jerusalem and Bethlehem surrounded by the Judea Desert. And indeed, even today, Herodion is a wonder to behold. Herodion is very well-preserved and include the various halls of the fortress, ritual baths, water cisterns, and even the remains of a first-century synagogue. The Good Samaritan complex is a historic structure in its own right. It consists of the remnants of a road station from the Second Temple period, which was used by pilgrims to Jerusalem coming from Galilee and Gilead. Remains have also been discovered here of an inn from the Byzantine period that served Christian pilgrims. The site got its name in the Byzantine period, when it was identified as the inn mentioned in the New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan.