A sign points left toward an alternate Shepherd's Field, believed by Franciscans
to be the actual field. The Franciscan site, or Latin Shepherd's Field, features recent
excavations of religious buildings dating back to the 4th or 5th century, as well as
a modern chapel built in 1954 by Antonio Barluzzi. (Church and exca-
vations open daily 6am-6pm.) Staying to the right leads to the Greek Orthodox Shep-
herd's Held, a more impressive and less-touristed site. The Byzantine basilica here
was thrice destroyed and repaired, in the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries. The Holy
Cave (325 CE) features mosaic crosses on the floor. In the baptistry are 1300-year-
old bones belonging to victims of the Persian invasion (open daily 8am-12:30pm
arid 2-5pm). The newest addition to the field is the incredible red-domed, Byzan-
tine-style church, opened in 1989. Inside are strikingly colored frescoes of starving
local saints and an imported Greek marble floor.
The main street within the residential part of the village is Star St. dominated by
the Greek Orthodox church. Along Star St. is the main office of the Alternative Tour-
ism Group (see Bethlehem Tours, 36). Past the post office, Omar al-Khattab
mosque is one of the city's few mosques. Accommodations in Beit Sahour can be
found in local homes or at the Bedouin tourist village; alternatively, the new Golden
Park Resort offers luxurious accommodations near Shepherd's Field.
Non-guests are welcome to relax in the resort's inviting swimming pool (NIS30).
herodion
From Jerusalem, take Egged bus #166, which stops at the bottom of the hill, a 5-10min. walk
from the entrance. Round-trip private taxi from Bethlehem NIS30, includes waiting time.
Free site-maps available at entrance; guided tours in English by prior
arrangement only. Open daily 8am-5pm; in winter 8am-4pm. NIS18; with ISIC NIS15.
Eleven kilometers east of Bethlehem, the man-made, flat-topped mountain of
Herodion arrests the eye with its startling silhouette. Much of the road between
Herodion and Bethlehem crosses over the "Valley of Fire," a continuation of Jerus-
alem's Kidron Valley. In biblical times it was the site of Molekh worship, where
fathers sacrificed their first-born sons by fire. It was also the site of the suicide of
Judas, betrayer of Jesus. On a clear day, the Mt. of Olives is visible from the road.
Although located in the West Bank, Herodion is an Israeli National Park.
Herodion is one of the world's finest examples of well-preserved early Roman
architecture. Built as a summer palace by King Herod, it contained swimming
pools and bathhouses, all of which have been carefully dug up. Herod's body is
believed to be buried here, although his bones haven't been found. Excavators
have found bones dating back to 2000 ВСЕ, some of the oldest ever discovered,
buried under the western tower in what is called the Kroutoon Cave.
There are two ways to ascend the mountain: the excruciating outdoor steps or
the naturally air-conditioned 200 steps inside the mountain, carved into the cis-
terns. Begun in Herod's time and later expanded by rebels in the Bar Kokhba
revolt, who used the site as a base around 132 CE (see the Romans, ), the net-
work of tunnels and steps leads directly into the former palace's central courtyard.
At the top, the western defense tower is directly above the Kroutoon Cave. The
vista from this point is breathtaking on a clear day, when the Dead Sea is visible
(right of the cistern exit). The red roofs below are those of the politically sensitive
Jewish settlements of Teqoa, Noqedim, and Ma'ale Amos, where the prophet Amos is
buried. Take the outside steps to get back down. The bridge was recently built
directly over what used to be the palace's main gate, which is prominently visible.