CI FOOD. There are several restaurants to curb midday hunger on the road
between the village's two main sights. The verdant Caravan Inn Restaurant (« 534 27
SOREQ CAVE (ME'ARAT HA-NETIFIM) 1153
44) has slightly pricey main dishes; shishlik (NIS35-40), schnitzel (NIS32), and
Turkish salad appetizer (NIS10) served on a breezy terrace, overlooking Abu
Ghosh and the hills of Jerusalem. Open daily llam-llpm. At a lower altitude, Mif-
gash Ha-Kfar, around the corner from the crusader church, feeds today's hungry
crusaders hummus and falafel plates (NIS12) and tabule (NIS10) at indoor or
shaded outdoor tables.
§3 SIGHTS. Two churches grace the hills of Abu Ghosh. Notre Dame de I'Arche
d'Alliance (Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant), at the top of the hill (turn right
across from the old police station), was built on the site of the Ark's ancient hold-
ing place. The current church was built in the 1920s on the ruins of a demolished
Byzantine church; beautiful fragments of the original mosaics are integrated into
the marble floor.
In the beautiful garden below the sacred hill stands the magnificently preserved
Crusader Church of the Resurrection, built in 1142 and acquired by the French gov-
ernment in 1873. Excavations beneath the church have uncovered remains dating
back to Neolithic times; the crypt contains evidence of a Roman fortification.
Today, ten monks and twelve sisters reside in the monastery and make their living
from the ceramics hand-crafted in their small pottery studio. To reach the church,
walk down the main road past the restaurants, turn right at Mahmoud Rashid Abu
Ghosh St. and head for the minaret of the mosque next door. Buzz for entrance at
the blue door to the right. Ask for Father Olivier, a popular monk who is known to
give good advice and who has been featured in Israeli newspapers. (« 534 27 98 or
533 56 70. Open M-W, F-Sa 8:30-1 lam and 2:30-5:30pm. Free, but donations wel-
come. Regular morning mass M-Sa 11:30am, vespers 6pm; Gregorian chant Su
10am, vespers 5pm. Modest dress required.)
и FESTIVALS. Abu Ghosh is usually a pretty quiet little village, but the excellent
acoustics at both churches have attracted choirs and musicians from around the
country. Twice a year, during the Jewish holidays of Sukkot (Oc-9, 2001) and
Shavuot (May 28, 2001), the Abu Ghosh Vocal Music Festival fills the town with melo-
dious sounds and multitudes of people. During the winter months, the Notre Dame
church hosts classical music concerts on the last Saturday of each month. Tickets
aren't cheap, ranging from NIS67-110 for each event at the festival, but the artists
~e among the best in Israel. (Tickets and information.
0req cave (me'arat ha-netifim)
The cave is 19km southwest of Jerusalem. Take bus #415 or 420 to Beit Shemesh, 10km
west of the cave (45min. every 25min.-lh-9:30am, NIS14). From Beit Shemesh call
Moniyot Ha-Mercaz and take a NIS45 taxi to the site
NIS18, students NIS15;
includes a short audio-visual program at the entrance and a guided tour every day but
Friday. Photography and solo wanderings are permitted on Friday only.