Map of Central Coastal Plain and Samaria
This map covers the Central Coastal Plain and Samaria, bringing together landscapes and sites that reflect both modern Israel and the deep layers of ancient and biblical history. The region has long served as a central corridor of settlement, trade, and cultural interaction from antiquity to the present.
Old Jaffa
Site 1
If you are staying in Tel Aviv at the beginning or end of your tour, or visiting on a business trip with a bit of spare time, Old Jaffa is one site you should not miss. Located just a short walk or a quick ride from downtown Tel Aviv, it is easy to reach and rich in atmosphere. Whether visited in daylight or in the evening, Jaffa offers sea views, historic streets, and a character that sets it apart from anywhere else in the area.
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Old Jaffa is one of the oldest port cities in the world, with a history reaching back thousands of years. From its earliest days, the city served as a key maritime gateway, linking the Mediterranean Sea with the inland routes leading to Jerusalem and beyond. In the Bible, Jaffa is mentioned as an important port. It is best known from the Book of Jonah, where the prophet set sail from here before the storm at sea (Jonah 1:3). While walking through Old Jaffa today, visitors can see a statue of a whale, recalling the biblical story of Jonah. The city is also connected with the transport of cedar wood from Lebanon for building projects in Jerusalem during the reign of King Solomon (2 Chronicles 2:16), as well as for later construction in the Second Temple period (Ezra 3:7).
In the New Testament, Jaffa is associated with the visit of Peter, who stayed in the city and raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36–43). At the top of the hill stands St. Peter’s Church, overlooking the Mediterranean and the ancient harbor below, traditionally marking this episode. It was also from Jaffa that Peter was summoned to Caesarea to meet Cornelius, a Roman centurion, following a vision that led him to accept Gentiles into the early Christian community (Acts 9–10).
From the church, visitors can stroll through the narrow streets of the reconstructed Old Jaffa, where art galleries, artistic workshops, and small shops reflect the area’s creative atmosphere. Many historic buildings are marked with signs telling the story of the site and its past residents. Along the way, remains of Jaffa’s city walls can still be seen, largely dismantled in the past to allow the city to expand, unlike the preserved walls of Jerusalem. Continuing downhill toward the port, one passes the traditional site of Simon the Tanner’s house, where Peter stayed and experienced the vision that led him to accept Cornelius, a Gentile, into the early Christian community.
Across antiquity and the medieval period, Jaffa was destroyed and rebuilt many times, yet it consistently returned to life as the main port serving the region. In 1799, the city was briefly captured by Napoleon during his campaign in the Levant. In the modern era, Jaffa entered the period of the British Mandate and later became part of the State of Israel. During the British period, the port of Jaffa continued to function as an international harbor and remained a major gateway to the country. With the development of modern deep-water ports at Haifa and Ashdod, Jaffa’s role gradually declined. The ancient harbor was not suited to modern maritime traffic, and adapting it would have required major reconstruction that would have destroyed its historic character. Commercial activity eventually ceased, leaving the port today as a preserved historic harbor and cultural focal point along the Mediterranean coast, where history, art, and daily life meet.
Ayalon and Latrun: Gateways to Jerusalem
Site 2
When traveling from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you leave the dense urban landscape behind. Shortly after passing Ben Gurion Airport, the open coastal plain stretches ahead, marked by fields, agricultural land, and scattered villages. The mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria rise beyond the fields, drawing closer as you approach the hills.
You then drive through the broad Valley of Ayalon, a wide corridor that has carried travelers and armies for thousands of years. For millennia, people heading to Jerusalem have crossed its sunlit plains, yet many passing through today are unaware of the rich history of this region. It is hard to imagine this serene valley as a battlefield, yet for those familiar with the Bible, it recalls the dramatic scene in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 10:12–14), when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still over Gibeon while the moon hovered above Ayalon, turning the tide against the Amorite kings.
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Ayalon’s open geography made it strategically vital. Its broad plains allowed armies to assemble, maneuver, and prepare before climbing the narrow passes to the hills. One can picture the Israelites under Joshua advancing through the valley, Judah the Maccabee leading Jewish rebels in their fight against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE, or Roman legions encamped near Emmaus, watching over the vital routes. During the British Mandate in the 20th century, the valley once again became a key point of control. A fortified police post was established here to secure the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and to help maintain peace along this vital route, a structure that today stands as a memorial site.
As the valley narrows and low hills rise from the plain, you arrive at Latrun. Here the road begins its gradual ascent toward Jerusalem. Today, Latrun is not a single site but a landscape filled with stories. Monasteries, memorials, battlefields, museums, and viewpoints are scattered across the hills and valley. Each site tells a different chapter, yet all are connected by the same geography that has guided armies, travelers, and pilgrims for millennia. The Valley of Ayalon and the Latrun hills show clearly how geography shaped the movement of armies, the outcome of battles, and the routes people have used for thousands of years.
Emmaus
Site 3
Emmaus lies at the edge of the Valley of Ayalon, along the ancient road connecting the coastal plain with Jerusalem. The remains visible today are mainly associated with the Christian tradition that identifies this site with the Emmaus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 24:13–35), where two disciples encountered Jesus after the resurrection. Scholars and pilgrims have long debated the exact location of biblical Emmaus, based mainly on the distance from Jerusalem mentioned in the Gospel, but this site has been an important focus of both tradition and archaeology.
Just a short distance north from Road 1, the site comes into view, and the ruins are already visible from outside. Visitors can see the remains of a large Byzantine-era church built to commemorate this event. Above the ancient remains stands a modern structure known as the House of Peace, built in the early 1930s by the Fathers of Betharram, a Catholic religious order, and today used to manage and protect the archaeological site. From 1948 to 1967, the area lay along the armistice line between Israel and Jordan, placing the site in a sensitive border zone. During that time, the main road to Jerusalem was blocked, and anyone traveling to Jerusalem from Israel had to take a much longer route around to reach the city.
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Beneath these layers of later history, the Roman-era remains of Emmaus remind us that this was also a strategic and settled location in antiquity, serving as a regional center along the ancient road, followed today by Road 1, leading to Jerusalem. Just a few meters off the modern roadway, traces of the Roman road can still be found, you may even find one of the Roman milestones, tangible traces of the road system that connected this area to Jerusalem and the wider Roman world. The ruins visible today connect the biblical story, the Byzantine pilgrimage site, and the Roman past into a single landscape shaped by centuries of human activity.
Yad Lashiryon – The Armored Corps Memorial
Site 4
Coming from the west on Road 1, on the way to Jerusalem, as you pass through the Valley of Ayalon, a massive concrete structure with a flag flying above it comes into view on the right. Standing on a low hill above the road, this former British police fort marks one of the most strategic points along the route to Jerusalem. It was built during the British Mandate, when control of the main roads across the country was a matter of security and order. To enforce this control, the British constructed a series of fortified police stations in the late 1930s, known as Tegart forts, designed by Sir Charles Tegart and placed at key junctions and along major routes.
The Tegart fort at Latrun was one of the most important of them. Positioned above the Valley of Ayalon, it overlooked the main road to Jerusalem and controlled movement along this vital corridor. Nearby, a checkpoint on the road regulated traffic and passage. One can imagine a British soldier in Bermuda shorts stopping vehicles, checking papers, and enforcing order along the route.
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In 1948, during Israel’s War of Independence, the British withdrew from the fort, which was then taken over by the Jordanian Arab Legion. For the newly established State of Israel, Latrun became the key to Jerusalem. Israeli forces, many of them recent Holocaust survivors with little or no military training, alongside a small number of experienced local commanders, attempted to capture the fort. The position was attacked several times, but all attempts failed. As long as Latrun remained in Jordanian hands, the main road to Jerusalem was blocked, forcing travel to the city to follow a much longer and indirect route.
After the Six-Day War in 1967, Latrun came under Israeli control. In the years that followed, the fort was transformed into Yad LaShiryon, the Armored Corps Memorial and Museum. Today, the site stands as a tangible monument to the history of this strategic place and its role in shaping access to Jerusalem.
The Convoys to Jerusalem and the Burma Road
Site 5
During the months leading up to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the road to Jerusalem became a lifeline under constant threat. Jewish neighborhoods in the western part of the city were effectively under siege. Arab forces positioned in the surrounding hills, on both sides of the road, repeatedly fired on Jewish vehicles in an effort to block traffic and prevent the movement of people, food, water, and other essential supplies.
In response, organized convoys began traveling from the coastal plain toward Jerusalem. These convoys consisted mainly of civilian trucks and buses, often lightly armored or improvised for protection, escorted by members of Jewish defense organizations, primarily the Haganah. The journey was extremely dangerous. Vehicles were frequently ambushed, damaged, or destroyed, and many drivers and passengers were killed or wounded along the way. The aim of these attacks was to isolate Jerusalem from the rest of the territory intended for the future Jewish state, forcing the city’s Jewish population to surrender or abandon it altogether.
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One of the most dangerous stretches of the route lay near Latrun, in the narrow valley known in Arabic as Bab al-Wad. Today, destroyed and restored convoy vehicles placed along both sides of the road stand as silent monuments to those battles and to the heavy price paid to keep the road open.
When it became clear that the main road could not be reliably secured, a new solution was sought. Under the guidance of General David “Mickey” Marcus, an American-born Jewish officer who became the first general of the Israel Defense Forces, an alternative route was planned. This improvised path, later known as the Burma Road, was named after the World War II supply route in Asia used by the Allied forces to transport supplies to China. The route wound through the hills south of the main highway, largely avoiding Arab villages and enemy-held positions.
Built under difficult conditions, the Burma Road allowed convoys to reach Jerusalem once again. Its opening ensured that western Jerusalem remained connected to the rest of the country and later became part of the newly established State of Israel. Traces of the Burma Road can still be found today in the hills south of Latrun, where marked trails follow parts of its original route and allow visitors to walk through this chapter of history.
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) a classic Hollywood film
Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) is a classic Hollywood film set during Israel’s War of Independence. The story follows the struggle to keep the road to Jerusalem open, with key scenes inspired by the fighting at Bab al-Wad. The film is loosely based on the life of General David “Mickey” Marcus, a Jewish American officer who played a key role in organizing the defense of Jerusalem. It stars Kirk Douglas, with appearances by John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner, and other well-known actors of the era.
Latrun Trappist Monastery
Site 6
On a visit to Latrun, especially when exploring its battlefields, fortresses, and open hills, the Trappist Monastery of Our Lady of the Seven Maccabees stands out as a quiet and reflective stop. Commonly known as Latrun Monastery or the Monastery of the Silent Ones, it was founded in 1890 by seventeen French monks. During the British Mandate and later the period of Jordanian control (1948–1967), the monastery stood close to a tense border, yet remained a steady center of monastic life, set on land shaped by earlier Crusader and Ottoman periods.
The monastery is particularly known for its vineyard and winery, producing “Latrun Wines” and spirits such as brandy and liqueurs, most of which are exported. Visitors can explore the church, the archaeological collection, and the peaceful gardens, and stop by the monastery shop, which sells wines, olive oil, honey, and other local products.
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Highlights include the monumental statue “Man Shall Live by His Faith,” symbolizing tolerance among the three Abrahamic religions, along with displays that connect the monastery to the surrounding landscape — from Crusader ruins to later Ottoman-era traces.
For some visitors, Latrun Monastery offers a pause for something different: a quiet contrast to the military history, Crusader fortresses, and battlefields of the area. For others, it complements a broader walk or drive through Latrun, with its memorials, vineyards, and open hills. The monastery’s silence, simple monastic life, and well-known winery shop add a calm and unexpected layer to the landscape.
Visiting Hours
The monastery is generally open to visitors Monday through Saturday in the morning and afternoon, with a break around midday. In winter and summer the exact times vary slightly, but a typical schedule is:
Morning: 08:30 – 12:00
Afternoon: 15:30 – 17:00
Closed on Sundays and on major Christian holidays.
Monastery Shop Hours
The monastery shop (wine, olive oil, honey, and local products) tends to be open longer, usually from about 08:30 – 17:30 on most days except Sunday.
Shiloh – The First Home of the Tabernacle
Site 7
Shiloh stands at the heart of Israel’s earliest spiritual history, where the Tabernacle—the portable sanctuary of God—found its first long-term home. This was the place where the Israelite tribes gathered to worship, where prophets were called, and where the stories of faith, devotion, and loss played out centuries before the First Temple was built in Jerusalem. Located in the central hill country of Samaria, Shiloh was a main center of Israelite life during the pre-monarchic period, linking the scattered tribes through religious practice and communal gatherings.
After the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the Tabernacle was brought to Shiloh, becoming the spiritual heart of the nation. Built under Moses’ direction according to God’s instructions in Exodus, it was here that the Israelites learned to live with God’s presence among them. The sanctuary is described in the Book of Joshua, and later in 1 Samuel 1–3, where the high priest Eli oversaw the site. It was here that Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to God’s service, and he would grow to become one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
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The period of Eli and his sons also marked a turning point. The sons of Eli neglected their duties and disrespected sacred offerings, leading to the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines at Aphek. This tragic event underscored both divine judgment and Israel’s vulnerability. Shiloh, therefore, stands as a place of worship, devotion, and lessons from Israel’s earliest history.
Archaeological excavations have revealed layers dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages, including fortifications, houses, and evidence of cultic activity. These findings bring the biblical narrative to life and offer insight into the daily and religious life of early Israelites.
Today, visitors can explore the ancient ruins, a reconstructed model of the Tabernacle, and a museum displaying artifacts from the excavations. A special tower-like auditorium presents a short film about Hannah and her dedication of Samuel, immersing visitors in the biblical story. Walking the site, with its panoramic views of the surrounding hills, allows a tangible connection to the prayers of Hannah, the early prophets, and the spiritual life of ancient Israel.
Before visiting, it is recommended to contact the site for information about opening hours, general details, and any updates. If you really want to dive into Shiloh’s history and stories, it is also best to book a guide. You can reach the site at +972 2 578-9111.
Sebastia – Ancient Samaria
Site 8
If you step onto the hills of Sebastia today, it is easy to imagine the city alive with kings, prophets, and ordinary people whose footsteps still echo on the stones. The ancient site of Sebastia (Samaria) sits on a prominent hill in the Samarian hills, rising about 439 meters (around 1,440 feet) above sea level, giving it a commanding view over the surrounding valleys — a vantage point that made it an important capital in antiquity.
This was Samaria, founded by King Omri, a strong and ambitious ruler who made it the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel. His son, King Ahab, ruled at the kingdom’s height, and according to the Bible, he was brought back and buried in this city (1 Kings 22:37). Both kings are remembered for strengthening the kingdom, though the biblical texts note their promotion of idolatry — a reminder that power and faith are always tested.
In 722 BCE, the Assyrians laid siege to Samaria, conquering the city and its surrounding region, destroying the northern Kingdom of Israel and sending its people into exile. The Assyrians then pressed toward Judah, destroying many cities along the way, yet Jerusalem, under King Hezekiah, was miraculously spared, showing the stark difference between the fates of the northern and southern kingdoms.
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n 722 BCE, the Assyrians laid siege to Samaria, conquering the city and its surrounding region, destroying the northern Kingdom of Israel and sending its people into exile. The Assyrians then pressed toward Judah, destroying many cities along the way, yet Jerusalem, under King Hezekiah, was miraculously spared, showing the stark difference between the fates of the northern and southern kingdoms.
Centuries later, Herod the Great rebuilt the city on a grand scale and renamed it Sebastia in honor of Emperor Augustus. Imagine walking through its streets as they once were, lined with majestic temples and colonnades, the sound of voices drifting from a theatre, water flowing through aqueducts that brought life to the city. Byzantine churches once rang with prayers, and Crusader fortresses stood as symbols of faith and defense.
Local tradition even associates Sebastia with John the Baptist, who is said to have been imprisoned here before his execution. In the Bible, however, John is recorded as being held by Herod Antipas, not in Sebastia. I wonder how or why this tradition arose, but the Crusader church preserves a chamber linked to him, giving visitors a tangible connection to the stories of the past.
