6 Ancient Ruins in Israel You Need to See

Israel is a gold mind for ancient ruins and historical places, many of which can date back to the first and second centuries. While on a two-week whirlwind trip to Israel, I was able to see a number of places that are significant for their historical value. Most people immediately picture the Western Wall and Jerusalem when they think of Israel. However, these lesser known spots have a historical intrigue of their own. Check out some of the ancient ruins in Israel that I enjoyed on my trip:

Caesarea

Location: Mid-way between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the coast near the city Hadera.

Time Period: 22-10 B.C.

One of the first stops we took was to the coastal ruins of Caesarea. This is the location of the port city of Caesarea, which was built by Herod the Great somewhere around 22-10 B.C. Herod, who was also known as The Great Builder, had a knack for finding beautiful locations to build cities upon. Caesarea is built right along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea with the ruins of Herod’s palace jutting out over the sea. Below is a picture of a palace pool that was built right along the sea.

Caesarea was named after the emperor, Augustus Caesar, though there is no record that the emperor ever came to visit. Which is a little ironic because Herod built an amphitheater with space for a throne in the middle of it, for Caesar. I’m assuming it stayed empty in case they were ever to host Caesar. Even then, the amphitheater is in a prime location with terraced seats facing the Mediterranean.

Today, there are still people who live in Caesarea. Walking around the ruins makes for a beautiful afternoon of seaside views and tasty gelato.

Capernaum

Location: Northern Israel on the north side of the Sea of Galilee.

Time Period: 2nd Century B.C.

The ruins of Capernaum date back to the 2^nd century where the town was once a fishing village off the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is most known for its biblical history as it’s said to be the location of many performed miracles as well as the location of the disciple Peter’s house.

Most of the ruins are blocked off from walking around, but you can however walk through the synagogue, which perhaps holds the most biblical significance in that it’s where Jesus taught and cast out an unclean spirit. The synagogue also slightly overlooks the rest of the ruins of the town and it’s interesting to see the layout of buildings and walkways. Capernaum is feet away from the shore of the sea and is a beautiful location to explore.

Beit She’an

Location: On the eastern borderline of Israel, just south of Tiberias.

Time Period: 3rd Millennium B.C.

This is a fascinating place because of the amount of historical layers found here. Beit She’an was a city located alongside a caravan route between two valleys that could control access to several different destinations. There were 14 active streams nearby that allowed the city to have running water and a sewage system (pretty impressive for that time period!). The location was prime and strategic, which was most likely the reason why so many civilizations inhabited it over the years.

Archeologists have discovered around 19 layers of civilizations here that date as far back to the 3rd millennium B.C. At one point, it was an important city to the Egyptians, during the time period of the 16^th-12^th centuries B.C. and is mentioned in important royal documents. Occupation of the city continued over the years and was built upon by the next civilization.

Herodian

Location: Just south of Jerusalem

Time Period: 22-15 B.C.

Yet another of Herod’s creations, Herodian is the location of one of Herod’s summer palaces. It was built on top of an enormous artificial hill on the edge of the desert. You don’t really appreciate that statement until you see a view of this artificial hill. He chose this location to commemorate a battle he won against the Parthian Army in 40 B.C.

While it was intended as a summer retreat, it doubled as a fortress because the actual palace was set within the mountain in a circular manner. You can walk through to the center to see the palace ruins.

When Herod died, a monument and mausoleum were built on the edge of the hill overlooking the valley. It wasn’t until 2007 that his remains, grave and mausoleum were discovered. The mausoleum was dismantled in ancient times, but a small replica of the monument has since been made to give you an idea of how grand it would have been.

Nimrod’s Fortress

Location: In Golan Heights near the border of Syria.

Time Period: 13th Century

Nimrod’s Fortress was a crusader fortress located high up on a hill at the foot of Mount Hermon. The fortress was said to have control over the road to Damascus (popular trade routes) and was virtually impenetrable due to its location. The castle was built hastily at the time–in 3 years–to protect Damascus in case of any crusader attacks. Over time it was expanded, used as a prison by the Ottomans and eventually abandoned. It sustained damage due to an earthquake but was used again in the 1920s by the French army and again in 1967 by the Syrian’s during the 6-Day War.

It is now a National Park and the largest remaining castle from the Middle Ages in Israel.

Inside the fortress are small passageways and doorways that lead you around like a maze. The fortress has beautiful views of the valley below, rocks to climb over and rooms to discover. I could have spent much more time playing explorer, but unfortunately our time was cut short.

Masada

Location: Near the Southwest corner of the Dead Sea in the Judean Desert

Time Period: 37-31 B.C.

Masada is perhaps one of the most famous ruins in Israel and is another masterpiece of Herod the Great. This 3-tiered palace was built on a desert mountain and is known as the ‘hanging palace’ as part of it cascades down the mountain. It has beautiful views of the Dead Sea below. It is quite a large and sophisticated complex due to the water system that allowed people to sustain themselves in the desert. 

Today, you can walk up along the trail of a dirt mound, which has significance below, or there is a cable car that takes you up over the desert to the top.

It’s an incredible structure and one of the ruins in Israel that you should definitely see. However, the story of Masada is actually a sad one. Long after Herod’s death, a group of Judean rebels took refuge from the Romans at Masada. They lived there for several years. But when Jerusalem was destroyed, the Roman forces headed to Masada. It took the Roman army an estimated 2-3 months to build up a ramp to reach the fortress. When they reached the top, they discovered the bodies of nearly 1,000 people. They had taken their own lives rather than become a slave. Less than 10 survived by hiding in the cisterns.

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While these are some of the ancient ruins in Israel, it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. Israel is one of those places that is just brimming with history. I was also glad I chose to be a part of a tour. Not only because attractions are located all over the country, but because of the information that I likely wouldn’t have gotten.

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