This tour is for those who are most excited to see ancient Art & Architecture. I happened to participate in the Archaeological excavations while in college so I can share information that few know.
Beit She’an is the best preserved city from the Roman Period. Although pagan in nature there was a Jewish community so enamored it was described as being the entrance to the Gates of Paradise.
I suggest starting here as there is so much to see. The site boasts 3 theaters, bath houses and other sumptuous structures. If you want to see some really great architectural remains, this is the tour for you.
Afterwards we can have Lunch at a local spot before continuing to The Mosaic Capital of the country: Sepphoris .
I am partial to this site because after reading about a mosaic floor uncovered here and published in Biblical Archaeology Review in January 1989 I decided that summer that I HAD to dig there. It was the photograph of this woman, dubbed the Mona Lisa of the Galilee which inspired me.
After checking out this floor, we will move on to other mosaics such as the 5th century CE Zodiac Synagogue and the Nile House. The site also boasts a Roman theater. We can see evidence of the ritual baths in the city’s Jewish quarter and other surprises in the flagstones of the Cardo.
Israel Tour Guide Lorne Newman 