Beit She’an & Masada Night Light Shows – Awesome!

February 24th 2011

History is coming alive with bright lights and fantastic special effects.  With the advance of technology, be prepared to be dazzled (and educated) with the various night- time light shows being displayed across Israel.

Starting with the Beit She ‘an National Park Light Show.
The story of Beit She’an- Strategically located between the Jordan and Jezreel River Valleys in the North, it has been occupied with a wide variety of settlers throughout its days. Back in Hellenic times, it was known as “Scythopolis´, but was taken down during the Hanukkah Maccabean Revolt.  Restored to its glory by the Romans, it was named “Decapolis” and became a booming cultural center. Even mentioned in the Bible ( a Canaanite city of Manasseh’s), this desirable plot of land has been home to an eclectic mix,  from the Crusaders to the Byzantine Samaritans (whose synagogue is still standing).

But Beit She’an’s illustrious history can’t be captured in a few sentences, which is why the National Park is putting on a 3D unstoppable audio visual presentation, taking you through the sights and sounds of who and what has passed through Beit She‘an in its 2,000 years of Fertile Crescent existence. You will to meet all sorts of characters in its ancient markets and streets in this dynamic presentation.

A walking tour through Beit Shean is also included in the package, and you can end your visit by enjoying a performance in the ancient Roman Theater.

Beit Sh’ean isn’t the only one doing this. Masada is ready to share its story as well.

Masada was first the place where King Herod the Great built an incredible fortress for himself in 31 BCE (perhaps the oldest example of a Jewish summer home? And we thought that the tourist homes in Jerusalem were elaborate).  Nowadays, Masada is most well known as the site of the historic 73 AD Jewish fight for survival and eventual martyrdom.  The last place on Israeli soil to have Jewish sovereignty before the Romans demolished it, these Jews climbed the 1,424 ft mountain (no Masada cable car in those days), and begin to slowly build their community up by hand across its 18 acres. Masada houses one of Israel’s oldest synagogues and you can still visit its two mikvahs.  Amazingly preserved, there are remnants of everything from plaits of hair, to cosmetics, cooking utensils, and important scroll fragments.

The Masada lights show will be from March to October every Tuesday and Thursday at 9pm. Masada will be brilliantly lit in gorgeous shades of green, yellow, and red.  Looking up at its majestic beauty from the bottom, powerful images and videos will tell the story of the Jewish rebels’ final days in their fortress before the Roman’s breeched their walls, a “must see” for anyone touring in Israel!