Sunset is my favorite time of day. For as long as I’ve lived here, I’ve been enchanted with Israeli sunsets. Somehow, the setting sun in Israel seems closer than in other places. From a mountaintop, a desert valley, the seashore, or even my front steps, the sky becomes awash with magnificent colors that make me feel closer to creation.
Maybe I’m just biased, but I can’t remember ever witnessing such a magical sunset back in my swampy hometown of New Orleans.
To satisfy my sunset obsession, I love to discover new places to witness this special time of day. For the past few years, one of our favorite sunset spots has become an ancient town on a hill near Jerusalem, called Itri. This ruined city sits in the middle of the glorious Adulam Nature Reserve, not far from Beit Shemesh.
From within the walls of the ancient synagogue at Itri, one can enjoy a panoramic view of rolling hills that glow with gentle light as the sun descends. Mid-month, we like to watch the full moon rise on one side of the hill while the sun sets on the other. There’s simply nothing like it. I’ve even brought groups to this spot in the Judean foothills for sunset meditation, sunset singles hikes, and more.
Itri is well situated to gaze out on its beautiful surroundings. But the location is strategic – there was more to the positioning of Itri than sunset views. Located in the hills above the Eila Valley, this ancient Judean town was first settled during the Second Temple period. It was one of many villages that surrounded the larger city of Adulam, which served to fortify passageway through the Eila Valley toward Jerusalem.
In the modern State of Israel, the majority of Jewish settlement began on the coast. But back in biblical times, the Israelites lived in mountainous areas, in places like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Shiloh. The plains and coastal areas were largely inhabited by Philistines, and protection of the passageways was of utmost importance. In the foothills between the coast and the mountains, the two groups clashed. The Eila Valley beneath Itri is where Judean King David fought the Philistine giant Goliath long ago.
The mysteries of Itri
One of the special things about sunset is that it makes you want to slow down, to pause and ponder the magnificence of the world. At Itri, one can do this in the quiet of nature while imagining generations of Jews who settled this land before us. Thanks to Boaz Zissu and his team of archaeologists who uncovered the mysteries of Itri, we can re-envision the past, once hidden away under layers of rock and soil.
Ancient coins found at Itri indicate that those who first settled here probably traveled to Israel following the Babylonian exile. There aren’t many biblical books devoted to this period, but there are a few. In the books of Ezra, Nehemia, and Zeharia, we learn that many Jews stayed behind in other lands, and that those who returned to Israel struggled to successfully rebuild the country. After a rocky beginning, they were able to reestablish themselves in the land and construct the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
The Jews of Itri built their one-room houses with roofs made of wooden slats and branches, and they dug out ritual baths and cisterns. Those who settled here lived agricultural lives, farming grapes, figs, and olives for their own sustenance and for trade. They also raised pigeons and wove textiles.
Sometimes when I sit in the hills around Itri at sunset, I think about what may have become of our ancestors who lived here. Sometime after the Romans took control of Judea, life became fraught with tension for the Jews. Multiple rebellions ensued, and underground tunnels were built at Itri, connecting the various cisterns and cellars. You can climb through these tunnels today. Coins found at the site give testament to the rebels who lived at Itri, hiding underground.
Eventually, the village was destroyed by fire; you can still see the burn marks covering some of the walls at the site. When Itri was uncovered thousands of years after its destruction, the remains of 12 people (including children and one adult beheaded by sword) were discovered hidden in one of the ritual baths.
Itri is an example of one small piece of Israel that tells a soul-stirring story of our past. Spending time in these hills gives us an opportunity to think about our own place here in Israel, and our role in the journey of the Jewish people.It’s not every day that you get to walk the paths of a 2,000-year-old village, to pray in its synagogue, or to watch the full moon rise while sitting on the steps of the local ritual bath. At Itri, a trip into our nation’s history is just a sunset hike away.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
