This 25th section of the Israel National Trail Beit Guvrin is a real gem. Starting from the Elah Valley. A beautiful hike passing through the hills of the Judean. Includes amazing vistas, mysterious caves, ancient Byzantine villages, and wonderful blooms in the winter. This section of the Trail passes through Britania Park and our way you can check out biblical tells like Tel Azekah. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund starting in the 1950s; and with the financial aid of British Jews, after whom the park was named. In fact, the park covers the parts of the remains of three Palestinian villages that were depopulated in the 1948 Palestine War.

Israel National Trail Beit Guvrin: Britannia Park

So most of the trail is passing through Britannia Park, from Tel Azekah, and ends in Beit Guvrin National Park. Along the trail interesting archaeological tels like Tel Azekah. Now ancient Biblical tel but in biblical times Azekah was a town in the Judaean hills. The current tell by that name has been identified with the biblical Azekah, dating back to the Canaanite period. Today, the site lies on the purlieu of Britannia Park. Due to its location in the Elah Valley, it functioned as one of the main Judahite border cities; sitting on the boundary between the lower and higher low land. In the Bible, it is said to be one of the places where the Amorite kings were defeated by Joshua; and one of the places their army was destroyed by a hailstorm (Joshua 10:10–11).

Israel National Trail Beit Guvrin: Tel Goded (Moresheth-Gath)

So another interesting stop on our hike is the Biblical tel of Moresheth-Gath. In fact, it is mentioned as the home town of the prophet Micah in the Biblical Book of Micah and the Book of Jeremiah. The town was possibly also connected with Eliezer the prophet and may have been one of Rehoboam’s fortified towns When mentioned in the bible. Furthermore, it is often in connection with the towns of Lachish; Keilah; Akzib, and Mareshah.