I was lucky to be in Israel shortly after inscription of Bet She'arim, otherwise most probably I wouldn't go there. That would be a pity, because this place is interesting, definitely above average of Israeli WHS. It is also very popular among locals – during our visit the site was full of people, but fortunately not overcrowded.

Important note – although the site is relatively easily reachable, if you go by car do not be mistaken by the name (as I was) – the site is not near the village of Bet Shearim, it is on the suburbs of Kiryat Tivon, small town not so distant from Haifa.

It should not be surprising that the site is popular among Jews – after destruction of Jerusalem Temple the most important Jewish court- Sanhedrin – was moved here and the place was considered the most prestigious necropolis for well-off Jews when the cemetary on Olive Mountain was not accessible. That popularity stemed from Judah the Nasi (main codificator of Mishna, Jewish code of laws), who wished to be burnt here.

The necropolis of Bet She'arim is not big and the core area may be visited in about 1-2 hours. The main attractions are of course the tombs, some of them gathered in caves (the largest burial cave is 75m long and wide). Unfortunately, despite warnings like „Whoever dares to open this tomb will die the horrific death”, literally all the tombs were robbed, even if they were protected by huge stones. Anyway, the remained sarcophagi are incrusted and seeing them is really interesting.