The picturesque village of Taybeh, located 12 km northeast of Ramallah, is home to around 1500 people, and is the only all-Christian Palestinian community in the Holy Land (*Majority). From its elevated spot, it overlooks the desert wilderness, the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea. It’s prominent reputation includes its notoriety as the only Palestinian city that has its own beer factory, Taybeh beer. And every year it rises to prominence in early October as it hosts the Holy Land’s only Oktoberfest. This year it is slated for October 6 and 7, 2012.

Biblical Ephraim

The history of Taybeh goes back 5000 years, well before Oktoberfest. The site was first settled by Canaanites. It is mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 18:23) as a town of Benjamin – Ophrah. However later, the place was renamed Ephraim. Jesus Christ with His disciples visted the village after the Sanhedrin decided to execute Him. “Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim…” (John 11:54).

Why the village is called ‘Taybeh’?

 In the late 12^th century Islamic ruler Salaheddin entered the Holy Land. The folk story states that one day the leader was invited by the Christians of Ephraim to their village. The Muslim ruler found village’s people very hospitable and generous and called them “Taybeen” (“good and kind” in Arabic). Since that day Biblical Ephraim took the modern name “Taybeh.”

Four Churches in Taybeh

People of Taybeh belong to three Christian denominations: the Latin (Roman Catholic), the Greek Orthodox and as well the Melkite (Greek Catholic). Each  denomination has its own church in the village: the Roman Catholic Church, dedicated to “The Last Retreat of Jesus”, was inaugurated in l971, the St. George Greek Orthodox Church was rebuilt in l929-1932 and the Melkite Church was built in l964, however the Melkite worship was founded in the village already in 1869.

All the communities celebrate Christmas  according to the Western calendar, on December 25th, and Easter, according to the Eastern calendar.

But there is also a fourth church in the village…

Ruins of a Byzantine church known as ”El Khader” (Saint George) are situated east of town.  Still standing are two chapels, an entrance portico and stairway, parts of a mosaic floor, and its well-preserved baptistery.  The church was rebuilt by the Crusaders during the 12th century.

Famous Taybeh Oktoberfest – Festival of the Village

Taybeh became very famous for its brewery producing the only Palestinian beer named after the village “Taybeh”. The brewers produce four types of beer – Golden, Amber, Dark and Zero (non-alcoholic) and promote the drink as the “The Finest in the Middle East.”

Taybeh Oktoberfest is an annual village festival organized in September/October since 2005. The event aims to promote not only the famous beer, but all the local products produced in the village.

Oktoberfest 2012 will be celebrated on October 6 and October 7 and festivities will include music, dance performances and a wide selection of  local food. The schedule of activities can be found below.

Planning your visit:

How to get there?

If you are driving a car from Jerusalem, take  road number 60 and after 20-25 km of driving you will notice a sign saying “Taybeh”, turn right and follow the signs.  For those taking public transportation, take bus 18 from the Arab Bus station next to the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem to Ramallah and then  you’ll need to  transfer into a shared taxi (service) to Taybeh.

Where to stay in Taybeh:

The village offers couple of options of accomodation:

• Beit Efram Guest House , 16 rooms, call Fr. Aziz (02) 289 8020
• Pilgrim’s Hostel next to Latin Church, call sisters (02) 289 9364
• Pension Al Khader, 6 rooms, (02) 289 9771 or 0599 676 747
• Khouriya Guest House in Jifna (around 20 km away from Taybeh), (02) 281 1485 or 0599587476, E-mail: rkhouriya@yahoo.com
• And there is also coming soon Taybeh Golden Hotel with at least 80 rooms, which will be a theme hotel centred around “The Finest (beer) in the Middle East.” The place is still under construction.

Where to eat in Taybeh:

Recommended restaurants are:

• Taybeh Zamaan Park (Tel: 0599 774 092 or (02) 289 9411)
• Peter’s Place - www.hoshbutros.webs.com. Tel: 054 983 8349  or (02) 289 8054) 

To learnmore about Taybeh check the website of its municpality:  www.taybehmunicipality.org. 

Beata Andonia works for the Bethlehem tourist bureau and blogs regularly about Bethlehem for Travelujah-Holy Land Tours. She is originally from Poland and moved to Bethlehem in 2010.

The World Heritage Committee has inscribed during its 36th Session held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation (26 June to 4 July), Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem, Palestine on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger List.

Bethlehem is on top of a list of inventory of twenty cultural and natural heritage sites of potential outstanding value that reflects the cultural and natural diversity of Palestine and have the potential to become on UNESCO’s World Heritage List too.

Holy Week festivities in Jerusalem begin on Palm Sunday, one week before Easter Sunday, with a pilgrim procession from the Mount of Olives to the Old City.

The Palm Sunday procession follows the same path that Jesus took on his triumphant return to Jerusalem. Two thousand years ago, Jesus rode on a donkey as followers laid palm branches along his path. Today, pilgrims march on foot, waving palm fronds and olive branches.

On Good Friday, pilgrims retrace Jesus’ procession toward his crucifixion along the cobble stoned Via Dolorosa. This reenacted march along the Stations of the Cross features many of Jerusalem’s most historic Christian sites.

During the Via Dolorosa procession, pilgrims can be seen carrying large wooden crosses and reciting prayers at each of the fourteen Stations of the Cross.

Their procession begins at the Sanctuary of the Flagellation, where Jesus was scourged and judged, and ends at the Church of Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus was stripped of his garments, nailed to the cross and died.

According to Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Jesus was buried in the chamber of the sepulcher and later resurrected from there, making the Church of the Holy Sepulcher a focal point of the modern day pilgrimage. Protestant denominations believe Jesus was buried in the nearby Garden Tomb.

The “Light” Celebration takes place on the Greek Orthodox Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher, and spreads to all the Palestinian towns and villages. It commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Holy Light.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch fasts all day that day to celebrate this feast. He prays near the Tomb from early morning until 2:00 pm when the light appears.

In Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Beit Sahour, the “Light” is received at St. Elijah’s Monastery on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and it then is taken in a procession to the churches in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala where believers would be waiting for it in order to start their celebrations.

On Easter Sunday, pilgrims and Palestinian Christians celebrate together. Special masses, vigils and services are held throughout the Old City, including more than twenty separate masses conducted within 24 hours at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Christians in Bethlehem hold candlelight prayers at the Church of the Nativity.

During Easter week, Jerusalem’s Old City accommodates the six Christian sects who are represented in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher: Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Egyptian Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian Orthodox.

The Eastern and Orthodox churches follow a different calendar than the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. This year, the Roman Catholic and Protestant celebrate Easter Sunday on April 8th, while the Eastern and Orthodox churches have their celebration on April 15th.

This natural scheduling difference often helps reduce territorial tension in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Church also gives each denomination its own space and separate schedules for permitted prayer times.

Hidden in the mountains north of Ramallah, on the hilltops and in the old Palestinian villages, lies a scattered network of Sufi shrines and sacred sites that go back to remote pre-history. The Sufi Trails are designed to help you explore the landscape – to walk the paths through the oak forests and olive groves, to discover the story of these forgotten sanctuaries, and to meet the kind, welcoming people who live in these villages today.

Wadi Natuf

The Sufi Trails have been designed to take you into a landscape unseen by most travellers. The trails connect some of the most beautiful Islamic shrines and historic towns in Palestine, and pass through some of its finest countryside.

Starting and ending in the lively university town of Birzeit, with its restaurants and cafés, these tours can be adapted to meet the needs of the discerning visitor. Walk as much or as little as you like, from a full day’s hike down the spectacular Wadi Natuf to a gentle stroll around the Ottoman streets of Deir Ghassaneh. Picnic under the shade of the olive trees, or enjoy a home-cooked meal with a Palestinian family. However you travel, the experience will captivate you with the beauty and hospitality of these hills.

The Deir Ghassaneh Trail

Shrine of Sheikh Al Qatrawani at the entrance of the village of Atara

This route takes you to the historic Palestinian village of Deir Ghassaneh and allows you to explore the unspoiled beauty of the surrounding countryside. Built on a ridge in the hills north of Ramallah, Deir Ghassaneh commands spectacular views across to the coastal plain and the Mediterranean Sea. In the old heart of the town you can explore the fortified mansions of the Ottoman nobility, visit a museum of rural folklore, and share home-cooked Palestinian food made by the members of Deir Ghassaneh’s thriving women’s association. An hour’s walk beyond the village is the shrine of Al Majdhub – one of the most beautiful and evocative medieval Sufi sanctuaries in Palestine.

Shrine of Al-Khawwas

Some of the places that you will come across on this tour include the Shrine of Sheikh Al Qatrawani at the entrance of the village of Atara, the Sanctuary of Nabi Saleh, and the Shrine of Al-Khawwas.

The Deir Ammar Trail

Shrine of Al Majdhub

The Deir Ammar Trail is a fabulous day’s walk from the medieval Sufi shrine of Nabi Ghaith down along the remote Wadi Natuf. The valley gives its name to the pre-historic culture of the Natufians – a people who lived in the eastern Mediterranean some 12,000 years ago, and who may have been among the first humans to cultivate plants, domesticate animals, and build permanent settlements. The track takes you through the hidden gardens of the village, where you may well be invited to drink tea under the orange trees. The walk ends at the natural springs of Ein Zarqa, from where you can leave by road back to Birzeit or Ramallah.

The Nabi Anir Trail

 The Nabi Anir Trail is an exploration of rural Palestine that takes you into villages and archaeological sites that most tourists never see. From the living communities of Deir Ammar and Beitillu we walk out towards the abandoned village of Nabi Anir, where we find the ruins of a Byzantine church and the natural spring at Ain Ayoub.

Al Majdhub

Each one of these trails will reveal a new and fascinating world.

• Discover the historic Sufi shrines and sacred sites of rural Palestine, as well as the neglected features of this historic landscape – Byzantine ruins, Roman aqueducts, Ottoman water mills and olive presses.

• Enjoy the beauty of the landscape – flowers and herbs, olive groves and oak forests, wild animals and birds.

• Encounter the local people, learn about the living traditions of the villages, and taste the wonderful food.

Your support for Sufi Trails’ local guides and drivers is an important contribution to the economy of rural Palestine.

For more information, contact: Rozana Association, Birzeit, Old Town.

Telefax: +972 2 281 9850, Web: http://www.sufitrails.ps, e-mail: info@sufitrails.ps

Experiences by theme:

The winter of Jericho is short-lived and spring comes the first week of February. Its short winter, however, is mild. Night temperatures rarely drop to seven degrees centigrade. Day temperatures hover in this balmy, sunny oasis.

In addition to its warm winter, Jericho, on the other hand, is technicolor. Jericho’s citrus yields a dramatic range of varied hues of green. The citrus fruits ripen in winter and modulate in color from bright luminous yellow to rich succulent orange. The summer parched landscape, now wet, reveals pink, yellow, and ochre pigments that, in the play of light and shadow, acquire dramatic hues of purple blue. The orange orchards and the vegetable plantations-zucchini, green beans, peas, and eggplants-extended into the endless horizon. The pastel pink Mount of Temptation perched nobly at the edge of the oldest city on the earth.

The tastiest oranges grow in its orchards. From early February until mid-March, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, and bitter oranges soak the entire Jordan valley with their fragrance.

In Jericho, you can enjoy taking long hikes in the fields, riding bicycles or riding the lowest cable car in the World. It is a place where you can feel warm and carefree. You will be enchanted with the open gurgling stream, the chirping birds, and the bellowing of the flocks of sheep grazing in the fields. Outdoor restaurants line the main street leading from downtown Jericho westward to the Mount of Temptation.

Apart from its wonderful landscape and pleasant weather, Jericho’s ancient history will astonish you. Jesus’ third temptation took place here. King Herod had built his palace here. Hisham, the son of Abd el Malek Ben Marwan, who had built our Dome of the Rock, had built his winter palace in Jericho, Hisham’s Palace. Ruins of settlements as early as 10.000 B.C.E are traced at Tel-Al-Sultan. Monasteries for all denominations proliferated in Jericho. For attractions in Jericho please click here.