site of Jacob's dream in Beit El
site of Jacob's dream in Beit ElBeit El Heritage Center

On a hilltop overlooking Beit El, a stone building approximately 1,000 years old stands on top a large natural bedrock. The site is known as the historic location of Jacob's dream of the ladder as described in the Torah. During the holiday of Sukkot the Beit El Heritage Center will be offering tours of the site and surrounding archeological finds.

Judy Simon, host of Israel National Radio's "Life Lessons" and tourism coordinator for Beit El will be conducting the visits in both English and Hebrew.

For the latest episode of "Life Lessons" with Judy Simon click here.

As it states in Genesis Chapter 28, "And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beit El."

"Jacob's rock is a large natural bedrock," Simon told Arutz Sheva news. "On one side is a stone prayer house structure from 1,000 years ago and on the other side is an ancient wormwood oak tree," she said.

"Jacob's famous dream of the ladder with the angels going up and down represents four promises to the Jewish people," Simon related. "These are: the promise for the land of Israel, the promise for the eternity of the people of Israel, the promise to bless the nations of the world through Jacob's children, and the promise that the Jewish people will return to their land."

Simon quoted Rashi, the famous 11th century Jewish Torah commentator who stated that Beit El was the location of the Jacob' Ladder dream.

The site was first excavated by the archeologist Prof. William Albright in the beginning of the 20th century and later was identified as the site of the Biblical patriarch Jacob's Rock by Prof. Ze'ev Vilnai, after the 1967 Six Day War. Dr. Hagai Ben-Artzi, a lecturer of Bible and Jewish History at Bar Ilan University, recently released a documentary detailing the history of the site.

Included in the tour will be a visit to the observation tower from which one can see almost the entire coastline of Israel. On a clear cloudless day, the Mediterranean Sea can be seen without binoculars. 

Also on the itinerary will be the ruins of Jeroboam's temple which is located nearby. The site ties in to the story of the split of the Jewish nation and the source of the ten lost tribes.

Other historic sites include ancient burial caves from the time of the Maccabees and a cave containing a giant stone olive press from the time of the Second Temple. 

The tours will take place on during the Sukkot holiday on Tuesday Oct. 2nd, Wednesday Oct. 3rd and Thursday Oct. 4th beginning at 10:30 am. The tour lasts approximately an hour and a half. The price is 15 shekels per person.

To register for the tour email [email protected].

For more information visit the Beit El Heritage Center's English Facebook page or Hebrew Facebook page.

Life Lessons with Judy Simon features interviews with facinating people from all walks of life. Follow the stories of different people on their journeys through life, and discover with them the secrets and the lessons they have learned on the way. Tune in every Thursday from 6pm to 7pm Israel time. For mp3 archives click here.