Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park

Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park
Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park
	Bell cave at Beit Guvrin National Park
Location	Southern District, Israel
Nearest city	Kiryat Gat
Coordinates	31°35′49.06″N 34°54′2.33″E / 31.5969611°N 34.9006472°E
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves
Type	Cultural
Criteria	v
Designated	2014 (38th session)
Reference no.	1370
Region	Israel

Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park is a national park in central Israel, containing a large network of caves recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.^[1] The national park includes the remains of the historical towns of Maresha, one of the important towns of Judah during the First Temple Period,^[2] and Bayt Jibrin, a depopulated Palestinian town known as Eleutheropolis in the Roman era.^[3] However, Maresha and Bayt Jibrin are not part of the UNESCO site, which covers only the cave network.^[4]

Archaeological artifacts unearthed at the site include a large Jewish cemetery, a Roman-Byzantine amphitheater, a Byzantine church, public baths, mosaics and burial caves.^[5]

It is located 13 kilometers from Kiryat Gat.

^ "Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves".
^ The Guide to Israel, Zev Vilnay, Tel Aviv, 1972, p.281
^ The Guide to Israel, Zev Vilnay, Tel Aviv, 1972, p.275
^ The Caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin, In the Judean Lowlands, As a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves, Submitted to the World Heritage Center - UNESCO By the State of Israel - January 2013, p.14: "Note: The relationship between the caves and the settlement network above them – wherever it is referred to all through this dossier – is given in order to let the reader understand the context of these caves; however, the mentioned archaeological surface remains are not a part of the proposed nomination!"
^ Bell Cave at Beit Guvrin Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

[1] "Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves".

[2] The Guide to Israel, Zev Vilnay, Tel Aviv, 1972, p.281

[3] The Guide to Israel, Zev Vilnay, Tel Aviv, 1972, p.275

[4] The Caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin, In the Judean Lowlands, As a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves, Submitted to the World Heritage Center - UNESCO By the State of Israel - January 2013, p.14: "Note: The relationship between the caves and the settlement network above them – wherever it is referred to all through this dossier – is given in order to let the reader understand the context of these caves; however, the mentioned archaeological surface remains are not a part of the proposed nomination!"

[5] Bell Cave at Beit Guvrin Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]