About West Bank (Judaea and Samaria)

The West Bank is known within Israel by its biblical names Judaea and Samaria.

The name was given to the territory because it sits on the west side of the Jordan River. It is rich in history and has archaeological sites and rugged landscapes.

One of the best-known biblical stories in the region of Samaria is in John 4 when Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Visits to ancient archaeological sites including Shechem, Shiloh, Bethel, Sychar and Ai in Samaria relive biblical stories and give a greater understanding of the passages in which they are found.

The Samaritans believe in the God of Israel but they worship at Mount Gerizim with their own adapted worship practices.

On display in the Good Samaritan Museum are ancient mosaics and archaeological findings from the territories. The site may have been the location of the event of the “Parable of the Good Samaritan”.

By local Christian tradition, the Monastery of the Temptation is the site where Jesus spent forty days and nights after His baptism.

In 340 CE Christian monks established the monastery at the site, utilising the caves on the adjacent cliff overlooking Jericho.