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Bad King Herod
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Getting There (and back)
Israel is not a very large country—only about the size of New Jersey—so all its sites are reasonably close together. Its main international airport is David Ben-Gurion Airport, outside Tel Aviv and about 30 miles east of Jerusalem.

For obvious reasons, airport security is tight, so when leaving Israel it’s wise to show up several hours before your flight. All travelers are questioned closely by security personnel, who may also search your luggage. Americans need only a valid passport, good for six months beyond the date of entry, to enter Israel. No visas or immunizations are required.

The Basics
The language of Israel is Hebrew, but English is widely spoken. The currency is the New Israeli Shekel (NIS). Check for exchange rates. You can exchange dollars for shekels at a booth just inside Ben-Gurion Airport. Credit cards are widely used, especially in Tel Aviv, and shops and restaurants post the cards they take. I had no trouble using the ATM machines in Israel either. Electricity in Israel is 220V AC, 50 HZ. A transformer is necessary to use American electrical devices.

Telephones
To call Israel from the United States you must first dial the international code (011), then Israel’s country code (972), then the code for the particular region of Israel, then the number. Codes for regions in this story are 2 for Jerusalem and the West Bank, 3 for Tel Aviv, 7 for the Dead Sea region, 6 for Caesarea. When calling from one region to another within Israel, you need to add a “0” before the region’s code.

Getting Around
Egged is Israel’s very efficient bus service. I didn’t have an opportunity to take any of the Arab buses, though from all the reports I read they are much less comfortable and reliable than Israeli ones. Keep in mind that Egged buses don’t run on the Jewish Sabbath, or Sabbat, which begins at sunset on Friday.

Taxis are plentiful in Jerusalem. When getting in ask the driver to use the meter. Drivers will always offer you a “special” price, which is always more than the metered one (as I found out through experimentation). If the driver tells you his meter is broken, get out and find another cab. You don’t need an international permit to drive in Israel. I found driving reasonably stress-free. Signs were in Hebrew and English, and the drivers no worse than the ones in metropolitan areas of the United States. I used Budget to rent a car in Tel Aviv for the drive to Caesarea.

Information Please
The Ramparts Walk is open 9:00-4:00 Saturday-Thursday and 9:00-2:00 Friday. Tickets are required. You can start the walk at only the Jaffa or Damascus Gates (but you can descend at any gate). All walkers must descend at either St. Stephen’s Gate or Dung Gate to avoid the Temple Mount area. Tickets for the Dome of the Rock are good for the entire day and include admission to the Islamic Museum and the Al-Aksa Mosque. The ticket kiosk is on the Mount near the Bab al-Maghariba entrance (near the Western Wall Plaza). The buildings’ hours vary according to Moslem holidays. The Temple Mount is closed on Fridays, and hours Saturday-Thursday are generally 9:00-3:00.

The Western Wall Tunnel is open only for pre-arranged tours. In the United States, call all (212) 725-0598 for more information. Caesarea is on the Mediterranean coast, about 30 miles north of Tel Aviv, easily accessible by car by heading north on highway 2. Caesarea National Park is open 8:00-5:00 daily. Tickets are 16 NIS for adults; 7 NIS for children ages 5-18.

Masada lies in the mountains on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It’s best reached from highway 90, which runs parallel to the sea. You can reach Masada’s west side via the town of Arad. Beware: There are no roads directly linking the east and west sides of Masada. Masada is accessible on foot or by cable car. It is open sunrise to sunset for hikers.

Admission prices for climbers are 16 NIS for adults, 12 for students and 7 for children ages 5-18. The cable cars leave every 20 minutes or as soon as they’re full, and run daily 8:00-4:00. Round-trip prices are 29 NIS for adults and 17 for students and children. One-way tickets are 17 NIS for adults and 9 for youths. Masada offers a sound-and-light show Tuesday and Thursday at 9:00 from April to September, and at 7:00 in September and October. It takes place on the Arad side and costs 24 NIS.

Other Attractions
A good place to get a feel for Jerusalem’s tangled history is the Museum of the History of Jerusalem in the Tower of David Museum near the Jaffa Gate, 627-4111. The tower itself has nothing to do with David, but it does rest on the foundations of a tower from a great citadel Herod constructed here in 23 B.C. There is an admission charge. The Tower offers a sound-and-light show during the summer.

Another site traditionally associated with Herod, the so-called Herod Family Tomb, is in a small park in the New City, just around the corner from the historic King David Hotel. The tombs themselves are large grottos carved into the rock. I found the tombs themselves to be a little anticlimactic, but the peaceful little park offered a striking view of the walls of the Old City.

Other sites associated with Herod are Herodium, his fortress/tomb, and the walls around the Cave of Machpelah (the Ibrahimi Mosque) outside Hebron. Both sites are in sometimes-volatile portions of the West Bank, and the mosque was the scene of violence in 1994 when an Israeli killed 29 worshipping Moslems there.

Lodging and Dining
During my time in Jerusalem I was put up at the Hyatt Regency Jerusalem, 32 Lehi St., 533-1234. Reservations from the U.S. can be made by calling (800) 233-1234. Built to resemble an ancient palace complex, the hotel is located on Mt. Scopus with a view of the Old City. Jerusalem’s most famous hotel is the ritzy King David, 23 King David St., 620-8888. At the Dead Sea I stayed at the Hyatt Dead Sea Resort and Spa in Ein Bokek, 659-1234. It’s one of several spa hotels clustered near the southern end of the Dead Sea, a region known for its healthful properties.

Also near Masada is the guest house at the Ein Gedi Kibbutz, 022-3320. Jerusalem is a major metropolitan area with many restaurants. For a fun family dining experience, try the Old City’s Cardo Culinaria, 626-4155. It’s on the Cardo, the reconstruction of the boulevard the Romans built here when they rebuilt Jerusalem after the Jewish Revolt and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. At the Cardo diners eat Roman-style, complete with togas and laurel leaf garlands. Darna, 3 Horkenos St. in Jerusalem’s New City, 624-5406, is an authentic (albeit kosher) Moroccan restaurant. There’s a cafeteria at the Masada visitor center but nothing else in the immediate vicinity. Caesarea has several restaurants within the Crusader Walls.

Events
For up-to-date information about all the events, call (888) 77-ISRAEL or check the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s web site at www.goisrael.com.

On the Web
There are many web sites about Israel. Some of them: a Temple Mount page at http://www.templemount.org; and the Israel Foreign Ministry’s page is at http://www. israel.org. The Israel Ministry of Tourism has a very informative website at http://www. infotour.co.il, which provides information about lodging, dining, and places of interest.