Happy TravellerWelcome to Beit Shemesh, a vibrant city located just 30 kilometers west of Jerusalem in Israel’s Jerusalem District. With a population of over 141,000, Beit Shemesh is a city steeped in history, culture, and tradition. Join us as we explore the many wonders of this fascinating destination and discover why it should be on every traveler’s must-visit list.
Beit Shemesh has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. The small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city was identified in the late 1830s as Biblical Beth Shemesh by Edward Robinson. The tel was excavated in numerous phases during the 20th century. The area that comprises Beit Shemesh today was under Ottoman rule and later British Mandate of Palestine. The Ramat Beit Shemesh neighborhood area was the site belonging to the Arab village Bayt Nattif, which was built on remnants of an ancient Judean town, with various remnants of Jewish settlement from the time, such as a mosaic floor, wineries and other remains, especially from the period of the Hasmonean kings and earlier.
In its early years, Beit Shemesh came to typify the Development Town with a largely Maghrebi immigrant population. Today, the city is a thriving metropolis with a diverse population that includes new immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and English-speaking countries, turning it into a major center for Anglo immigrants. Considerable numbers have come from North America, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. This population tends to be Orthodox, educated, and from middle-income groups. At the same time, Orthodox Jews from within Israel also began moving to the city, seeking roomier, low-cost housing.
One of the most fascinating neighborhoods in Beit Shemesh is Ramat Beit Shemesh, an expansion that lies directly adjacent to, and to the south of, the original part of Beit Shemesh. It is located on a hill overlooking the old town. Ramat Beit Shemesh has a large, diverse Orthodox population. Originally, it consisted of two areas: Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef and Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet. In Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet, families belonging to Eda Haredit constitute the majority. In 2002, following tensions between the Haredi and non-religious population, plans were drawn up to build another secular neighborhood, HaShachar. In 2007, Ramat Shilo, considered a subdistrict of Ramat Beit Shemesh, with both Dati Leumi and Haredi residents was built. In 2009, it was announced that a new neighborhood, Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel, would be built as a largely Haredi neighborhood on a large block of state-owned land bordering southern Beit Shemesh. In 2016 the Israeli Land Authority published tenders for 3,268 new apartments, to be built in the newly proposed areas of Ramat Beit Shemesh Dalet and Hey. According to plans, ultimately there are to be 8,300 new apartments in RBS Dalet alone.
Beit Shemesh is a city that is constantly growing and evolving. In 2017, the Israeli government approved a master plan to build 17,000 new housing units along with 130 acres zoned as new commercial space for businesses and hotels. It is expected that the city could be home to as many as 250,000 residents by 2025 and 350,000 by 2035. A new commercial center in the Ramat Beit Shemesh neighborhood is planned to be the city’s largest. In 2020, the construction of a hospital in Beit Shemesh, which will be run as a branch of Hadassah Medical Center, was approved.
Beit Shemesh is a city that is rich in culture and tradition. Religious communities represented in Beit Shemesh include Chabad Ger, Belz, American Yesh
