The Good Samaritan Inn

All the information about the Good Samaritan Inn, updated by the Nature and Parks Authority: The reserve has been opened to visitors, subject to restrictions and guidelines of the Ministry of Health. To visit the reserve, you must book in advance. For more details " The Good Samaritan Inn is a remnant of a roadside lodging house and inn that served travelers between Jerusalem and Jericho for about 2,000 years, from the time of King Herod to the present day. In 2009, the site was opened for visits by the Nature and Parks Authority and today it serves as an extraordinary museum of mosaics from the region of Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip. The museum—air-conditioned and therefore suitable for visits in all seasons—is a splendid example of mosaic art, whose peak was in the 4th century CE. In the museum you can find many mosaics, as well as a film explaining how mosaics are created, along with a mosaic reconstruction. Did you know that in a medium-sized mosaic there are about two million stones?? Opening hours and summer rates: Sunday–Thursday and Saturday, 8:00–17:00, Friday and holiday eves: 8:00–16:00. Winter hours: Sunday–Thursday and Saturday, 8:00–16:00, Friday and holiday eves: 8:00–15:00. Eve of Rosh Hashanah, Eve of Yom Kippur, and Eve of Passover: 8:00–13:00. Prices: Individual: Adult 22 ₪, child 10 ₪, senior 11 ₪. Group: Adult 19 ₪, child 8 ₪. The site is named "The Good Samaritan" because the lodging house is associated with the one mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel according to Luke—Chapter 10: "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow, when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise." In this sermon, Jesus explains to his believers the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself," asking "Who is 'your neighbor'?" and giving as an example a story about a wounded man lying by the road. According to the sermon, a priest passed by and did not help him; a Levite passed by and did not help him; but it was precisely the Samaritan—who, according to Judaism, was of a lower social status—who stopped, bandaged his wounds, gave him a drink, brought him to the inn, and even paid from his own money to the innkeeper for the wounded man's lodging. The concept "The Good Samaritan" has today become an expression for someone who helps another immediately and without expecting anything in return.