For the first time in more than 25 years, Solomon’s Pools — one of Israel’s most ancient and visually striking water sites — will reopen to the public on a one-time basis. According to the Kfar Etzion Field School, a special family tour will take place on April 17, offering visitors rare access to the site, located in the Judean Hills near Bethlehem in the West Bank.
"Visitors will arrive in bulletproof buses, accompanied by professional guides and under special approval from the IDF," the school said in a statement.
Constructed during the Second Temple period, the pools were part of an elaborate water system that supplied Jerusalem from the Hasmonean era through the end of Ottoman rule. The tour will take visitors through all three pools: the upper pool, which still holds water; the middle, carved into bedrock; and the lower — the largest and deepest of the three.
Participants will descend into the lower reservoir to experience the scale of this ancient engineering marvel. The visit includes a short, one-kilometer (0.6-mile) walk from the drop-off point, with an accessible path available. All tours will be fully guided by Kfar Etzion staff.
In addition, on Monday, April 14, at the start of Passover’s intermediate days, a guided hike will take place from Givat HaDagan in Efrat down to the pools.
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“This is a rare chance to witness a biblical-era site up close, connect to thousands of years of history and celebrate Passover in the heart of the Judean Hills,” the school’s statement read. “The IDF-approved, fully secured tour offers a unique mix of heritage, nature and inspiration for the whole family.”
The event is a joint initiative of Gush Etzion Tourism and the Kfar Etzion Field School and is part of a broader lineup of family-oriented Passover activities.
Separately, the IDF announced Thursday that, also during Passover, civilians will — for the first time since the founding of the state — be allowed to cross the Syrian border for special military-approved guided tours.
Highlights include Ruqqad stream, the Al-Hamma Bridge on the Yarmouk River, the Hijaz railway tunnel and the biblical site of the Covenant of the Pieces on Mount Dov.
The initiative is led by the IDF Northern Command and 210th Division, in partnership with local municipalities and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. Due to high demand, the IDF has announced additional tour dates.