Jericho's Visitor Centre at Beit Hogla | Your visit to Jericho Starts Here

The Visitor Centre

Jericho Visitor Centre at Beit Hogla — Jericho's Visitor Centre at Beit Hogla

Beit Hogla's location in the heart of the Plains of Jericho, is ideal for hosting groups and for organising tours focusing on the history and traditions of the area.

In the year 2021, we inaugurated Jericho’s Visitor Centre, on the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the founding of Beit Hogla.
The Visitor Centre is here in Beit Hogla, and its terrace has a breath-taking view of the Biblical Gilgal – the place where the People of Israel set-up camp after crossing the Jordan (Joshua 4:19), prior to the conquest of Jericho.

The mountains of Moab and Mt Nebo (where Moses spoke his last – Deuteronomy 34:5-12) are on the east side of the Jordan right opposite Beit Hogla, and can be seen from the Visitor Centre.

The Visitor Centre tells the story of Jericho:

The crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 3:11-17) and why that location was chosen as the entry point to the Land of Israel.
The encampment of the People of Israel in the Gilgal (in the heart of the Plains of Jericho – Joshua 4:19).
The mass circumcision that took place there (Joshua 5:9) followed by the first Passover celebrated in the Land.
The conquest of Jericho and the miraculous fall of its walls (Joshua 6:15-20). The conquest of Jericho started immediately after the 7-day Passover celebrations, with a daily circling of the walls of Jericho with trumpets and shofars, and culminated on the 7^th day when the city was circled seven times with trumpets and shofars, after which the walls came miraculously down. This took place on the on the 28^th of the month of Nissan – an anniversary which we celebrate in Jericho every year.

The Visitor Centre also tells the story of Jericho’s important heritage sites:

Tel Jericho, the remains of the ancient city conquered by Joshua, and excavated by archaeologists to verify the Biblical story.
The ancient Shalom al Israel Synagogue, with its unique mosaic attesting to Jewish holiness, and in contrast, the ancient Naaran Synagogue with its mosaic testifying to Greek cultural influence
The Elisha Spring, where the Prophet Elisha sweetened the waters of Jericho.
The Priestly Burial Caves, where the priests serving in the Second Temple were buried.
The Hasmonean Winter Palaces, where the third-generation Hasmonaean kings lived the high life.
The Biblical Gilgal, the Jordan Crossing, Ancient Beit Hogla, and more.

The Visitor Centre can host conferences and film shows, and has many interesting exhibits, including a 3-D map of the area.

The Visitor Centre is the meeting point for visits and tours of the area, as well as conferences, seminars and courses.

To coordinate a visit, a tour or an event, contact Erna Covos at telephone /WhatsApp +972(0)52-8699300, or by e-mail at ernajericho@gmail.com.

See a picture album of the Visitor Centre

Find out more about Jericho's heritage sites

The Observation Platform

הנוף המרחיב מנקודת התצפית אל הגילגל ואל הר נבו

An Observation Platform, a hundred or so metres from the Visitor Centre, provides an unobstructed panoramic view of the Biblical Gilgal (in the plains of Jericho) as well as of the Plains of Moab on the far side of the Jordan River.

The Gilgal spreads-out before your eyes. This is where the People of Israel set-up their first camp after crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4:19) – ending their forty-year journey in the Desert, underwent mass circumcision – all those born in the desert had not been circumcised (Joshua 5:2), and offered the first Passover Sacrifice in the Land of Israel (Joshua 5:10). After the end of the seven days of Passover, the People of Israel set-out from here to conquer Jericho (Joshua 6:3-14).

Looking further east on the far side of the Jordan, the Plains of Moab can be seen. Here the people of Israel gathered at the end of their 40-year desert journey, and heard Moses’ last speech. The Book of Deuteronomy, in its entirety bears witness to the whole of Moses’ last speech.

Looking still further east, the Moab Mountain range can be seen, with Mt Nebo as its highest point. This is the place where our teacher Moses stood when he gave his parting words before his departure from this world, on the 7^th of the month of Adar (Deuteronomy 34:5-12). On a clear day (in the late afternoon hours, when the sun illuminates every nook and cranny of this mountain range), the long cliff, to the north side of Mt Nebo can be seen. This is where G-d Himself buried Moses (Deuteronomy 34:6).

To see the full splendour of the Biblical Gilgal, the Plains of Moab and the Mountains of Moab, you should visit the Observation Platform in the late afternoon, when the sun is low in the western sky and its rays illuminate every nook and cranny of the panorama to the east.

Find out more about the Biblical Gilgal

A few Words about Beit Hogla

Picking fruit in Beit Hogla east of Jericho — Picking fruit in Beit Hogla

The Visitor Centre is in the community of Beit Hogla, which is in the heart of the Biblical Gilgal, just east of Jericho.

The town of Beit Hogla is mentioned in the Book of Joshua, as being near the northern tip of the Dead Sea, on the frontier between Judah’s portion Binyamin’s portion: (Joshua 15:6) and (Joshua 18:19). It is mentioned again as one of the towns of Binyamin, together with Jericho and Beit El (Joshua 18:21).

Beit Hogla is also in the heart of the Plains of Jericho, where Israel dwelt after crossing the Jordan in preparation for the conquest of Jericho. Mt Nebo, where Moses spoke his last words, and from where he gazed at the Land of Israel, stands on the east bank of the Jordan, right across from Beit Hogla.

Present day Beit Hogla is an organic farm and community. The organic farm was founded by Erna Covos in 2001, after the Arabs vandalised the Shalom al Israel synagogue in Jericho, where Jews studied every day in the Kollel, under the presidency of Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh.

For 15 years, Erna Covos (the founder of Beit Hogla) lived on the farm alone, and managed to plant, with the help of many dedicated volunteers, dates, olives, figs, pomegranates, papaya and many other fruit whose cultivation is extremely challenging in the hot desert climate and the salty, sandy ground. Recently, families have come to settle the place and form a community.

Getting Here

Beit Hogla is on Highway 90 (the Jordan Valley Road), 3 km north of the "Beit Ha'Arava Junction". Beit Hogla is next to the "Mahane Nevo" military base. The entrance to Beit Hogla is to the right of the military base's main gate.

By car, navigating with Google Maps: click here, or enter "Nevo Camp" on the app.
By car, navigating with Waze: click here, or enter "Nevo Camp" on the app.
By bus, from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station:
Egged buses 961, 966, 967, or Electra-Afikim buses 941, 943, 946.
Alight at "Mahane Nevo" (Nevo Camp army base), bus stop 61422 or 60782. Beit Hogla is just to the right of the army base's gate.