In the northern West Bank, north of Tapuah Junction, there is a relatively new bypass road that goes around the Arab town of Huwara. There was a time when there were frequent clashes in Hawara, including a number of attacks on Israelis. Now, the bypass road shifts Israeli traffic to a route around the large Palestinian town. This is the northern part of Route 60, the route that historically connects the entire West Bank from north to south. However, much of the historic route has changed due to political shifts here, with Jewish and Arab communities divided.
On the bypass road, there is a place on the map marked as “Luna Park.” It was once a more active amusement park. From the road, the old Ferris wheel and other rides are visible, many of them with chipped paint and rust. It’s like a museum of an amusement park. It is an example of the old and the new here: the Arab villages, the new road, and above it all the ancient hills of Samaria. Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim loom over the landscape, framing the city of Nablus. Both are sites of biblical importance.
A decade ago, I took a drive to find the ruins of the ancient city of Samaria, the capital of what was once the Kingdom of Israel. The site is well known and is located near the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Shomron. In fact, the city of Samaria gives its name to the area. A decade ago, the only way to access this site was through the Palestinian village of Sebastia. One of the nearby roads had a sign saying USAID had contributed to it. It was supposed to be an Israeli national park, but it had long been closed. The site was in disrepair, with ancient walls and parts of the ruins of a once-great city poking out from beneath collapsed walls and trees. (Ed note: A somewhat long but very interesting Bible history of that area of Israel.) (Read More)
