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Ashdod - Culture 

In Biblical days, Ashdod was said to be the home of giants, and it was here that the Philistines brought the captured Holy Ark. Today the city is known as a giant of industry, surpassing Haifa as the largest port in Israel.

Ashdod also serves as a gateway to Jerusalem - a 5, 000-year-old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. For Jews, it is the root of their devotion and the centre of their national identity. For Christians, the city where Jesus died and was resurrected stands as the very ideal of eternal life. And for Muslims, Jerusalem is the third holiest of cities, behind Mecca and Medina, for it was from here that Mohammed ascended into heaven.

With ports of call in Athens, Egypt, Mombasa and Bombay, these regions have climates ranging from temperate deserts to lush tropical coastal regions. Low temperatures across the region can range from 60°F - 85°F. Sunshine is prevalent, but be prepared for the occasional shower and high humidity and the southern, coastal and tropical regions.

Clothing Guide: Short-sleeved shirts and shorts are appropriate for almost all outdoor activities. Walking shoes are recommended.

Things to see and to do from Ashdod

More than 90,000 residents call Ashdod home. Along with textiles and cosmetics, this industrious centre produces almost half of the entire nation's electricity. It is also the gateway to some of the most powerfully moving places you'll ever visit.  

Western Wall - the most sacred of Jewish sites, it is all that remains of the Herodian retaining wall that once supported the Temple Mount.

Via Dolorosa - the Way of the Cross - followed by Jesus from Praetorium, the Roman Judgment Hall, to Calvary.  

Bethlehem - site of the Church of the Nativity, where a star marks the spot where Jesus was born, as well as the Shepherd's Fields.

Garden of Gethsemane - the place where Jesus was betrayed by Judas.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre - within the church can be found the marble stone of anointing, the site of Calvary, the marble tomb in the sepulchre, and a piece of the true cross.

Yad Vashem Memorial Museum - memorial dedicated to the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Masaada  - the last stronghold of Zealots in their struggle against Rome.

Dead Sea - situated 1,280 feet below sea level, these mineral-laden waters have long been known for their health benefits.

Tel Aviv Orientation & Jaffa - feel the verve of Tel Aviv with all its hustle and bustle, shops and bartering. Travel its major thoroughfare, Ibn Gvirol Street, named after the major Golden Ages poet; see the Tel Aviv Art Museum, the Habimah National Theatre, a company originally founded by Russia's Stanislavsky, and the Opera House. Meander through the cobblestone streets of Jaffa's historic district and take in artists' studios, galleries, exotic flea market shops and cosy cafes.

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