Caves and the Fortress of Arbel. The three-storied castle (12th cent AD onwards) connects caverns and caves in the cliff into one fortress. The caves were actively used by Jewish rebels against King Herod's forces (1st Century BC).

The caves were used by Jewish rebels of ancient Arbel as a stronghold against: 1) Syrian General Baccides (2nd Cent. BC) by the Maccabees; 2) King Herod's army (1st Cent. BC); 3) Romans (1st Cent. AD) at the time of first Jewish War. During the great Jewish rebellion against the Roman army in 68 AD, Arbel was fortified by none other than the famous Jewish Historian, Flavius Josephus! The towering steep cliffs, the gaping void below it and lack of access roads made the caves a strategic location for the defense of Arbel. Most of the remains of fortifications from this time were uncovered on adjacent Mount Nitai.

 1P: The Caves of Arbel (located in the Nithail hills)

 The three-storied Arbel Fortress

The fortress at Arbel was used during the Crusader and Mamluk periods. But most of the remains visible today are from the castle built here by Ali Beck (18th century) during the Ottoman period. Known as Qala’at Ibn Ma’an in Arabic, the fortress controlled Arbel Valley and the roads leading through it. Coins and Jewish ritual immersion baths from the Hellenistic period (2nd Cent BC) were among the finds in the caves inside the fortress.

 Inside the Arbel Fortress

 Views from the Arbel Fortress