The ninth Bible and Love Festival will take place this year at the Bell Cave in the Beit Govrin National Park and in the Roman amphitheater near Kiryat Gat from 8-12 June 2011. The festival, sponsored by the Yoav-Yehuda Regional Council, features a variety of cultural events with leading Israeli artists including: Din Din Aviv, Etti Ankri, Erez Lev Ari, Mika Karni, Hemi Rudner, Galit Giat, Eli Luzon, Zohar Fresco, Miri Aloni, Hanan Yovel and many others, as well as many guided tours in the region.

The festival performances include a special evening to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Yossi Banai; an evening dedicated to the songs of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach;  a performance of songs from the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry; psalms set to music;  pieces inspired by ancient Jewish culture with Zohar Fresco, one of the greatest percussionists in the world; a classical music repertoire of Jewish soul music and much more.

Visitors and tourists can also participate in experiential guided tours through Beit Govrin National Park, the British Park, the Judean lowlands, Tzora Forest and more. Among the tours on offer: a tour by torchlight of the mysterious caves of Beit Govrin; a treasure hunt; a tour of the northern city, Coliseum and the Knights Halls; a moonlit night tour; a trip to Tel Azeka and the spectacular observation point over the Ella Valley telling the story of the battle between David and Goliath; a jeep tour of the Tzora forest and the Sorek river that ends with a concert in nature and a traditional Shavuot ceremony in the field of Kibbutz Gal-On.

The Beit Govrin National Park is about 40 minutes drive from the central and Jerusalem areas.

Tickets: 972 3 6045000

www.touryoav.org.il