When Jerusalem ceased to be accessible as a place of burial, Beit She'arim became the cemetery of choice for Jewish communities across the Mediterranean world, and bodies were brought here from far beyond the Galilee. Long galleries were quarried into the hillside, opening into chambers lined with sarcophagi of stone and marble, some plain, others carved with lions, eagles, vine scrolls and menorahs. Inscriptions in three languages record names, professions and cities of origin, offering a rare social portrait of the period. The site is associated with the leadership that reorganised Jewish law and learning in the Galilee after the loss of the Temple. Inscribed on the World Heritage List, the necropolis is filmed in 4K with lighting adapted to the underground chambers, in a title that works for archaeology and religious history alike.
