This mountain-side town is one of the oldest sites in Palestine, with settlements here dating back to the Bronze Age. It boasts views of the desert, the Jordan Valley, Jericho and the Dead Sea.

Distance you've covered: 56.5 miles
Elevation: 920m
Population: 1,300
Christian population: 1,300

Principal churches:

• Church of Christ the Redeemer (Latin Patriarchate)
• Greek Orthodox
• Melikte (Greek Catholic)

Economy and culture

Taybeh town centre is one of the most beautiful in Palestine, with elegant, white homes reminiscent of a Spanish pueblo, and enticing stairways and alleys. The town is famous for its brewery and even hosts its own Oktoberfest celebration - click here for a video about Taybeh brewery. You can also visit a reconstruction of a traditional peasant home.

Christian heritage

Taybeh is mentioned several times in the Bible under different names. It’s here that Jesus retired with his disciples to prepare for his final journey to Jerusalem and his passion. In Taybeh, you can also visit the ruins of the Byzantine-era church of St George, built in the 5th century. 

Today, it’s the only all-Christian village in Palestine. Many former residents have moved overseas and up to 15,000 people from Taybeh now live outside Palestine.

Friends of the Holy Land in Taybeh

We provide financial support to families who used to work in Jerusalem but lost their jobs during the pandemic, so they can remain in the Holy Land. Sadly, over 15,000 people originally from Taybeh now live outside Palestine.

Fr Johnny Abu Khalil gives more details about how we’ve supported the local community:

It's time to move on to our next destination: the Palestinian National Authority capital of Ramallah.