Filming in Israel: Great Stories to Film in Israel

Filming in Israel: Great Stories to Film in Israel

 Israel may be a small country but it is crammed full of interesting locations that all have their own tale to tell.  Most sites have historic, religious or folklore connotations.

At Biblical Productions we have gathered together some interesting film locations in Israel and shared with you some possible storylines for your production.

NORTH:

• Kabbalah: Miracles and Magic Springs

Safed may be a small town but it is the Kabbalah centre of the world and the heart of Jewish mysticism. The paranormal is more normal here than anywhere else: haunted synagogues, rabbis communicating with the next world, magical amulets and miracles occurring regularly at the Rabbis’ tombs and at magical springs.  

Suggestions for crews filming in Israel: Biblical Productions can organize a visit to a haunted mikvah (ritual bath) before going on a nocturnal journey into the heart of the Galilee. Make your way to a magical spring with a special zip-line, set-up infrared cameras and microphones at one of the most spiritually active Rabbis tombs to witness spiritual activity first-hand.

SOUTH:

• Antiquities and Artefacts in Israel

The Bedouins of Israel are the masters of the desert. Not only was it a small Bedouin boy who found the Dead Sea scrolls in Qumran, but they can navigate in the desert and its hidden caves and tunnels even when blindfolded. Bedouins also know where to find archaeological treasures and antiquities in the desert’s vastness.  

Suggestions for crews filming in Israel: Biblical Productions can put you in touch with a small Bedouin tribe.  You will be able to accompany this particular tribe as they walk through the dramatic Judean desert. You can record your journey through the vast expanse of the desert, as you travel alongside their two most talented antiquities finders, exploring the fascinating range of concealed caves that are scattered throughout the area.

Cave of a Desert Monk

Cave Chariton was the first monastery in the Judean desert.  It is named after the Christian monk, Chariton. On his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he was kidnapped and taken to this cave in the desert. That night his kidnappers died mysteriously after drinking wine – legend has it that a snake poisoned the wine cups of these bandits.

Chariton remained in the cave as a hermit and gained the reputation as a miracle-worker, attracting the attention of people from all over ancient Palestine.

Long after his death people still paid pilgrimage to this remote location, tucked away in Wadi Faran. Here they prayed for miracles and waited for the monk’s spirit which, according to folklore, is sporadically seen wandering the canyons on moonlit nights.

Suggestions for crews filming in Israel: You can document your trek across the shifting desert sands in search of Chariton’s Cave, which is concealed within the Judean Hills. Record your journey during the day and also shoot some night scenes, capturing the blanket of stars in the vast expanse of desert sky, perhaps using the stars to help check your navigation.  Once the cave is discovered you can explore inside.  It is a large cave and requires proper film lighting for adequate illumination.

Investigating Bar Kochba Caves

The Bar Kochba revolt was the second major revolt by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire. Led by charismatic commander and declared messiah, Simon Bar Kochba, the rebels managed to establish a Jewish State for over two years. It took a Roman army consisting of twelve legions, using all their force, to finally crush the revolt.

The caves, which lie in close proximity to the Dead Sea, were the last hiding place of the Bar Kochba rebels.  They sheltered there before they fell to their heroic deaths, during a final attempt to fight off the Roman legions.

The old fighter spirits are said to be wandering around these numerous caves and tunnels, within which ancient papyrus scrolls (Bar Kochba scrolls) have since been found.

Suggestions for crews filming in Israel Fly above the caves in a helicopter or ultralight, terminating at the top of the mountains. For a novel entry route into the caves, why not film dramatic shots of abseiling down the mountain face into the lower cave system.  Once there, explore the caves by climbing inside them using ropes and other caving equipment.  Shoot memorable shots inside the caves, painting a vivid picture of how the rebels lived during their last days and capturing the aura of times past. 

There are so many interesting locations to film in Israel and each site has its own amazing story.

In the pictures some of my favorite loctions in Israel

Sharon

Biblical Productions Gets Adventurous!

Destination Truth’ Comes to Israel

Biblical Productions Gets Adventurous!

This month saw Biblical Productions working with intrepid world adventurer, Josh Gates, as we filmed two ‘Destination Truth’ episodes in Israel.

The NBC Universal hit series, which airs on the Syfy Channel, takes viewers on treks across the globe, with Josh investigating ‘stories of the unexplained’. These can involve anything from local legends to mythical creatures.

Our lips are sealed as to the exact storylines or filming locations in Israel, but all we can divulge is that one shoot took place in a desert setting and the other around the coastal plain.

 An Amazing Crew

The crew are used to filming in inaccessible places and are all super fit and up for any challenge.  These guys are not your average crew and in the line of duty they’ve have had to climb mountains, go white water rafting and even jump out of airplanes – all to capture the best action shots!

 ‘Destination Truth’ production involves 24 hour shooting and many scenes tend to be filmed at night, using infrared cameras.  This dedicated crew run on adrenalin and are skilled in getting optimum shots from the most extreme settings.

Production Management in Israel

Biblical Productions was the local production manager on the ‘Destination Truth’ shoot and acted as their local fixer in Israel. As you can imagine, we rose to the occasion and filmed two amazing episodes.  This new series is due to air in March 2010 and each episode promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats and intrigued until the end.

Tears by Rachel’s Tomb

I am always looking for that special film location in Israel; far away from the traditional, more popular sites.  Rachel’s Tomb is an intersting  film location in Israel, located 30 minutes south of Jerusalem, on the outskirts of Bethlehem, in the Judean Mountains.  

Rachel’s Tomb is the burial place of the Biblical matriarch and is considered to be the third holiest Jewish site after the Western Wall and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Rachel’s resting place is a great place to take footage of people practicing Judaism.  This site has special significance to women and filming here will enable you to capture the intensity of prayer, the expression of devotion and the heartfelt fervor of religious women.  Many come to the grave of Rachel to cry out for support, yearning comfort and blessings from one of the original Jewish mothers.

 The Story of Rachel

Rachel Tomb on \”You Tube\”

Rachel’s Biblical story reads like a modern day soap opera.  Her father arranged for Rachel’s less attractive sister to replace her on her wedding day, tricking Jacob (who had worked seven years to earn his bride) into marrying the wrong daughter.  Intensely in love with Rachel, Jacob worked another seven years to earn the hand of the ‘right’ daughter, as his second wife. 

Having finally won their marital partnership, the couple experienced the sadness of infertility, made all the worse by Leah’s abundant child-rearing abilities.  However, although Leah provided Jacob with six sons and a daughter, she was left craving the affections of a man who was never able to truly love her.

Finally Rachel bore Jacob a son, Joseph and it was during the birth of a second son, Benjamin, that Rachel experienced a painful and complicated labor, which ultimately robbed her of her life in 1553 BCE.  She craved children all her life and then suffered the irony of literally dying to fulfill her maternal instincts.

The story has it all, sibling rivalry, family drama, trickery, love, death and intrigue! 

The Significance of Rachel

Over time, Rachel’s tomb became a place of pilgrimage for Jews, particularly women who had fertility problems. Many visit her tomb on the 11th of the Jewish month of Cheshvan, the anniversary of her death.

Rachel was no ordinary woman. She was the childless bride who ultimately became the mother of the Jewish people. She craved children all her life and subsequently died in childbirth.  This woman, whose jealousies, frustrations and anguish are recorded in the Bible, present us with a very human face in the Bible; somebody we can connect with and understand. 

Visiting the tomb is not a regular event.  The people praying next to the eternal Jewish matriarch do not act with the usual decorum shown in synagogues.  Somehow the site evokes extreme emotions; women in particular are seen to beg for divine intervention for those who are suffering or in need.

Rachel is a symbol of hope for those who are childless and many flock to her grave to read prayers and special psalms.

Rachel’s Thread

There is an ancient tradition to tie a scarlet thread, which has previously been wound around the Tomb of Rachel, around one’s neck or wrist.  This is supposed to protect against danger and is particularly prevalent among pregnant women. Tying the thread around the tomb is said to turn it into a charm (‘segulah’) and this practice can still be seen today.

Filming at Rachel’s Tomb

Those filming at Rachel’s Tomb are likely to record the heartfelt tears of women, deep in prayer and on personal pilgrimages. Oftentimes the sound of sobbing comes from the prayer hall, as women literally beg for help, comfort and blessings.  It is easy to get caught up in the emotions of these tear-stained, religious women, as they tune in to the spiritually-charged atmosphere surrounding their matriarch and pour out their anguish in the form of intense prayer.

You can capture amazing scenes of these women during many different occasions.  The prayer hall holds special midnight prayer services and a particularly popular time to visit is on the anniversary of Rachel’s death.

Filming at this location in Israel requires a film permit and Biblical Productions are adept at obtaining these for clients; cutting through all the associated bureaucracy and getting your film permission arranged with minimum fuss.

Types of Production

This is an amazing site that could be used for a range of productions in Israel;

• Biblical re-enactments (The life of Rachel or Jacob)
• Documentaries – Historical, Travel, Biography
• Reality – it would be interesting to interview some of the women by the tomb – find out what the site means to them and how they feel when they pray there.
• Religious Documentary – this is a great site to discuss the power of prayer.

If you are looking for a film location in Israel to capture scenes of praying , this is a prime location.