Inn of the Good Samaritan
A historic caravanserai and archaeological site on the Jerusalem–Jericho road, now home to the Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Inn of the Good Samaritan, also known as Khan al-Hatruri, is a historic roadside inn, archaeological site, national park and museum located roughly midway between Jerusalem and Jericho, near Ma'ale Adumim. The site stands at an elevation of approximately 298 metres and occupies a strategically important position on the ancient ascent between the Jordan Valley and the Jerusalem highlands. Its modern name derives from the Christian tradition that associates the location with the inn mentioned in Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan, although the identification is traditional rather than archaeologically proven. The route passing the site has been used since antiquity by travellers, pilgrims and military forces. In the biblical period, the area was associated with Ma'ale Adummim, or the Ascent of Adummim, a place-name linked to the area's reddish rocks and traditionally regarded as a boundary zone between the territories of Judah and Benjamin. Jewish pilgrims travelling from Galilee toward the Temple in Jerusalem used the broader Jericho–Jerusalem road, while later Christian pilgrims followed the route toward Jerusalem and the Jordan River baptismal sites. The location acquired defensive and commercial importance during the Roman and Byzantine periods. A late Roman fort, commonly identified in historical sources with Maledomni, protected travellers on the exposed road. By the fourth or fifth century, a fortified settlement or station existed in the area, and a caravanserai was established below the hilltop. In the sixth century, the inn appears to have been rebuilt or formalized around a central courtyard with rooms, a water cistern and a substantial church. The church indicates that the site served not only as a practical stopping place but also as a destination for Christian pilgrims. A separate fortress occupied the nearby summit. During the Crusader period it was known by names including Maldoim, Castrum Dumi, Turris Rubea and Rouge Cisterne. The fortress was probably constructed over an earlier Byzantine structure and controlled the road through the narrow ascent. The modern Jerusalem–Jericho highway now separates the hilltop ruins from the inn and museum complex, although the two archaeological locations remain historically connected. After the Crusader period and the Muslim reconquest of the region, the fortress and inn declined, and medieval pilgrims described the buildings as ruined but still recognizable landmarks. The inn was rebuilt in its present general form in 1903. Archaeological investigations have identified remains from multiple periods, including the former inn, water installations, religious structures and material associated with the long history of travel through the area. In 2010, the site was developed as the Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics. The project was initiated by Yitzhak Magen, the archaeology staff officer of the Israeli Civil Administration in the Judea and Samaria Area, after research showed that the location had repeatedly functioned as a lodging and service station for travellers. The museum presents mosaics and archaeological finds recovered from churches, monasteries, Jewish synagogues and Samaritan synagogues in the West Bank, as well as material from the ancient synagogue at Gaza. Its collection is especially associated with late Roman and Byzantine-period works dating broadly from the fourth to seventh centuries. Displays include geometric church mosaics and Jewish religious symbols such as menorahs, lulavim and shofars, alongside material relating to Samaritan history and religious customs. A restored sixth-century church floor is preserved in situ; visiting Christian groups may use the space for religious services. Today the attraction is administered as part of Israel's national park system and operates primarily as a heritage and tourism site rather than as a commercial hospitality brand. It is visited particularly by international and Christian tourists. Visitor facilities include an audio-guided interpretation experience and accessibility provisions for people with disabilities. The site combines archaeological conservation, the history of pilgrimage, biblical tradition and the presentation of mosaics from across the region.
History
The Inn of the Good Samaritan occupies a strategic point on the ancient road linking Jericho with Jerusalem. The route climbs from the Jordan Valley through the Ascent of Adummim toward the Jerusalem ridge, and its reddish exposed rock gave rise to names associated with blood or redness. In the biblical and Second Temple eras, the broader route was used by Jewish travellers and pilgrims, including people journeying toward Jerusalem. In later centuries it became important to Christian pilgrims travelling between Jerusalem and the Jordan River. The area's defensible position led to the construction of fortified installations. Eusebius referred to a late Roman fort called Maledomni, and archaeological interpretations place an early fortress on or near the hill above the present inn. Around the fourth century, the fort was associated with protection for travellers, including a Roman auxiliary garrison. A roadside lodging facility developed under this protection. Christian tradition connected the location with the inn in the Parable of the Good Samaritan by at least the late fourth century, when Jerome described the region during a pilgrimage with Paula. His interpretation connected the place-name Adummim with the blood of travellers attacked by robbers. The association persisted through medieval and modern pilgrimage literature, although it was not established as a Byzantine or Crusader identification. During the early Byzantine period, the site appears to have included a fortified station. In the sixth century, a more substantial inn was built around a courtyard, with lodging spaces, a central water cistern and a church. The religious building and its mosaic pavement reflect the site's role in supporting Christian movement through the region. A nearby hilltop fortress was later developed or rebuilt during the Crusader period. Known by several Latin and French names referring to a red tower or cistern, it controlled the route and gave additional protection to travellers. The fortress and inn were related but distinct complexes. Following the Crusader defeat at Hattin in 1187, the fortress was occupied by forces associated with Saladin. Medieval writers increasingly distinguished the khan from the castle, and the site continued to be remembered as a stopping place linked to the Good Samaritan tradition. By the late fifteenth century, the inn was substantially ruined. Felix Fabri described surviving walls and a small well, which remained valuable landmarks along the arid ascent. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century travellers continued to record the castle, inn, caves, cisterns and reddish terrain. The Palestine Exploration Fund surveyed the site in 1873 and documented standing walls, piers, underground water installations and the separate hilltop fortress. The inn was rebuilt in 1903. Modern archaeological work subsequently demonstrated that the location had been occupied and reconstructed in several phases and had repeatedly served travellers. Conservation and research in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries drew particular attention to the remains of the Byzantine church and its mosaic pavement. Because much of the mosaic had disappeared, restorers used early photographic documentation to reconstruct portions of the floor. In 2010, the Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics opened at the site. The museum brought together mosaics and archaeological objects from religious buildings across the West Bank and from the ancient Gaza synagogue. Its collection includes late Roman and Byzantine material, Jewish synagogue art, Samaritan mosaics and finds from churches and monasteries. The museum also presents information about Samaritan history and customs. The restored church floor remains an important feature and is used occasionally for worship by visiting Christian groups. The complex is now administered within the Israeli national park system and functions as a heritage attraction, museum and pilgrimage stop. Its interpretation combines the archaeology of roads and inns with the history of Jewish, Samaritan, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Christian communities. The site's modern presentation includes audio interpretation and accessibility features, and it attracts a substantial international and Christian tourism audience.
- 2010
Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics opens
[1]A museum presenting mosaics and archaeological material from Jewish, Samaritan, Christian and Byzantine sites opened at the former inn.
- 1903
Modern rebuilding of the khan
[1]The inn was rebuilt in the form that survives as the basis of the modern heritage complex.
- 1873
Palestine Exploration Fund surveys the site
[1]The survey documented the khan's remains, underground cisterns, nearby caves and the separate fortress overlooking the road.
- 1483
Late medieval pilgrimage account describes the ruined inn
[1]Felix Fabri recorded surviving walls and a well at the ruined inn during his 1483–1484 pilgrimage.
Roman fortification documented in the area
[1]A fortified installation identified with the late Roman station of Maledomni was standing by this period and helped protect the road between Jericho and Jerusalem.
Jerome associates the area with the Good Samaritan tradition
[1]During a pilgrimage to Jericho, Jerome connected the Ascent of Adummim with the biblical story of the merciful Samaritan, providing an early written witness to the site's Christian association.
Travellers receive protection from a Roman auxiliary garrison
[1]The area was associated with Cohors I Salutaris, a Roman auxiliary unit assigned to protect travellers using the exposed route.
Byzantine inn and church complex developed
[1]A square courtyard inn with accommodation, water infrastructure and a church was established or expanded during the Byzantine period.
Crusader fortress of Maldoim is recorded
[1]The hilltop fortress, known by several names associated with the red landscape, was mentioned by the pilgrim Theoderic.
Fortress occupied after the Battle of Hattin
[1]After the Crusader defeat at Hattin, the nearby fortress was occupied by Saladin's forces.
Products and positioning
A nationally administered archaeological and pilgrimage attraction combining a historic caravanserai, biblical tradition, late antique mosaics and the cultural history of Jewish, Samaritan and Christian communities.
Museum · 2010
Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics
The principal visitor facility at the site displays ancient mosaics and archaeological objects, especially material from the fourth through seventh centuries. The collection includes works from churches, monasteries, Jewish synagogues, Samaritan synagogues and the ancient Gaza synagogue. Exhibits address the region's religious communities, pilgrimage routes and mosaic traditions.
Heritage site
Archaeological caravanserai complex
The preserved inn represents successive phases of roadside hospitality and defence along the Jericho–Jerusalem route. Visitors can interpret the courtyard-based lodging arrangement, water cisterns, church remains and relationship to the nearby hilltop fortress.
Archaeological conservation
Restored Byzantine church mosaic
A restored mosaic pavement from the sixth-century church is preserved at the site. Missing sections were reconstructed with the aid of early photographs, and the church remains can also serve visiting Christian groups for worship.
Brand decisions
2010
Convert the archaeological site into a mosaic museumStrategyBackground
Archaeological research found evidence that the location had been rebuilt repeatedly and had long served travellers. Conservation work also identified the importance of the Byzantine church and its mosaic floor.
Action taken
Under the archaeological direction of Yitzhak Magen, the site was developed as the Good Samaritan Museum of Mosaics, with collections brought together from religious and archaeological sites across the region.
Aftermath
The former inn became a national park museum and tourism destination combining archaeological interpretation, mosaic conservation and Christian pilgrimage.
Sources2 sources
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