Good Samaritan Museum, Archaeological museum in Maale Adumim, Israel
The Good Samaritan Museum is an archaeological museum in Maale Adumim, Israel, specializing in ancient mosaics from sites across the region. The collection comes from synagogues, churches, and Samaritan religious sites, and is housed in a building along the old Jerusalem-to-Jericho road.
The building goes back to a Khan, a roadside inn for travelers on one of the oldest trade routes in the region, used by those moving between Jerusalem and Jericho. The museum opened in 2009 to house mosaics recovered from excavations carried out at different points across the area.
The museum displays mosaics from Jewish, Christian, and Samaritan sites side by side, which is rarely seen in a single space. The patterns and symbols of each tradition can be compared directly, without needing any prior knowledge.
The museum sits along the road between Jerusalem and Jericho, making it easy to reach by car. Guided tours are available in several languages, and reading the labels next to each mosaic helps to follow the stories behind the pieces.
Some of the mosaics on display come from the ancient Gaza Synagogue, one of the oldest known Jewish houses of worship. Without a deliberate rescue effort, these works would have been lost, as the original site is no longer accessible to visitors.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
