Arbel Fortress and Caves, Ancient citadel complex in Lower Galilee, Israel.

Arbel Fortress is an ancient citadel complex in Lower Galilee featuring multiple levels of caves carved into the cliff face, housing residential areas and defensive structures. The site also contains water collection systems that show how residents managed the natural conditions of the mountain.

Caves on Mount Arbel were used in prehistoric times; in 161 BCE the Seleucid commander Bacchides besieged and took them. In 39–40 BCE Jews resisting Herod took refuge here, and his troops were lowered in boxes on ropes to attack the cave mouths. Josephus fortified the cave village before the Great Revolt of 66 CE, and in the early 17th century Ali, governor of Safed, built the fortress called Qelat Ibn Meani.

The cave network shows traces of a Jewish settlement with living spaces, religious areas, and a ritual bath from the Second Temple period. Visitors can still see the layouts of these rooms and get a sense of how people lived here.

The site is accessible via marked trails connected to the Israel National Trail and the Jesus Trail hiking network. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to navigate stairs and unpaved paths.

More than 120 caves were cut or adapted for habitation on the Arbel cliff, arranged in seven levels, some east and some west. A rock pillar rises beside each group of caves, hindering access; entry was probably by ladders and ropes. A 1992 survey inspected about 50 caves and mapped 36 of them.