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According to legend, Wadi Artas was the site that inspired the poems King Solomon wrote to his beloved and his reference to the ‘garden enclosed’, which translated into Latin Hortus Conclusus, earned this magical place its riveting name. Nearby Solomon’s Pools are testimony to the stature and value of this part of Palestine. It is said that King Solomon the Magnificent constructed a fortress in Artas to protect the hydraulic system that supplied water to Jerusalem. Nestled in a fertile valley served by a number of subterranean springs, Wadi Artas was one of the very first agricultural communities in Palestine. The village Artas, which derives its name from Hortus, was flourishing in 19th century Palestine and attracted a number of pilgrims, archaeologists, researchers and orientalists, who made it a subject of many studies. Some of them decided to settle there and purchased homes and integrated their life to that of the village. The Hortus Conclusus convent, built in 1901 by an Italian order of nuns, was for many years central to village life, providing schooling and other services to the local community. Guests cannot miss the Artas Museum to get a flavor of the village’s past, or the annual Lettuce Festival that has been implemented since 1994, attracting both locals and tourists. “Thou art like a garden enclosed, my sister, my spouse, like a sealed fountain. Thy plantations are a paradise of delights.” - King Solomon’s Canticle (Song of Songs)
