The Catacombs at Beit She'arim

A 3rd-4th century site, Beit She'arim is home to a series of large catacombs used to store the bones of the dead. Burial practices were such that the bodies of the deceased would be left to rot elsewhere and when only bones remained they would be placed in either a coffin or in the loculi (cut out spaces in the walls) within the catacombs. One of the most striking things about the catacombs is the drastic change in temperature; they are much cooler than the outside air. Also striking was the National Geographic employee (who warned us to be quiet because they were filming a documentary) who nearly scared me to death by saying hello and then poking her head through the curtain I was about to walk through to enter the catacombs.