For the third year, the Bible Festival took place in the area between Beit Shemesh and Ashkelon on August 18-22. Partnership 2000 has been supporting the Festival since its inception.

The Festival opened in the ancient amphitheater in Beit Gubrin and during the five days of the Festival, a large number of Israeli musicians gave performances. The JNF prepared several trails for hiking, cycling and mountain biking. In addition, hikes in the footsteps of Biblical heroes were organized at various sites in the Region.

The hikes included stories from the Bible and children and adults were invited to take part in special activities in the region, such as the "Tent of the Patriarch Abraham", encounters with Biblical figures played by actors and moonlight walks in nature to the sounds of music.

An important event which was part of the Festival for the first time was the First Cross-Yehuda Race, a professional cycling competition which was planned and organized by the Cycling Forum of Beit Shemesh-Yehuda Plains Partnership 2000. The race attracted dozens of participants from all over Israel. The intention is make the race an annual event which, together with the improvement in the bicycling infrastructure, will transform the Beit Shemesh-Yehuda Plains Region into the cycling capital of Israel.