Christian Sites

Jericho (Palestinian Authority)

Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

Joshua 6:1-5 (NIV)

Kfar Kedem Ancient Village

Want to know what life was like here in the hills of the Galilee during biblical times? Want to keep the kids entertained for a couple of hours while they work off some energy so they’ll go to sleep early tonight? Then this is the place for you. You’ll all dress the part which is surprisingly fun, then get to make your own food and finally go for a slow ride on biblical-era transport: a donkey. Good for kids of all ages.

Sebastia (Shomron)

Egypt

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Dead Sea

The ancient Romans, commenting on the Land of Israel, mentioned three things that set it apart. The Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which contained not a single statue, the Sabbath, when no one worked, and the Dead Sea, in which nothing could live and in which everything floated.

Today scientists have discovered the therapeutic benefits of the minerals mined from the Dead Sea and as a result a strong cosmetic industry has developed along the shores of the Dead Sea, e.g. at the Ahava Factory Outlet across from Mineral Beach.

In addition the spas and hotels at the Dead Sea resort of Ein Bokek offer treatments for various ailments based on therapies which include the minerals of the Dead Sea and the sunshine.

The Dead Sea has something else going for it which you don’t often hear about but for anecdotal reports: the high concentration of Bromine in the Sea, when found in the gaseous state in the air above the Sea promotes a feeling of well-being. But we cannot at this time claim a scientific basis for these reports (source: “Leisure, Pleasure and Healing: Spa Culture and Medicine in Ancient Eastern Mediterranean”, by Estee Djorvetski in “Supplement to the Study of Judaism” Journal).

Jordan River

A family prepares to run a rapid on the Jordan river. There are several points on the river where one can float on a raft down the river.

Church of Notre Dame de l’Arche d’Alliance (Abu Ghosh)

Bet Jimal

Mary’s Spring (Ein Karem)

Church of John the Baptist (Ein Karem)

Ein Karem

Tomb of the Virgin Mary

Dominus Flavit Church

Augusta Victoria Church and Hospital

Bethpage

Bethany

Mount Zion (Jerusalem)

Mount Zion, mislocated and thus misnamed by the Crusaders in the 12th century, is today, home to at least five significant sites: The Room of the Last Supper (Upper Room), King David’s Tomb, The Dormition Abbey, Oscar Schindler’s grave, and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. Although not in the Old City of Jerusalem, it’s close proximity means that it is often included in tours of the Old City. As you pass between Mount Zion and the Old City through the Zion Gate, note the pock marks on the stones surrounding the gate, evidence of a firefight here between Trans-Jordanian and Israeli forces during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. At that time Israel lost the Jewish Quarter in the Old City, home to Jews for 600 years. But it managed to retain Mount Zion and thus King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion. The tomb was the closest holy site to Judaism’s holiest site, the Temple Mount, so it became the object of Jewish pilgrimage until Israeli forces took the Old City and Temple Mount in the 1967 Six Day War.

Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem)

Underneath what is today called the Church of the Nativity, there are a series of caves. Here, perhaps in the year 4 BC, Jesus of Nazareth was born. Or he may have been born in a town known as Bethlehem of the Galilee, located in the Galilee. Christian theology posits his birth took place in the same town as his ancestor King David, here in the Judean hill country, just outside of Jerusalem.

Sheperd’s Field, Bethlehem.

Ginosar (Jesus Boat)

In 1986 when the waters of the Sea of Galilee were at a historic low point, the remains of a first century boat, 8 meters (27 feet) long and 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) wide were spotted by two fishermen brothers, sticking out of the water. What followed was an engineering challenge to raise the boat while preserving it and transporting it to land. Ultimately the boat had to be submerged in a chemical bath for seven years before being put on display at the Yigal Alon Museum at Kibbutz Ginosar. Boats of this type are mentioned 50 times in the Gospels, attesting to the role the lake and its local industries played as a backdrop to the ministry of Jesus.

Magdala

The unique stone relief based on the actual seven-branched candelabra that stood in the Jerusalem Temple. This representation was made before the destruction of the original candelabra in the year 70 C.E.

The Land of Israel hides many secrets in its soil, from Biblical times. sometimes those secrets are just centimeters below the surface and only require a good archeologist to discover them. That’s what recently occurred close to the shores of the Sea of Galilee when, just under the surface, benches from a first century synagogue were discovered here in ancient Magdala, across the road from the small modern farming community of Migdal. In the synagogue excavators discovered a unique stone relief based on the actual seven-branched Candelabra which existed at this time in the Temple in Jerusalem.

In an article related to the find, a journalist asked one of the primary archeologists: ‘Is it possible that Mary Magdalene attended this synagogue?’ I asked Dina [Avshalom-Gorni, archeologist at the dig] before leaving. She smiled. ‘That’s something I cannot prove, but it is indeed a possibility. In fact,’ she added, ‘you cannot dismiss the possibility that Jesus himself attended this synagogue at least once. After all, he did travel and preach in this area.’
Source: Jerusalem Post, 04/12/2010, by Danny Herman.

So Migdal, a new discovery, is destined to become a must-see site in the Galilee, close to many other significant Christian sites.

Tabgha (Peter’s Primacy)

^“And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.” John 21:6.

Set next to the lake, The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter is a favorite pilgrim destination because here one has access directly to the water of the lake. Depending on the year in which you visit, the water may lap right up against the stones at the base of the church, or you may have to walk out dozens of meters to touch the water.As you walk out to the water, look over to your left and notice the gushing water entering the lake from one of the seven springs that exit the ground and feed the lake in this place. The term Tabgha, an Arabic corruption of the Greek word for seven recalls for us the naming of this place due to the abundant supply of water here.

The church itself may contain the rock on which Jesus roasted the fish described in the Gospel of John (see above). The primary objective here however is understanding the role which Peter is to play after the departure of Jesus. As Jesus instructs Peter: “Tend my sheep.” (John 21:16). This instruction, in addition to Jesus previous utterance: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18) form the basis for Catholic belief that Peter was to become the first Pope.

The modern, intimate church seen here was built in 1933. It incorporates foundations and parts of a church built in the 4th century during the Byzantine period.

Mount of Precipice (Nazareth)

Located overlookng the historic Jezreel Valley, this is the traditional site of Jesus’ narrow escape from his town-folk, memorialized in Luke, chapter 4. It’s also the place where one may start or finish the Gospel Trail, highly recommended for Christians who want to feel the land during their spiritual journey.

Mary’s Well (Nazareth)

Western Wall Tunnel Tour

Once, 2000 years ago the massive Temple complex was surrounded on four sides by feats of engineering called retaining walls. One of them, on the Western side still stands. But most of it has been covered over the past 2,000 years by houses which were built right up against it. This tour takes you under those houses and allows you to see the length of the wall and beyond it, to the bedrock of Mount Moriah, the holiest place in Jerusalem and therefore, according to some, the holiest place in the world. As you see the visual displays and walk along the wall you will come to understand the Temple’s history and uniqueness in world history. Exit from the tunnel during the daytime is in the Moslem Quarter right at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa. From there you can be escorted back to the outdoor Western Wall complex, or choose to walk through the Old City on your own.

Apollonia National Park

The seaward view from atop the crusader fortress of Apollonia.

Kikar Kedumim Visitor’s Center (Jaffa)

Mount Scopus (Hebrew University)

“But now, as soon as that legion that had been at Emmaus was joined to Caesar at night, he removed thence, when it was day, and came to a place called Seopus; from whence the city began already to be seen, and a plain view might be taken of the great temple. Accordingly, this place, on the north quarter of the city, and joining thereto, was a plain, and very properly named Scopus, [the prospect,] and was no more than seven furlongs distant from it.”

Josephus, The Jewish Wars, Book 5, Chapter 5, Verse 3.

Imagine Roman legions camped out here, overlooking the largest Temple of their time as they made plans to storm the seiged the city and plunder the riches inside the walled city. Today Mt. Scopus houses both the modern Hebrew University and the Mt. Scopus campus of the Hadassah Hospital. For anglophiles it’s also the site of a large and well-preserved Commonwealth war cemetery where one finds tomb stones belonging to fighters from Australia, New Zealand and the British Isles.

Oscar Schindler’s Grave

Overlooking the Valley of Hinom (Hell) lies the grave of one of the great 20th century examples of the redemption of man.

Page 1 of 4