Jewish/Zionist Sites
Sea of Galilee
A view of the Sea of Galilee looking west, from the Golan Heights.
Korazim National Park
The synagogue at Corazim, mentioned in the New Testament, crafted from the local basalt stone. Basalt rock is a particularly difficult stone to carve.
City of Hebron, Biblical Roots
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city and after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre–the same is Hebron–in the land of Canaan. And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.
Genesis 23:16-20
Perhaps the best example of Herod the Great’s building prowess, rivaling the remnant’s of the second temple in Jerusalem, a visit to the Cave of the Machpelah in Hebron is a direct connection to some of the most ancient stories from Genesis in the Bible.
Hebron earns mention in Genesis, when Abraham, father of the Jewish nation buys a plot of land for a handsome price to be used as his family burial plot. Today both Jews and Moslems venerate the spot, appropriately located within a grand building built by the greatest builder of the ancient Roman world, Herod the Great. Close to 1000 years later King David first ruled here, before moving his capital to Jerusalem. Hebron, along with Jerusalem, represents the epicenter of the Moslem-Jewish conflict in the Holy Land. Few tourists come to this city, located only 45 minutes south of Jerusalem in the picturesque Judean Hills, also known as the West Bank.
Tel Shiloh
“The whole community of the Israelite people assembled at Shiloh, and set up the Tent of Meeting there.”
Joshua 18:1
A unique find at Shilo–olive and grape presses in close proximity–suggest this is the exact location of the Tent of Meeting, utilized by the Israelites as their cultic center for 369 years, before the temple in Jerusalem was built.
Caliber 3 (Firearms Training in Efrat)
When you pull up to Caliber 3 you get the idea that this is no theme park. Come here on any day of the week and you’ll see Israeli security personnel being trained by the same no-nonsense, bulked-up, ex-IDF soldiers that will train you. You’ll get to shoot pistols and assault rifles at targets. But more than that you’ll begin to see the IDF ethos in action as your instructors share with you the split-second decision making that must be made to ensure that innocent civilians aren’t harmed when terrorists mix among them.
Ein Gedi National Park and Nature Reserve
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
Song of Songs 1:13-14
This 3,000 year-old imagery suggests the riches of this desert oasis on the shores of the Dead Sea. Come to this place early in the morning and spend 20 minutes hiking up this small green canyon until you reach the high, green waterfalls cascading down from the cliffs above. Then strip down and cool off in Ein Gedi’s fresh, sweet water, judged to be the highest quality in Israel. Then, walk back down along the water with the vista of the Dead Sea below you. On your way the hiker-friendly Ibex and Hyrax of the national park will make your acquaintance.
If you have the time and inclination, visit the ancient synagogue uncovered here. Part of the mosiac warns the local residents to guard their communities secret or face a curse. The community here produced a perfume from a local fruit which acted as an aphrodisiac and it’s formula was worth a fortune and hence the taxes collected here for the Romans were significant and the site was prized by regional players such as Herod the Great and Cleopatra.
Unfortunately the formula has passed, unknown, into history…