Holy Land: Christian Tour of Israel [49 Divine Pics]
18
March 8th, 2013
- Tagged archaeological, Christian, churches, Garden Tomb, Holy Land, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jesus Christ
It is the desire of many people to visit the Holy Land, but different people want to see different things, different sacred places. Many Christians would like to visit places featured in the Bible, and many others would like to walk where Jesus walked, taught, preformed miracles, was born, was crucified, temporarily entombed, and rose again. Google Street View lets you tour parts of Israel, but for those of you who can’t currently afford a trip to see more sacred destinations, here are 49 divine pictures to make up a virtual tour of the Holy Land. [49 Photos]
Share this:
Mount of Beatitudes view at the Sea of Galilee with the Golan heights at the background. The Mount of Beatitudes refers to the hill in northern Israel where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes.”Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Photo #1 by gugganij
Star marking the birthplace of Jesus Christ in the Grotto of the Nativity, Bethlehem. Photo #3 by Wknight94
Room of the Last Supper on Mount Zion. Besides the Cenacle [Room of the Last Supper] or “Upper Room” where Jesus observed the Passover, you can visit King David’s Tomb below. Photo #4 by Kenneth Hagemeyer
Dome of Church of the Holy Sepulchre built over the spot where Jesus Christ was crucified. Golgotha is within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Photo #5 by israeltourism
The photographer wrote: “Garden of Gethsemane. From Luke 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Photo #6 by Thomas Berg
Gethsemane “is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem most famous as the place where, according to the gospels, Jesus and his disciples are said to have prayed the night. The photographer asked, “2,000 years old olive tree… is it possible?” Photo #7 by Frank M. Rafik
Entrance to the Garden Tomb of Jesus. The photographer wrote, “The so-called ‘Garden Tomb’. This tomb was first proposed in the 19th century as the site of Jesus’ burial, in part as an alternative to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Unfortunately, it is very doubtful that this was actually Jesus’ tomb. Not only was there no ancient tradition associated with this location, but the tomb is not of the correct age. It was originally an ancient Israelite tomb and seems to have gone out of use during the time of Jesus. Hence it was not re-shaped in the distinct ‘niche’ or ‘kokkhim’ pattern of Second Temple Jewish burials. The tomb was then only re-used in the Byzantine period. Nevertheless, a dedicated Protestant group maintains a beautiful garden around the tomb and many (Protestants in particular) find the site more condusive to prayerful reflection than the busy and ornate Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” Photo # by Ian W Scott
The Holy Face of Jesus is based off of the Shroud of Turin. Full length negatives of the shroud of Turin photographed at Saint-Sulpice, Paris. Photo #10 by World Imaging
Christmas Eve FireWorks in The City of Nazareth. “In the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, Jesus’ childhood home is identified as the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”Photo #13 by Masterjohn1881
The photographer wrote, “The Baptism Site on the Jordan side of the Jordan River is one of the most important recent discoveries in biblical archaeology. Excavations only began here in 1996, following Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel in 1994, but have already uncovered more than 20 churches, caves and baptismal pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Although the identification is not absolutely certain, archaeology has shown that the area known as Wadi Kharrar has long been believed to be the biblical Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, where John the Baptist lived and Jesus was baptized. This area is also associated with the ascension of the Prophet Elijah into heaven.” Photo #14 by Jan Smith
Another spot along the River Jordan at the point where some believe that John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ. Photo #15 by Cycling man
Mount of Temptation. It overlooks what is currently Jericho. Wikipedia relates, “After being baptized, Jesus fasted for forty days and nights in the Judaean Desert. During this time, the devil appeared to Jesus and tempted him. Jesus having refused each temptation, the devil departed and angels came and brought nourishment to Jesus.” The photographer noted, “This is the traditional location of where Jesus went during his time of temptation in the wilderness. A few centuries later, some of the early monastics settled in the caves here. Now there is a monastery built on the right side of these cliffs.” Photo #16 by Kris
Shoreline of ancient Caesarea. The remains of the Roman theater are on the left and the vertical line on the right is the aqueduct that supplied water to the city. During the life of Jesus, Caesarea was an important Roman city and magnificent Roman port. According to Holy Land Tours, Caesarea was “founded by Herod the Great between 15 and 23 BC, Caesarea’s very name is in honor of the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus—is steeped in New Testament history. Indeed, it was Caesar Augustus who, according to the Gospel of Luke, sent out a census ordering Joseph and the pregnant Mary to leave their hometown of Nazareth and descend to Bethlehem in the Kingdom of Judea. It was in Bethlehem, we know, that Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ.” Caesarea also “features prominently in the New Testament in the lives of St. Peter and Paul.” Also, Caesarea Maritima “city is the location of the 1961 discovery of the Pilate Stone, the only archaeological item that mentions the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, by whose order Jesus was crucified. It is likely that Pilate used it as a base, and only went to Jerusalem when needed.” Photo #17 by gathered.Junction
Capernaum synagogue mentioned in the New Testament. Capernaum was a fishing village along the northern part of the Sea of Galilee. Wikipedia states, “The town is cited in the Gospel of Luke and the gospel of John where it was reported to have been the home of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. In Matthew 4:13 the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus. One Sabbath, Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum and healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil. Afterwards, he healed a fever in Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. According to Luke 7:1–10, it is also the place where a Roman Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Capernaum is also mentioned in the Gospel of Mark (2:1), it is the location of the famous healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof to reach Jesus. According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus selected this town as the center of his public ministry in the Galilee after he left the small mountainous hamlet of Nazareth (Matthew 4:12–17). He also formally cursed the city, saying ‘You shall be brought down to Hades,’ (Matthew 11:23) because of their lack of response to his teaching.” Photo #18 by David Shankbone
The photographer noted, “Banias, Israel named for the Canaanite god Pan. Renamed Caesarea Philippi after Herod Philip, son of Herod the Great. This is the site of Peter’s Confession–‘Who do men say I am?’ Mark 8:27-33; Luke 9:18. Ironically? Intentionally. Jesus begins his ministry in the heart of Paganism.” Here are parallel translations in Matthew. Wikipedia states, “Caesarea Philippi or Caesarea Paneas was an ancient Roman city located at the southwestern base of Mount Hermon, adjacent to a spring, grotto, and related shrines dedicated to the god Pan, and called ‘Banias, Paneas’, or Baniyas. The surrounding region was known as the ‘Panion.’ The city is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. The city is now uninhabited, an archaeological site in the Golan Heights.” Photo #19 by Bill Rice
Tabgha, where it is believed Jesus preformed the miracle of feeding a multitude of followers with what started out as only a few loaves of bread and fish. There is also the Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha where some Christians believe the miracle to have taken place. Photo #21 by Berthold Werner
The Tomb of Lazarus at Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, shortly before Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time. Photo #22 by Daniel Weber
A model of Herod’s Temple adjacent to the Shrine of the Book exhibit at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. The Temple was destroyed, but this model shows a replica of the Jerusalem Temple in which Jesus turned over tables and chased away the money changers. It is referred to as the “Cleansing of the Temple”.Photo #23 by Berthold Werner
View of the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, and the Jewish Cemetary in the foreground. Photo #24 by Ian and Wendy Sewell
A panoramic of the entire Mount of Olives (Har Hazeiythim) taken from the East Gate of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel. Photo #25 by Neilwiththedeal
View of Mount of Olives and churches (Church of All Nations, Russian Orthodox Church of Maria Magdalene). Photo #26 by Gila Brand
Tomb of Zechariah and tomb of Benei Hezir on the Mount of Olives. According to Wikipedia, “From Biblical times until the present, Jews have been buried on the Mount of Olives. The necropolis on the southern ridge, the location of the modern village of Silwan, was the burial place of Jerusalem’s most important citizens in the period of the Biblical kings. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah and Absalom. On the upper slope, the traditional Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi is situated. Notable rabbis buried on the mount include Chaim ibn Attar and others from the 15th-century to present.” Photo #28 by Eman
“The Noble Sanctuary in Jerusalem,” explained the photographer. “Also known as the Temple Mount by the Jews, this is the site in Jerusalem where two of the three main monotheistic religions intersect… and is the center of the biggest ownership issue in the world.” This is the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall. Photo #29 by Asim Bharwani
Soldiers at the Wailing Wall. You can send in your prayer request and Aish HaTorah will place it in the wall. The site states, “It is a centuries-old tradition to place a note with a prayer or request in the Western Wall. Type in your prayer. It will be printed out in the Old City of Jerusalem where it will be placed in the Wall by a student of Aish HaTorah. Notes that are anti-Semitic or uncivilized in nature will be automatically deleted. ‘Window on the Wall’ offers a special Internet service for people who are not in Jerusalem who wish to place a note in the Wall.” Photo #30 by Mor (Flickmor)
The Wailing Wall and the Temple Mount – Jerusalem. According to the photographer, “The West, or ‘wailing’ Wall is a most sacred site in Judaism, and the Temple Mount, which contains the Mosque in the background is one of the most important sites in Islam, as well as Judaism. An interesting place indeed!” Photo #32 by Neil Howard
“Gethsemane Gardens, Christchurch,” wrote the photographer. “This is the second half of the prayer – I couldn’t get the whole thing in one shot.” Photo #34 by hockadilly
Dead Sea Setting Sun – The Dazzling Dead Sea is so dense, it makes even the sun float on its surface. Many Christian-centered pilgrimage tours to Israel include a stop at the Dead Sea. Photo #35 by Caneles
Petra, Jordan, the Rose City that is half as old as time. This is Petra by Candlelight. If the gorgeous rock colors are dazzling during the day, imagine more than 1,500 candles flickering in the ancient city, through the Siq to the Treasury where Bedouin music is playing. Petra is another hot spot for tourists besides the Holy Land tours. Photo #36 by Paul Stocker
Wikipedia, the fountain of knowledge, informed, “Zedekiah’s Cave, also Solomon’s Quarries, is a 5-acre underground meleke limestone quarry that runs the length of five city blocks under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was carved over a period of several thousand years and is a remnant of the largest quarry in Jerusalem, stretching from Jeremiah’s Grotto and the Garden Tomb to the walls of the Old City. The entrance to Zedekiah’s Cave is just beneath the Old City wall, about 500 feet (150 m) from Damascus, between the Damascus and Herod Gates. Beyond the narrow entrance, the cave slopes down into a vast 300-foot-long auditorium-like chamber. Drops of water, known as ‘Zedekiah’s tears’, trickle through the ceiling. From entrance to the furthest point, the cave extends about 650 feet (200 m). Its maximum width is about 330 feet (100 m) and its depth is generally about 30 feet (9.1 m) below the street level of the Muslim Quarter.Only the mouth of Zedekiah’s Cave is a natural phenomenon. The interior of the cavern was carved by slaves and laborers over a period of several thousand years.” Photo #37 by Chmee2
Zedekiah’s Cave also known as Solomon’s Quarries is limestone quarry under part of Old Town of Jerusalem, Israel. “The most revered legend about the cave is that it served as the quarry for King Solomon’s First Temple,” said Wikipedia. “The ‘people slain by Moses’ refers to a story that appears in both the Bible and the Quran about a man named Korah (Arabic, Karun) who mounted a revolt against Moses and his brother Aaron, maintaining that they had led the children of Israel out of Egypt under false pretenses. According to the Old Testament, Korah and his fellow rebels were swallowed up by the earth; according to Al-Mukaddasi, this occurred at what is now known as Zedekiah’s Cave.The legend that the cave was a hiding place of King Zedekiah (a Judean king of the 6th century BC dates back to at least the 11th century AD. At that time, Biblical commentator Rashi wrote that Zedekiah tried to escape from the troops sent by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to besiege Jerusalem.” Photo #38 by Chmee2
Megiddo, or Tel Megiddo, is ‘Armageddon‘. This is a “site of an ancient city in northern Israel’s Jezreel valley. It is believed to be the place where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought. The picture shows an aerial view of Tel Megiddo.” Photo #39 by Itamar Grinberg / israeltourism
Jerusalem The photographer wrote, “This view overlooks a Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives and below it, the Kidron Valley, or the Valley of Jehoshaphat: ‘The valley where God will judge.’ It is believed to be the location where a final Divine Judgment will occur.” Photo #40 by Northern Lights 119
Wikipedia states, “The Sea of Galilee Boat also known as the “Jesus Boat” was an ancient fishing boat from the 1st century CE (the time of Jesus Christ), discovered in 1986 on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The remains of the boat, 27 feet (8.27 meters) long, 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) wide and with a maximum preserved height of 4.3 feet (1.3 meters), first appeared during a drought, when the waters of the Sea (actually a great fresh-water lake) receded.There is no evidence connecting the boat to Jesus or his disciples.” Photo #42 by Berthold Werner
1869 oil painting of “The night of Golgatha.” Painting #46 by Vasily Petrovich Vereshchagin (1835–1909)
Left: Chapel of the Ascension, on the Mount of Olives. Right: “Inside the Chapel of the Ascension, Jerusalem. They say the footprint of Jesus is imprinted in the small patch of exposed rock.” Photo #47 by Brian Jeffery Beggerly & #48 by Daniel Weber
Roll the stone away at the entrance of a roadside tomb. The photographer noted, “This is not Jesus’ tomb. But there is a good argument that this Garden Tomb is His.” He is risen! Happy Easter. Photo #49 by Tim Reid
