Tel Megiddo, Israel The Valley of Jezreel, also known as the Plain of Megiddo, or Armeggedon, is the Holy Land’s most famous battlefield. Countless armies have raged across this vast, open, and highly strategic valley, from the Egyptians and Canaanites in the 15th century BC to the British and Ottomans during World War I. The best-known Biblical conflict to have occurred … [Read more...]
Archives for June 2014
PASSION PLAY OF OBERAMMERGAU
Oberammergau, Germany In the year 1634, the residents of the small town of Oberammergau in Germany made a collective pledge to God that if he would spare them from the plague which was then ravaging Central Europe, they would reciprocate by reenacting the Passion of Jesus Christ every ten years. The town was largely spared, and the villagers’ vow has since been fulfilled as … [Read more...]
APOSTOLIC PALACE
Vatican City, Italy Although the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican is just one of three official residences of the Pope, it is the one which most pilgrims to Rome are familiar with. Adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica, it is one of Europe’s most magnificent residences, on par with Buckingham Palace in London or the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is also the world’s single greatest … [Read more...]
CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE
Milan, Italy The Church of Santa Maria Delle Grazie is a former 15th century Dominican Convent. Heavily damaged by Allied bombs during World War II, this church and convent might have been condemned to the dustbin of history if it wasn’t for the presence of a certain curiosity which is painted on the wall of the old convent refectory: Leonardo DaVinci’s The Last Supper, one … [Read more...]
GUTENBERG MUSEUM
Mainz, Germany In the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg, an innovative citizen of Mainz in Germany, invented the world’s first moveable-type printing press. Sixteen years later, Gutenberg produced his magnum opus, and one of the most famous books in history: the Gutenberg edition of the Holy Bible. According to the records of his studio, one hundred and eighty volumes … [Read more...]
BRITISH LIBRARY
London, England The British Library in London is one of the world’s largest repositories of books and knowledge. It is not surprising to find, therefore, that its absolutely immense collection includes a number of extremely rare and priceless Christian writings; and among these may be the rarest and most priceless of all: the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest complete copy of … [Read more...]
ISRAEL MUSEUM
Jerusalem, Israel The Israel Museum is the national museum of the State of Israel and possibly the world’s greatest religious museum. A sprawling world-class complex, no other museum in Israel, or perhaps in the entire Middle East (with the possible exception of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo) boasts so large or diverse a collection. Designed to capture the immense, … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Turin, Italy Of the countless ‘genuine’ Christian artifacts hauled back to Europe throughout history, none are quite as popular as the cloth known as the Shroud of Turin. Believed to be the linen in which Christ’s body was wrapped at the time of his burial, it bears the image of a man who suffered death by crucifixion, but as a photo-negative image. This artistic feat, … [Read more...]
GLASTONBURY TOR
Glastonbury, England The strange, quasi-stepped hill that dominates the Salisbury plain has been a magnet for prophets and mystics since antiquity. According to local tradition, Joseph of Arimathea stumbled upon the place after his long journey from Judea, and selected it as the central location for his Christian missionary work in Briton. From the ruins of Glastonbury … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME DE PARIS
Paris, France The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most storied and famous cathedrals in history. This is due in no small part to the literary achievements of Victor Hugo, who immortalized the edifice in his book The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Because of this, and because of its location in the heart of Paris, millions of tourists flock to Notre Dame every … [Read more...]
