The Complete Pilgrim is currently working on a survey regarding the best religious sites in America. While those results are a ways off, the initial results have yielded some interesting facts about where some of the largest clusters of major religious destinations are to be found. Not surprisingly, the largest clusters are to be found in bigger cities, with the heaviest … [Read more...]
TOP CITIES IN AMERICA FOR RELIGIOUS SITESEEING – PART I
The Complete Pilgrim is currently working on a survey regarding the best religious sites in America. While those results are a ways off, the initial results have yielded some interesting facts about where some of the largest clusters of major religious destinations are to be found. Not surprisingly, the largest clusters are to be found in bigger cities, with the heaviest … [Read more...]
HISTORIC JEWISH SITES OF GERMANY THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLOCAUST
When it comes to Jewish history, few countries, if any, have as troubled a past as Germany. From the Rhineland massacres of 1096 through the almost incomprehensible systematic slaughter of the Holocaust in the 20th century, anti-Semitic violence was once a regular occurrence in Germany for the better part of a thousand years. But Germany also enjoyed many periods where Jews … [Read more...]
MEDIEVAL SYNAGOGUES OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
Throughout the Middle Ages, synagogues were constructed by Jewish communities all over Europe. While very few survive from this period, there are several noteworthy clusters of historic medieval synagogues that are still standing throughout the continent. One such cluster can be found in the Iberian Peninsula. Many synagogues were built in Spain and Portugal during the … [Read more...]
HOMES AND OTHER SITES OF GREAT JEWISH INTELLECTUALS OF THE EARLY MODERN AGE
Sandwiched between the persecutions and pogroms of the Middle Ages and the terrifying years of the Holocaust, there was a golden age of Jewish culture that flourished in Europe. From France to Russia, and especially in Central Europe, some of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time emerged during this period. The era produced brilliant Jewish philosophers, phenomenally … [Read more...]
ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE RUINS
The ‘synagogue’ as an institution is very ancient. It is unknown exactly when the earliest synagogues were built, but in all likelihood it was during the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled over Judea from 140 BCE to 37 BCE. Synagogue construction became more widespread after the destruction of the Great Temple of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Despite this, not a single … [Read more...]
RELIGIOUS TREASURES OF THE SEMINARIES, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS OF MANHATTAN
Manhattan, the heart of New York City, is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, receiving well over fifty million visitors annually. Tourists in New York swarm to its countless amazing sites and attractions, including dozens of America’s best known churches. From historic Trinity Church and St. Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan to the immense edifices … [Read more...]
SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF THE BOSTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
The Boston Theological Institute is possibly the largest religious education institution of its kind in the world. Not itself a school, it is a consortium of ten of the most prestigious and historic theology colleges and departments in the United States. Some of the oldest divinity schools in the nation are part of the BTI, including the oldest, Andover Newton Theological … [Read more...]
AMERICA’S BEST OLYMPIC SITES
On July 23, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad will open in Tokyo, temporarily uniting the world once more in the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship of the Summer Olympics. Even Americans, who are usually aloof when it comes to international sports, get caught up in Olympic fever, and we have the history to prove it. The United States has hosted eight Olympic games, four … [Read more...]
AMERICA’S BEST PRESERVED COLONIAL TOWNS
Well more than two centuries after the thirteen original American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, Colonial America is still alive and kicking. From New England to the South, there are a surprising number of towns along the Eastern Seaboard where visitors can get a glimpse into that near-legendary time when America was still a work-in-progress. … [Read more...]
