Jerusalem, Israel Isaiah was the great Prophet of the City of Jerusalem. He lived there, worked there and, according to both Jewish and Christian tradition, was martyred there. The sites of both his martyrdom and his tomb are located on the Silwan side of the Kidron Valley south of the City of David. However, both of these locations are based on Christian tradition, and … [Read more...]
ANCIENT NINEVEH & TOMB OF JONAH
Mosul, Iraq Ancient Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, the world’s first truly massive empire. At its height, the Assyrian Empire stretched from Persia in the east to Egypt in the west. It is not surprising that Nineveh played a significant role in the history of the ancient Israelites. The most significant interaction came when the Assyrians conquered the Northern … [Read more...]
CITY OF DAVID & THE ROYAL TOMBS
Jerusalam, Israel The city of Jerusalem is the most sacred place in Judaism. It is impossible to overstate the religious importance of the place where the Great Temple of Israel once stood. So great does Jerusalem loom in the memories of all of the descendents of Abraham that its sanctity extends deep into the Christian and Muslim faiths as well. But it was first and … [Read more...]
TOMB OF SAMUEL
Nabi Samwil, Palestine Samuel, the great prophet of Israel during the time of its transition from a confederation of tribes into a kingdom, was arguably the most important figure of the Hebrew Bible since the days of Moses and Joshua. Though he was not a high priest, he was the last of the great Judges and the first of the great Prophets. His life began in a land divided … [Read more...]
TOMB OF JOSHUA
Kifl Hares, Palestine Of all of the major figures of the Exodus period, Joshua was the last survivor. His life and death in the 14th century BC marked the end of Jewish prehistory and the beginning of the Israelite nation. His tomb was the last major shrine associated with the Exodus to be constructed. It has the distinction of being one of the most reliably known tombs … [Read more...]
TOMBS OF THE SONS OF AARON
Awarta, Palestine Though Aaron himself never made it to the Promised Land, his sons and grandsons did. These were the first high priests of Israel, and were personally responsible for the care of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and other important artifacts. Some of Aaron’s descendents, including Eleazar, Ithamar and Phinehas, were buried here on what is known in … [Read more...]
MOUNT HOR & TOMB OF AARON
Petra, Jordan The lost city of Petra was one of the great archaeological finds of the early 19th century. This magnificent city, hewn from the rock of the surrounding towering cliffs, is one of the world’s most unique architectural treasures. While it is primarily known for its Nabataean, Roman and Byzantine ruins, its importance as a religious pilgrimage site is … [Read more...]
TOMBS OF THE SONS OF JACOB
Several Locations, Isael & Lebanon In the closing chapters of the Book of Genesis, as the stories of the Patriarchs come to an end, great attention is spent on the fate of Joseph, who was raised up above his brothers in the service of Pharoh. It is known that his body was exhumed and solemnly returned to Canaan during the Exodus, and that he was buried in Shechem, … [Read more...]
ANCIENT SHECHEM & TOMB OF JOSEPH
Nablus, Palestine The Biblical city of Shechem, the modern-day city of Nablus, is one of the Holy Land’s oldest cities. It played a major role during several periods of ancient Israeli history, and is home to a number of lesser but very popular Biblical pilgrimage sites, the most important being the Tomb of Joseph. The other major site is Mount Gezrin, believed by both … [Read more...]
TOMB OF RACHEL
Bethlehem, Palestine The town of Bethlehem is so closely associated with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the Christmas holiday that it is easy to forget the city’s Jewish heritage and the significant role that Bethlehem played in the Hebrew Bible. First and foremost it is the location of the Tomb of Rachel, the second wife of the patriarch Jacob and the mother of Joseph … [Read more...]
