Modi’in, Israel The Modi’in Valley northwest of Jerusalem was ground zero for many of ancient Israel’s wars, from Joshua’s battles against the Canaanites to the desperate Jewish struggles for independence against Rome. However, it is most famous as the region where the Jews, under the leadership of the Maccabee family, launched their rebellion against the Seleucids in the … [Read more...]
TOMBS OF THE MINOR PROPHETS
Several Locations, Israel The Twelve Minor Prophets, as they are usually collectively referred to, are among the last major figures to appear in the Hebrew Bible. Covering a period of about three centuries, the activities of the Twelve Minor Prophets are generally associated with Assyrian and Babylonian conquests and the downfall of the divided kingdoms, as well as the … [Read more...]
TOMB OF ISAIAH
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...]
ELIJAH’S CAVE
Haifa, Israel Elijah’s Cave on the slopes of Mount Carmel has been revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims for millennia. The great Prophet Elijah spent several years of his ministry residing in this cave, sometimes taking refuge from his enemies, sometimes taking refuge from his crowds of devotees. Several Jewish and Christian traditions suggest that this cave may play a … [Read more...]
KING SOLOMON’S MINES
Timna, Israel According to Biblical tradition, Solomon was the wealthiest king in the history of ancient Israel. While the true source of his riches almost certainly lay in Israel’s control of key trade routes in the region, hints in the Bible have led to the speculation that somewhere there existed a mine or mines which may have been a major source of Israel’s wealth. This … [Read more...]
EARLY JERUSALEM & THE FIRST TEMPLE
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...]
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...]
OASIS AT EIN GEDI
Ein Gedi, Israel The Ein Gedi oasis has been described by visitors as one of the most beautiful places in the Holy Land. Close to the Dead Sea and surrounded by the desert, Ein Gedi is an island of life in the wilderness. The oasis was well-known to the Israelites in ancient times, and is famously associated with the life of King David, who took refuge in a nearby cave … [Read more...]
VALLEY OF JEZREEL
Tel Megiddo, Israel The Valley of Jezreel, also known as the Plain of Megiddo, is Israel’s most famous battlefield. Countless armies have raged across this vast open and highly strategic valley, as early as the Egyptians and Canaanites in the 15th century BC and as recently as the British and Ottomans during World War I. According to Christian theology, the valley’s most … [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...]
