Holyland Tour Dec 2019

Mount Nebo Mount Nebo in Jordan is held in such high regard by Christians, is because it is believed to be the place where Moses was first shown the “Promised Land” by God himself. Looking from the top of the mountain, one can see the Holy Land; Jericho and even Jerusalem on a very clear day. Deuteronomy 32:49 "Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab across from Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites as their own possession. Deuteronomy 32:52 Although you shall see from a distance the land that I am giving the Israelites, you shall not enter it." Early Christians from Jerusalem made it a place of pilgrimage. In the 3rd or 4th century monks from Egypt built a small church on one of its peaks, Siyagha (a name meaning monastery), to commemorate the end of Moses’ life. By the end of the 4th century, an empty “tomb of Moses” was being shown to pilgrims on the mountain. The monks’ church was

Aqaba (Red Sea Shore) Most Christian bibles and travel maps espouse the widely accepted view that Moses and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea at the Gulf of Suez. Could it possibly be that the Israelites crossed the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba and not at the Gulf of Suez? Wadi Rum Biblically speaking, some scholars believe the Wadi Rum is referred to as Aram or Iram in the book of Genesis, and might also be the land of Uz mentioned in the book of Job. Other scholars see it as a central part of the land of Midian, where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian (see Exodus 2:11). Whatever the case may be, the Wadi Rum had a significant historical connection to various biblical events and later on became a hub of Christian monasticism. Before the days of the Rashidun Caliphate (the first of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad), the Wadi Rum desert belonged first to the Nabatean kingdom, then to the Roman empire and, finally, to the Byzantin

Petra (Canyon walk to the Treasury) Petra’s main access is via a narrow crevice called the Siq, which winds for about a mile through mountainous terrain. The Siq provided an excellent natural defense for Petra’s inhabitants. Petra was in the land of the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau. Israel and Edom were constantly at odds, starting with Edom’s refusal to allow Moses and the Israelites passage through their land on their way to Canaan (Numbers 20:18-21). During the kingdom years, King Saul and King David both fought the Edomites (1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:13-14). During the reign of King Jehoshaphat, Edom invaded Judah and was repelled (2 Chronicles 20). Later, King Amaziah fought against Edom, and he took control of Petra, renaming it “Joktheel” (2 Kings 14:7). When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, the Edomites gave aid and comfort to the enemy (Psalm 137:7). For this, they were strongly condemned by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ob

Bethany-Beyond the Jordan Mark, Matthew, and Luke depict the baptism in parallel passages. In all three gospels, the Holy Spirit is depicted as descending upon Jesus immediately after his baptism accompanied by a voice from Heaven, but the accounts of Luke and Mark record the voice as addressing Jesus by saying "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased", while in Matthew the voice addresses the crowd "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".  The Gospel of John (John 3:23) refers to Enon near Salim as one place where John the Baptist baptized people, "because there was much water there". Separately, John 1:28 states that John the Baptist was baptizing in "Bethany beyond the Jordan". This is not the village Bethany just east of Jerusalem, but is generally considered to be the town Bethany, also called Bethabara in Perea on the Eastern bank of the Jordan near Jericho. In the 3rd century Origen, who moved to the

Church of Annunciation Nazareth The towering cupola of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth stands over the cave that tradition holds to be the home of the Virgin Mary. Here, it is believed, the archangel Gabriel told the young Mary, aged about 14, that she would become the mother of the Son of God. And here Mary uttered her consent: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” The lower level of the Church of the Annunciation enshrines a sunken grotto that contains the traditional cave-home of the Virgin Mary. The cave is flanked by remnants of earlier churches on the site. Its entrance is sometimes closed by a protective grille. Inside the cave stands an altar with the Latin inscription “Here the Word was made flesh”. To the left of the cave entrance is a mosaic floor inscribed with the words “Gift of Conon, deacon of Jerusalem”. Church of St Joseph Nazareth A fond tradition asserts that the Church of St Joseph in Nazareth is built

Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee is one of the most familiar bodies of water in the Bible, especially to readers of the Gospels. Many of the events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ took place in the region of Galilee and areas surrounding the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is a vast freshwater expanse located in the Jordan Valley about 60 miles north of Jerusalem. Approximately 13 miles long and 7.5 miles wide at its broadest point near Magdala, the sea resembles the shape of a harp. Situated below the headwaters of the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee is fed with fresh water from snow-topped Mount Hermon and Mount Lebanon. The Jordan River continues out the south end of the Sea of Galilee, flowing downhill until it ends at the Dead Sea. The Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea are all located in the Rift Valley, a geological fissure that forms the longest and deepest crack in the earth’s crust. In New Testament times, the Sea of Galilee was an important

Magdala Centre Mary Magdalene, sometimes called simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine, was a Jewish woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. She is mentioned by name 12 times in the canonical gospels, more than most of the apostles and more than any other non-family woman in the Gospels. According to many mainstream scholars, Mary's epithet Magdalene may mean that she came from the town of Magdala, a fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Magdala was fortified and severely damaged during the great revolt against the Romans. The archaeologists uncovered the remains of the village dating from the time of Jesus, and a large Byzantine monastery. The ruins of Magdala (Migdal) are located on the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee, 5 Kilometers north of Tiberias, on the foothills of the Arbel cliffs. A modern town and business ce