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Latest Update:
July 29, 2010 |
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Western Wall
Tunnels
A major tourist attraction - an underground
Jerusalem tour along the tunnels connecting the western wall prayer area
to the north-west corner of the temple mount.

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July 3, 2010 |
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Water in the Judean
desert
In the dry Judean desert, water is
life. Its few residents rely on wells and springs in order to survive.

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June 22, 2010 |
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Nebi Musa
An ancient Holy Muslim
site located on the side of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, built in
the 13th C and dedicated to Prophet Moses (Nebi Musa).

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June 17, 2010 |
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Horkania
A 2nd C BC Hasmonean
fortress in the northern Judean desert. It was reinforced by Herod the
Great. During the Byzantine period a Monastery was built by the Judean
monks.

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June 13, 2010 |
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Jerusalem Light Show
Amazing
Light & Sound show held in June 2010 in the old city of Jerusalem.

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June 10, 2010 |
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Jabal Munttar ('Azazel)
High mountain in the Judean desert, site
of a ruined Byzantine monastery, and probable place of the Biblical
scapegoat ceremony.

Leviticus 16
10: ""But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat,
shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with
him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness."
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June 5, 2010
(Major update)
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Mar Saba Monastery
A 5th C AD monastery, the largest in the Judean
desert. The walled complex is built on the southern cliffs of the Kidron creek. It
was established by Saint Sabas, and named after him. The monastery started
as a place of seclusion of few monks in the caves, led by Mar Saba.

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May 21, 2010
(5 web pages) |
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Tell
Dan
A nature
reserve and the source of the Dan and Jordan rivers. An impressive
archaeological site with unique remains of the Canaanite and
Israelite cities and a Biblical High Place.

Joshua 19 47: "...the children of Dan went up to
fight against Leshem, and took it... and
called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father".
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May 11, 2010
(Major update) |
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Tell Kassis (Kashish)
Tell (mound) Kassis is a biblical
city on the east of mount carmel. It is identified with Khelkat, the
southern city in the region of Asher.

1 Kings 18 46: "and Elijah brought
them down to the brook Kishon, and
slew them there"".
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May 6, 2010 |
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Nimrod
Fortress
The Nimrod
fortress (Qal'at Namrud, Qal'at Subeiba) is one of the largest and most
impressive fortresses in Israel. The fortress guarded the main road from
Damascus to Tyre and Tiberias, and was an Arab stronghold which was
constructed in order to block the Crusaders.

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Apr 13, 2010 |
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Khorvat Omrit
A newly discovered Roman imperial
temple complex, south-west of Banias (Caesarea-Philippi). Its temple is
identified as the Augusteum described by Josephus and built by Herod.

Josephus (Wars 1 21):"...he
(Herod) built there also a temple of white marble, hard by the fountains
of Jordan".
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Mar 11, 2010 |
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Banias (Caesarea Philippi)
An impressive Greco-Roman city
located near a flowing spring - one of the sources of the Jordan river on
the foothills of the Hermon mountain. A Roman sanctuary, which included
temples and ritual courtyards, was built near the sacred grotto of
Pan.

Josephus (Wars 1 21 3): "... the place
is called Panium, where is a top of a mountain that is raised to an
immense height, and at its side, beneath, or at its bottom, a dark cave
opens itself".
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Feb 28, 2010 |
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Roman streets of Jerusalem
This page
describes the ancient streets in the old city of Jerusalem, following the
Madaba street map.

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Feb 27, 2010 |
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Second Temple Gates
Quest for Herod's great temple: This web page
traces the location and form of the ancient gates of the second temple.

Josephus Flavius, Ant. 15 11: "Now
in the western quarters of the enclosure of the temple there were four
gates..."
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Feb 25, 2010 |
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Dung
(Ashpoth) Gate
The Ottoman
period gate is located on the south side, and named after the Biblical
gate that was located nearby.

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Feb 17, 2010 |
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Dome of the Rock
The
dome of the Rock shrine, located in the center of the temple mount,
with its large golden dome and an octagon structure, is one of the most
beautiful and enduring shrines in the World.

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Feb 13, 2010 |
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Al Aqsa mosque
Al-Aqsa ("the Farthest") Mosque
is located on the southern side of the temple mount, and is the 3rd most
holiest site in Islam.
It is named after the Muslim's
account of the night travel of prophet Muhammad to the remote
mosque.

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Feb 6, 2010 |
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Gamla (Gamala)
Gamla, a large fortified city
located on a high ridge above a crossing of two gorges, is one of
the famous cities were Jewish rebels fought bravely against the Romans
until their fatal end. Its story of bravery is well detailed in Josephus
historical accounts.

Josephus (War 4, 1 1): "Gamala ... was
situated upon a rough ridge of a high mountain".
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Jan 28, 2010 |
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Coins from Bethsaida
This web page presents some of the coins
found in the Bethsaida excavations.

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Jan 24, 2010
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Khirbet e-Dikke
Ruins of a late Roman village,
located near the upper Jordan river in the fertile valley of BethSaida (Bettiha).

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Jan 18, 2010 |
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Bethsaida
The ruins of the village are located on a
hill, above the delta of the upper Jordan river, a fertile area with many ancient villages. It was a
Biblical city in the land of Geshur, and a Roman city, the site of Jesus' two miracles.

Mark 8:22: "And he cometh to Bethsaida; and
they bring a blind man unto him..."
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Jan 10, 2010 |
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Qumran
Ruins of a famous Roman period settlement on the
north-western shore of the Dead Sea. This was the home of the Essenes, a
break-away sect. Scrolls, hidden in jars, were discovered in the caves
around the site.

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Jan 1, 2010
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St. Gerassimos (Deir Hijla)
A monastery on the southern side of the Jordan valley,
founded in the 5th C by Abbot Gerassimos.

Joshua 15 6:"And the border went up to
Bethhogla, and passed along by the north of Betharabah"
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Dec 28, 2009 |
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Fazael (Phasaelis)
Brook
The eastern section of Fazael
brook includes a number of springs, a Roman period aqueduct, ruins of an
Ottoman flour mill, and a Biblical Tell which is identified as Ataroth.

Joshua 16 5,7: "And the border of the children
of Ephraim ... went down from ... to Ataroth..."
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Dec 25, 2009 |
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Jordan-Jericho
The southern section of the Jordan river
near the Dead sea. A traditional site of the Israelite crossing site to
the Holy Land, Elijah's departure, baptize of Jesus by John, and location
of many monasteries and chapels.

John 1 28: "These things were done in
Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing".
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Dec 23, 2009 |
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Khirbet Makhruk
Ruins of a Canaanite city and fortresses dated to the Iron Age
II period (Israelite Kingdom), on a ridge at the crossing of the Jordan valley and Tirza (Farha)
valleys.

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Dec 19, 2009 |
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Adam (Damia) Bridge
Located on an ancient trade route, this is the oldest
bridge in the Jordan valley. The bridge was constructed several times
(1266, 1947, 1950s, 1967). Near the bridge is
the Biblical city of Adam.

Joshua 3 16: "That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up
upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan".
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Dec 18, 2009 |
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Gilgal Argaman
An Iron-age ceremonial site which was
recently excavated in the Jordan valley near Moshav Argaman. It is likely
that this site was erected by the Israelites, leaded by Joshua, and was
their first camp after crossing the Jordan.

Joshua 4 19:"And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day
of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho"
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Dec 11, 2009 |
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Dor Shore (Tantura)
This web page shows a gallery of nature photos along the coast
around Tel Dor. This is part of the marine nature reserve of Dor-Habonim.

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Dec 5, 2009 |
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Tel Dor (Dora)
The ancient Phoenician port city is located on a
mound on the Carmel coast, and was one of the greatest cities along the
northern shore.

Joshua 12 23: "The king of Dor in the coast of Dor".
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Nov 26, 2009 |
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Kathisma ("Seat")
Ruins of an Octagon shaped Byzantine church and monastery, located near
Mar Elias, on the road to Bethlehem.

Luke 2 4-5: "And
Joseph also went up from Galilee... unto ... Bethlehem... with Mary his
espoused wife, being great with child".
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Oct 13, 2009 |
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Rosh Hanikra
Located on the
western side of the border with Lebanon, the tourist attraction offers
amazing views of the grottos and tunnels.

Psalms 93:4: "The LORD on high is
mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the
sea".
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Oct 4, 2009 |
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Horvat Gamum
Ruins of
Bronze and Iron age fortified city, located on a steep hill at the
junction of Misgav. According to a notable scholar, it may have been the
Biblical city of Hukuk (Huquq).

Joshua 19 34: "...and went out
from thence to Hukok".
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Oct 3, 2009 |
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Tiberias -
Theater
The Theater of Roman Tiberias is recently
excavated and reconstructed. Constructed in the 1st C AD, enlarged in the
2nd C, it had seating capacity of 7,000 people.

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Oct 2, 2009 |
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Tiberias - South gate
The
southern gate and walls of the Roman city include towers,
walls, bridge and road.

Wars III 9 8: "Vespasian... went to the city; upon which
the citizens opened to him their gates"
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Sep 19, 2009 |
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Hippos (Sussita)
The ruins of an ancient city located on a horse-shaped mountain on the
eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. This Hellenistic and Roman/Byzantine
site is one of the most remarkable
archaeological sites in the Galilee.

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Sep 1, 2009 |
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Church of the
Condemnation
A
Roman Catholic Church on Via Dolorosa. According to
tradition, this was the site where Jesus took up his cross after being
sentenced.

John 19:13: "When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a
place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha".
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Aug 28, 2009 |
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Church of the Redeemer
An impressive
German Lutheran church located near the Holy Sepulcher, built at the end
of the 19th C over the ruins of a Crusaders church.

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Aug 22, 2009
(Major update) |
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Via Dolorosa
Via Dolorosa ("Way of Grief" in Latin) is a road in
the old city of Jerusalem, a path where Jesus was lead in agony, carrying
the crucifixion cross. There are a total of 14 stations along this
path.

Luke 23, 26: "And as they led him away..."
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Aug 15, 2009 |
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Ein Gedi
An oasis located on the western shore of the
Dead Sea. A prosperous town, famous for its fertile land, dates and
persimmon perfume.

1 Samuel 23 29: "And
David went up from
thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi"
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