July 29, 2010

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.

July 3, 2010

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.

June 22, 2010

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). 

June 17, 2010

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.  

June 13, 2010

Jerusalem Light Show

   Amazing Light & Sound show held in June 2010 in the old city of Jerusalem.

  June 10, 2010

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."

June 5, 2010

(Major update)

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.

May 21, 2010

(5 web pages)

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".

May 11, 2010

(Major update)

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"".

May 6, 2010

        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.

Apr 13, 2010

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".

Mar 11, 2010

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".

Feb 28, 2010

Roman streets of Jerusalem

  This page describes the ancient streets in the old city of Jerusalem, following the Madaba street map.

Feb 27, 2010

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..."

Feb 25, 2010

Dung (Ashpoth) Gate

  The Ottoman period gate is located on the south side, and named after the Biblical gate that was located nearby.

Feb 17, 2010

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.

Feb 13, 2010

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.

Feb 6, 2010

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".

Jan 28, 2010

Coins from Bethsaida

   This web page presents some of the coins found in the Bethsaida excavations.

Jan 24, 2010

Khirbet e-Dikke

      Ruins of a late Roman village, located near the upper Jordan river in the fertile valley of BethSaida (Bettiha).

Jan 18, 2010

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..."

Jan 10, 2010

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.

Jan 1, 2010

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"

Dec 28, 2009

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..."

Dec 25, 2009

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".

Dec 23, 2009

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.

Dec 19, 2009

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".

Dec 18, 2009

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"

Dec 11, 2009

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.

Dec 5, 2009

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".

  Nov 26, 2009

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".

 Oct 13, 2009

 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".

Oct 4, 2009

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".

Oct 3, 2009

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.

Oct 2, 2009

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"

  Sep 19, 2009

    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.

  Sep 1, 2009

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".

  Aug 28, 2009

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.

Aug 22, 2009

(Major update)

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..."

Aug 15, 2009

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"