Probably the most recognizable site in the world is Temple Mount, The Dome of the Rock. The significance of Temple Mount dates back to the time of Abraham, where he took his son Isaac to be a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Later on Solomon built the first temple to God on this “mount” where all Jews would go during festivals each year in order to offer their sacrifices. After Solomon's temple was destroyed Herod...
The City of David! Not to be confused with the “old city” of Jerusalem that you can see with Temple Mount, The Western wall, etc…The City of David was built on the southern (tongue-shaped) portion situated between the Kidron & Tyropaean valleys. Just in the last 5-10 years archaeologists have uncovered an extensive portion of the city that was previously hidden under new layers of occupation. Under King David’s rule, the City of David...
Today we start our adventures hiking the snake trail or riding the cable car to the summit of Masada. Masada means “stronghold” in Hebrew which is evident when you see this amazing fortress sitting on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great added a palace and fortification intending it to be his “summer palace” but likely didn’t use it as such. The elaborate water-supply system he built made it an ideal fortress...
Today we started the day with Jerusalem — but only from afar. We did not yet enter the Old City of Jerusalem. We had a great night's stay at a hotel not far from the Damascus gate and then we headed out to the hill country of Judea, known as the Shephelah.
We went to a settlement that had many artifacts to teach us about the Bible's items and analogies that our western and modern...
Started off the day with some of the most impressive ruins uncovered in Israel. Beth Shean shows over 20 layers of occupation. The city sits at an ideal intersection between the Jordan Valley and the Harod Valley (extension of the Jezreel Valley). Control of the city passed between Egyptians, Israelites, Greeks and finally the Romans, becoming the largest city of the Decapolis (Ten cities, Matthew 4:25). Beth Shean makes an appearance in 1 Samuel...
