Discovery made on prison grounds near biblical site Armageddon
Israeli prisoner Ramil Razilo was removing rubble from the planned site of a new prison ward when his shovel uncovered the edge of an elaborate mosaic, unveiling what Israeli archaeologists said Sunday may be the Holy Land???s oldest church.
The discovery of the church in the northern Israeli town of Megiddo, near the biblical Armageddon, was hailed by experts as an important discovery that could reveal details about the development of the early church in the region. Archaeologists said the church dated from the third century, decades before Constantine legalized Christianity across the Byzantine Empire.
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June 22nd, 2007
Cenacle is the traditional Latin term for the Upper Room, or the site of The Last Supper. This word is a derivative of the Latin word “cena,” which means dinner.
It allegedly lies in the second floor of a building on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, just outside the Dormition Church behind the Franciscan house on Sion, and south of the Zion Gate in the Old City walls. In the basement of the building is King David’s Tomb.
The Cenacle is divided by three pillars into three naves. The pillars and the arches, windows and other Gothic style architectural elements, a clear indication the room was built by the Crusaders in the early 13th century, on top of a much older structure. The older structure, according to the archaeological research, was the church-synagogue of the early Christian community of Jerusalem.
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June 22nd, 2007
References to the city of Jerusalem appear throughout the entire Hebrew and Messianic Scriptures. Through the ages it has been called by many names: Salem, Mount Moriah, Adonai Urah, Jebus, Jerusalem, Zion, the City of David, and Ariel (Lion of God). God has declared that this is the place He will establish His Name and will dwell there forever (1 Kings 9:3).
The Scriptural history of Jerusalem begins when Abraham meets “Melek Tzedek”, king of Salem - around 2110 BC/BCE (Genesis 14:17-20). This is following Abraham’s defeat of Chedorlaomer after he had captured Abraham’s nephew, Lot. A peculiar aspect of this meeting is that Abraham had bread and wine with “Melek Tzedek” and then gave him a tenth of all he had. The Scriptures reveal that “Melek Tzedek” is a priest of the God Most High.
Several years later (approx. 2082 BC/BCE), following a command from God, Abraham took Isaac, his only begotten son, to Mount Moriah in order to offer him as a sacrifice to the Lord (Genesis 22:1-18). Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19). As he was about to kill Isaac, the Lord intervened and supernaturally provided a sacrifice in the place of Isaac. Abraham called that place of sacrifice, “The Place Where God Will Be Seen” (Genesis 22:14). This is usually wrongfully interpreted as “The Lord Will Provide” or “The Lord Who Provides” since God provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac. However, the Hebrew word no Hebrew fonts means “will be seen” (future tense). By this we can see that the Lord had already chosen Jerusalem as the place where He would establish Himself.
Around 1405 BC/BCE, “The sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it” (Judges 1:8). It was the dividing line between Judah and Benjamin, on Benjamin’s side. It is said that the sons of Benjamin could not drive out the Jebusites so they lived together (Judges 1:21).
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February 9th, 2007
Wikipedia
Jerusalem plays an important role in three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as in a number of smaller religious groups. A large number of places have religious significance for these religions, among which the Temple Mount and its Western Wall for Jews, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock for Muslims. Currently, there are 1204 synagogues, 158 churches and 73 mosques in Jerusalem. There are also 70 mikvahs and 72 monasteries.
Jerusalem in the Tanakh
Jerusalem has long been embedded into the religious consciousness of the Jewish people. Jews have always studied and personalized the struggle by King David to capture Jerusalem and his desire to build the Jewish temple there, as described in the Book of Samuel and the Book of Psalms. Many of King David’s yearnings about Jerusalem have been adapted into popular prayers and songs.
Jerusalem in Christianity
For Christians, Jerusalem’s place in the life of Jesus gives it great importance, in addition to its place in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, as described above. Jerusalem is the place where Jesus was brought as a child, to be ‘presented’ at the Temple and to attend festivals. According to the Gospels, Jesus preached and healed in Jerusalem, especially in the Temple courts. There is also an account of Jesus’ ‘cleansing’ of the Temple, chasing various traders out of the sacred precincts. At the end of each of the Gospels, there are accounts of Jesus’ Last Supper in an ‘upper room’ in Jerusalem, his arrest in Gethsemane, his trial, his crucifixion at Golgotha, his burial nearby and his resurrection and ascension.
Jerusalem in Islam
The city of Jerusalem is considered sacred by Islam and has played a significant role in the faith. The al-Aqsa mosque of Jerusalem is considered third holiest site in Islam, after the mosques of al-Haram and al-Nabawi. Regarding the mosque, the Quran states “Glory be to Him Who made His servant (Muhammad) to go on a night from the Sacred Mosque to the remote mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” According to the vast majority of Islamic scholars, the “Farthest Mosque” referred to is the site of the Temple of Solomon, and the present day location of the al-Aqsa mosque of Jerusalem. However, it is not mentioned in the Qur’an, so scholars and historians have different views on its status in Islam. Some scholars claim it is holy after the cities of Mecca and Medina, some assert it is a city that contains a holy site, and some conclude it has little or no actual sanctity.
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January 12th, 2007
The Mount of Olives (also Mount Olivet, Hebrew: ? ?????, Har HaZeitim; Arabic: ???? ????????????, ??????????, Jebel ez-Zeitun, Jebel et-Tur, “Mount of the Summit”) is a mountain ridge to the east of Jerusalem. It is named from the olive trees with which its sides are clothed. At the foot of the mountain is the Gardens of Gethsemane where Jesus stayed in Jerusalem, according to tradition. The Mount of Olives is the site of many important Biblical events.
In the Book of Zechariah the Mount of Olives is identified as the place from which God will begin to redeem the dead at the end of days. For this reason, Jews have always sought to be buried on the mountain, and from Biblical times to the present day the mountain has been used as a cemetery for the Jews of Jerusalem. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including those of many famous figures. Just a few of these include the tomb of Zechariah (who prophesied there), Yad Avshalom, and a host of great rabbis from the 15th to the 20th centuries including Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
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December 5th, 2006
The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church of the Agony or the Basilica of the Agony, is located on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before the night of his arrest.
The chapel was built from 1919 to 1924 using funds from many different countries (hence the title). The symbols of each country are incorporated into the glass of the ceiling, each in a separate, small dome. The front of the church is a facade supported by a row of pillars. Above is a modern mosaic depicting Jesus Christ symbolically as the link between God and humanity. The bubbled-dome roof, thick pillars, and mosaic give the church a Byzantine look architecturally. The architect of the building was Antonio Barluzzi.
The current church rests on the foundations of two earlier ones - a 12th century Crusader chapel abandoned in 1345 and a 4th century Byzantine basilica, destroyed by an earthquake in 746.
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December 5th, 2006
Gethsemane (also spelled Gethsemani) was the garden where, according to the New Testament and Christian traditions, Jesus watched and prayed the night before he was crucified and suffered for the sins of the world (see Atonement). According to Luke 22:43???44, Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane was so deep that “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Gethsemane was also where Christ was betrayed by the disciple Judas Iscariot.
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December 5th, 2006
The tomb of Jesus can refer to a number of different locations:
- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, accepted as built on the ground (including the Hill of Calvary or Golgotha) on which Jesus was crucified and buried by most scholars and Christians.
- The Garden Tomb, discovered in the 19th century outside of Jerusalem, is considered the actual site of Jesus’ grave by some Christians
- The Roza Bal shrine in Srinagar, Kashmir, venerated by locals as the grave of a sage, is believed by Ahmadi Muslims to be the burial site of one Yuz Asaf, whom they identify with Jesus.
- Shingo, Aomori in Japan, another place according to local lore where Jesus alledgedly fled to after the crucifiction.
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December 5th, 2006
It? is the English-language name given to the hill on which Jesus was crucified. The hill is described as outside Jerusalem, but its location is not certain. Calvaria in Latin, ?????????? ????????? (Kraniou Topos) in Greek and G?lgalt? in Aramaic all mean ’skull’, referring to a hill or plateau containing a pile of skulls or to a geographic feature resembling a skull.
The New Testament describes Calvary as close to Jerusalem (John 19:20), and outside of its walls (Hebrews 13:12). This is in accordance with Jewish tradition, as Jesus was also buried near to the place of his execution.
Roman emperor Constantine the Great built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on what was thought to be the sepulchre of Jesus in 326 - 335, nearby the location of Calvary.
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December 5th, 2006
Ynetnews.com?
According to maps handed out by Syrian tourism booth, tourists can hire car in Damascus and drive all the way to Lake Kinneret
Did you know that tourists visiting Syria can drive from Damascus to the Sea of Galilee? According to the maps being distributed by the Syrians at the WTM tourism fair in London, this is indeed possible.? ?
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November 8th, 2006
There are three or four places which claim to be the ‘Cana’ of the New Testament. Cana, which lies 4 miles along the road from Nazareth to Tiberias, is the most favoured one. Cana is known throughout the entire Christian world, as it was the scene of Jesus’ first miracle when he changed water into wine. Two churches are built in Cana commemorating this first miracle.
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October 22nd, 2006
To the Greek Orthodox Christian community this church celebrates the Annunciation. It’s a much smaller, much more modest affair than the grand Basilica, and while it may not be as immediately impressive it’s much older and has a lot more character. The marble crypt is built on the spring that serves Mary’s Well and inside it’s darkly lit with numerous icons and murals. There’s a nice service on a Sunday.
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October 22nd, 2006
The thing about religion is that everyone has a different version. Some people believe that the Annunciation actually took place here, about 5 minutes walk from the Basilica site, at “Mary’s Well”. The spring under the well has served Nazareth for over 2000 years and the story goes that Mary was collecting water when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel. The spring is actually underneath the nearby Greek Orthodox Church of St Gabriel.
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October 22nd, 2006
This huge building and dome dominates the skyline of Nazareth. It stands on the site where it is thought Mary’s home once stood and where Catholics believe she was visited by the Angel Gabriel and told she would bear the son of God. The actual building doesn’t stretch back quite as far - in fact it was only built in 1969! Considering its importance the site was quite slow to becoming a major pilgrimage site - the first shrine here was built over 400 years after Jesus’ birth. It’s the largest basilica in the whole of the Middle East, and built on two levels. The lower church was the home of Mary and contains the remains of numerous old Byzantine churches and a museum. The upper level is the modern local church and the vast interior is decorated with mosaics. The huge dome illuminates the church with natural light.
October 22nd, 2006
Magdala, the “Tower of Greatness”, is located 4 miles north of Tiberias. Today it is a small village of fishermen. At the time of Christ it was a city of considerable importance. According to Josephus, it had 40,000 inhabitants and a fleet of 230 boats. Josephus fortified the city before he deserted to the Romans. When the city fell to Titus, 6,700 Jews were killed, 6,000 of the strongest were sent to Nero to dig the Corinth Canal and 30,000 were auctioned off as slaves. Magdala became famous as it is the birthplace of MAry Magdalene, the woman Jesus healed from evil spirits and infirmities. Mary Magdalene then became one of the most devoted and faithful of Christs’ followwers. She followed Him to His death on Calvary. She was the first to come to the tomb on the day of His resurrection and the first to see the Risen Lord.
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October 22nd, 2006
The Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long, 7 miles wide, 130-157 feet deep, 32 miles in circumference and 686 feet below sea level. The lake has been known by various names - Sea of Galilee, Tiberias, and Kinneret which comes from the Hebrew word for harp, as the sea is shaped like a harp. The sea is abundant in fish - carp, mullet, sardine, catfish and combfish. As in ancient times, the fish are still caught in nets. The water is pure and generally calm. Here, Jesus commanded the violent storm to be still; walked on the stormy water and healed great multitudes.
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October 22nd, 2006
Nazareth of the Annunciation is the largest Arab city in Israel with a population of 60,000 - half Christians and half Moslems - living together in harmonious co-existence. It’s geographic location, with Cana of the Wedding Feast and Sapphires (Tzippori) just next door, make it a perfect base from which to tour the rest of the Galilee It offers a uniquely different experience to the visitor. Picturesque red roofs and white stone churches ramble haphazardly down the slopes of this ancient Galilee hillside, the summit of which overlooks the panorama of the entire Jezreel Valley.
Nazareth, being one of the most important Christian holy sites in the world, has always been a very special haven for Christians & pilgrims. The visitor finds an exciting Middle Eastern ambiance with exotic flavors and textures, imbued with the famed warm and friendly hospitality of the Arab population, yet retaining many spiritual oases of serenity and peace provided by the diverse Christian orders in their beautiful Churches and Monasteries.
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October 22nd, 2006
The name comes from the Greek word Heptapegon meaning seven springs. It is a place with a plentiful supply of water. Traditionally, this is the site where Jesus fed 5,000 with 5 loaves and two fish. Two successive Byzantine churches were built here in the 4th and 5th centuries. In 1932, the remains of a Byzantine church were discovered with the best preserved mosaic in all Israel. On the stone which served as the altar, there is a mosaic of a basket of loaves flanked by two fish. The floor is covered with a beautiful mosaic of birds, fish, beasts and flowers of the lake region. In 1934, a new church was built over the site of the Byzantine church. 200 yards away is the church of the Primacy, built in 1934 in basalt over a massive rock called the “Mensa Christi.”
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October 22nd, 2006
Wikipedia?
The Tower of David is Jerusalem’s “citadel”, a historical and archaeological site of world importance.
This is a medieval fortress, with later additions. Its towers and ramparts offer splendid views of that part of Jerusalem where Old and New meet, and East meets West. The site of the citadel has always been the weak point in the city’s defenses, compelling its rulers throughout history to fortify the site.
This important historical and archeological site was built in the First Temple Period (960???586 BCE). Parts of a tower and the city wall were built by the Hasmonean (first century BCE). The base of the tower was built by Herod the Great (37???34 BCE).
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September 6th, 2006
Wikipedia?
Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Way of Grief”) is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem. Traditionally, it is held to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion, although this is uncertain. It is marked by nine of the fourteen Stations of the Cross. The last five stations are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
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September 6th, 2006
? Wikipedia
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, called the Church of the Resurrection (Greek: ?????? ????? ????????????????, Naos tis Anastaseos; Armenian: Surp Harutyun) by Eastern Christians, is a Christian church now within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The ground on which the church rests is venerated by most Christians as Golgotha, the Hill of Calvary, where the New Testament describes that Jesus was crucified. It also is said to contain the place where Jesus was reportedly buried (the sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since the 4th century. Today it serves as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Catholic Archpriest of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.
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September 6th, 2006
| Holyland Network? ?
Tiberias is the largest city around the Sea of Galilee. Located on its western shore, its location produces a breathtaking view of the entire Sea of Galilee; its shores and mountains surround it.Tiberias was named after the Roman emperor Tiberius who ruled from 14-37 AD. It was a gift by Antipas the son of King Herod.
The surroundings of Tiberias were well populated throughout the centuries, and it was the center of a large fishing industry, it’s lake waters remarkably rich in fish. Numerous trade routes\ intersected at the lake (Kinnereth). Of all ancient towns that flourished on its shores only Tiberias still exists today.
Where the Jordan River leaves the Sea of Galilee is the site where tradition claims that John baptized Jesus. Many Christian pilgrims annually visit this holy site to be baptized. The Gospels tell of many episodes having happened there, including the meeting of James, John and Simon, the miraculous Draft of Fish, the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Walking on the Waters.
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September 6th, 2006
Holyland Network?
A town in southern Galilee about 15 miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee (kineret) and twenty miles from the Mediterranean westward in the basin of the hills of the lower Galilee.
In Biblical time Nazareth was a small agricultural town settled by few dozen families. The town is not mentioned once in the Old Testament, an insignificant village, too small to be noted in the list of settlements of the tribe of Zebulon (Joshua 19:10-16). Nazareth is not included in the 45 cities of the Galilee that mentioned by Josephus the historian and its name is missing from the 63 towns of Galilee mentioned in the Talmud. It was not expected to have a prophet, a king, or priest to ever come out of Nazareth. This prompted the response of Nathaniel in John 1:46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth was isolated in ancient times because no trade routes ran through the city therefore had no economical value.
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September 6th, 2006
Holyland Network?
Bethlehem (House of Bread - House of Lahmu) is located about 10 Kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Jerusalem by the hill country of Judea on the way to Hebron. It is first mentioned in the Armana letters fourteen centuries BCE.
Bethlehem is sacred to all three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Bethlehem plays a significant part in the Old Testament, in the history of the Israelites, both before they entered Egypt and slavery, and after the Exodus. It appears in the Old Testament as Ephrat, where Rachel the beloved matriarch of the Jewish People, the favorite wife of Jacob, died during childbirth. The Tomb of Rachel, is a pilgrimage place for Jews and Muslims alike. Among other Biblical mentions and Holy Sites in Bethlehem: Rachel’s tomb, Naomi and Ruth, Samuel anoints King David and the well from which David’s warriors brought him waters. In the bible it is called “Bethlehem of Judah” (belonging to the tribe of Judah), to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem, which was in the North in the territory of the Zebulon.
Christian tradition, perhaps as early as the second century CE, identified a cave as the site of Jesus’ birth. About 338 CE Constantine, the Roman emperor and his mother, Helena, built a church over the grotto and In 527 Justinian the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire resettled in Bethlehem, his reign was one of great prosperity and expansion of churches. The site of the Nativity is a central pilgrimage destination for Christians from all over the world.
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September 6th, 2006
Holyland Network?
Jerusalem is a religious center sacred to all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Religious pilgrims from all nations continue to congregate in the Holy City and millions of people flow through the gates of Jerusalem each year.
References to the city of Jerusalem appear throughout the entire Scriptures.
The Scriptural history of Jerusalem (known then as “Salem”), begins when Abraham meets “Melchizedek” (King of Justice) about 2000 BC.Through the ages it has been called by many names: Urusalim, Salem, Mount Moriah, Adonai Urah, Jebus, Jerusalem, Zion, the City of David, Ariel (Lion of God) God has declared that this is the place He will establish His Name and will dwell there forever.David conquered Jerusalem by defeating the Jebusites in 1052 BCE Chronicles 1 11:4-9), nearly 3000 years ago.
In history, No other city has been beloved and fought over as Jerusalem.
After David’s death, Solomon (in 1015 BC/BCE) began to “build a house for the Name of the Lord” (Chronicles 2 2:1). It took seven years and 183,300 men to build it (Kings 1- 5:13-16; 6:38). It measured nearly 90 feet in length, 30 feet in width and 45 feet in height (1 Kings 6:2). The Holy Of Holies occupied one-third of the interior space, and the Holy Place, two-thirds. The complete details are described in Kings 1 - 6 & 7. When it was completed, the Glory of God filled the Temple (Chronicles 2 7:1).
Israel was divided after Solomon’s death (979 BCE). The kingdom of Israel was in the north, while Judah was in the south.
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September 6th, 2006
Holyland Network?
Jesus Christ ruling figure of Christianity, born in Bethlehem, to a peasant family between eight BC and four AD. We know very little about Jesus’ life, the first record of his life was written some forty years after his death. For many: a Savior, a healer, a prophet, and a teacher, whose life and teachings formed the foundation of Christianity. Christians regard Jesus as the incarnate Son of God, and as having been divinely conceived by Mary the wife of Joseph - a carpenter from Nazareth. The main sources of information concerning Jesus??? life are the Gospels, written in the latter half of the first century. Today, scholars generally agree that Jesus was a historical figure verified both by Christian writers and by several Roman and Jewish historians.
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September 6th, 2006
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