Israel: A Photographic Review

I was recently fortunate enough to spend time traveling in Israel. Without question the Holy Land lived up to the hype. This is a photographic review of that journey.

Few cities have a history as rich as that of Jerusalem. However, Jerusalem, the city of peace, has been anything but. It has been conquered and captured numerous times throughout history, and remains a divided city to this day. Jerusalem is the holiest city in Judaism and Christianity and the third holiest city is Islam. With no end in sight to the bitter ugliness, perhaps a bit of the beauty is in order.

If Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities in the world, the Temple Mount area of Jerusalem is the holiest parcel of real estate. Atop the Temple Mount once stood King Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple built by Herod. Many Christians and Jews also believe this is the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac to the Lord. This location is the holiest spot in Judaism.

Islamic tradition holds that this is the location where the prophet Muhammad ascended into heaven, and the Dome of the Rock stands over this rock. Although the city of Jerusalem is now controlled by the Israeli government, the Temple Mount area is controlled by Muslims. This arrangement may be tenuous, but the staying power of the Temple Mount is not.

Although there are competing sites claiming to be the burial place of Jesus, one of the most compelling cases when compared with the Biblical account is made by the Garden Tomb.

The Garden Tomb is located in an ancient garden thought to possibly be that of Joseph of Arimathea, it is located in extremely close proximity to a location believed to be Golgotha (the place of the skull), the area is a short distance from a city gate where crucifixions would have occured, and the tomb has been dated to the early first century.

The traditional crucifixion and burial site is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but the debate over the real burial site of Christ continues.

Ein Gedi is where young David watered his flock, hid in the caves from the pursuing King Saul, and wrote many of the Psalms. Ein Gedi is literally an oasis in the desert located within walking distance from the Dead Sea. The streams of Ein Gedi are produced by springs which provide a constant water source for the vegetation, wildlife and agriculture.

One visit to the Ein Gedi Reserve and the Psalms of David come to life.

Originally built as a safe haven for King Herod, Masada was overtaken by Jewish rebels after the destruction of Jerusalem in approximately 70 A.D. The Romans, unwilling to relinquish Masada or allow any of the revolters to survive, committed the entire Tenth Legion to the 3-4 year fight to regain Masada. When it became apparent that the Romans would recapture the fortress, the 900 plus rebels opted to commit suicide the night before the capture of Masada rather than surrender and become slaves to the Romans. The symbolism of Masada cannot be overstated. Israeli soldiers take an oath that, "Masada shall not fall again."

The northern region of Israel is the Galilee. The Galilee is the most prominent area of Israel featured in the Gospels. The Sea of Galilee (a.k.a. Lake Kinneret), Capernaum, Nazareth, the Mount of Beatitudes, Mounts Carmel, Gilboa and Tabor, the Jezreel Valley, and Megiddo are among the many places of note in the Galilee.

From Elijah's slaughter of the 450 prophets of Baal to the ministry of Jesus to some as yet uncertain role in the battle of Armegeddon, the Galilee region of Israel is representative of both extreme bloodshed and unending hope. The Galilee is one of the most central locations in the Biblical struggle between good and evil.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but experiencing Israel is indescribable. Rather than attempt to put it into words, I simply want to encourage you, to the extent I can, that should you have an opportunity, go.