The house of beatitude is the meaning of the name- Beit Jimal. It is a Catholic monastery that had been established in 1881, on the slopes of the Judean Mountains, near the city of Beit Shemesh. Tradition has it that this was the burial site of St. Stephen, who is…
Category: Walking in the Bible’s footsteps… in the Holy Land
A taste of Israel
Church of St. John the Baptist
One of two highly important churches in Ein-Kerem is John the Baptist’s church. The church was built in the 19th century on the ruins of an ancient Byzantine and formerly- Crusader churches.It is located in the vicinity of Jerusalem. It is named after John the Baptist; St. John, in commemoration of…
A taste of Israel
John the Baptist
According to Christian tradition , John the Baptist was born in the small village of Ein Karem, outside Jerusalem, in approximately the same time period of Jesus’ birth. John the Baptist was born to elderly parents: Zachary and Elisheva. Since the Romans decided to kill all male newborns in the…
A taste of Israel
The house on Maayan Street, Ein Karem
Ein Karem is a unique, ancient and preserved neighborhood of Jerusalem. The area is of vintage-flavors. It is also an important Christina site, at which Mary had visited while pregnant with Jesus and mainly- where John the Baptist was born. The House on Maayan Street is an artists’ home, at…
A taste of Israel
Mount Sodom and the Bible
Mount Sodom is located on the south-west side of the Dead Sea, rising some 200m above it. It is actually a series of mountains, 11 Km long, that are made of salt mixed with a variety of other minerals. The water, penetrating into the salt, is creating large cavities. The…
A taste of Israel
Jesus Christ and the Via Dolorosa
The path that Jesus Christ had taken, while walking to his death, is called: “the Via Dolorosa”, in Jerusalem. In other words it means: “The path/route of grief”. The long path is located in the heart of the old city of Jerusalem. Christians, around the world, visit the city in…
Books of and about Israel
Jesus and Capernaum
Jesus Forgives a Paralyzed Man and heals him – Upon Jesus’ re-entry of the village of Capernaum, the people gathered, in large numbers, so as to listen to his preaching. Jesus had been introduced to a paralyzed man, carried by other men, as he couldn’t walk. Tradition ahs it that…
A taste of Israel
The Mahraqa
Mount Carmel is a summit ridge, rising to a height of 474 meters above sea level. It is located near the city of Haifa, overlooking the Mediterranean sea. According to Biblical roots, this is the exact confrontation spot at which Prophet Elijah had confronted the prophets of Ba’al, when fire came…
A taste of Israel
Mount Sodom
Mount Sodom is located on the south-west side of the Dead Sea, rising some 200m above it. It is actually a series of mountains, 11KM long that are made of salt mixed with a variety of other minerals. The water, penetrating into the salt, is creating large cavities. The mountain…
Central Israel
Jesus’ Cleansing of the Temple
Upon his last entry to Jerusalem, it is told that Jesus had gone directly to the Temple. He was appalled as the holiest place for Jews, the Temple, had been turned into a marketplace. There were money-changers making wrong-usage of the pilgrims; sacrifices, other merchants who had been selling goods…