What are the holy places of Christianity in the Holy Land?
Traveling to the Holy Land is for the believer an explosion of Faith that allows us to materialize the scenarios that we have read and evoked so much in the sacred readings and the religious representations of all kinds, from art to literature. Indeed the peak moment for the visitor with Christian concerns is to know the place of the birth of Jesus and other scenes of his most well-known passages, but you have to think that the historical traces of this region go back more than 5,000 years. Traveling to the Holy Land offers sublime experiences such as walking where Jesus walked, praying where He prayed, and feeling his influence in those places where the Master shared his teachings. In this section, we will comment superficially on 12 destinations of the Holy Land within the state of Israel considered the key points for a Christian trip to this region. Here you book Israel Christian tours packages.
Cana in Galilee
Located in northern Palestine, tradition has it that Cana was where he performed his first miracle (turning water into wine at dinner). It is also believed that he performed a cure here as well. As a tourist or pilgrim, you will see the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches inspired by these passages in Cana.
Capernaum
Capernaum is the place where the biblical passage of Jesus preaching in the synagogue takes place. There he also performed several miracles and lived for a short period of his life. Its location is beautiful, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Tiberias. The visitor will get excited by the ruins of an old city in which public buildings and an octagonal Byzantine church stand out, along with the synagogue itself.
Jordan river
It is the most important river in Israel and connects the Dead Sea with the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was baptized in this same river by John the Baptist. Visiting the exact place where tradition places this act is another exciting moment of the trip. Some even perform the rite of baptism.
Nazareth
Especially by the Basilica of the Annunciation, Key place spent much of his childhood here with his parents José and María. Visiting Nazareth today allows you to see the Basilica of the Annunciation, consecrated in 1964 by Pope Paul VI, as well as the Church of San Gabriel, the Church of the Synagogue, and the Well of Mary.
Bethsaida
A prominent place in the biography of Jesus, where he preached and heals (Matthew 11:21). The New Testament indicates that five of Jesus’ disciples were from Bethsaida: Simon Peter, his brother Andrew, Philip, James son of Zebedee, known as James the Greater, and his brother John. Today you can visit the ruins of the original city whose floors were trodden by Jesus.
Belen
Belén is a key point for the Christian visitor. Bethlehem is where Jacob’s wife, Rachel, died while giving birth to Benjamin (Genesis 35: 18-19, 48: 7). It is the birthplace of King David and, of course, where Jesus of Nazareth was born. In Bethlehem, there are exciting visits such as the Church of the Nativity, the Basilica of the Nativity, and the Fields of the Shepherds.
Jericho
Jericho, along with Damascus, is known as “the oldest city on earth,” standing more than 10,000 years ago. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the city is known as the place where the Israelites returned from slavery in Egypt, led by Joshua, the successor of Moses. Jericho was stormed by the children of Israel with the help of Joshua (Joshua 4: 5-6), and it was a crucial place for the prophets. The visitor will contemplate beautiful sacred monasteries located throughout the city, as well as the Mount of Temptation, at the top of which is a Greek Orthodox monastery with panoramic views of the region, the Elisha Spring, the name given by Jews and Christians to the spring of Ein es-Sultan, or the place traditionally accepted as the place of Jesus’ baptism, in nearby Qasr el-Yahud / Al-Maghtas on the Jordan River.
Jerusalem
The center of Christianity, Jerusalem, was declared the capital of Israel in 1949. According to the New Testament, Jerusalem was the city to which Jesus was taken as a child to be presented in the Temple. Also here occurred the passage of the merchants, the Via Dolorosa, the Last Supper, their arrest in Gethsemane, their trial, their crucifixion on Golgotha, their nearby burial, and their resurrection and ascension, among others.
The Dead Sea
At 416 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on the planet, and the concentration of saltwater with the highest level of salt, with more than eight times that of the sea. Today visitors can enjoy the many spas available at the Dead Sea and treatments.
Tabgha
The site of the post-resurrection apparition of Jesus and the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Tabgha is a sacred place for Christians worldwide. Located at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, visitors can enjoy the Church of the Multiplication, St. Peter the Primacy, and the Octagon Pool.
