Christmas in the Holy Land was an experience unlike any other.
Upon arriving in Israel on the 23rd, I visited the Four Sephardic Synagogues and admired the beauty of Jerusalem.
In celebration of Christmas Eve, I took a tour to Bethlehem to visit the Shepherds’ Field (where the Angel announced the birth of Christ to the Shepherds), as well as the Church of the Nativity and the Milk Grotto.
At the Church of the Nativity, although I did not get to see the portion of the cave that Jesus is believed I have been born in, I visited the Cave of St. Jerome (a different portion of the same cave system with what is now the Church of the Nativity).
Visiting Bethlehem, I also learned more about the Palestinian Israeli conflict with regard to how the West Bank was divided into three administrative portions following the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. As a result of the Accords, Bethlehem was placed under the authority of the PLO. Entering the Palestinian Territory, I saw the bright red warning sign pictured below; although the warning sounded frightening I can say that at no time did I feel unsafe (granted, I was with a tour so I imagine this helped in that regard).
I also got to see an original Banksy piece painted on the side of a car wash in Bethlehem. I learned that Banksy’s “Flower Thrower” is one of his most famous works. I was told it depicts a Palestinian man throwing flowers instead of Rocks.
Tuesday (Christmas Eve) afternoon, following my tour in Bethlehem, I went to Yad Vashem in order to further my understanding of the Holocaust and the ways in which Jewish people from across the world were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis in the period of the Second World War.
On Christmas Day, I walked to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives. This provided a few of the breathtaking views in which the Golden Dome and Temple Mount are in the background. Visiting the Garden was one item that had been at the very top of my to do list while in Israel. Next to the Garden, I also visited the The Church of All Nations, also called the Basilica of Agony, located next to the Garden of Gethsemane. The Church was built to enclose the rock where Jesus is believed to have prayed the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, shortly before being betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Romans.
Following Christmas, on the 26th, I took a tour to visit Nazareth and Capernaum (both of which were towns of Jesus). In Nazareth, I visited the Church of the Annunciation, which was built at the location in which the Angel Gabriel is believed to have appeared to Mary. Next to the Church of the Annunciation, I also saw by the Church of St. Joseph which was built at the location that Joseph’s carpentry workshop is believed to have been located.
In Capernaum, I saw the Old Synagogue which is also pictured in the album below.
On this adventure we also stopped by the nearby Sea of Galilee. We visited the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, which is next to the place where Jesus fed the 5,000.
The rock which I took a picture next to at the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter is the place that (after resurrection) Jesus is believed to have prepared breakfast following His appearance to Peter in which he told him to cast their net on the right side of the boat.
The Sea of Galilee was breathtaking and as a freshwater Sea, the water tasted pretty good. Following our stop at the Sea, we went to the Jordan River. Although we were not at the same portioning the River in which Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, it was still the same River- which I thought was pretty special. To mark this occasion I decided to get baptized in the Jordan as although I had already been baptized when I originally accepted my faith as my own, I did not want to forego this symbolic opportunity be baptized in the same river as Jesus.
On the 27th, I visited the Museum of Israel to see ancient artifacts and look at a few of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which the renowned “Shrine of the Book” portion of the Museum is known for (for reference this was uniquely-shaped white building I took a picture in front of). Photography was not permitted inside the Shrine of the Book, so no pictures of the scrolls I’m afraid, however Google can help you with that. The Temple Scroll was the first that I observed, although I can’t read Hebrew 🙂, I understand it contained instructions for building the Temple, hence the name.
I also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located on the Via Dolorosa.
On Saturday, the 28th I toured the Dead Sea and also visited Masada. I saw the remains of structures that were built during the reign of King Herod over 2,000 years ago and was in awe of the magnificent beauty the history now preserved in the Masada National Park. In the Dead Sea, I was able to float at the lowest place on earth in additional having fun with a little mud bath as well.
There’s so much more I could say, and many more pictures I could post- but if you’d managed to read this far, I don’t want to bore you any longer 😁
One final note, the Western Wall was one of my favorite locations due to its significance and storied history. Touching and saying a prayer at the Western Wall was a memorable moment.
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