Street in the old city of Nazareth.Mary of Nazareth International Center.Ruins from Jesus’ time.Mary’s Well (site of the historic well, city center, and where some believe the Annunciation occurred).View of Nazareth.St. Gabriel’s Orthodox Church of the Annunciation (the traditional Orthodox place of the Annunciation).Inside St. Gabriel’s Orthodox Church.Painting inside St. Gabriel’s Orthodox Church.Frescoes adorning the ceiling inside St. Gabriel’s Orthodox Church.Corridor leading to the spring where the Annunciation occurred (according to Orthodox tradition), inside St. Gabriel’s Orthodox Church.The White Mosque – a traditional Ottoman mosque from the early 19th-century.Street art found in Nazareth, I can’t read the writing, but I think it’s pro-Israel.Nazareth skyline.Colorful facade and a minaret behind it.Inside the chapel at the Mary of Nazareth International Center.Painting of Mary visiting Elizabeth depicting Jesus and John in their wombs.The Dormition of Mary.Another view of Nazareth.The Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest church in the Middle East.The entrance gate to the Basilica of the Annunciation.Mosaic from the Vatican.Mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, from China.Mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, from Korea.Mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, from Croatia.Mosaic of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, from Thailand.Side entrance to the basilica.The grotto in the lower level of the Basilica.Inside the grotto, the traditional site of the Annunciation according to the Catholic faith.The upper level of the Basilica of the Annunciation.The altar in the Basilica of the Annunciation.Looking up at the dome inside the Basilica of the Annunciation.Inside the Church of St. Joseph (according to tradition, the church is erected where the “House of Joseph” once stood).Statue of the Virgin Mary.Bell towers, domes, and a minaret.Passage leading to the Old Market in Nazareth.Inside the Old Market, right next to the Synagogue Church (the traditional site where Jesus Christ read from the Torah scroll).Maccabee Lager beer (Israeli) vs. Taybeh Golden beer (Palestinian).Cabernet Sauvignon produced at the Taybeh Winery in Palestine.Terraces for crops in Nazareth Village.Wine press carved in to the rock – the grapes are pressed in the upper part and the juice drains to the lower part to be collected.Mill for grinding olives.Press used to create olive oil.A carpenter creating a plow.A woman grinding rosemary with a mortar and pestle.A woman creating yarn from sheep’s wool.Fabric workshop in Nazareth Village.Synagogue modeled in the style common in the first-century AD.Inside the first-century AD synagogue.View on the way up to Mount Precipice.Entrance to the Synagogue Church.Inside the Synagogue Church – according to tradition, the church is built on the ruins of the ancient Nazareth synagogue where Jesus studied and prayed.Inside the Greek Catholic Church right next to the Synagogue Church.Painting of the Holy Family.The templon (barrier separating the nave from the sacraments at the altar) inside the Greek Catholic Church.Chandeliers in the Greek Catholic Church.Street in the Old City of Nazareth.Walkway in the Old City of Nazareth.Israeli dry red wine, made from Merlot and Argaman.Beginning the Jesus Trail in Nazareth.The outskirts of Nazareth.Field of olive trees.View on the Jesus Trail, north of Nazareth.Looking back at Nazareth in the distance.Roman street (the Decumanus”) in the ruins of Zippori.Mosaics illustrating the story of Orpheus and ruins in the background.Mosaic with a geometric pattern.The fortress at Zippori.The Roman theater.Floor mosaics in the “Dionysus House.”Inside the water reservoir tunnel at Zippori.Horses grazing.Cattle being herded through the forest.The trail (i.e. dirt road) through the forest.Approaching Cana from Mash’had.The facade of the Wedding Church in Cana, built on the site of Jesus’ first miracle.Inside the Wedding Church.Cana at sunset.Bottle of Israeli wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Argaman.Mosque in Cana at sunrise.Trail leading away from Cana, lined with olive trees.Forest south of Tur’an.Forest west of Giv’at Avni.The trail leading to the Horns of Hattin.The Horns of Hattin.View of the Sea of Galilee behind Mount Arbel.Trail leading down the Horns of Hattin.Olive groves.Sign warning of the danger of possible unexploded bombs.Landscape near Nemerim Stream.Following the muddy trail next to Nemerim Stream.Wildflowers with Mount Arbel and its cliffs in the distance.Ruins of a fourth-century AD synagogue in Arbel.Looking back at the valley of the Arbel Stream.Troughs carved in to the rock near Arbel.The Arbel Valley.Hiking through the Arbel Valley.Caves used during the Maccabean Revolt, under the Arbel cliffs.The town of Migdal (where Mary Magdalene is from), beyond the wheat field.Banana plantation north of Migdal.Historic stone bridge crossing the Amud Stream.Israeli wildflowers.The alternative trail to Tsefat.More wildflowers.The alternative trail through some lovely terrain covered in flowers.The Sea of Galilee, near Ginosar.Ruins at Horvat Minya (a palace from the eighth-century AD).The Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha, where Jesus Christ fed 5,000 with bread and fish.Inside the Church of the Multiplication.The altar in the Church of the Multiplication.Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, where Christ shared a meal with his disciples after His Resurrection.Inside the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter – the exposed rock is where the meal took place.Sunlight beaming down on the Sea of Galilee.Hiking up the Mount of Beatitudes (where Christ gave the Sermon of the Mount).The Roman Catholic Chapel at the top of the Mount of Beatitudes.Inside the Roman Catholic Chapel on the Mount of Beatitudes.Angle view of the Roman Catholic Chapel.The Sea of Galilee seen from the Mount of Beatitudes.Statue of Saint Peter at Capernaum.The Sea of Galilee seen from Capernaum.The modern Catholic Church built over the ruins of Saint Peter’s home.Ruins of the ancient synagogue, built on the foundation of a synagogue dating back to Jesus’ time.Twilight at the Sea of Galilee.Israeli red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah.The Canaanite City Gate at Tel Megiddo (the future site of Armageddon).Ruins of the Canaanite palace.Looking out from the Canaanite City Gate.Ruins in the temple area at Tel Megiddo.Another view of the temple area with the circular altar in view.More ruins at Tel Megiddo.The public granary.View from the southern observation point.The southern stables.Stone water troughs for the horses in the southern stables.The secret tunnel to the spring at Tel Megiddo.The Jezreel Valley with Mount Tabor in the distance, seen from Tel Megiddo.Mount Tabor, where the Transfiguration of Christ occurred.The hike up Mount Tabor.The Jezreel Valley seen from Mount Tabor.Bridge and gate leading to the “Cave of Melchizedek.”Inside the “Cave of Melchizedek.”The road to the Eastern Orthodox monastery on Mount Tabor.Looking north from Mount Tabor.Descentibus chapel.Entrance gate to the Church of Transfiguration.Southwestern view from Mount Tabor at sunset.The town of Daburiyya (in the foreground) and other villages lighting up the evening sky.Jaffa Road in Jerusalem.The entrance to the Tower of David.The archaeological courtyard inside the Tower of David citadel.View of the Old City with the Dome of the Rock and the Mount of Olives.Another view of the Old City with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (with the two domes) on the left.Rendition of the City of David – Jerusalem at the time of King David.Sling stones from the eighth-century BC.View of the citadel from the archaeological park.Ruins from the Hasmonean and Herodian periods.The courtyard and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Mosaic depicting Christ’s body being prepared for burial.The Saint Helena Chapel inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Crusader graffiti inside the church.The Catholicon inside the church.The “Christ Pantocrator” mosaic, above the Catholicon, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Icon of the Virgin Mary and Child.The Aedicule, where the Holy Sepulchre is located.Another view of the Aedicule.The Altar of the Crucifixion.Closeup of the Altar of the Crucifixion, with the disc underneath marking the exact spot where Christ was crucified and where Calvary cracked.A priest standing by the Altar of the Crucifixion during the noon incense and blessing ritual.Looking down at the Stone of Anointing, where Christ’s body was prepared for burial, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.The Church of the Redeemer.Inside the Church of the Redeemer.Looking toward the Dome of the Rock from the bell tower of the Church of the Redeemer.Looking toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from the bell tower of the Church of the Redeemer.Looking up at the bell tower from the courtyard beside the Church of the Redeemer.Aftimos Market.Street in the Old City of Jerusalem.Cotton Merchant’s Market, built in the fourteenth-century AD.Another street in the Old City of Jerusalem.The Western Wall (a 57-meter exposed section of the original western flank of the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism).The Old City wall outside of Dung Gate.Looking south from the St. Peter Gallicantu Church.St. Peter Gallicantu Church with the Mount of Olives in the distance.Inside St. Peter Gallicantu Church, which is believed to built on the site of the High Priest Caiaphas’ palace and where Jesus Christ was held in custody after His arrest.Mosaic inside the St. Peter Gallicantu Church.Inside the Sacred Pit – the dungeon where Christ was held.Outside view of the St. Peter Gallicantu Church.Steps leading up from the Kidron Valley (many Christians believe that Jesus followed this path down to Gethsemane the night of his arrest).Statue marking the spot where St. Peter denied Christ while he was outside the High Priest Caiaphas’ palace.Inside the Church of Dormition.Artwork depicting the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.Inside the crypt under the Church of Dormition, with a statue of her marking the spot where she died.Street outside of the Church of Dormition.Inside the Cenacle, where the Last Supper occurred.View of the Church of Dormition from the rooftop of the Cenacle.Rabbis reciting Psalms at the Tomb of David.Jaffa Road covered in snow.Palm trees blasted with snow.The Western Wall courtyard covered in snow.The Old City wall seen from outside Dung Gate.The Tomb of Absalom in the Kidron Valley (located near the center of the photo).The Mount of Olives with the Basilica of the Agony (at Gethsemane) and the Church of Mary Magdalene in view.Facade of the Basilica of Agony.The Garden of Gethsemane.Inside the Basilica of the Agony.Mosaic depicting Judas betraying Christ with a kiss.Jewish cemetery on teh Mount of Olives.View of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.Looking at the Kidron Valley south of the Old City.Closeup of the Dome of the Rock in the snow.Dominus Flevit Church.The Old City wall high above the floor of the Kidron Valley.Mary’s Tomb.Damascus Gate.Snow-covered street in the Old City.The courtyard and entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.The Stone of Anointing seen from the entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Altar of the Crucifixion with a woman praying under the altar.Street in the Old City partially covered in snow.Slush covered street.The Seventh Station of the Cross, where Jesus fell the second time.On the Via Dolorosa outside of the Church of Condemnation.The Via Dolorosa outside of the Ecce Homo Convent with the largest of Hadrian’s triple arch partially exposed and spanning the street.The giant cistern (the Struthion Pool) underneath the Ecce Homo Convent.An old Roman pavement underneath the convent.Inside the Ecce Homo Church.Outside the entrance to the Church of Condemnation (seen on the left) and the Church of Flagellation.Inside the Church of Condemnation.The domed ceiling inside the Church of Condemnation.The Church of Flagellation.Inside the Church of Flagellation.Stained glass windows inside the Church of Flagellation depicting the scourging of Jesus (left) and the release of Barabbas (right).Kid bring a log to his fire to keep warm, on the street outside the Church of Flagellation.The entrance to a prison where Christ may have been kept during His Passion (located near the Ecce Homo Convent).Priests leading pilgrims through the fourteen Stations of the Cross – here they are at the Second Station, where Jesus received His Cross.Priests and pilgrims at the Aedicule inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the Fourteenth Station, Jesus is laid in His Tomb.Walking back on Jaffa Road as the snow is melting.The Putin Pub on Jaffa Road; I think it used to be a Ukrainian bar until Russia illegally annexed it last March.The Judaean Desert, green with recent rainfall.Wadi Qelt, which many imagine to be Psalm 23’s Valley of the Shadow.St. George’s Monastery in Wadi Qelt.Looking toward the Moab Mountains (seen in the distance) in Jordan.Another view of Wadi Qelt.Wadi Qelt seen on the paved walkway leading to St. George’s Monastery.St. George’s Monastery (a Greek Orthodox monastery).The entrance to the monastery.Looking at the wadi from the monastery.Painting found inside the monastery.Looking up at one of the dome ceilings inside the monastery.A man is praying at a reliquary filled with the skulls and bones of the fourteen martyred monks killed by the Persians in 614 AD, when the monastery was destroyed.A woman is praying at a glass casket that holds the remains of a Romanian monk who died in 1960 AD.Painting inside the monastery, above two reliquary chests.Hall in the monastery.Balcony of a monk’s cave and a basket on a pulley above the monastery.Chapel outside of St. George’s monastery.A final look-up at St. George’s Monastery.Donkey waiting to be ridden near Wadi Qelt.Approaching the Dead Sea at Kalia Beach.Looking south at the Dead Sea.Chunks of Dead Sea mud that have broken off from the shore.The Moab Mountains in Jordan, across the Dead Sea.South on Kalia Beach.Street in Bethlehem, approaching Manger Square.The entrance to the Milk Grotto Church; according to tradition , the Virgin Mary hid there during her flight to Egypt and while nursing Jesus, a drop of breast milk landed on the rock and became a source of miracles.Inside the Milk Grotto Church.The Church of the Nativity.Statue of St. George slaying the dragon.The Church of St. Catherine, the Roman Catholic Church adjacent to the Church of the Nativity.Inside the grotto underneath the Church of the Nativity.The Greek Orthodox monastery adjacent to the Church of the Nativity.The altar in the Church of the Nativity.Candles next to the entrance of the Grotto of the Nativity (located under the altar of the Church of the Nativity).One of two entrances to the Grotto of the Nativity.The altar in the Grotto of the Nativity – the star under the altar marks the spot where the manger was located.The Mosque of Omar, at Manger Square.Street in Bethlehem, next to the International Nativity Museum.Bethlehem skyline.Another street in Bethlehem.Another, narrower street in Bethlehem.The Old Gate (“Qoos Az Zarara”) in Bethlehem.Yet another old street in Bethlehem.The outskirts of Bethlehem.The road to Herodium.Looking toward Bethlehem from Herodium with ruins of the pool complex and Lower Herodium at the bottom.A view from Herodium.The mountain palace-fortress ruins at Herodium.Looking out the entrance to the bathhouse in the mountain palace-fortress in Herodium.The dome ceiling of the bathhouse at Herodium.A large cistern underground at Herodium.The Royal Theater at Herodium.Tunnel entrance underneath Herod’s Tomb.The Kidron Valley near Mar Saba.Another view of the Kidron Valley from Mar Saba.Mar Saba (also known as the “Holly Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified”), a Greek Orthodox monastery.Jaffa Gate on the Old City walls in Jerusalem.The Western Wall, seen from the footbridge to the Temple Mount.Inside the covered footbridge to the Temple Mount.Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.The Dome of the Rock and the smaller Dome of the Chain in front of it.Dome of the Rock with the Dome of the Chain to the left.Closeup of the Dome of the Rock; inside is the Foundation Stone; according to the Talmud, from this rock, the world was created.Looking up inside the Dome of the Chain – in Islamic tradition, this is the spot where Judgment Day will occur in the “end of days” and where a chain will stop the sinful and let the just pass through.Another view of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.The Baptism site of Jesus Christ on the Jordan River, near Bethany.Inside the Monastery of Temptation, built on the slopes of the Mount of Temptation, where, according to tradition, Satan tempted Jesus for the third time.Inside the chapel in the Monastery of Temptation – a Greek Orthodox monastery.View of Jericho from the Monastery of Temptation.Fountain in front of Tell es-Sultan (the archaeological site of ancient Jericho).Ruins at Tell es-Sultan.The cable cars that take passengers up to the Monastery of Temptation, seen from Tell es-Sultan.Ancient walls of Jericho at Tell es-Sultan.The Mount of Temptation (center).The entrance to the Tomb of the Virgin Mary (also known as “Mary’s Tomb”).Stairs leading down to Mary’s Tomb.Mary’s Tomb with a small entrance allowing worshipers to view the actual tomb.The entrance to Mary’s Tomb, seen from the inside.The Grotto of Gethsemene; it is here where Jesus Christ was betrayed by Judas Iscariot.Gordon’s Golgotha (a possible location of Calvary and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ) – the rock face used to look more like a skull (thus the name Golgotha), but the nose fell off due to the winter storm three days ago (the remains can be seen at the base of the cliff).The Garden Tomb where Jesus Christ may have been buried.Inside the Garden Tomb where Christ may have been buried and resurrected – there is actually a strong case that this is the spot and not at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Another view of the Garden Tomb.An old Roman wine press next to the Garden Tomb – more evidence that this may have been the garden of Joseph of Arimathea and thus where Christ was buried.Tram tracks next to the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.Israeli red wine made from Carignan grapes.Aquaba and the Red Sea in the distance, seen from the hostel in Eilat.The Tel Aviv Marathon.An example of Bauhaus style architecture on the corner.Israeli Rosé wine, produced in Upper Galilee.Israeli Syrah wine, produced in Upper Galilee.Surveying the damage at the nearby apartment building, which was caused by the third-floor balcony falling down at 04:20.Fountain at the end of Allenby Street.Baked bread and a propane-fired oven in the background, at a local restaurant.Old Jaffa in the distance.Tel Aviv, seen from Old Jaffa.Jaffa Port, with Tel Aviv in the background.Another view of Jaffa Port (where Jonah set off from before being swallowed by the whale).Figure holding a sign to let all tourists know that they are in a historic site (i.e. Old Jaffa).Andromeda’s Rocks, where, according to Greek mythology, the king of Jaffa offered his daughter, Andromeda, as a sacrifice to assuage the anger of Poseidon; however, Perseus killed the sea monster sent by Poseidon and married Andromeda.The Bialik House, built in 1925 AD.The old City Hall of Tel Aviv, now a museum dedicated to the city.Another example of Bauhaus architecture found in Tel Aviv.Interesting building located next to the beach promenade in Tel Aviv.Two men power-paragliding above the beach in Tel Aviv.The sunset seen from the beach at Tel Aviv.Israeli Gewürztraminer (produced at the foothills of Mount Tabor).Israeli Chardonnay produced from vineyards located in Lower Galilee near Mount Tabor.
