Anyone into time travel will want to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. Turn back the clock in the present-day Selcuk, a town near Izmir, in western Turkey. This once-cosmopolitan Greco-Roman city is infused with the influence of early Christianity. Ephesus is the site of one of the seven churches to whom the apostle Paul wrote an epistle redressing the church for its having “lost its first love.” The ancient city teemed with traders, artisans, intellectuals, and spiritual pilgrims. In fact, the emergence of the spectacular Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, bear ..read more

Known as the childhood hometown of Jesus, Nazareth is nestled in the hills of the lower Galilee region and is an important site for pilgrims as well as tourists. Pronounced Natsrat in Hebrew, Nazareth is a city with a rich history and a vibrant culture, but it is perhaps best known as the place where Mary received the proclamation from the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Images: The Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth commemorates when the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her she would supernaturally give birth to the Messiah ..read more

Beautiful beaches, mind-blowing bulwarks, fetching frescos, and a centuries-old faith on full artistic display—all good reasons to visit Thessaloniki, Greece, where you can have all of that and more! Greece’s second-largest city, and a biblically significant one, Thessaloniki—perhaps better known as Thessalonica—is an impressive “open-air museum.” Walk just about anywhere in this breathtaking northern Greek city and you will discover evidence of both its Christian history and its line of conquerors ranging from the Romans to the Ottomans to the Byzantines. Today in Thessaloniki, you are more l ..read more

Located in Israel’s northern region, overlooking the majestic Sea of Galilee (or Kinneret in Hebrew), is the Mount of Beatitudes, aptly named after the blessings mentioned at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The eight beatitudes, or blessings, are outlined in the Gospel of Matthew, while four of the beatitudes also appear in Luke. They are Jesus’ prayers for those who follow Him and obey His teachings. The Mount is also believed to be the place where Jesus met His apostles after His Resurrection and sent them out to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:16–20). The Mount of B ..read more

Half hidden in the windblown landscape of southern Jordan, the ancient sandstone city of Petra has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, as well as being a UNESCO World Heritage site. Petra was built in the third century BC by the Nabataeans, a community of master builders who, besides being geniuses at hydraulic engineering, also carved magnificent structures from the surrounding sandstone cliffs. Petra is approached through the 0.75 mile-long, high-walled Siq—a crack in the rock that was torn apart by tectonic forces, creating a canyon-like passage with narrow vertical walls ..read more

Considered to be one of the happiest times in the Jewish calendar, and observed during the High Holy Day season, is the festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths). It starts exactly fourteen nights after the onset of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, and four nights after the conclusion of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This special holiday celebrates the gathering of the fall harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection God provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt to undertake a 40-year sojourn through the desert to the Promised Land ..read more

For the adventurer looking to experience the life of a Middle Eastern group of people who have not changed all that much over the centuries, then booking a Bedouin experience is just the ticket. Known for their unparalleled hospitality, the proud and dignified Bedouin come from an ancient line of nomadic tribe people whose culture continues to thrive in harsh desert conditions despite having to adapt to the modern trappings of their surrounding environment. Some Israeli scholars even maintain it was the Bedouin who hosted Moses when he fled Egypt. Whether that is fact or fiction, people have a ..read more

The next best thing to reading the Bible is seeing the Bible come alive … something you can easily do at the 430,000-square-foot Bible Museum that is located just three blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. With its stunning architecture and airy six-level interior, this spectacular museum allows the Bible to speak for itself while offering visitors the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the world of both the Old and New Testaments through interactive exhibits and cutting-edge technology. Comprised of more than 40,000 biblical antiquities, the museum houses one of the world ..read more

After the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948, several holidays were added to the Jewish calendar, each commemorating an important aspect of Israel’s history and existence. In particular, two days, forever connected, back-to-back on both the Jewish and Gregorian calendars, from sunset to sunset—Yom Ha’Zikaron, Day of Remembrance, a Memorial Day when Israelis mourn and observe their fallen soldiers and victims of terror, and then, immediately following, at sunset the next day, a full day celebrating Israel’s national independenc ..read more

Its name may take on an ominous tone, but the Dead Sea is anything but dead. Deriving its title from its inability to sustain most forms of marine life, it is a place of tranquil beauty, and perhaps a bit of mystery. Sandwiched between Jordan to the east and Israel to the west, the Dead Sea lies in the Jordan Rift Valley. Not only does it possess the title of being the saltiest body of water in the world, but its shoreline is also the lowest point of dry land on Earth. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on Earth at approximately 1,300 feet below sea level. All the water in Israel eventually run ..read more