Bible Holy Lands in Photos, Scripture, and Commentary

See and learn about the Holy Lands of the Bible. New sites will be added every week. See the famous and off the beaten track sites referenced in the Bible.

Category: BibleHolyLand

  • King David’s Tomb

    Dennis

    Today King David’s Tomb is located on Mount Zion in Jerusalem/the City of David. The current location has been marked since 1172 AD by the Crusaders. However, they based this location on earlier Byzantine references (324 to 640 AD). Archaeologists have discovered a 2nd Temple era synagogue floor (37 BC to 70 AD) under the Read more

  • Idiom: “he that pisseth against the wall”

    Dennis

    There are a lot of Hebrew idioms used in the Old Testament. One of the common idioms is “he/him that pisseth against the wall” meaning a man. It is used as a derogatory term when declaring a prophecy of violence against all men of a family. For example: David when he was a fugitive from Read more

  • King Saul’s Palace at Gibeah

    Dennis

    Just about 6 miles north of Jerusalem lies the ruins of King Saul’s palace fortress. It is located in the ancient Israelite city of Gibeah which overlooks the Central Benjamin Plateau from the east side. Today, you can see the unfinished palace of King Hussein of Jordan on the location of the ancient city of Read more

  • David and Goliath

    Dennis

    David fought Goliath in the Elah valley which is in the Judean foothills (called the Shephelah). The Elah valley runs east to west and its stream empties into the Mediterranean. To the east of this valley is the coastal mountain range, home to the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. West of this valley Read more

  • The Prophet Samuel

    Dennis

    The prophet Samuel (Hebrew meaning “Name of God”) is one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. He is one of the few who were a Nazarite from birth (1 Samuel 1:11). From about the age of 4 or 5 until his death he was in the service of God. He was the last Read more

  • Samson

    Dennis

    Samson (Hebrew meaning “Of the Sun”), Judges 13:1-16:31, was a man who was prophesied before his birth to free Israel from the Philistines: “A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and Read more

  • The Philistines: Who Were They, and When?

    Dennis

    Who were the Philistines and where did they come from? There was much circumstantial evidence pointing to Crete until recent DNA testing. DNA testing in 2019 on Philistine burial remains showed the best match to be Crete genetics. The DNA burial samples date roughly corresponds to the fall of the Minoan civilization on Crete. The Read more

  • Jethro the Father-in-Law of Moses

    Dennis

    Jethro is identified as the Priest of Midian (Exodus 2:16). He is also called Reuel (Hebrew meaning “friend of God”), and Hobab (meaning beloved). Jethro was a descendant of Abraham through his wife Keurah, who Abraham married after Sarah’s death (Genesis 25:1-2). Jethro and his family clan were nomadic shepherds that sometimes lived in the Read more

  • Moses Sees the Promised Land from Mount Nebo

    Dennis

    Above photo: the view looking west toward the Promised Land from Mount Nebo. This is the view Moses would have seen with his mortal eyes of the promised land. “And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against [away from] Jericho. Read more

  • Moses Smote the Rock of Meribah and Water Came Out

    Dennis

    Near the beginning of Israelite’s 40 years of wandering they came to a waterless place near a city called Kadesh. After moaning and complaining to Moses, he was instructed to gather the people around the rock of Meribah (Hebrew meaning: Quarrel, Strife, Contention): “And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and Read more