Tag: Israel
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Garden of Gethsemane
On the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron (a.k.a. Cedron) brook, are the remains of very ancient olive trees. Hebrew University botanists date the trees to be between 1,800 and 2,300 years old. The only way to be sure would be to cut one down and count the rings, which is an horrific idea. Josephus… Read more
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Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
As we approach Easter it is only fitting to review the sites associated with the last week of Jesus’ life (Holy Week). First I will discuss the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Revered as the holiest site by all orthodox Christian religions (i.e. Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac, and Ethiopian… Read more
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Pool of Bethesda at Jerusalem
“Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called … Bethesda, having five porches.” John 5:2. Formerly, many scholars felt that a pool having 5 porches, or porticoes, must have been inaccurate. However, archaeological excavations in 1964 revealed the the Pool of Bethesda consisted of two pools separated by a… Read more
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“A City That is Set On an Hill Cannot Be Hid”
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14. In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord gives a comparison that provides an insight to his listeners. Just as a city on a hill is obvious, so our actions and demeanors are clear to… Read more
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Magdala, Mary Magdalene’s Home Town
Magdala, Migdal in Hebrew and Taricheae in Greek, lies on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee just north of Tiberias. It is possibly the same town called Dalmanutha in Mark chapter 8. During the time of Christ, Magdala was the center for drying, salting, and exporting to the Roman empire fish caught in… Read more
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Masada, a Fortress and Palace in the Desert
Masada, a Fortress and Palace in the Desert Introduction. Masada is a plateau in the Judean desert near the Dead Sea (seen in upper left corner of photo). The plateau is 1,476 feet (450 meters) above the Dead Sea and is a little over 48 acres in size (2,097,388 square feet or 144,900 square meters).… Read more
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Gideon Chooses 300 Warriors to Defeat the Midianite Hordes
The Spring of Gideon, called the Spring of Herod in the Old Testament, still flows out of a cave at the foot of the Gilboa Mountains as it did in Gideon’s time (around 1400-1300 BC). As recounted in the Judges chapter 7 (Gideon’s full story is in Judges 6:11-8:35). Gideon had previously sent emissaries throughout… Read more
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The 3 Temptations of Christ
The three temptations of Christ that occurred at the beginning of His ministry are described in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13. The word ‘tempt’ means to try, test, or prove. To seduce or lead toward evil. And to provoke to anger. I personally believe the the Lord was continually tempted in a covert… Read more
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The Temple Mount of Jerusalem
Solomon’s Temple and then Herod’s Temple were built on Mount Moriah. The prophesied future Temple will also be built on Mount Moriah (see Malachi 3:1; and Ezekiel 37: 26-27, 47: 1; Isaiah 2: 2-3; and Revelation 11: 1). The name Moriah is a contraction of “mor” meaning to see, and “iah/jah” meaning Jehovah. Thus the… Read more
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Capernaum “His own city”
Capernaum (meaning Village of Nahum) is referred to as “His own city” in Matthew 9: 1. It was His home during His ministry. At the time of Christ, it was the largest city on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The district of Capernaum was perhaps the most populated in all of Israel. Because… Read more