Past and Present: A Trip to the Holy Land

The Holy Land: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth… like millions people all over the world, I grew up on stories from this part of the world. The place names are so ingrained in my childhood that they seem like part of some far-off magical kingdom, rather than being real places. But real places they are, and in October 2019 I was luckily enough to actually visit them.

For years I thought that it would be impossible, as modern politics has divided the region. However, once there I never felt unsafe at all (after all, thousands of people go about their day-to-day lives in the region). Nevertheless, if you are not familiar with the area I would recommend visiting with a well-established tour group (which is what we did), partly for safely but also because there are so many architectural and historical gems that we would never have understood what we were looking at without a savvy lecturer! To help inspire your visit, here’s a list of some of the places we got to see :

Bethlehem

“O Little Town of Bethlehem…”. Growing up, Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and home town of King David, featured in so many Christmas carols that I knew the name waaaaay before actually understanding the significance (or realising it was a real place!). So when we arrived in Bethlehem it felt very surreal to actually be there. It’s also not actually that little, with a population of around 25,000 people. Here you can find the Church of the Nativity, one of the oldest churches in the world. It is said to be built on the place where Jesus was born, marked by a 14-pointed star set in the ground.

Mar Saba

Leaving Bethlehem, a drive into the Judaean desert will take you to the Greek Orthodox monastery of Mar Saba, nestled in a gorge with sweeping views of the desolate landscape of the Kidron Valley around. The buildings are so camouflaged that it would be easy to miss them from a distance. This ancient monastery is still inhabited by monks, who maintain many of the ancient traditions.

Jericho

Drive to the desert oasis of Jericho and you’ll notice that the air changes from dry to humid, and where the landscape was once arid you’ll suddenly be surrounded by shady palms (Jericho is known locally as the “City of Palms”. There is a lot of history on offer here, in what is said to be one of the world’s oldest cities at an incredible 10,000 years old!

Here you can see Hisham’s Palace, an incredibly well-preserved archeological site dating back to the 8th century, and home to the famous “tree of life” mosaic (unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the mosaic). Not far from Jericho you’ll also find Nabi Musa, the tomb of Moses according to the Muslim tradition.

Monastery of Temptation

Not far from Jericho, this ancient monastery is cut right into the rocks of the Mount of Temptation, the biblical setting for Jesus’ temptation by the devil. Accessible by cable car (which wins a world record for being the only cable car technically 223 metres below sea level) visiting the monastery is not for the faint-hearted! Inside you’ll find a beautiful tranquil chapel in the Greek Orthodox style. You’ll also get a beautiful view of Jericho and the Jordan Valley.

Jerusalem

Last but not least we have Jerusalem, a busy bustling city that would take years to fully explore as it is so redolent with centuries of history. The city is not always safe to visit, so keep an eye on what’s going on in the news before visiting. The city is full of historically and religiously significant sites such as:

Church of All Nations: The birthplace of St. John the Baptist.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Said to be the site of the crucifixion of Christ.
The Church of Mary Magdalene: A Russian Orthodox church to the Virgin Mary situated on the Mount of Olives, near the Garden of Gethsemane.
Church of St. John the Baptist: Where Jesus is said to have said his last prayers before Judas betrayed him.
Mount of Olives: visible from Jerusalem’s old town area.
The Temple Mount, a sacred hill topped by the Dome of the Rock: A stunning blue-tiled octagonal mosque known for being the most beautiful example of Islamic architecture in the world.
The Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall), an important Jewish site of worship.

This list is not exhaustive as it would take forever to cover all the things there are to see and do in Jerusalem! One thing’s for sure however, you definitely won’t be bored there! Jerusalem is also a foodie paradise where you can gorge yourself on pittas, hummus and falafel accompanied by freshly made pomegranate juice or a glass of steaming mint tea.

Some more snaps to inspire your visit…

How to visit

We visited the Holy Land with Martin Randall Travel. They are a tour company specialising in once-in-a-lifetime trips where they really dig down into the historical and cultural detail (their trips include regular lectures and discussions). For further information see their website here.

Liked this article? See my other posts about the Holy Land here.