Here is a look at some biblical places in and around Israel. We have already seen the Temple Mount in the posting on this blog, "Esau And The Temple Mount" and "The Tomb Of The Patriarchs", so I won't cover those here. The scenes are either of ruins, or what the sites look like today.
Jericho, due to it's water supply, has been a settlement since prehistoric times. It is referred to, in the Bible, as the "City of Palm Trees". Jericho was the first Canaanite city that was captured by the Israelites, after they had been freed from Egypt and were making their way into the promised land. Jericho is not far from Jerusalem, but has a different climate due to it's much lower land elevation. The following scenes are of Jericho today.
There are multiple scenes following. To see the scenes, after the first one, you must first click the up arrow, ^, before you can move on to the next scene by clicking the right or forward arrow, >. After clicking the up arrow, you can then hide the previews of successive scenes, if you wish.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.8581396,35.4578181,3a,75y,1h,80t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMbpeqN8efbYP9IME_Uis7FEKgWtjH9WF6kxMk3!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMbpeqN8efbYP9IME_Uis7FEKgWtjH9WF6kxMk3%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-10.949902-ya1.5-ro-0-fo100!7i5660!8i2830Early in the history of Israel, the Bible tells us that Jacob dug a well. A church has since been built over the well. The following scenes begin inside Jacob's Well Church at Tel Balata, which is believed to be the biblical city of Shechem, which is near the present West Bank city of Nablus. Shechem is a very important city in the Old Testament, and was the first capital of Israel after the country had split into Judah and Israel after the death of Solomon. Some people believe that the city referred to in the New Testament as Sychar is the same city as Shechem, because the two are in about the same place.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.2098341,35.2851343,3a,75y,84h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipP7Wr-46rqCrVq9Lm84V5FFrndnatYBK5DPKA2K!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipP7Wr-46rqCrVq9Lm84V5FFrndnatYBK5DPKA2K%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0.96354216-ya82.68229-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352The following scenes are of the remnants of Shiloh. This was the Israelite worship center in the central highlands. Shiloh was a predecessor to the temple that was later built by King Solomon. It is where the story of Samuel and Eli takes place. Samuel was raised in Shiloh. It was destroyed in an attack by the Philistines, about 1050 B.C. This was before King David established Jerusalem as the capital, and when a new religious center was built it was the Temple that was built there. This is why Shiloh was never rebuilt, it was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.055804,35.289828,3a,75y,137.88h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOoQyFwDsfC3m2W_mzmLEKyAdfZov_EvihhmwAM!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOoQyFwDsfC3m2W_mzmLEKyAdfZov_EvihhmwAM%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya6.535701-ro-0-fo100!7i8192!8i4096This is the Valley of Elah, where the confrontation between David and the Philistine warrior Goliath took place.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.6882277,34.9495982,3a,75y,130.5h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipN7dClBRq6hhdHF7WGQy4AkS4MJ0SE3sekIK7cs!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipN7dClBRq6hhdHF7WGQy4AkS4MJ0SE3sekIK7cs%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya193.10532-ro0-fo100!7i7680!8i3840Khan Yunis in Gaza, as seen today, is former Philistine territory along the coast. The area is still called "Palestine", after the Philistines. The name was given by the ancient Greeks. The Philistines were actually five independent city-states, which worked together. These were Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and, Gath. The first three are still there, as modern cities, Gaza as a Palestinian city, Ashkelon and Ashdod as Israeli cities.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Yunis#/media/File%3AKhan_Yunis_panorama.jpgDoes anyone remember Yasir Arafat International Airport? It was established in Gaza, as a symbol of peace, in 1998. Bill Clinton arrived for the opening ceremony. But it lasted less then two years before it was incapacitated by conflict. The remains of the runway can still be seen. But remember that this is where the Philistines and Israelites lived, and did battle with one another. The Philistines are not related to the modern Palestinians, but the heritage of conflict there lives on.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.2435783,34.2817169,5190m/data=!3m1!1e3The following scenes are of Mount Carmel, for which so many churches are named. This is where the miracle contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal took place. God caused Elijah's sacrifice to miraculously burst into flame, even though it was soaking wet.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Carmel#/media/File%3ACaiobadner_-_mount_carmel.JPGMegiddo is a site in northern Israel that has been settled for a very long time. In the Old Testament, this is where King Josiah of Judah tried to stop Egyptian Pharaoh Necho from passing through his territory. Necho tried to explain that he had nothing against Judah, and was on his way to help the Assyrians against Babylon. But Josiah insisted on stopping him, and was killed in the resulting confrontation. Necho took Josiah's oldest son as a prisoner to Egypt, where he died. He installed another son on the throne of Judah, and changed his name to Jehoiakim.
It was the death of the great king Josiah which seems to have led to the destruction of the Temple, and exile in Babylon. Assyria didn't last much longer and Babylon proved to be the new great power, although it never actually conquered Egypt. Jehoiakim's attempt to switch allegiance to Egypt which brought about a Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, and the subsequent destruction of the Temple and exile.
Armageddon is actually named for Megiddo. It is adjacent to the broad Jezreel Valley, where a major battle will take place during the Last Days of the world, just prior to the return of Jesus. The following scenes are of Megiddo.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.5851856,35.1844932,3a,75y,132.68h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipO5J_Oxy5NPWuL33X6URaLM0J5Rt5NmArhViNy_!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipO5J_Oxy5NPWuL33X6URaLM0J5Rt5NmArhViNy_%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya317.57886-ro0-fo100!7i6758!8i3378When the Assyrians took the "Ten Lost Tribes" of Israelites into exile, scattering them around the Assyrian Empire, they brought in other people and settled them in their place. These settlers intermixed with the remaining Israelites, and by the time of Jesus were known as Samaritans, and the region as Samaria. There are still Samaritans today. They consider themselves as having the true Jewish religion, that was not contaminated by the later exile in Babylon. One difference is that Samaritans consider Mount Gerizim as sacred, rather than the Temple Mount. They believe that "Mount Moriah", that is referred to in the scriptures, is Mount Gerizim and not the hill on which the first two Jewish temples were built and around which the Temple Mount is now constructed.
Mount Gerizim is near Jacob's Well, that we saw above. That is where, in the Gospel of John Chapter 4, Jesus has his discussion with the Samaritan woman who came to draw water. The following scenes are of Mount Gerizim.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.2005556,35.2733333,3a,75y,1h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPAAodI7hWVLqA-5SMoz4Lt2B7UFJuGN3wQ-i7U!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPAAodI7hWVLqA-5SMoz4Lt2B7UFJuGN3wQ-i7U%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya21.500013-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352There was an ascetic Jewish sect, in the time before Jesus, called the Essenes. They had a settlement in the desert, well away from Jerusalem which they considered as a hotbed of sin, called Qumran. The Essenes copied the scriptures, using ink made of powdered charcoal. They stored scrolled manuscripts in clay jars, and hid them in caves. The story is that, in 1946, a shepherd boy threw a stone which landed inside a cave, and he heard pottery breaking. This led to the discovery of what is known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are early copies of the Hebrew Bible. Here are some scenes around Qumran today.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.7412663,35.4589996,3a,75y,100.09h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipM9OcKmOaytdKDQeFX8w8oE9fTcKFth3ujiwj_j!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipM9OcKmOaytdKDQeFX8w8oE9fTcKFth3ujiwj_j%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0.050001476-ya101.8162-ro-1.2155193-fo100!7i5376!8i2688Masada is the high mesa where King Herod built a fortification. It is better known as the site where a large number of people sought shelter during the Jewish uprising against Roman rule. The Romans finally succeeded in getting to the top of Masada, but they won a pyrrhic victory. 960 people atop Masada chose to die by suicide rather than submit to the Romans. Isn't it something how history repeats itself? The same event would happen in 1978, at Jonestown, with almost exactly the same number of people.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.3173427,35.3579801,2a,75y,263h,94t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s8vY143t1yk4AAAQYVf2ipQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D8vY143t1yk4AAAQYVf2ipQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D263.40625%26pitch%3D4.979166%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656Caesarea, built by the same King Herod who also built the Temple Mount, was the Roman capital of Palestine. Here is a look at it today.
https://www.google.com/maps/@32.501758,34.8922126,3a,75y,95.89h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPbCOyeM5Pn3YlgEdSdHMPu52ZgVzkzUD1DYGyO!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPbCOyeM5Pn3YlgEdSdHMPu52ZgVzkzUD1DYGyO%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya317.9713-ro-0-fo100!7i10240!8i5120This is believed to be Jesus' Baptismal Site on Jordan River. This is where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.8369216,35.5461109,3a,75y,126.92h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipOxsONxO4kKxnX5753p4alxOBVxI5OsY24iwwxk!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipOxsONxO4kKxnX5753p4alxOBVxI5OsY24iwwxk%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya138.48843-ro0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352The following scenes are of the ruins of Hisham's Palace in Jericho. This palace was not there in biblical times. It was built by the Umayyads, which were the first major caliphate of Islam that lasted for a long time. The Umayyads were great builders, and we have seen their mosques and palaces before on this blog. The Umayyads built the two mosques on the Temple Mount, Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock, the Mosque of Damascus, and they also once had a palace on the south side of the Temple Mount. The Umayyads also began the famed Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba, in Spain.
https://www.google.com/maps/@31.8826581,35.4597761,3a,75y,214h,88t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipN3kIC3nyM8ng7xMcnO1eq5VYjaR2KEFteBOSxk!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipN3kIC3nyM8ng7xMcnO1eq5VYjaR2KEFteBOSxk%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-2.9999962-ya46.499996-ro-0-fo100!7i10240!8i5120In the far north of Israel, not too far from Nazareth where Jesus grew up, is the city of Acre. It is sometimes spelled as Acco, with Acre being the English name of it. Acre is built around one of the few good natural harbors on the coast of Israel, and it's history goes far back into ancient times. Acre has been a part of the usual parade of empires that have conquered through these parts. But what it is best known for is it's role in the era of the Crusades. The attempts to regain the Holy Land from the Moslems were ultimately unsuccessful, and Acre ended up as the final stronghold of the Crusaders. It was the headquarters of orders of knights that protected and assisted pilgrims to the Holy Land. It was later destroyed by the Mamluk rulers of Egypt. We can see that it was later ruled by the Ottomans because there is a mosque, with a green roof, that is built in the same form as the Hagia Sophia, which effectively says "The Ottomans Were Here".
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acre_Israel#/media/File%3AAcre_201016_Port_03.jpgThe ruins of the city of Ugarit are not in Israel, but in northern Syria. It is thus not a part of the Holy Land. But I thought I would include it because it was a great and important city. Ugarit is believed to have been destroyed by the mysterious "Sea Peoples", who arrived in the Levant, as the eastern shore of the Mediterranean is known, about 1200 B.C. This seems to have been from where the Philistines came. The following scenes are of the ruins of Ugarit.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.6021271,35.7850361,3a,75y,116.04h,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipMjnrtb3gL9ykABUG3E1wVXVNT7jsVTA0CpGE0y!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMjnrtb3gL9ykABUG3E1wVXVNT7jsVTA0CpGE0y%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya105.80365-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352
