May/June 2014

Touring Israel

An exciting tour of Israel’s major cities and ancient biblical sites


This issue will transport you to places like Caesarea Maritime, where many of the events in the book of Acts took place; the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calmed a raging storm; the Western Wall, Israel’s holiest site; the Dead Sea; Jerusalem’s Old City; and much more. “Touring Israel” will whet your appetite to visit the land of God’s Chosen People and the places where the Messiah lived and ministered.

Features

New-Wave Anti-Semitism

“Let’s burn the Jew!” No, the words were not taken from the yellowed pages of a Nazi manual on the mass genocide of innocent people. They were shouted in a...

Caesarea Maritime

Caesarea is located on the Mediterranean coast between Haifa and Tel Aviv and was originally a Phoenician trading post called Strato’s Tower (c. 250 BC). In 25 BC...

The Sea of Galilee Part One

Rabbis have said that Jehovah created seven seas, but the Sea of Galilee is His delight. Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, called it “the ambition of Nature.”

The Sea of Galilee Part Two

On one of my early trips to Israel, I stood one blustery evening on the pier of Kibbutz Nof Ginosar on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee and watched as whitecaps...

Jerusalem’s Old City

Though I’ve lived in Jerusalem almost 17 years, sometimes I still find the place bewildering. People who don’t live here probably think primarily of the Old City and its...

The Western Wall

Many people journey to Israel as pilgrims to visit the only place the Lord calls the “Holy Land” (Zech. 2:12). Others go there to see the reality of the Zionist dream birthed...


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More In This Issue

Inside View May/Jun 2014

Life is filled with questions. Questions help us focus on a subject and motivate us to seek answers. Many questions are simple; others can be complex. Arguably, the...

Map of the Middle East.

Eye on the Middle East May/Jun 2014

Sometimes it boggles the mind to see who some of the people are who withhold support from the State of Israel. The controversy is starting to die down now, but New York City Mayor...

Silhouette of man speaking.

Give More, Get War

Under threat of international isolation and more boycott and divestment scenarios, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, “Enough.” His declaration of...

Banias

Banias, or Panias in Greek, is situated near the ancient remains of Caesarea Philippi at the base of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights in northern Israel. In the...

They Cry in Silence May/Jun 2014

Muslim herdsmen wielding guns and machetes attacked three villages in Kaduna state in March, killing more than 100 Christians and destroying homes. The attack came...

Telling Tales

Everyone loves a good story. Today, perhaps the most powerful storytelling takes place on the silver screen. And 2014 looks as if Hollywood is casting its attention...

Capernaum

Blue skies mirrored in the waters of the Sea of Galilee, the gentle breeze, the aroma of exotic vegetation under the hot sun, the dusty basalt and limestone ruins, the...

Mount Carmel

When most Jewish people hear the name Mount Carmel (“Vineyard of God”), they think of the wine used to celebrate Jewish holy days. The triangular-shaped, wooded...

The Dead Sea

The name Dead Sea does not appear in the Bible. Biblically, the body of water is called the “Salt Sea” (Gen. 14:3), “Sea of the Arabah” (Dt. 3:17; 4:49), and “eastern...

The Garden Tomb

North of the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City is a peaceful burial cave called the Garden Tomb. A peasant first discovered it in 1867. In 1874 a German missionary...

What and Where Is East Jerusalem?

When we bring visitors to the Sherover-Haas Promenade in our Talpiot neighborhood, with its magnificent vista of the old and new Jerusalem skyline, they often ask...

Joppa, Down by the Sea

Jaffa is the modern name for Joppa, which was and still is a major sea-port on the Mediterranean. God gave the region to the tribe of Dan (Josh. 19:40–46). The timbers...

Masada

Masada is spectacular. It’s a mighty fortress on a massive rock plateau. The mountain is about 1,500 feet above the shores of the Dead Sea. The fortification is about...

The Temple Tunnel

Above ground the Western Wall, or Kotel, measures around 187 feet long. But it actually runs another 1,350 feet underground, beneath homes in Old City Jerusalem. For centuries...

Valley of Jezreel

Standing atop the plateau of Tel Megiddo, the Valley of Jezreel (Megiddo Valley) stretches out like a verdant patchwork of farms, kibbutzim, and moshavim. Lying to the...

The Mount of Olives

One of the most spectacular places to visit in Israel is the Mount of Olives. The view from this elevation is breathtaking, and people gaze in awe at the Eastern Gate and...

Behold God’s Love

1 John 3:1–3: God’s redemptive program began with His love for fallen humanity. Those who have been “born of Him” (1 Jn. 2:29) by faith in Jesus Christ manifest this...

The Wisdom of God Part One

Webster’s New International Dictionary defines wise as “discerning and judging soundly concerning what is true or false, proper or improper.” It defines wisdom as the...

Israel in the News May/Jun 2014

The U.S. State Department is rejecting nearly one out of 10 Israelis who apply for tourist visas to the United States. “This is more than a threefold rise in visa rejections...

Apples of Gold May/Jun 2014

A 45-year-old man who came to Israel from Hungary some years ago would visit our home frequently. He lived nearby, and his children played with our children. However...

Web Exclusives

Assault at Gethsemane

After eating His last supper, Jesus and His disciples crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a familiar garden of olive trees known as Gethsemane. Called in Hebrew Gat Shemanim...

Daily News from Israel

News Digest — 5/19/25

The Israeli Air Force launched a series of extensive strikes in Khan Younis Monday morning (19th), according to reports from Gaza...

News Digest — 5/16/25

The IDF struck Hamas targets in Gaza overnight on Thursday (15th) and into the early morning hours on Friday (16th)...

News Digest — 5/15/25

Israeli politicians reacted to the terrorist attack that killed Tzeela Gez on her way to give birth to her fourth child on Wednesday night...

News Digest — 5/14/25

Sirens sounded Wednesday morning (14th) across central Israel, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea region...

Israel’s Complicated Reaction to Hostage Release

Edan Alexander, the last living Israeli-American that Hamas held captive...

Israel at War: Week 83

The news has reported the freeing of American hostage Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity after 584 days...

News Digest — 5/13/25

The IDF early Tuesday morning (13th) precisely struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating from within a compound...

News Digest — 5/12/25

Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, 21, is set to be released from Gaza captivity, Hamas said on Sunday...

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