The Middle East – The Intentional Travelers

Todays Image • Bethlehem

The Shrine of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of Christianity’s most important sites visited by millions of Christians each year.

Todays Image • Street Patrol Tel Aviv

In Israel Everyone Must Serve Traveling in Israel you see them everywhere. Mostly groups of five or six young people patrolling in uniform, carrying military rifles. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) is the military of Israel and is responsible for defending the country against external threats as well as maintaining internal security. All able bodiedContinue reading “Todays Image • Street Patrol Tel Aviv”

The Ancient City Of Ephesus

After Istanbul, Ephesus is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey and it probably has been for over two thousand years. Today it is the site of an ancient port city with well-preserved archaeological areas. Two thousand five hundred years ago this city was considered the greatest of the Greek cities and theContinue reading “The Ancient City Of Ephesus”

Selected Images • The Bahá’í Gardens

The garden pictured here are only two terraces of a total of nineteen in the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa. These Gardens, located in the center of Haifa, are made up of a total of nineteen terraces extending all the way down the slope of Mount Carmel. The golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith, standsContinue reading “Selected Images • The Bahá’í Gardens”

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Without question the holiest site in all of Christendom is located in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. It represents the location where Jesus was crucified and where his body was laid to rest. Today there is a high level of certainty that the location has been actually identified. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre TheContinue reading “The Church of the Holy Sepulchre”

Todays Poster, Jerusalem

The golden Dome of the Rock Mosque stands above the old wall of the ancient city of Jerusalem. In no other place on Earth is there a larger concentration of religious sights while at the same time being claimed by three separate major religions. Call it a bucket list or a pilgrimage Jerusalem should beContinue reading “Todays Poster, Jerusalem”

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Visiting Israel’s Ports Of Call

Visiting The Cruise Ports Of Call In Israel There are 116 miles of Mediterranean coast in western Israel stretching from Lebanon in the north to the Gaza Strip in the south. The two major ports of call for cruise ships are Ashdod just north of Gaza and Haifa another 70 miles north. Ashdod is withinContinue reading “Visiting Israel’s Ports Of Call”

A Ladder Sits At A Church Window

A Ladder At The Church of the Holy Sepulchre Located in the northwest quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem is a church erected on the most sacred site in Christianity. It sits against a hill known as Calvary or Golgotha where Jesus was crucified. Within the church dating back to the forth century isContinue reading “A Ladder Sits At A Church Window”

Highlights Of A Day In Jerusalem

Looking for Jesus in Jerusalem Gethsemane, a garden across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives, a mile-long ridge paralleling eastern Jerusalem, where Jesus is said to have prayed on the night of his arrest before his Crucifixion. Though the exact location of Gethsemane cannot be confirmed, Armenian, Greek, Latin, and Russian churches haveContinue reading “Highlights Of A Day In Jerusalem”