Some important points

B

B

eersheba is 28 miles South West of Hebron. It is also spelled as Beersheva. During the days of “patriarchs”, the sons of Jacob, this was only a cluster of wells. It is the last watering hole before the Negev desert but the strong Zionists came and changed the desert into a big town, with buildings etc. Prior to that development, the population was only about 3000. After its development the population went up to 1, 13,000. It is a microcosm of Israel.

Beersheba means “the oath of seven” or “the well of the oath”. It was here Abraham and Abimelech the King of Gerar took pledge together. It was called Beersheba as two of them swore an oath. Traditionally Beersheba was not only the Southern boarder to Judah’s territory, but also it was a Southern boarder to the Promised Land. It was the house of Abraham for some time. In the same place both Abraham and his son Isaac made a covenant with Abi

18 melech. Here God appeared to both Isaac and Jacob. From this place, Jacob fled to Haran, to escape from the anger of his brother Esau.

When Jacob was going to live with his son, Joseph, in Egypt, he stopped here for sometime and made sacrifices to “Jehovah”. Finally when Elijah fled from Carmel Mountain to escape from the wicked queen Jezebel, he took shelter in Beersheba. He sat under a jumper tree and prayed to God to take him away as he wanted to die. At that time God sent his angel. The angel came to him two times and fed him .with that strength, Elijah survived for 40 days and 40 nights, and went to Horeb Mountain as God asked him to go.

Some important points

1.Abraham lived here for some time (Genesis 22:19)

2.Abraham made a covenant with Abi melech (Genesis 21:23-34)

3.The lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness of Beersheba

(Genesis 21:9-12)

4.Isaac made a covenant with the philistine king (Gen.26:23-33)

5.Jacob began his journey to Haran at Beersheba (Genesis 28:10)

6.Jacob made sacrifices to Jehovah in Beersheba on his way to

Egypt, to live with his son Joseph. (Genesis 46:1-5)

8.Elijah sat under a jumper tree after he received a threat from the

Queen Jezebel. (I kings 19:1-8)

9.Samuel’s two unworthy sons were judged in Beersheba

(1 Samuel 8:1-3)

st

19

H

7.ISTORY OF JERUSALEM

T

he name ‘Jerusalem’ is in two parts. ‘Jeru’ means house, ‘Salem’ means peace. Jerusalem means ‘the house of peace’. It is also called “Jebus” because a tribe by name Jebusites were living in that city from a long time. Even the Judas could not drive them away and so they lived together in Jerusalem even today.

Jerusalem had some other names

1. The House of Peace

2. Holy City

3. City of God

4. City of David

5. Mountain of the Lord

6. Zion of the Holy One of Israel

7. City of Sunset

Jerusalem is

1. The nerve center of the world geographically (Ezekiel 5:5)

2. The salvation center of the world spiritually. (John 4:22)

3. The story center of the world prophetically (Zach 14:19)

4. The glory center of the world

ultimately (Isaiah 2:15)

The old city Jerusalem had a wall around

and it had eight gates.

1. Jafa gate

2. New gate

3. Damascus gate

(It is also called Shechem gate)

4. Herod’s gate

(It is also called flower gate by Arabs)

5. St. Stephen gate

(Also called the Lion’s gate)

20

6. Golden gate

(Called the Eastern gate)

7. The dung gate

(Arabs called it the gate

of David prophet)

When God created beauty

He created 10 parts of it and

gave 9 parts to Jerusalem.

When God created 10 parts of

knowledge He gave 9 parts of

knowledge to Jerusalem. When God created 10 parts of sufferings He gave 9 parts to Jerusalem. It is the holiest place to Jews, Christians and Muslims after Mecca and Medina.

Israel got independence in May 14, 1948 from the British. Prior to that, it was ruled by many dynasties. It is said sixteen dynasties waged wars and ruled Israel. Jerusalem is first Mentioned in the Bible in (Genesis 14:18) as “Salem”. Melchezidec, the king of Salem (Genesis 14:18) the word Jerusalem is used 600 times in the Old Testament.

There are some important places in and around the city of Jerusalem. They are 1. Mount of Olives, 2. The Mount of Moriah, 3. The Gethsemane garden, and 4. Via Dolorosa.

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES:

This is just East of Jerusalem across the Kedrone valley. It is about 2641 feet above the sea level and it is 318 feet higher than the temple mountain area. There are eight churches on the mountain, built by the people from different countries. And the church of Heliona is one of them. It was built by her son Emperor Constantine in memory of his beloved mother. Its Northern summit is marked by the “Ascension church”, built by the Russian orthodox people.

Its importance

1. It is called the Mount of Olives because the Eastern part of it is full of olive trees.

2. It is called the Mount of Offence (1 Kings 11:4-8)

3. David fled from Absalom’s rebellion (II Samuel 15:20-32)

4. The servant gave provisions to David on this mountain.

(II Samuel 16:1-2)

5. Jesus’ triumphant entry (Mathew 21:1-11)

6 Jesus stayed here for the last week of his ministry (Luke 21:37)

21

7. Jesus wept here for Jerusalem’s future destruction

(Luke 19:41-44)

8. Jesus cursed the fig tree (Mathew 21.18-21)

10. Jesus went to that mountain after eating the last Passover (Mathew 26:30)

11. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to his disciples (Luke 24:49)

12. Jesus ascended to heaven from this mountain (Acts 1:9-11)

13. Jesus will return to this mountain on His Second Coming

(Zach. 14:4)

Eight Different Churches on the Mount of Olives:

People of different countries constructed churches on the Mount of Olives.

They are:

1. In 378 A.D. “The Matron Poemenie” founded “The Church of Ascendancy”. But this church was destroyed by the Persian rulers in 614 A.D.) Later it was renovated by the crusaders. For the second time, it was destroyed by the Muslim rulers and a Mosque was built in its place.

2. The Russian Orthodox people built one church there. Its name was “The Church of Ascendancy’’.

3. The Lutheran “Church of Ascendancy” with the name “Augustus Villa”; was built at the highest part of the mountain.

4. The Greek Orthodox Church people built another church, “Viri Galilee”. It is for the members of Galilee. It is referred to the Messengers of Galilee.

5. “The Church of Peter Noster” (Latin), it means for our father. This was the place where Christ gave the Lord’s Prayer to his disciples.

22

6. “The Church of

Heliona”. This was constructed

by Emperor Constantine in

memory of his mother who

became Saint later. This is also

in memory of Christ and his

preaching to his disciples.

7. “Dominus Flivet” This

Church looks beautiful with its

wonderful structure. It was built

by the people of Franciscan

Church. This Church tells us how

Christ wept for the future

condition of Jerusalem and the

temple.

8. Russian Church of “Mary

Magdalene”. It is built with gold

plated onion shaped domes. It can

be seen from a long distance. “Czar” Alexander IIIrd of Russia built this church in honour of his mother “Maria”. Today it is under the control of Russian Orthodox Nuns”.

MOUNTAIN MORIAH

This place is known to the people from the time of Abraham because he tried to sacrifice his son Isaac on this Mount. Its area is about 35 acres of land.

Its importance

1. Abraham offered his son on this mount (Genesis 22:1-2)

2. David bought the Jebusite threshing floor of Araunah

(II Samuel 24:18-24)

3. Solomon built God’s temple on this mount (Chronicles 3:1-2)

4. The second temple was also built by Zerubbabel on the same foundation

(Ezra 3:8-13, Ezra 4:22-24)

5. Herod the great rebuilt and enlarged the temple in 20 B.C.

6. Jesus was presented at that temple on the 8th day of his birth

(Luke 2:22)

23

7 Jesus came to the temple when he was 12 years old (Luke 2:42)

8. Jesus Christ drove out the money changers (John 2:13-15)

9. Jesus attended the festival of Tabernacle (John 7:10)

(Mathew 21:23)

11. The disciples mentioned, the temple rebuilt by Herod, to Jesus

(Mathew 24:1-2)

12. Peter and John went to the temple to pray (Acts 3:1)

13. The Muslims believed that Muhammad prophet Ascended to heaven from this mountain.

14. The rock on which Abraham tried to sacrifice his son was changed into a mosque.

GETHSEMANE GARDEN

If we want to go to the Mount of Olives

we must go through the garden of Gethsemane.

There had been some graves in between the

two places and those graves have some

importance. According to their belief, Christ on

his second coming would come down to the Mount of Olives. Then he would pass through the Gethsemane garden and enter Jerusalem city through the golden gate and finally go to the judgement hall. So, when Christ would come to the grave yard, all the People might rise from their graves. With that belief all the important Jews and prophets like Haggai and Malachi were buried there.

Christ, before he was arrested from the garden by the Roman soldiers, sat on a rock

24

and prayed to God painfully. So that rock was called the “rock of agony”. On that rock, a church was built latter with the contributions from about 16 countries. It is said that the church is more beautiful than any other church today. The name of the church is called “the Church of all nations” and also “the church of agony”. Later three more churches are built on that area. The latest Church was built in 1924. At present the church is maintained by the Franciscons. In that garden there were eight olive trees at the time of Jesus Christ people had a doubt when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D, he must have cut down the trees also. The trees we see today are the over growth of the trees of Jesus’ time.

Its importance

1. Jesus agonized in prayer in Gethsemane (Mathew 26:36-46)

2. Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Roman Soldiers.

(Mathew 26:47-56)

VIA DOLOROSA

It is also called the way of cross or the way of sorrow. It is a traditional route that Christ carried the cross to the mount Golgotha. It is now located outside the old city. There are fourteen stations on the way and the last four are in the church campus of the church of the holy sepulcher.

The following are the names of incidents that took place in those 14 stations:

1. Jesus was committed to death

2. Jesus took up the cross

3. Jesus fell under the cross

4. Jesus met his mother

5. Cyrene Simon was forced to carry the cross

6. Veronica wiped out the sweat from the face of Jesus

7. Jesus fell down the second time

8. Jesus consoled the women of Jerusalem

9. Jesus fell down the third time

10. Jesus was stripped off his garments

12. Jesus died on the cross

13. Jesus was taken down from the cross.

14. Jesus was laid in the tomb

25

1st Station2nd Station3rd Station4th Station

5th Station6th Station7th Station8th Station

9th Station10th Station11th Station12th Station

Its importance

1. Jesus walked out of the judgement hall

at the beginning of the Via Dolorosa.

(John 19:13)

2. Paul made his speech to the people of

14th Station

Jerusalem at the site of Herod’s fortress.13th Station

As Christ was crucified on Friday, people called it, “Black Friday” for 200 years. Later it became God’s Friday and at present it is called Good Friday. Even today the Franciscan church members go on in a procession on every Friday singing songs in praise of Christ. Some tourists also join the Franciscan church members and go on in the procession to Via Dolorosa.

26

JERICHO

This was called the oldest city built in 7000 B.C. It was here the tax collector Zaccaeus touched by the spirit of Christ and gave half of his property to the poor.

It was also here Barthimeas happened to be cured of his blindness. This city is called the

fragrance city of palms and is

famous for date fruits. There is

Elisha spring we can see it even

today. The Jericho city is located

at the Northern side of the Dead

Sea and at the West coast of the

Jordan River. It is 17 miles from

Jerusalem and about 853 feet

above the sea level.

Its importance

1. It is called the city of

palm trees (Deuteronomy 34:3, Chronicles 28:15)

2. Rahab received the spies into her house. (Joshua 2)

3. Jericho was the first city that Joshua captured.

4. Jericho’s destruction

5. Joshua uttered a curse against all who try to rebuild Jericho (Joshua 6:26)

6. Elisha’s translation (II Kings 24:15)

7. Herod the great built a luxurious palace and made it his winter capital.

8. The mount of temptation can be seen from Jericho

NAZARETH

Today Nazareth is called one of the holiest places. At the time of Christ its population was about 150 people only. It is in two parts today.

The upper Nazareth, where majority of the Israel Jews were residing, and the lower Nazareth, where Israel Christians and Muslims residing together. At present its population is about 70,000. It is in the mid way between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. It was an unimportant village at that time. It was about 1230 feet above the sea level.

Its importance

1. It is the place where the Angel announced the birth of Christ. (Luke 1:26-35)

2.Nathaniel said “can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)

3. Joseph and Mary left here to go to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7)

27

4. Joseph and

Mary came back

from Egypt to live

here after the Death

of King Herod.

(Mat.2:19-23)

5. Jesus spent

his early years here

(Luke 2:51-52)

6.Jesus

preached his first

sermon from here

(Luke 4:16-30)

7 Jesus was

called “the

Nazarene” by his

enemies. (Mathew

21:11)

8. After the sermon and the rejection of him Jesusnever returned to Nazareth.

CAPERNAUM:

It is two and a half miles from where the Jordan River enters the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is called God’s own Town. It is situated along the trade route from Damascus to Mediterranean coast and Egypt. Tolls were collected by the Roman government and it was here Jesus called Mathew.

It was a military center for Romans in Jesus time. The town had about 10000 population at that time.

Its importance

1. Jesus asked peter to pay the tribute money from the mouth of a fish. (Matthew 17:24-27)

28

2. Jesus made his

head quarters here

(Mathew 4:15-16)

3. The centurion’s

servant was healed

(Mathew 8:5-13)

4. Peter’s mother-in-

law was healed here

(Mathew 8:14-15)

5. Greater multi tude

was brought for healing

(Mat. 8:16-17)

6. A man sick of palsy

was healed (Mat. 9:1-8)

7. A woman with an issue of blood was healed (Mathew 9:20-22)

8. Two blind men were healed. (Mathew 9:27-30)

9. Raising of a ruler’s daughter. (Mathew 9:18-19)

10. Healing of the demoniac (Mathew 9:32-34)

11. Capernaum failed to repent so it came under Christ’s Judgement. (Mathew 11:23-24)

13. Jesus “the bread of life” discourse (John 6:24-71)

14. The synagogue of Capernaum was built by a Roman centurion. (Luke 7:1-6)

BETHLEHEM

It was an agricultural village. Emperor Constantine built the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. It was called the holiest city for Christians. In 614 A.D, the Persians invaded and razed all churches. But they spared this church without much damage. Later this church was renovated by Emperor Justinian. In 1333 the Franciscans were permitted to conduct prayers in the church. Then in later years the Church of Nativity and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher were jointly maintained by Franciscans Greeks, and Armenians. The Church of Nativity was built in 335 A.D with 44 columns on either side of the church. It was built on the same cave or “grotto” where the birth of Christ took place.

29

Its importance

1. When Rachel died she was buried here after she gave birth to Benjamin

(Genesis 35:16-18)

2. Ibzan, the tenth judge of Israel was born here (Judges 12:8-12)

3. The story of Ruth is centered in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:4)

4. David was born here.

5. David was anointed as the king of Israel (I Samuel 16:4)

6. David killed a lion and a bear here (I Samuel 17:34)

7. David tamed his father’s sheep here (I Samuel 17:15)

8. David poured out a drink offering here (II Samuel 23:14)

9. Jesus was born here (Luke 2:7)

10. The shepherds worshipped Jesus (Luke 21:5-17)

11. The three wise men Magi, presented Jesus some gifts here (Mathew 2:7-11)

12. King Herod slew innocent baby boys here (Mathew 2:16-18)

30

HEBRON

The original name of Hebron

was “Arba”. Arba was the name

of a great man among the people

of Arkins tribe. The place was

famous for constant wars. There

was a city with that name also

which latter became Hebron.

Hebron is situated at the south west

of Jerusalem. The distance

between Hebron and Jerusalem is

about 19 miles.

Its importance

1. It is also called Kiriath Arba

in ancient times. (Joshua 14:15,

Joshua 20:7)

2. In Arabic language it is

called Elkhalil which means friend

(Isaiah 41:4)

3. Abraham came here to dwell after he was separated from lot (Genesis 13:18)

4. Hebron was built in 1700 B.C, (Numbers 13:20)

5 God appeared to Abraham concerning Isaac’s birth (Genesis 18:1-15)

6. Abraham made intercourse for Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18:16-33)

7. Sarah died at Hebron but she was buried in the cave of Mechpelah. (Genesis 18:33)

After her Abraham Isaac Rebecca Jacob, and Leah were also buried there and it

was known as the tomb of patriarchs

8. Isaac also lived here for some time (Genesis 35:27)

9. Jacob lived here after the death of Rachel (Genesis 37:14)

10. The spies took a branch of grapes and bananas from Kadesh and went back to their

place (Numbers 13:22-23)

11. Joshua captured Hebron when he took the land (Joshua 13:36-37)

12. Caleb received Hebron as an inheritance (Joshua 14:10-15)

14. David was crowned as the king of Judah here (II Samuel 21:4)

15. David reigned here for seven and a half years before he became the king of Jerusalem

(II Samuel 2:11)

16. Absalom head quarters was here after he rebelled against his father David

(II Samuel 15:7-12)

17. The huge Haram sanctuary was built by Herod the great over the cave of Mechpelah

31

WESTERN WALL OR WAILING WALL:

This is Jerusalem’s holiest site and the closest part of the original Structure of God’s temple. The western wall is also called the synagogue of the wall. Every day the Jews will come and pray to God by beating their heads to the wall in devotion. After that they put a letter also in the holes of the wall which is like a message to God.

It is said that the wall is 200 feet long and 90 feet high. The upper part of the wall was built by Ottomans, the middle and the lower part was built by King Herod in his time. King Solomon built this God’s temple in 1057 B.C, the Ark of Covenant or the Ten Commandments were kept in this temple. But they were destroyed by the king of Babylon in 586 B.C. In 440 B.C, people like Zerubbabel tried to rebuild the temple on the same foundations called second temple. The king Herod renovated the temple and expanded it in 20 BC.

THE SEA OF GALILEE:

It is 13 miles long and seven and a half miles wide. It is 700 feet below the sea level and 200 feet deep. The rabbis used to say that Jehovah created seven seas and the Sea of Galilee is a delightful one. Josephus called it “the ambition of Nature”.

32

The Sea of Galilee has five names :

1. Chimerieth (Numbers 34:11, Joshua 12:3)

2. Kimereth

3. Gennesaret (Luke 5:1)

4. Sea of Tiberius (John 6; 1, John 21:1)

5. Sea of Galilee (Mathew 4:18, Mark, 1:16)

The cities surrounding the Lake of Galilee are Magdala, home of Mary Magdalene.

Plain of Gennesaret, Tabgha where Jesus fed 5000 men. Tiberius, Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitude.

Its importance

1. Jesus performs the miracle of the draught of fish (Luke 5:1-11)

2. Jesus stilled the winds and seas (Mathew 8:23-27)

3. Jesus walked on the stormy water to his disciples.

(Mathew 14:22-33)

4. Swines plunged to death after Jesus healed the Demoniac (Mathew 8:28-34)

4. Jesus promised his disciples in Galilee after his resurrection.

33

↑ Back to top