Old Testament Sites in the Holy Land

 

Many of the stories recounted in the Old Testament are located within Egypt, Sinai and the “Land of Canaan”, which corresponds roughly to present-day Israel. The Bible gives plenty of precise geographical references. Some places, such as Jerusalem and Jericho, still exist and have yielded archaeological evidence confirming some, but by no means all, of the references to them in the Old Testament. Other sites were only attached to their biblical episodes much later. Touring these sites, the visitor cannot but be aware of the contrast between the importance of the events and the often insignificant and all-too-human scale of the places in which they are said to have occurred.

 

1 The Destruction of Sodom

When Sodom was destroyed by God only Lot and his family were spared, but his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.

 

2 The Sacrifice of Isaac

 God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The Patriarch was about to obey, when an angel stayed his hand and instructed him to slaughter a ram instead. Tradition identifies the place of sacrifice as Mount Moriah, later a part of Jerusalem, and the site on which Solomon’s Temple is said to have been subsequently built.

 

3 The Tombs of the Patriarchs

 Acquired for the burial place of his wife Sarah, the Machpelah Cave was the first plot in the land of Canaan purchased by Abraham (Genesis 23). A mosque/synagogue now occupies the traditional site of the tomb, located in the present-day town of Hebron.

 

4 Moses Receives the Ten Commandments

 Since the 4^th century, Mount Sinai has been associated with the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20). The Bible places Sinai in a region called Horeb, but the location of  Horeb has never been identified.

 

5 The Death of Moses

Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land from the summit of Mt Nebo and died on the same place. As being just southwest of modern-day Amman. As the Bible states, the whereabouts of Moses’ tomb is unknown.

 

6 Joshua Conquers Jericho

The Old Testament story tells How the walls of Jericho. Fell to the blast of horn (Joshua 6).  The ancient Oasis was the first city conquered by the Israelites, led by Joshua,  after they emerged from their 40 years in the wilderness.

 

7 The Ark of the Covenant

At Shiloh the Jews built the first temple and placed in it the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred container of the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark is shown here in a 13thcentury illumination being carried by two angels.

 

8 Samson and Delilah

 The climax of this story, in which Samson pulls down the Philistines’ temple, killing himself and his enemies, is described as taking place in Gaza (Judges 14 –16).

 

9 David Defeats Goliath

As the champion of the Israelites during the reign of King Saul, David defeated Goliath and routed the Philistines (1 Samuel 17). The site of the battle is given as the Ha-Ela Valley, northwest of Hebron.

 

10 Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

Elijah challenged the prophets of the Canaanite God Baal. An altar was set up and sacrifices prepared. Only Elijah’s offerings burst into flames, showing it has been acknowledged and proving who the true God was (1 Kings 18). The traditional site of this event is Mount Carmel at Haifa.

Western Jordan

The rock-cut, secret city of Petra

• Roman ruins at Jerash
• The rock-cut, secret city of Petra
• Wadi Rum’s desert landscapes

 Jordan’s capital, Amman,  boasts some Roman ruins of its own, but it also makes a good base for a day trip to the even more  impressive ruins at Jerash. This is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Middle East, with an almost complete theatre that is still used during the annual Jerash Festival. South of Amman, the town of Madaba is worth visiting for its unique Byzantine-era mosaic map.However, the real reason that most people visit Jordan lies farther south still: Petra. The legendary “Rose City” is one of the most spectacular of archaeological sites, and ranks alongside the likes of India’s Taj Mahal and the Pyramids of Egypt as one of the world’s must-see sights. It is possible to see the highlights in one day but there is so much to see that Petra rewards repeated visits. Make sure to allow time for Wadi Rum, with its wide landscapes of red sands and towering mountains of wind-eroded sandstone.

The Dead Sea and the Negeb Desert

• Float on the Dead Sea
• Waterfalls and wildlife at Ein Gedi
• The legendary fortress of Masada

Floating on the highly saline waters of the Dead Sea, reading a book, is the oddest of sensations, and one every visitor should experience for themselves. Most people choose to go to Ein Gedi, where there is a wide beach popular with bathers, and showers to remove the water’s filmy residue. Ein Gedi is also home to a national park  with lush vegetation, twin gorges, waterfalls and abundant wildlife. Further south is Masada, a mountain-top fortress constructed by King Herod but famous for the Jewish defenders who killed themselves rather than be captured by the Romans.