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 4th 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.
Diocese of Marbel Pilgrimage 