The document summarizes a pilgrimage to various religious sites in Israel related to Jesus and the Bible. It describes visiting Bethlehem and seeing the Church of the Nativity, built over the traditional site of Jesus's birth. It also mentions traveling to Nazareth, Jesus's hometown, and seeing sites along the Sea of Galilee like the Church of the Multiplication. The pilgrimage concludes in Jerusalem, with visits to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre built over Golgotha, and other significant religious locations.

1. A Pilgrimage to Israel A Sacred Story Journey Connie Paul, January, 2010

2. Israel Now and Then

4. Our guide and driver were Palestinians

5. The Life of Jesus

6. Why does our story begin in Bethlehem?

7. Shepherd’s Field Remembers Two Events: First Ruth and Boaz

8. The monument at the entrance to Shepherd’s Field

9. This church commemorates the site of the angels & shepherds

10. Just down the road is Manger Square The Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest in Israel. The Persians didn’t destroy it in the 500’s as they did most others because of the icon of the Wise Men in Persian dress

11. This section is Greek Orthodox

12. Mosaic from the floor of the church of the 500s

13. The ancient walls of the church

14. By Tradition the Place of Jesus’s Birth

15. To the right of the birthplace is the place of the manger

16. The manger may have looked like this one at Megiddo

17. Bethlehem today

18. Our story continues in Nazareth It was Jesus’ hometown Jesus grew up in Nazareth which was insignificant at the time It is now the “Arab capital of Israel”

19. A village from Jesus’s time has been recreated

20. Nazareth today from the village

21. Jesus’s first miracle was at Cana. This church remembers it.

22. Some of the group re-enacted their marriage vows

23. To the Sea of Galilee

24. We hear the story of the calling of Peter and Andrew at the seaside

25. A boat from Jesus’ time—found in the mud

26. The Sea is clear and lovely

27. The Site of the Sermon on the Mount

28. The Church of the Beatitudes

29. We heard the whole sermon here

30. The Church of Multiplication (Feeding the 5000)

31. Nearby is the church remembering Peter

32. “ And thou art Peter and on this rock…”

33. Capernaum

34. Jesus really did walk here

35. The synagogue where Jesus taught

36. Hearing the story in the synagogue

37. The church is built over the ruins

38. The floor of the church looks down on the ruins of Peter’s mother-in-laws house

39. An ancient olive press

40. The ancient mosaic floor

41. Hearing Capernaum’s history

42. By tradition Zaccheus climbed into this tree

43. Sailing on the Sea of Galilee We saw the shore from a boat on the Sea

44. The Jordan, where Jesus was baptised, and one of our group was, too.

45. The tomb of Lazarus in Bethany

46. The bottom of Lazarus’ tomb

47. The church of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

48. Jerusalem the Golden

49. Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

50. The pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem

51. On the path to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday

52. The Garden of Gethsemene, an olive grove

53. Caiphus’s house where Peter denied Jesus at the crowing of the cock

54. The Via Dolorosa, a place of pilgrimage

55. Station VII

56. The site of Golgotha in the Church of the Holy Sepulchure

57. Stone of Preparation* *from Internet

58. Behind the window of the church is the location of the crucifixion

59. The Garden Tomb

60. Other wonderful places we visited

61. The Western Wall, the holiest site for Jews

62. The wall of the temple closest to the Holy of Holies

63. The model of the temple at the Israel Museum showing the courtyard of the Gentiles

64. The Dome of the Rock

65. The tunnel led to the water source—now it’s one way to get in

66. Coming out of the tunnel

67. Climbing to the tel

68. The tel of Megiddo

69. The excavation is to King Ahab’s time Horse

70. Megiddo looks down on the plains of Armegeddon

71. Where the Dead Sea scrolls were found

72. The museum has recreated how the scrolls looked when they were found.

73. The Springs of En Gedi

74. Going to swim in the Dead Sea

75. People liked swimming

76. You can pay for the mud in the shop or get it yourself

77. Masada

78. The model of Herod’s Masada

79. The baths retain some of their color

80. Touring the top of the mountain

81. The room where the lots were cast

82. The pilgrims at Beit She’an