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In general terms, the phrase “Holy Land” often refers to the Land of Israel, and primarily concerns the areas and cities of rich religious significance to any or all three of the Abrahamic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. If one considers the singular etymology of the words “holy” and “land,” he will find they are of the simplest connotations. Conceptually, however, when fused, the expression maintains a sounding solemnity of the deepest regard for Christians of all denominations. As documented in the New Testament, the Holyland is fundamental to the Christian religion, as it is the believed place of birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah to Christianity.
The small town of Bethlehem lies in the “hill country” of Judah, just six miles south of Jerusalem. It was in Bethlehem that the birth of Christ was expected, not only because of the Messianic prophecy, but also because it connected Jesus with David (the second King of Israel), as the Old Testament Prophets believed the Messiah would come from the House of David. According to the Christian tradition, it is believed that Jesus was born in a grotto (Holy Crypt), and today, the alleged site is marked by the Church of Nativity, built by Emperor Constantine I in 330 A.D. And though the town of Bethlehem is deeply important for Christians, it was in Nazareth and Jerusalem that many of the most significant events in Jesus' life took place.
Deriving its name from the word Nazara, meaning “truth”—as documented in the apocryphal Gospel of Phillip—the village of Nazareth is the assumed place where Jesus grew from infancy to early manhood. It was here that Mary, the mother of Jesus, received the Annunciation by the Archangel Gabriel, informing her that she would conceive the Son of God. The central sources of information documenting Jesus' life and teachings are the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with those of Matthew and Luke being the most detailed accounts. Interestingly, even among Christian scholars, there is considerable debate concerning the specific dates of Jesus' birth and death, as only a select few claim to know the exact year and date of both. In a literal sense, such exactions of fact can only be hypothesized, as it is difficult to gauge the historical accuracy of the known Biblical writings today. Chronologically, however, the life and teachings of Jesus (as told in the Gospels) can be drawn as follows: Nativity and early life, Baptism and Temptation, Ministry; Arrest, Trial and Death, and Resurrection and Ascension. And, since the narratives of Jesus' birth, early life, baptism, and temptation have been previously well-versed, we at Classic Pilgrimages feel it is essentially keeping with our spiritual journeys to highlight the specific events that followed the devil's failed attempts to expose the Son of God.
During Jesus' time as Messiah, the Gospels state that Jesus was sent to “give his life as a ransom for the many” and “[to] preach the good news of the Kingdom of God.” It is believed by Christians that over the course of his ministry, Jesus performed many miracles, acts otherwise incapable by mortals. Such acts included exorcisms, physical healings, walking on water at the Sea of Galilee, turning water into wine in the ancient city of Akko, Cana, and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. At the height of His ministry, Jesus captivated crowds numbering thousands in the areas known today as modern-day Israel and Jordan. It was during this period of time that Jesus exercised many of His most famous teachings, including the Sermon on the Mount, which comprised the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. Often preaching in parables, Jesus' teachings embodied the unconditional, self-sacrificing love for God and all mankind. And though the teachings of Jesus were of pure and informative means, His veneration among His faithful followers eventually drew the attention of the Great Sanhedrin—the assembly of the greatest Jewish judges of ancient Israel.
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As written in the Gospels, Jesus, accompanied by a large crowd, came to Jerusalem during the Passover festival. Met by a second, even larger crowd who welcomed Him enthusiastically—proclaiming Him the “Blessed King of Israel”—Jesus is said to have overturned the tables of the moneychangers operating before Herod's Temple, claiming that they had converted the Temple into a “den of robbers.” According to the synoptic gospels, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples later that same week—the meal historically known as the Last Supper. Following the meal in which he prophesied the ensuing betrayal of one of his apostles, Jesus and his disciples retired to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. It was here that Jesus, betrayed by his apostle Judas Iscariot, was arrested by Roman soldiers by orders of the high priest, Caiaphas, in congruence with the Sanhedrin.
During the Sanhedrin Trial, Jesus was asked by the high priests if he was indeed the Son of God? Jesus humbly replied: “You say that I am.” Based on His response, the high priests condemned Jesus for blasphemy, and reported Him to the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate for “openly claiming” to be the King of the Jews. There, before Pilate's Palace, Jesus was asked if he were the King of the Jews? Once again, Jesus replied: “It is as you say.” The Gospels state that Pilate felt as though Jesus had not committed any crime against the Romans, and that he was willing, as was a custom at Passover for the Governor to free a prisoner, to grant Jesus his freedom. Pilate turned to the crowd before them, offering them the choice to free either Jesus or an insurrectionist named Barabbas. The crowd requested Barabbas be freed.
When Jesus died late that afternoon on the nearby hill of Golgotha (Calvary), a wealthy Judean named Joseph of Arimathea, a supposed member of the Sanhedrin, asked Pilate's permission to give Jesus of Nazareth a proper Christian burial. Pilate granted his request, and on the third day following Christ's Crucifixion and entombment, He was raised from the dead. On the evening after Christ's resurrection, as documented in the Acts of the Apostles, He is said to have ascended heaven, concealed by a cloud, promising His return to fulfill the remainder of the Messianic prophecy.
Today, the Holyland remains a place of deep spiritual importance and sanctity. It is a land of vast pilgrimage, an ancient land with a religious history unparalleled by any other land on the planet today. From Jaffa to Jerusalem, the humble pilgrim will find an abundance of sacred sites, important churches, and some of the oldest cities in the world. In the Old City of Jerusalem lies the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an important pilgrimage site since the 4th century. Many Christians believe the Church rests above Golgotha (Hill of Calvary), the very site where Jesus was crucified and reportedly buried. Other important churches found in the Holyland are the Church of Beatitudes, the Basilica of the Annunciation, and the aforementioned Church of Nativity, which rests above the grotto where Jesus was born.
In keeping with the churches and towns of a place, the Holyland is home to the most important holy sites of the Christian religion, with many of them marking the locales of Jesus' most famous teachings. From the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested to the Stations of the Cross, the Sea of Galilee, Mt. Carmel, Via Dolorosa and the Room of the Last Supper, the sacred sites within the Holyland have served as places for Christians of all ages and levels of belief to rest in contemplative prayer.