Israel: Come and See

June 6, 2011

The sheer number of sites most Christian visitors are able to pack into a weeklong trip to Israel is impressive. Each day brings a new agenda of important places to go and see. The tourist tendency is to pack a lot of sights and sounds into a short period.

Armageddon inspires fanciful thoughts

June 6, 2011

Throughout the holy land, an ordinary looking pile of rocks can turn into a saga of great significance. The entire Middle East, it seems, is awash in the stratum of thousands of years of human civilization. And it’s full of rocks. That leaves a lot of stones to turn and a lot of stories to tell. Some are more interesting than others.

Garden Tomb

June 6, 2011

Near the Damascus gate in Jerusalem, just outside the city wall, is the site of the Garden Tomb. It’s a very pleasantly preserved place tucked serenely away from the cacophony of a couple major bus stations just outside its walls.

Four reasons why the Middle East is so complicated

June 6, 2011

Israel and its neighbours occupy the most complicated lands in the world. History and religion both ancient and modern continually make problems that visitors can only begin to grasp. It helps to learn from people with long experience.