The ancient Mediterranean seaport of Caesarea Maritima is perhaps one of Israel’s most famous attractions. Located about halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa on the Mediterranean Coast in the lower Galilee, the city was first built in the third century BC, but its popularity and importance grew when Herod the Great established it as an...Read More

It was a city once called the “ornament of all Galilee” by first century Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, but looking at the excavation of the ancient city of Sepphoris, one can only imagine this present-day national park was once the religious and spiritual hub of Jewish life in all of Israel. The name Sepphoris is...Read More

On the western side of the Sea of Galilee lies Magdala, once a prosperous first-century fishing village nestled at the base of Mount Arbel, between Tiberias and Capernaum. While mentioned only one time in the New Testament (Matthew 15:39), significant archaeological discoveries in the past decade have prominently placed Magdala on the map. Magdala is...Read More

Considered to be one of the happiest times in the Jewish calendar, and observed during the High Holy Day season, is the festival of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths). It starts exactly fourteen nights after the onset of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year, and four nights after the conclusion of Yom Kippur,...Read More

Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement in the Bible, is regarded as the holiest and most solemn holiday on the Jewish calendar. It is a day of prayer, fasting and repentance. Yom Kippur is observed at the end of the 10 Days of Awe (Yamim Nora’im, meaning Days of Awe, a sacred...Read More

Considered by the Jewish community to be one of the holiest and most special times of the year, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the new year on the Jewish calendar. The holiday begins at sunset and rings in an almost month-long High Holy Day season. If you are in Israel during this holiday, which...Read More

Located in the Lower Galilee region, overlooking the Jezreel Valley, Mount Gilboa is one of Israel’s most beautiful sites. With its gentle, rolling hills carpeted with wildflowers in the springtime, and its breathtaking overlooks, Gilboa makes an excellent stop off, particularly during the hot summers. No matter when you visit, it’s a veritable mountaintop experience....Read More

Seated in the majestic Jordan Valley overlooking the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, the city of Tiberias is known as a popular resort destination and a major tourist attraction for travelers across Israel and from around the world. This city of approximately 40,000 residents is a hot spot for hotels, fine dining, and...Read More

Located atop an isolated plateau in the Judean Desert, surrounded by nothing but desert and the Dead Sea, Masada is one of the most widely visited sites within the Holy Land, and for good reason. Translated from the Hebrew for “fortress,” Masada’s storied past can be recited by rote by nearly every schoolchild in Israel....Read More

Regarded by many as one of the most solemn days on the Jewish calendar, Tisha b’Av is a day of worldwide communal mourning for the Jewish community. Always observed on the ninth day of the month of Av, hence Tisha (ninth) b’Av (in the month of Av) on the Jewish calendar, Tisha b’Av is a...Read More