Here’s a riotous Roman riddle: What do actors, gravediggers, and retired gladiators all have in common? Answer: at some point in history those specific groups were banned from history’s most famous—and long-standing—amphitheater, the Roman Colosseum, named in 2007 as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Commissioned around AD 70–72 by Emperor Vespasian...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. 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 full...Read More

Exploring the Ancient Wonders of Megiddo Nestled in the heart of Israel, the ancient city of Megiddo offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into centuries of history and culture. Megiddo is a UNESCO World Heritage site that has witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, epic battles, and significant historical events. Here is a brief look...Read More

“Never forget.” The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM),located in Washington, DC, is dedicated to the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. It is THE museum to visit to ensure that people will “never forget” the extermination of 6 million Jews, and other targeted groups persecuted under the regime of Nazi Germany from 1933...Read More

Long considered the oldest seaport in the world, the city of Jaffa is often overlooked as simply the older sister of its larger neighbor Tel Aviv, but it’s much more than that. Perched atop a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Jaffa was a strategic prize. With a natural harbor and fertile soil, it was conquered...Read More

Anyone into time travel will want to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. Turn back the clock in the present-day Selcuk, a town near Izmir, in western Turkey. This once-cosmopolitan Greco-Roman city is infused with the influence of early Christianity. Ephesus is the site of one of the seven churches to whom the apostle Paul...Read More

Known as the childhood hometown of Jesus, Nazareth is nestled in the hills of the lower Galilee region and is an important site for pilgrims as well as tourists. Pronounced Natsrat in Hebrew, Nazareth is a city with a rich history and a vibrant culture, but it is perhaps best known as the place where...Read More

Beautiful beaches, mind-blowing bulwarks, fetching frescos, and a centuries-old faith on full artistic display—all good reasons to visit Thessaloniki, Greece, where you can have all of that and more! Greece’s second-largest city, and a biblically significant one, Thessaloniki—perhaps better known as Thessalonica—is an impressive “open-air museum.” Walk just about anywhere in this breathtaking northern Greek...Read More

Located in Israel’s northern region, overlooking the majestic Sea of Galilee (or Kinneret in Hebrew), is the Mount of Beatitudes, aptly named after the blessings mentioned at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The eight beatitudes, or blessings, are outlined in the Gospel of Matthew, while four of the beatitudes also appear in...Read More

Half hidden in the windblown landscape of southern Jordan, the ancient sandstone city of Petra has been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, as well as being a UNESCO World Heritage site. Petra was built in the third century BC by the Nabataeans, a community of master builders who, besides being...Read More