Zichron Yaacov

1.    What are the various topics one could talk about in Zichron?

Zichron Yaacov

-          The first Jewish agriculture settlements in the land and purchasing the land.

-          The synagogue

-          Baron Edmond de Rothschild the well known benefactor

-          The development of the settlement in different fields and establishing the winery.

-          Nili spy ring and spying on the ottomans

-          Zichron today

2.    How was the town organized?

   The town was organized as a moshava in the past and was organized town and agricultural planning began. Different attempts were made to find the right agricultural crop. After a number of failures, viniculture met with more success. However, soon after establishing the winery in 1892 the grapevines succumbed to phylloxera, a type of parasite. American-grafted seedlings that were resistant to phylloxera were grown and the winery flourished. The huge wine cellars that were carved into the mountain a century ago are still in use today as part of the Carmel Mizrachi Winery, a large commercial winery.

In 2005, the population of Zikhron Ya'aqov was 16,100. Many residents continue to engage in agriculture, although upscale private homes have been built by families attracted to the scenic landscape. There is a sizable religious Jewish community in the town, including Haredi members of the Ohr Yaakov Yeshiva of Jerusalem and members of a Chabad-Lubavitch community.

The original Carmel-Mizrahi Winery continues to make wine in Zikhron, whilst another winery, the Tishbi Winery founded by Jonathan Tishbi is also based here. The town draws many tourists attracted to its picturesque setting and historic city center whose restored main street of landmark buildings, called Derech HaYayin ("Path of the Wine"), houses coffeehouses and boutique shops selling locally-made crafts, jewelry, and antiques. It was announced in early 2008 that a 150-acre wine park would be created on the slopes between Zichron and neighboring town, Binyamina.

1.    What is a Machtesh? How is it formed?

A machtesh is a particularly large asymmetrical hole dug out of the ground by natural processes of erosion

The crater formation began hundreds of millions years ago when the ocean that covered the Negev began to move north. First, there was a hump-shaped hill. Water and other climatic forces slowly and steadily flattened the curve on top. Much later (only some 5 million years ago), the Arava rift valley was formed and rivers changed their course. As they did so, they carved out the inside of the crater.

In the desert the erosional power of water by far exceeds that of the occasional rain hitting the sharp edges of the craters. The crater bottom deepens fast while the walls retain their vertical angle, gradually increasing in height. As the crater deepens, lower and more ancient rock strata are exposed. At the bottom of Ramon Crater some rocks are as old as 200 million years.

2.    What kinds of geological phenomena can be seen in Machtesh Ramon?

Machtesh Ramon contains a diversity of rocks including clay hills known for their fantastic red and yellow colors and forms. Impressive mountains rise at the borders of the crater –

Har Ramon (Mt. Ramon) at the southern end,

Har Ardon (Mt. Ardon) at the north-eastern end, and two table mountains –

Har Marpek (Mt. Marpek - "Elbow"),

Har Katum (Mt. Katum - "Chopped") along the southern wall. The hills to the north-eastern edge of the machtesh were once entirely covered by spiral ammonite fossils, ranging from the size of snails to of tractor wheels although these have mainly been extracted so only smaller fossils can be found here today.

Giv'at Ga'ash, a black hill in the north of the machtesh was once an active volcano which erupted thousands of years ago and caused it to be covered in lava which quickly cooled in the open air, converting it into basalt. Limestone covered by basalt can also be found in smaller black hills in the southern part of the machtesh, including Karnei Ramon.

Shen Ramon (Ramon's Tooth) is a rock made of magma which hardened whilst underground. It later rose up through cracks in the earth's surface, and today stands in striking contrast with the nearby creamy colored southern wall of the crater, as a black sharp-edged rock.

In the centre of the machtesh is Ha-Minsara (The Carpentry Shop), a low hill made up of black prismatic rocks, and interestingly, the rectangular pipes on the side of the hill are made of the same sort of sand found on beaches. As such, this is the only place in the world where prisms made of heated sand turned into liquid which, in cooling naturally formed rectangular and hexagonal prisms, can be seen. These prisms lost no space in the middle during formation.

1)    Give 4 sites related to the last week of Jesus life.

Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane, Ecce Homo, Holy Sepulcher.

2)    Give 4 sites related to Jesus life in Jerusalem.

Pater Notre, Caenaculum,St. Peter in Gallicantu, Archeological Gardens (Hulda Gate).

3)    Give two miracles performed by Jesus in Jerusalem.

2 miracles both related to pool and water:

1) is the healing of a paralyzed man in Bethesda pool. This miracle is described in John's gospel (chap.5). The pool was erected nearby the Temple and seemed to be used to wash the sheep prior to their sacrifice. This use of the pools (two) gave the water of the pools a halo of sanctity, and many invalids came to the pool to be healed. In this context Jesus ordered to a paralyzed man to stand and walk.

Another miracle was performed by Jesus in Siloam pool, and it is also described in John's gospel (chap.9). Also in this case the presence of Jesus in the pool seems to be connected to the vicinity of the Temple, people went there to purified before entering the Temple, so did Jesus when he healed a man who had been blind from birth.

What would you tell tourist about Masada.

    Masada (a Romanization of the Hebrew Metzada, from metzuda, "fortress") is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada became famous after the First Jewish-Roman War (also known as the Great Jewish Revolt) when a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to a mass suicide of the site's Jewish Sicarii fugitives when defeat became imminent. According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Judaic extremist rebels called the Sicarii took Masada from the Roman garrison stationed there. The Sicarii are considered an extremist splinter group of the Zealots. The Zealots (according to Josephus), in contrast to the Sicarii, carried the main burden of the rebellion, which opposed Roman rule of Judea. The Sicarii on Masada were commanded by Elazar Ben Ya'ir, and in 70 CE they were joined by additional Sicarii and their families that were expelled from Jerusalem by the Zealots with whom the Sicarii were in conflict shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple. In 72 CE, the Roman governor of Judaea Lucius Flavius Silva marched against Masada with the roman legion X and laid siege to the fortress. After failed attempts to breach the wall, they built a circumvallation wall and then a rampart against the western face of the plateau, using thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth. The rampart was complete in the spring of 73, after approximately two to three months of siege, allowing the Romans to finally breach the wall of the fortress with a battery ram. When they entered the fortress, however, the Romans discovered that its 936 inhabitants had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide rather than face certain capture, defeat, slavery or execution by their enemies.

The account of the siege of Masada was related to Josephus by two women who survived the suicide by hiding inside a cistern along with five children (you can see the place where they hided entering Masada from the road that leads to Arad), and repeated Elazar Ben Yair's exhortations to his followers, prior to the mass suicide, verbatim to the Romans.

What year the Great Revolt break out? Why?

The great revolt formally broke in 66, in Caesarea, stemming from Greeks and Jews religious but also social tensions. The area is ruled by Florus, Greek procurator for the Roman Empire, who robes the temple treasures. This together with racing of the quota of taxes makes the Jews in a racing malcontent. Roma doesn't do anything about it, the figure of the procurator in this time of Roman ruling is corrupt, bribes, cruel, insensitive to non roman and non Greeks. The Roman presence is through this kind of figure, and concerning other aspect can be summarized in few words: troops, judicial function (pro-Greeks), order, taxes, assertive power. Roma find itself in the middle in cases of social riots between people belonging to different groups (usually Jews vs non-Jews, Jews vs Samaritans, Jews vs Greeks) and when they are forced to take a position they surely don't choose to be on the side of the Jews. The discontent towards Romans grows fast and shows through grouping of people that up to the revolt are  only "cooking" some kind of ideological movement to oppose to the Roman way, rebelling here and there in the small things of the everyday life, expressing some kind of refuse to the Roman ruling. Some (like the Zealots) try to make an active resistance with violence, robbery, destruction of properties, they try to create problems, Josephus calls them "bandits", "brigands". Some others like the Sectarians are also anti-Roman, their literature is full of hate and anti-Romans feelings, but they are "pacifist", non- violent people. Others express general suspicion for Roman government and culture, they don't oppose in an active way but also they don't help Romans, they don't serve them as informers or keepers of the public order.

In this atmosphere the Great revolt (known also as the first Jewish-Roman war) started and spread fast, reaching Jerusalem where Zealots take control of public buildings, archives , city hall. It is a social revolt, rebellion to get rid of Romans and to "clean" the place.

How and when did the Crusaders conquer Jerusalem? Describe the siege of Jerusalem.

The 7th of June 1099 Crusaders stand first time in front of the walls of Jerusalem. They will fight until 15th of July. The first Crusade was the only one that reached its objective: the recovery of the Holy Sepulcher. They actually had two objectives in mind: rescuing the Holy Sepulcher and carving out fiefdom for themselves, freeing eastern Christians from Muslim rule. On June 1099 the crusaders reached Jerusalem, which had been recaptured from Seljuk by Fatimid of Egypt only the year before. They put the city to a siege, in which they suffered themselves many casualties, due to the lack of food and water around. Faced with a seemingly impossible task, their morale was raised when a priest, by the name of Peter Desiderious, claimed to have a divine vision instructing them to fast and then march in a barefoot procession around the city walls, after which the city would fall in nine days (following the Biblical example of Joshua at the siege of Jericho). After they performed the procession as instructed by the priest and it didn't really work!

Godfrey of Buillon, Robert of Flanders, and Robert of Normandy besieged the north walls as far south as the Tower of David, while Raymond of Toulouse set up his camp on the western side, from the Tower of David to Mount Zion. Tancred was attacking from North West (New Gate). A direct assault on the walls on June 13 was a failure. Without water or food, both men and animals were quickly dying of thirst and starvation and the crusaders knew time was not on their side. Coincidentally, soon after the first assault, a number of Christian ships sailed into the port at Jaffa, and the crusaders were able to re-supply themselves for a short time. Not only that, the sailing of those ships mainly from the allies cities of Italy (the known Repubbliche Marinare of Genoa, Pisa, Venice and Amalfi) provide them of wood, main material to mark a turning point in the fighting: the Crusader were able now to build big siege towers crucial for the developing of the siege. The siege towers were destroyed and put on fire by Crusader when the Muslim fights them with water, trying to make it impossible to free the way in. It is a battle of minds, not only of powers. At the end Crusader enter the city simultaneously from north and south. Once the Crusaders had breached the outer walls and entered the city, almost every inhabitant of Jerusalem was killed over the course of that afternoon, evening and next morning. Muslims, Jews, and even a few of the Christians were all massacred with indiscriminate violence. Raymond of Toulouse was offered the kingship of Jerusalem but refused. Geoffrey of Bouillon took the titles of a Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri ("Protector of the Holy Sepulchre"). When he died in July 1100, his brother Baldwin of Edessa took the title of King of Jerusalem, without any problem!

Who was the Muslim commander who conquered Jerusalem in 638?

Omar Ben Khattab took Jerusalem from Christian Byzantine Empire. In 637, after a prolonged siege the city, the Muslims finally entered peacefully following the signing of a treaty by the Patriarch of Elya Al-Quds (i.e. Jerusalem) and Omar himself. Several years earlier, the Patriarch had announced that he would not sign a treaty with anyone other than the Caliph himself. For this reason, `Omar personally came to Jerusalem after Muslims had established control of all the surrounding territory. According to both Muslim and Christian accounts, `Omar entered the city humbly, walking beside a donkey upon which his servant was sitting. He is said to have been given the keys to the city by the Orthodox Christian Patriarch Sophronius, after conducting the peace treaty known as the Treaty of Omar.

What was the relationship between Omar and the Jews?

The relationship he established with Jews was good, based on respect. For the first time in 500 years, since their expulsion from the holy land Jews were allowed to practice their religion freely and live in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Examples of Mamluk architecture in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in the Mamluk period was a partially walled city on the periphery of the empire. Despite the secondary rank that the city held, entire streets, religious buildings, and bathhouses were built in it, reflecting the investment of large sums of money. What explanation can be given for the massive construction in the city at that time? Two main reasons: 1) Jerusalem for the Muslim is the third most holy city, after Mecca and Medina; 2) According to Mamluk law, a son could not inherit his father's property, and it was feared that after the latter's death his possessions would be confiscated by the authorities. The Mamluks therefore sought means to overcome this problem. One way was construction in Jerusalem. A Mamluk father would erect some building in the city and dedicate it as a waqf(religious trust), since the authorities would usually refrain from confiscating waqf structures. The father would then appoint his son as custodian or financial director of the waqf, thus ensuring the son's economic future. In this process, Jerusalem benefited from many construction projects.

Architectural elements characteristic of many Mamluk buildings or constructions are:

-      Stone "benches" in the entrance.

-      Geometric pattern (guilloche) on the lintel above the entrance

-      Ablaq technique to decorate the facade (ablaq-Term used to describe alternating light and dark courses of masonry)

-      Muqarnas ornamentations. It is a system of projecting niches used for zones of transition and for architectural decoration. Muqarnas is one of the most characteristic features of Islamic architecture and is used throughout most of the Muslim world. Muqarnas is usually associated with domes, doorways and niches, although it is often applied to other architectural features and is sometimes used as an ornamental band on a flat surface.

The buildings (and the spaces inside those buildings) that we are talking about have specific name, with specific functions:

-      Turba. It is a tomb structures. Mausoleum.

-      Iwans. An Iwan is a hall. One of the most typical iwan arrangements is to have four iwans opening on to a central courtyard.

-      Miharb. An alcove showing the direction of prayer

-      Khan it is an inn, or hotel. Building which combines the function of hostel and trading centre. Standard features which one might expect to find in a khan are stables, store rooms, sleeping accommodation and a mosque.

-      Madrasa: it is a school. Building which functions as a teaching institution primarily of Islamic sciences.

One of the most typical examples of Mamluk architecture in Jerusalem is in the old city and is called Khan Al-Sultan. It was built for merchants and wayfarers who came to the city. It was built in 1386/7 by order of the Mamluk sultan Barquq, the first Mamluk sultan of Circassian origin. The establishment of the Khan at this location, very close to the market canter of Jerusalem, undoubtedly contributed to the commercial life of the city. In the large courtyard of the khan there are rooms on two stories. It seems that the rooms on the first floor served as storerooms and stalls for animals, while the merchants themselves used the rooms on the second floor during their staying in the city. The khan used to have a gate; you can see today the signs of a missing door, that permit people to lock themselves inside in case of danger.

Also as example of Mamluk architecture we can find a typical Turba from Mamluk time outside the old city, in the Mammilla cemetery in the center of Jerusalem. A neglected place that should be considered for future investments of public money in maintenance of public treasures.

You are with a catholic group at the observation point on the Mt. Of Olives. What topics would you talk about to them?

The mount of Olives has been since very ancient time a holy mountain, not only in its own right, but also because its most prominent peak stands opposite the most sacred place in Jerusalem, where once the Temple used to stand and today the Dome of the Rock . It faces holy places but it is itself holy, with churches, monasteries and graveyards that commemorate some of the most important events in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Its slopes drop steeply into what is considered to be the valley of Judgment, the place in which the Lord will return for the final reckoning of mankind. The Old Testament emphasizes the significance of the Mount of Olives for the Jewish people. In the New Testament is significance is stressed by the fact that it figured so largely in the last days of Jesus and in here took place is Ascension.

Many items can be touched from this overview of the city, one of the best views that include also the New City beyond the horizon, the Judean desert on the left, and the valley on the bottom. You can speak about the geographical position of the city since the time of David, his weak point on the northern side, the majesty of the position of the Temple and the Dome of the rock, built to commemorate Muhammad’s Night Journey. You can speak about the view of the Temple Mountain, significant for the Jews in time when they were forbidden to enter the ruins of the Temple, so they used to pray on Mount of Olives. The high point of the year, during the Jewish main festivities, they would circle the mount seven times, just as they had circled the Temple seven times before its destruction. Or you can speak about last days of Jesus, his mourning over the destruction of the city, commemorate by the Dominus Flevit, the Gethsemane gardens (...). You can see from here also the Golden Gate, the Lion gate and for an expert eye the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Can you see the Judean desert from this observation point?  Yes.

Why is the old city divided into quarters?

Today the old city of Jerusalem is usually described as being divided into four quarters. This division, however, was not in use at all before the beginning of the nineteenth century. Explorers and visitors of earlier days make no mention of a Christian or Armenian quarter, the term "quarter" itself was probably imposed by Europeans, who employed it at home. In Jerusalem the term applies to groups of buildings or neighborhoods, each with a focal point around which the homes cluster; there are certainly more than four in the city!. The focal points of the various neighborhoods are the historical religious sites which had always powers of attraction, even in the ancient times. 

So the focal point for the Muslim was and is the Temple Mount. They could not live in the place itself but at least they tried to be as closest as they could.

In the 19th century the area known as the Christian Quarter consisted, as it does today, of the northwestern part of the old city. Visitors and travelers of those days pointed out several characteristic features of this area: it was inhabited by members of different Christian sects and few Muslims (especially around Damascus gate) but no Jews in it at all. The most important site was unquestionably the Holy Sepulcher.  The magnetism of this Church was responsible of the concentration of Christian's sects around it.

At the beginning of the 19th century, when only Sephardic Jews lived in Jerusalem, the Sephardic synagogue region seems to have been the nucleus of the Jewish Quarter. When the Ashkenazim began to return to the city, they lived alongside the Sephardic and the original nucleus expanded, also taking part of the Muslim quarter, but the expansion was no permanent. No Muslim or Christian holy places were located on Mount Zion and the area therefore held no attraction for either community, plus it was near the Willing Wall and offered a view of the Mount of Olives. That's the reasons for the Jewish Quarter to be where it is.

The Armenian quarter was the most clearly defined and compact neighborhood in the Old city, due to the fact that it was defined by an inner wall with gates that could be close sealing off the rest of the city. The neighborhood derives is name from the two Armenian churches within its limits and from the Armenian community which constituted the majority of its residents.

Why is there a separate Armenian quarter? One of the central reasons for the existence of an Armenian Quarter is the religion & ethnicity of the Armenians. They, unlike the majority of Christians in Israel, are not Arab, rather they are ethnically and religiously Armenians. The reason for their ethnicity does not need to be elaborated on except to say that they have remained a homogeneous group, intermarrying over the years and keeping their culture intact.

What is the difference between the Old Yeshuv and the New Yeshuv in Jerusalem?

The terms Old Yeshuv refers to all the Jews living in Palestine before the Aliyah of 1882, by the Zionist movement.  The Old Yeshuv people were Orthodox Jews living mainly in Jerusalem. A large part of them concentrated their time in Torah studies and received donations from Jews in the Diaspora. The term New Yeshuv refers to those who built homes outside the Old city walls in Jerusalem from the 1860s.

Why was it important for Jews to spend the rest of their life in Jerusalem (meaning the Jews who emigrated from abroad)?

What Jewish and Christian events took place at Mt Tabor?

Mt Tabor is located in Lower Galilee near the edge of Esdraelon Plain ('Emeq Yizre'el), 588m it dominates the level landscape around it. It is first mentioned in the 13th century BC in Egyptian inscriptions of the pharaoh, with rich basaltic soils, and one of the Via Maris stations

Mt Tabor was the staging area for the armies of Deborah and Barak, as they faced the assembly of Canaanites (Judg 4:6, 12, 14).

It was on Mount Tabor that the Medianites kings Zebah and Zalmunna killed Gideon’s brothers (Judg 8:18).

Many identify Mount Tabor as the site of the Transfiguration. This is highly unlikely, however, for several reasons.

The historian Josephus mentions a Roman fortress located on Mount Tabor at the time of Christ. Probably other structures were also on Mount Tabor since this had been a well-populated region for at least a century. The presence of these structures would diminish the likelihood of this being the setting for such a sensitive and significant event that Jesus meant for His closest disciples.

The height of Mount Tabor would hardly be considered a "high mountain" (Mark 9:2) too low to other mountains.

Mt Tabor was located a considerable distance from Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus had made His historic announcements to His disciples just six days earlier. The group had passed higher mountains than Mt Tabor, including the 4,000-foot Mt Meron , as they traveled south from Caesarea Philippi towards their destination at Capernaum.

Mt Tabor was located a day’s journey south of Capernaum . It would have been unlikely that Jesus and His disciples would have traveled this distance beyond Capernaum and then retraced their steps back to that city on the north shore of the Sea of Galil

Are the Bell caves younger or from the time of Maresha?The bell cave s are from time of Beit Guvrin, because Mrish had been destroyed by the Partian on 40 BC. The Bell caves dated from th late Byzantine and early Muslim 7-10 AD.

  Where are there 3 Holocaust sites outside of Yad Vashem?

 Lukhameh ha getaot between akko and naharia

Ya mordechai

Small one on mount Zion near the upper room

Scroll of fire, har ha tayaseem

1- For the soldiers who fall down in war of dependence & for all solderis who fall down in the wars of Israel.

2- For victims of terror.

3- President memorial and for the leaders specially Hertzel and Rabin who had been shot

Name sites around the country that have ancient  bathhouses.

  1- Beit Guvrin.  2- Beit Shean.   3- Avdat.  4- Memphis. 5- Ceasarea.

What is the connection between the Sanhedrin and Beit  Shearim and Tzippori?

What are some attractions for tourists to do in Eilat?

Red Canyon, Timna, Water museum, ridding Camel, 3D Max...

What and when was the Sykes-Picot Agreement?

It is a secret agreement between the French and the Britian to divide up the Middle East in 1916 during the first WWI. 

Who are Origen, Eusebius, Martyrius, Euthemius?

They are the God Father of the early church, they pushed the religion forward (christianty) with their studies and opening monstery and laoras in the Judean dessert.They encouraged the moniastic life on desert during the byz era

Eusebius is the writer of onomasticom, which about the chritian placews in the holy land

 What was the "Mitzpim" program? What is significance of Kasr al-Yahud?

Mitzpim program is a program to encourage jews to live in areas where is high percentage of arabs in population in the area of lower galilee. It has been intiated by Ariel Sharon when he was the Minister of housing. Like kammun, Misgav, Atsmon, Hararit.This happened in the early 1970's in lower galilee, this is the reason why arabs had a land day since 1076 when they started to see that their lands has been taken and this mitspim program on the land.

The development of Galilee after the 1948, was starting by expelling the arabs from their villages and their towns and then starting buildings kibutsim and moshavim, and later the program of mitzpim.

Other subject which talks about outposts and stockades but different than the mitzpim program

Under the British law 1939-1940 the white paper the Jew are not allowed to buy lands, for that Mr. Yosef Ziv had an idea to establish Mitzpe the post a research center which involve scientists Mitzpe Gvulot 1943, Revivim 1943, Beit Eshtel 1943. Kasr al Yahud is a palace was built by the Hasmonians and also the place where Jesus Christ had been baptised by John. 

What is the difference between the "kaaba" and the "kibla"?

Kaaba: The most sacred shrine of Islam, it is a cube-shaped stone structure in Mecca . Traditionally, Muslims believe the Kaaba was built by Abraham and his son Ismail. On the outside of one corner is the sacred Black Stone, kissed by pilgrims. The angel Gabriel gave the Black Stone to Abraham, according to one Islamic tradition; according to another, the stone was set in place by Adam

Qibla

The direction in which the believer orients himself or herself for salat, prayer in Islam.

The qibla is always directed towards the Ka'ba of Mecca, but for 1,5 years in early Islam, the qibla was Jerusalem (from 622 to 624). Inside a mosque the quibla is indicated by a mihrab, a niche in the wall. Salat performed outdoors, uses a sutra, which can be almost any object, to indicate the qibla. The qibla has importance to more than just the salat, and plays an important part in everyday ceremonies. The head of an animal that is slaughtered is aligned with qibla. People are buried with their face in the direction of the qibla.

What is the "Hameshushim"? And how do these pools form?

The Hexagons Pool (Brechat HaMeshushim in Hebrew) in the Yehudiya nature reserve. The rock formations result of cooling molten lava - refreshing, cold, fresh water, but also very cool looking. It forms by touching th ehot lava with the cold water which gives it the hexagonal shape.

What were the routes of the Via Maris and the King's Highway?

Via Maris is the modern name for an ancient trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia - modern day Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria.  The Via Maris (purple), routes, used since. 1300 BCE. Its earlier name was "Way of the Philistines", a reference to a passageway through the Philistine Plain.

"Via Maris" is Latin and means "the Way of the Sea". The name is based on a passage from the Vulgate (the New Testament in Latin translation) from the Gospel according to Matthew ("Secundum Mattheum"), chapter 4 verse 15:

Terra Zabulon et terra Nephthalim via maris trans Iordanen Galilaeae gentium

(the land of Zebulon, and the land of Nephthalim , by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan , Galilee of the Gentiles).

From Canaan land it go through Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod Gezer, Tel Afek, Beit Shean  before turning east again through Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley until it reached Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. Again turning northward Hazor. From Hazor it climbed sharply over the Golan Heights and wound its way northeast into Damascus. Here travellers could continue on the King's Highway as far as the Euphrates River or proceed northward into Anatolia.

The King’s Highway was a trade route of vital importance to the ancient Middle East. It began in Egypt, and stretched across the Sinai Peninsula to Aqaba. From there it turned northward, leading to Damascus and the Euphrates River. King's  Highway used in 1300 BCE. Ancient states, including Edom, Moab, Ammon, they depended largely on the King's Highway for trade.

The Highway is referred to in Numbers 20:17-21:

Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King's Highway………

Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

Many of the wars of the Israelites against the kingdoms of the trans-Jordanian highlands during the period of the Kingdom of Israel (and its sister-kingdom, the Kingdom of Judah) probably were at least partly over control of the Highway.

The Nabateans used this road as a trade route for luxury goods such as frankincense and spices from southern Arabia. During the Roman period, the King's Highway was rebuilt by Trajan and called the Via Traiana Nova to Petra then to Palmar. The Highway has also been used as an important pilgrimage route for Christians, as it passed numerous sites important in Christianity, including Mount Nebo and al-Maghtas ("the Baptism Site") at the Jordan River, where Jesus is believed to have been baptized by John the Baptist. Muslims used it as the main Hajj route to Mecca until the Ottoman Turks built the Tariq al-Bint in the 16th century.

Which Greek general was defeated by Judah Maccabee at Emmaus?

Nicanor and Georgias 

What is the importance of Tel Lachish?

In the 9th century BCE Lachish was built and fortified by the kings of Judah, second in importance to Jerusalem. In 701 BCE, when Sennacherib king of Assyria destroyed the city. This event is record The Old Testament and the Assyrian records; A series of stone reliefs erected by Sennacherib in his palace at Nineveh, the data from the city-level attacked by the Assyrians which was identified and excavated; the remains of the siege and battle uncovered in the excavations.

In the 7th century BCE Lachish was rebuilt as a royal Judean stronghold. It was attacked and destroyed in 587/6 BCE by Nebuchadenazar king of Babylon. The famous ostraca written in ancient Hebrew, known as the "Lachish Letters", date to this time. During the Persian period Lachish was rebuilt and fortified as a district centre, and then, at the beginning of the Hellenistic period, the site was abandoned.

Describe some of the history of Ein Gedi.

Inhabited during the Chalcolithic period; David established his camp their running from Saul; Talmudic period, Jewish settlements and late Byzantine monastery

Mention some flora and fauna in the Golan.

Metulla snake, eagles, apple, cherry

Where are there nature reserves on the Golan?

Banias, Senir stream, Gamla, Yehudiya

Is the Golan conducive to agriculture? Which parts? What can be grown? What are some of the problems? Northern and southern

Northern they have cherry and apple as limited and small fields.

In south they dont have enough water becasue of lack of rain but they do have kind of irrigetion system which helps them to plant peach and grain cotton other

In the center of golan is for the army and nature reserve and growing cattles

Cattle means cows and folk used for sheep.

What is the symbol of the National Parks authority in Israel?

Banana in the south, wheat in the center and apple in north.

What is important about Beit Shean in the Biblical period?

What was the name of the league of ten cities?

Decapolis.

What is the difference between a theater and an amphitheater? What were the purposes of each?

The amphitheater cercal, Theater semicircle and it was used for plays and political activates and nobles activates. Amphitheaters was used for warriors against animals mainly and slaves between themselves.

Why is Qumran important to Protestants? Why does the feast of the Tabernacles open at Qumran?

Because they thought that it is the first converted community to Christianity --- the Essenes  calendar earlier than the common one.

The scrolls more important than churches

John the baptist can be a nazarene  not essens as he ate out of the community and his ideology not the same.

Muhammed Ali and Ibrahim Pasha – say something about them. How long were they here? What years?

Originally from Albania, Muhammad Ali was the ruler of Egypt, his son Ibrahim conquered Israel and they were here for 12 years from 1834-1846.

Why did the German Templers leave the country?

They were afraid from the Jewish revenge after the holocaust.

Where are there German colonies around the country?

Jerusalem, Haifa Nahariya

Who are the Carmelites?

Catholic order established during the Crusader period following the steps of Elijah

When did the Carmelite order begin? Where are they located in Haifa? Where are they located outside of Haifa?

The Carmelite order began since the crusader time

Outside Haifa they are located at the stella Maris mountain and in Jerusalem at the Pater Noster I think in yodvata.

Trapist, Benedictines

What is the importance of Yodefat?

It was the battle between Josephus son of Matthias and the Romans took place.

What is the importance of Gamla? What were the most important finds in Gamla? Why was a synagogue found in Gamla?

A-   5000 people fall down from the slopes of it during the battle with the Romans.      B- They found catapults

C- It is a Jewish community

Mention other synagogues contemporaneous( in the same period) to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Capernahum, Masada, Katzrin.

Capernaum is that a sysnagogue because this complex was constructed and built during excivations,

What about korazim as it has a sysnagogue and its from Jesus time

Katzrin I think is from 4th century

When did the Romans arrive in the Land of Israel? 63 B.C

Who was Daher al Omar? Why is he so important?  Did he have a special relationship with Jews? If so, what was it about?

Daher al Omar born in 1690, died August 21, 1775.  He was the Arab-Bedouin ruler of the Galilee district of the southern Levant during the mid-18th century. The founder of modern Haifa, he fortified many cities, among them Acre.  Daher was born to a family of local notables in the Tiberias area, with strong connections to Arab-Bedouin tribesmen in the Galilee district, which at the time was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.  Soon Daher rose to the rank of Sheikh and leader of his tribe.  First, he became the ruler of Safed and then his boarders reached Tiberias. 

Who determined the northern border? What is the northern border today? Is it the same as the original determination (1923)?

The english and the frensh ( Syks – piko)

Seasfire borders.

What is the importance of Nebi Samuel to Jews and Moslems?

Nabi Samuel is a prophet for Jews and the Muslims, he lived there and was buried there, and the Mamluks built a mosque on top of his tomb.

Name three nature reserves in the Upper Galilee.

- Tel Dan, Iyyon stream N.R, Hula N.R.

Tell us about the Burma Rd. What can you say about it, its function? Where is it?

The Burma Rd is a hidden road used in the 1947-1948 war of Independence. It is located in the western side of the Latrun in the way to Jerusalem from Tel-Aviv, it was built and used to send conveys to Jerusalem and to keep open the road to Jerusalem. "Jewish civilians were under constant attack on the roads 1200 people were killed in four months,” 100,000 Jerusalemites lived under siege and relied on the armed convoys that brought supplies, medicine and water to the city.

What is the importance of Ein Karem to Christianity?

Church of visitation Mary and Elizabeth and John the Baptist birth place.

Please give us some Christian sites around the Sea of Galilee.

Capernahum, Tabgha, Peter Primacy, Kursi, Ginosar, Mary Magdalene, Susita

Why is Capernaum so important? Why is it am important site back at the time of Jesus? Hint: It's topographical importance?

A- it was the town of  Jesus.

B- Because it was the border between the Jews and the on the way of Via Maris.

What did the people living in Capernaum at the time of Jesus do for a living? Farming, fishing, tax collectors.

Why are there two Hadassah Hospitals in Jerusalem?

The one on Mt Scopus first under the Jordanian occupation, and later Israelis built the one in Ein Karem.

What is Yad Vashem?

A Holocaust Museum

2 First Temple period sites in the upper Galilee

Tel Dan, Aphek. I think Hatzor

There are 3 aphek . the one in galilee the one close to naman river which is today kiryat haim in krayot

2 First Temple period sites in the Shephelah

Gezer, Tel Bet Shemesh, lachish, kiryat Gat tel al safi, bet guvrin??

Where would you take a tourist around the country to see ancient Mikvaot?

Qumran, Masada, En Gedi, southern excavations of temple mt ?/ davidson center

You are using the term "CE" as opposed to "AD" and your tourist is upset about it. What do you explain to him/her?

???????????

How was the Judean desert created?

By 2 pressures one from the Mediterranean sea and the other from the slot sea

What do plants and animals do to survive in the desert?

They store water in their systems.

Where are the bird watching sites in Israel

?Hula nr and somewhere in negev??opposote of kibbutz elot near elat. In shvella and gamla and zoos for children as alternative choice

How can you identify a church architecturally from the outside? A mosque?

??????The facade of it / / from the Minaret or the dome if available and the faced. Symbyls like cross or cresend

Please name capital cities from different historical periods in this country.

Caesarea, Jerusalem, Gibeon, Megiddo. Siphoris? banias

Explain the funny dress about people in the Kotel on a Friday night

Nothing funny, it is a tradition have been transferred from Poland in the end of the18th century simplified sadness

Where are there important Ummayad sites in the Shephelah?

None What about bet guvrin and the bell caves Ramla

In what context does Josephus mention Ein Gedi?

In the 2nd Temple era, Josephus Flavius wrote that the persimmon plantations of Ein Gedi & Jericho provided the fruit for a perfume that, according to Cleopatra, drove men to madness.

What Biblical references are there to Ein Gedi?

In Second Book of Chronicles it is identified with Asasonthamar (Cutting of the Pain), the city of the Amorrhean, smitten by Chedorlaomer in his war against the cities of the plain. Book of Joshua enumerates Ein Gedi among the cities of the Tribe of Judah in the desert Betharaba, but the Book of Ezekiel shows that it was also a fisherman's town. Later on, King David hides in the desert of Engaddi and King Saul seeks him "even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats".Again, it is in Ein Gedi that the Moabites and Ammonites gather in order to fight against Josaphat and to advance against Jerusalem "by the ascent named Sis".Finally, Song of Solomon speaks of the "vineyards of Engaddi"; the words, "I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades" (’en aígialoîs), which occur in Ecclus., xxiv, 18, may perhaps be understood of the palm trees of Ein Gedi

What kinds of flora/vegetation can one see in the area of Ein Gedi?

Ein Gedi is a tropical oasis. The reserve has trees and plants of east African (Sudanian) origin. The lush vegetation on the riverbanks includes Euphrates poplars, trees especially fond of water and heat, which are found in oases in Israel and along the Jordan River.

What does a plant do to survive in the Desert/

Desert plants have adapted to the extremes of heat and aridity by using both physical and behavioral mechanisms, much like desert animals.

Plants that have adapted by altering their physical structure are called xerophytes. Xerophytes, such as cacti, usually have special means of storing and conserving water. They often have few or no leaves, which reduces transpiration.

How would you define the climate in Ein Gedi?

year-round sunny skies and dry air with low pollution. It has less than 50 millimeters (2.0 in) mean annual rainfall and a summer average temperature between 32 and 39 °C . Winter average temperatures range between 20 and 23 °C . The region has weakened ultraviolet radiation, particularly the UVB (erythrogenic rays), and an atmosphere characterized by a high oxygen content due to the high barometric pressure.

How would you brief people before entering the Dead Sea for a swim? How would you tell them to swim? (not face down)

Taking off all jewelry because metals might react damaging them in salty water.

Not to drink from the dead sea water

Enter the water and lie slowly and swim on their back side and not to try to swim on front side

No splash in water

Do not touch eyes when salt water comes in because hands are also wet with salt

What would you talk about to a group on a bus on the way from Ein Gedi to Jerusalem?

1.     Second Book of Chronicles it is identified with Asasonthamar (Cutting of the Pain), the city of the Amorrhean, smitten by Chedorlaomer  in his war against the cities of the plain. Book of Joshua enumerates Ein Gedi among the cities of the Tribe of Judah in the desert Betharaba, but the Book of Ezekiel shows that it was also a fisherman's town. Later on, King David hides in the desert of Engaddi and King Saul seeks him "even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild goats".Again, it is in Ein Gedi that the Moabites and Ammonites gather in order to fight against Josaphat and to advance against Jerusalem "by the ascent named Sis". Finally, Song of Solomon speaks of the "vineyards of Engaddi"; the words, "I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades" (’en aígialoîs), which occur in Ecclus., xxiv, 18, may perhaps be understood of the palm trees of Ein Gedi

2.    About the Great Rift Valley

3.    About the depression of the area ,and the low level of the dead sea area as a lowest spot in the world.

4.    About the salt of the dead sea

Name some ethnic minorities in Haifa

Muslim Arabs, almost one million people, most of whom are Sunni, reside mainly in small towns and villages, over half of them in the north of the country. 

Christian Arabs, some 117,000, live mainly in urban areas, including Nazareth, Shfar'am and Haifa. Although many denominations are nominally represented, the majority are affiliated with the Greek Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches.

The Druze, some 113,000 Arabic-speakers living in 22 villages in northern Israel, constitute a separate cultural, social and religious community. While the Druze religion is not accessible to outsiders, one known aspect of its philosophy is the concept of taqiyya, which calls for complete loyalty by its adherents to the government of the country in which they reside.

Where is there a Carmelite site in Haifa?

Up the mountain in the stella maris

The German Colony – what were Germans doing in Haifa?

Templers ???????

In the foyer of the Shalom tower there is a mosaic. How does it help the guide explain the development of Tel Aviv? Three colors ?????????

The mosaics were done in 1970, a masterpiece by Romanian-born Nahum Gutman

an old-style Israeli farmer, a new Russian immigrant, and the overlap of the two.

When and where did Meir Dizengoff spend time up north?

The boundaries he worked within, the Yarkon River in the North and Ibn Gvirol Street in the East, are still regarded as Tel Aviv's real city limits although it has since grown beyond them.

What is special about Neve Tsedek?

Neve tzedek (Oasis of Justice) is actually the first neighborhood of Tel Aviv. This neighborhood was founded in 1887 by Aharon Shlush, 22 years before Tel Aviv was founded.

What are the main Christian interests in Jaffa?

Jaffa Ancient seaport related to the Bible story of Jonah and the whale, with fishermen’s port, St. Peter’s Church, artists’ quarter, renovated Old City and the house of Simon the Tanner

Standing at the visitor's center outside, look across the plaza and tell us the name of the church there. Why is it oriented the wrong way?

St Peter’s Church ,which was built above a medieval citadel

What is special about St. Peter's in Jaffa? Which direction is the Church oriented?

St Peter’s Church ,which was built above a medieval citadel

Please name another church in Jaffa.

The churches built in Jaffa belong to the main Christian streams, such as the          Catholic, the Russian Patriarchate, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greek-Catholic Church, the Lebanese-Marronic Church, the Armenian Church the Egyptian Coptic Church and the Lutheran Church

Why was Tel Aviv chosen as a World Heritage site? What does Bauhaus mean? Where can you see it in Tel Aviv?

Tel Aviv's White City, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, comprises the world's largest concentration of Modernist-style buildings.

House of Building" or "Building School") is the common term for the Staatliches Bauhaus (help·info), a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. The Bauhaus school was founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar. In spite of its name, and the fact that its founder was an architect, the Bauhaus did not have an architecture department for the first several years of its existence. Bauhaus style became one of the most influential currents in Modernist architecture and modern design.[1] The Bauhaus had a profound influence upon subsequent developments in art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, industrial design and typography

Tel Aviv's White City, in north Tel Aviv, contains over 5,000 Modernist-style buildings inspired by the Bauhaus school and Le Corbusier

How can you tell a mosque is a mosque? Is there anything special about the floor of a mosque?

Most mosques have elaborated domes, minarets, and prayer halls, The floor of the Mosque is covered with covers and mats, so that the people may not be incommoded at all while praying."

I am not sure if this is right about mosques

Tell us about the election system in Israel, how does it work? How often are there supposed to be elections?

Israel has an electoral system based on nation-wide proportional representation, and the number of seats which every list receives in the Knesset is proportional to the number of voters who voted for it. The only limitation is the 1.5% qualifying threshold. In other words, a party must receive at least 1.5% of the votes in order to be elected. According to this system, the voters vote for a party list, and not for a particular person on the list. Since the institution of the primaries system in some of the parties, these parties directly elect their candidates for the Knesset. Some of the parties elect their candidates via the party's institutions. In the ultra-religious parties their spiritual leaders appoint the candidates. The Knesset elections take place once every four years, but the Knesset or the Prime Minister can decide to hold early elections, and under certain circumstances can serve for more than four years.

Who is elected to the Knesset?

The candidates of any given list are elected to the Knesset on the basis of the order in which they appear on it. If a certain party received sufficient votes for 10 seats, the first 10 candidates on its list will enter the Knesset. If a Knesset member passes away or resigns his seat in the Knesset for whatever reason, the next on the list will replace him/her.

What are the land crossings between Israel and its neighbors? (With Jordan and with Egypt).

Taba sheikh huseen and ,arava

What is the Madaba map? Does the map exclusively cover Jerusalem, or does it include other places? What are the main gates that can be discerned in the Jerusalem section of  the Madaba map?

In December 1876, at Madaba (Medeba), during the excavation of one of the 6th Century AD churches found there, a mosaic map was discovered. The map was of Palestine, encompassing the area from Beth-shan to the Nile river in Egypt and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Arabian desert in the east. What is significant about it, is that it is the earliest extant map of Palestine known today.

The map is now housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George that was built over the remains of the Byzantine church. The map is about 20 by 5 meters in size and was made from more than 2 million tesserae. The map is oriented to the east and the more than 150 captions are written in Greek.

The centerpiece of this map is the walled city of Jerusalem. It is represented by its walls, gates, street and principle buildings. The cardo (main north/south street) running from a plaza with a single column, and two other streets can be seen. Dominating the city is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Name Christian sites around the Sea of Galilee.

Tabgha, Capernaum, Beatitudes, Bethsaida, Chorazim, kursi,susita

Say something about Tabgha. Peter primacy?

Is there somewhere else in Israel where Peter receives primacy?

Tabgha is an Arab corruption of the Greek Heptapagon (from "hepta" plus "pege"), meaning 'seven springs.' It was named for the fresh-water springs that flow into the lake nearby. The first Christian church in the Galilee was built on this site in 350 AD to mark the traditional place where Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed "about five thousand men, beside women and children" (Matthew 14:21). In the 5th century AD it was replaced by a basilica and convent. Following a visit by Pope Paul VI in 1964, a new church  was built on the old foundations, incorporating the mosaics of the original church, which lay hidden for 1,300 years. It is the earliest known example of a figured pavement in Palestinian church art and it shows an exuberant riot of exotic birds and plants, including a lotus flower (not native to the area) and many plants found along the lakeside.

Below the church altar is a block of undressed limestone  believed by historians to have been a sacred place since prehistoric times. In Christian tradition, it is the place where Jesus placed the bread and fish before serving the disciples. In the floor before the altar is a mosaic  showing four (not five) loaves and two fish. The story is told that the artist saw the bread of the Eucharist on the altar as the fifth loaf. Just outside the church, at the entrance, is the original cross-shaped baptistery.

Peter primacy

Here, it is believed Jesus made a third appearance following his crucifixion and resurrection. In John 21 (1-19), Peter and six other disciples were on the lake fishing all night, but with no luck. Jesus appeared on the lakeshore and told them to cast their nets again. They did, and had trouble hauling in their nets because they were so full of fish. Afterward, as the disciples breakfasted on the miraculous catch.and then they come up to the shore and there was a  charcoal fire some bread and fish cooking and invite them to add from their catch that’s why it is called the table of Christ and this is where the Byzantine Christians pictured the resurrected Jesus by the fire with some fish cooking inviting them to add from their catch , they made it a wonderful place for a mass also , , they added their catch and they were invited to have breakfast , then the story continues and Jesus said to Simon Peter , Simon DO U LOVE ME?  , and peter answered the god u know that I brotherly love you , Jesus asks again peter do you love me? God u know I love you , and when Jesus asked the third time it said that Simon was sad , and Jesus commanded Peter three times to "Feed my sheep," thus, in the Roman Catholic tradition, establishing the "primacy" of Peter as the first of the Papal line, here Peter receives primacy, and as we know

The floor of the black-basalt church is dominated by a rock called the "Mensa Christi" ("Christ's Table") which tradition says served as a table for the meal.

The present church was built by the Franciscans in 1933, but it is not the first. One document mentions the construction of a church here by Helena, the mother of Constantine, in the 4th century AD. This small building was first referenced in a text of 808 AD: "Furthermore, there is a church that is called Twelve Thrones near the lake. There is a table where (Jesus) sat with them." On the south side of the church, below a set of rock-cut steps, are six double, heart-shaped stone blocks, sometimes underwater, known as the Thrones of the Apostles. The derivation for this is found in Matthew 19:27-29.

"Peter answered him, 'We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?' Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.'"

The steps themselves are mentioned in the travel diary of the pilgrim nun Egeria, who visited here in 380 AD. Tradition says Jesus stood here when he appeared to the disciples. How old they are no one knows. They may have been cut in the 2nd or 3rd century AD when this area was a quarry. Wedges for cutting and removing the stone blocks have been found here.

In the 9th century AD, this site was also known as the "place of burning coal" in reference to the John 21:9: "When they (the Disciples) landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread." In the beginning of the 12th century AD, a pilgrim name Saewolf wrote: "at the foot of the mountain there is the church of St. Peter, very beautiful, but abandoned." Four years later, the monk Daniel affirmed seeing the church in use. But, this small structure was destroyed with the defeat of the Crusaders in 1187. It was rebuilt in 1260, only to be razed to the ground in 1263. The site remainded abandoned until the construction of the present building.

Just west of the church, the springs from which the Tabgha/Heptapagon name is derived flow across the rocky shore into the lake. Nearby, you can also see the remains of a fishing wharf. Here, standing on the shore, it is very easy to imagine Jesus gazing upon a nearly identical scene nearly two thousand years ago. It is places like this that bring a sense of reality to your faith.

What is the story of Kursi?

East of Bethsaida, Route 92 branches off Route 87 and heads down the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee past Kursi to Kibbutz Ein Gev. More rural than the west shore and bordered by acres of banana groves and date palms, the eastern shore retains a sense of isolation...

Kursi, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, near the recreation villages Ein Gev and Ramot, has been identified as the "region of the Gadarenes" where Jesus cast several demons out of two men, the so-called "Miracle of the Swine" (both Mark and Luke use the term "Gerasenes," and only one man in mentioned):

"When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no-one could pass that way. 'What do you want with us, Son of God?' they shouted. 'Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?' Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, 'If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.' He said to them, 'Go!' So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region" (Matthew 8:28-34; also see the parallel accounts in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-37).

The "Gadarenes" (meaning "a stranger drawing near") were the residents of Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis and the capital of the Roman province of Perea, controlled by Herod Antipas. Gadara (also called Gergasa or Gerasa in various manuscripts) was located on the summit of a mountain about 6 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The miracle could not have taken place at Gadara itself, for between the lake and the town there is the deep, almost impassable ravine of the Jarmuk River (Hieromax). Gadara, which is mentioned in the Gospels only in connection with the healing of the demon-possessed men (man), was dominant enough to give its name to the entire area (thus the term "region of the Gadarenes" in Matthew's account).

The "Miracle of the Swine" could only have taken place on the east side of the lake, where Greek cities like Sussita (Hippos) and Gadara were located. The rest of the lake was dotted with towns inhabited primarily by Jews, who considered pigs "unclean." Kursi, the modern name for the site of the miracle , is possibly derived from Aramaic kursa, meaning 'chair,' and refers to a rock formation above the site. (Kursi is also similar to the Greek choiros (swine), or it may even have derived from Korazin which was once identified with the site).

Steep cliffs led down to the lake from Gadara. In Jesus' time, there was a harbor with a 10-foot high breakwater of stones extending into the lake from the shore and curving around the harbor to protect boats from the sudden storms on the Sea of Galilee.

In the 5th century AD, a church and monastery (one of the largest in the country) was established at the mouth of a wadi (dry seasonal riverbed) descending from the Golan Heights to service the needs of pilgrims who wished to visit the traditional location of the "Miracle of the Swine." In antiquity, a paved road led from the monastery to a small harbor for those pilgrims arriving in boats. The monastery complex was inhabited for the next three centuries but, in the mid 8th century AD, it was damaged by an earthquake and abandoned. Eventually, it was covered by a thick layer of silt.

The ancient site came to light again in 1970 (shortly after the Six Day War of 1967 ) during construction of a road when bulldozers uncovered pottery sherds and the tops of the monastery's stone walls. lt is the largest Byzantine-period monastery in Israel and within its church, archeologists found a mosaic floor with pictures of animals (chickens, geese, doves, cormorants and fish) and plants (citrons, dates, pomegranates and grapes), parts of which were vandalized. The mosaic floor in the baptism room has a Greek inscription. Also discovered were a small aquaduct, a harbor administration building, a shallow pool lined with plaster where fisherman stored their daily catch and an underground crypt containing more than 30 skeletons, all of middle-age men, except for one child. In 1980, a small chapel was discovered with its apse built in a cave. Christian tradition ties this cave with the place the possessed man revealed himself to Jesus and where Jesus cleansed him. The site is now open to the public as a national park under the supervision of the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority. (Incidently, the road was deflected and now skirts the site).

My pesonal question is why the demons asked to go to pigs if the pigs will be drawn in water later . also where the Demons go after the pigs get drawn? Will htey stay in their bodies or go into the water or coming again out of water to people?

Why could Jesus not be buried inside of the Old City?

In Judaism its not allowed to burry within the city.

What was the American Colony in Jerusalem?

For a fascinating historical insight containing exclusive pictures taken by the American Colony Photographic Department in the early 1900's please follow this link

The rich history of the American Colony dates back to the late nineteenth century, following a series of tragic events that led Horatio and Anna Spafford, a devoutly Christian family, to leave their hometown of Chicago in 1881 in order to find peace in the holy city of Jerusalem and offer aid to families in distress.

Drawing strength through their faith and comfort from the words of the hymn “It is Well with my Soul,” written by Horatio following the loss of his four young daughters in a shipwreck. The Spaffords, together with sixteen other members of their church, journeyed to Jerusalem and settled together in a small house in the Old City.

They were never missionaries, but aimed at living as the early Christians did, a simple life with everything in common. With their charitable door open at all times to both their Jewish neighbours and the Bedouin from across the Jordan River, they soon established good relations with the local population and became well known for their acts of benevolence and assistance to the community. People referred to them simply as ‘the Americans.’ Seventy Swedes living in the United States joined ‘the Americans’ in 1894 followed by another fifty five two years later, and the now much larger group required a much larger home. The home they finally bought was initially designed as a palace for a pasha and his four wives. That palace would soon become The American Colony Hotel.

The seeds of the American Colony Hotel were sown in 1902, when Baron Ustinov (grandfather of actor Sir Peter Ustinov), finding the Turkish inns of the time unacceptable, needed suitable accommodations in Jerusalem to house his visitors from Europe and America. Before long, the American Colony emerged as a point of lodging for Western travelers and pilgrims whose expectations for high standards of luxury and service were not met by the establishments which existed in Jerusalem.

The American Colony Hotel has a unique place in Israel’s history, having endured countless challenges and damage resulting from the area’s involvement in a series of wars.  It was the venue from which a ‘white flag,’—made from a bed sheet from one of the Colony’s hospitals that is currently displayed at the Imperial War Museum in London—was draped at the end of World War I to initiate the truce that freed Jerusalem from three centuries of Ottoman rule.

The Colony has always been known as a neutral island, remaining outside the turbulent politics of the land. Owned neither by Arabs or Jews, but by Americans, British and Swedes, it has always had friends from all sectors of Jerusalem’s mixed society. An ‘oasis’ where Jews and Arabs comfortably meet, it is also a favorite haven for international journalists, high-ranking officers of the United Nations and diplomats from across the world.

The original founders retained their former home in the Old City and used it for charitable purposes, providing care to the needy and distressed with services that grew over the decades and today include medical, infant welfare and social work departments. 

Although the hotels’ active management by the Spafford’s grandson, Horatio Vester, was handed over to Gauer Hotels of Switzerland upon his retirement in 1980, the American Colony is still owned by the descendants of the original Founders and its board of directors is composed of family members who remain closely involved. The Colony is a part of their family history, just as it is a part of the history of Jerusalem.

The electric station in Hadera, what is the source of its energy?

What era is the mound (Tel) at Beit Shean from?

What are sites of settlement of German Templers?

Beit Lechem Haglilit Sarona in Tel-Aviv, and the German colonies of Haifa and Jerusalem

What is source of drinking water in Eilat? (desalination plant)

All of the drinking water of Eilat is today produced byRO. The RO desalination process is the application of hydrostatic pressure on seawater or brackish water surmounting a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is "semi-permeable" in that it is permeable to water and almost impermeable to dissolved electrolytes. The water molecules pass through the membrane from the side of the higher concentrated solution to the side of lower concentrated solution.

Little of the dissolved salts pass through the membrane. The initial solution is thus separated into two parts, one more concentrated in dissolved salts and the othe almost pure water. In RO the hydrostatic pressure must exceed the osmotic pressure of the saline solution. This process can be compared to what would take place with direct osmosis

with the same membrane but without applied pressure, where the water would naturally migrate in the opposite direction, i.e., from the solution of lower to higher osmotic pressure. Several theoretical models are used to describe solventsolute transport in RO membranes, with the different models overlapping each other. The principal models for the transport process are known as "solutiondiffusion" and "capillary pore". The active surface layer of the membrane forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules in the aqueous solution. By capillary action, the water molecules then move through the membrane. Solutes are rejected or absorbed by the membrane depending on the electrical charge of the solute molecule and by its ability to form a "solution" in the membrane. In RO, unlike in filtration, it is not membrane pore size and not dissolved particle size that determine the success of the separation process. The principal advantage of RO over distillation is the saving of energy. RO involves no energy-consuming phase changes.

 What is the "Moses Seat"?

As with everything that may not apparent immediately- we need to read the complete text in its context.

Matt 23:1-12: “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, v.2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. "But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. "They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, "greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. "And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

After this is said Jesus goes into 7 woes to the Pharisees that were also present.

The Old Testament may not say these exact words “Moses' seat,” but there are lots of terms and phrases that are interpreted in the New Testament that have its roots and meaning in the Old Testament. The phrase has the idea of wanting to be the leaders of Israel as Moses was.  The Pharisees were public teachers that had the office of explaining that Law and it was the custom to sit while they expounded the law and prophets (Matthew 5:1; Luke 4:20-22).

By the seat of Moses, it meant that they had the authority to teach the law. And Jesus affirms that they should be listen to as they read Moses’ law for it was the Scripture. But then He tells the people not to act the way they do “for they say, and do not do.” They went beyond the law (called the tradition of the elders (Mk.7 where they made void the commandments of God by their own laws which became the tradition they obeyed.)

In other words do as they say (as long as it is Scripture) but don’t do what they do (living in their tradition).

Had they taught what Moses taught and lived it, Jesus would have had no rebuke. Jesus then points out how they want the best of everything and be noticed because of their teaching position, he then explains they are to be servants, not self exalting themselves and that He instead of they should be their teacher.

What is the difference between eastern orthodox and western churches?

Sometime around the 4th century, Christianity was considered to be concentrated in five primary centers: Alexandria (now Egypt), Antioch (now Greece), Constantinople (now Turkey), Jerusalem (now Israel), and Rome (now Italy). As Islam grew and competed with some of the centers, Rome and Constantinople became the main Christian centers and, for political, cultural, linguistic and religious reasons, the powers in Rome and Constantinople formally separated in 1054 AD. This separation is also referred to as the Great Schism or East-West Schism — there were earlier, lesser schisms. Despite the break, many of the belief structures between the two are largely similar as they both are based on the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. In fact, since the 19th century, there have been continued conversations about reuniting the two churches.

The Pope

A main difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics has to do with the recognition of the Pope. Roman Catholics recognize the Pope as the infallible. Moreover, the Pope has supreme authority over all churches and can, for example, contradict or usurp the power of a lower ranking church leader (e.g., a priest, bishop or cardinal). The Eastern Orthodox, also have various bishops with one being the highest bishop, also called the first among equals, but the Eastern Orthodox do not believe the highest ranking bishop, or archbishop, to be infallible, nor do they grant him with supreme authority over all churches.

As people-centered forms of government become more common, papal authority extends less than it did in the previous millennium. Today, the Pope may still advise leaders of countries, but has no power to make them change. The governments of predominantly Catholic countries are rarely influenced by the Pope alone. In fact, many predominantly Catholic countries are lead in a way antithetical to what the Catholic Church may desire.

Language of Church Services

Another difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches notable until the mid 20th century was that Roman Catholic services were conducted in Latin, rather than in native languages. The early Eastern Orthodox Church rejected the language of Rome and celebrated mass in native languages from its onset. Since Vatican II, the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, however, Roman Catholic services are often conducted in the native tongue. Members of Opus Dei, a section within the Roman Catholic Church, continue to consistently celebrate the Latin mass.

Original Sin

There are also many complex dogmatic distinctions that have arisen since the two churches separated. These are often difficult to understand, but include a few straightforward differences in belief. One is the concept of original sin which has its roots in Adam's sins in the Garden of Eden. Both Churches believe in the concept of original sin but hold it to have different consequences on humanity. Still, both Churches hold baptism as the way to cleanse the soul of sin.

The Churches diverge in how original sin applies to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Catholics believe Mary was born without original sin, and thus was the appropriate vessel for the Son of God. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes this distinction matters little. Like all people, Mary was born and would die. She was chosen to be Jesus' mother because of her virtuous life.

A few minor differences may also be noted:

• Eastern Orthodox Churches often have icons while Catholic churches have statues.

• Catholic Priests may not be married whereas Eastern Orthodox priests may marry prior to ordination.

• There are no separate religious orders of Eastern Orthodox monks or nuns whereas the Roman Catholics belong to these associations which are devoted to a specific form of service.

• The Eastern Orthodox Church does not believe in purgatory and does not observe the Stations of the Cross.

• The Roman Catholic Eucharist is an unleavened wafer while the Eastern Orthodox Church uses leavened bread.

• Easter is calculated differently by the Orthodox and the Catholic but the two celebrate Christmas on the same day. That is not right

Where are the Flour Caves?

One of the more unusual attractions in the Dead Sea/Judean Desert area is the Flour Cave. It is located south of the Dead Sea and directly west of Mt. Sedom, in Nahal Perazim, a beautiful narrow gorge. It can be accessed either by car from the Arava-Dead Sea road, or on jeep via Nachal Zohar.

Why are Jew's heads covered at the Kotel?

It's a kind of modesty, and to remember that God is always above us.

What can you tell us about Ein Karem for Christian pilgrims?

It is the traditional spot where Elizabeth “felt life” when she met her kinswoman Mary, and where John the Baptist was born and raised.

Luke 1:39 tells us that after the annunciation, Mary hurried to “a town in the hill country of Judah” to visit Elizabeth, who was also pregnant.  Centuries ago, Christians began to mark Elizabeth’s hometown at Ein Karem, whose name means “spring of the vineyard.”

Though just a short drive from Jerusalem’s modern neighborhoods, once you arrive, you can leave the everyday world behind and step back in time. You’ll still find the spring, where no doubt Elizabeth drew water for her household. If you arrive in the waning of winter you’ll see the almond trees rejoicing in their pink and white blossoms; in summer the grapevines on their terraces still bear fruit. As you watch children at play in the little village park, it’s easy to imagine John as a young boy clambering across these very slopes.

 Ein Karem was less than a day’s walk from the Temple in Jerusalem to which Zechariah, John’s father, would be called to his duties as a priest.  It was while serving at the altar of incense in the Temple that Zechariah saw the angel Gabriel, who informed him that his aged wife Elizabeth would give birth after years of barrenness. The shock must have caused Zechariah to forget his manners at angelic meetings! He immediately questioned the angel’s words, and so was struck voiceless until the naming ceremony at his son’s circumcision.

 In the cool, restful interiors of Ein Karem’s churches you can see where ancient Christians marked the site of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, and where Mary uttered her great praise poem that begins with the words “My soul glorifies the Lord...” Luke 1:46. Keep your Bibles open to Luke’s Gospel here, because in the gardens, quiet corners and courtyards you can also pause over the story of Elizabeth’s naming of John.  Luke 1:59-60 and Zechariah’s own poem of praise and prophecy Luke 1:67-79. Many legends surround John’s early years. One tells of his miraculous survival of the murder of the innocents by King Herod.  John was only a few months older than Jesus and thus, when the order came from Herod to kill all the boys in “in Bethlehem and the vicinity” Matt. 2:16, John, too, was in mortal danger. It is said that Elizabeth managed to conceal her son in a cave (still shown to visitors) and though the soldiers came close, they unknowingly passed over his hiding place.

Ein Karem, so close to the city and yet with such a different atmosphere, is also a great draw for Israeli visitors, whom you’ll find strolling along the lanes with you, exploring the churches, browsing the little shops, savoring a cup of coffee or a meal, and just like you, enjoying a perfect interlude.

Why do most holy sites belong to the Franciscans?

First we have to know that the Franciscan Church is one of the richest churches in the world. The Franciscan also used to buy lands from the people who used to rule in this land. They also renewed the churches which the run and maintain it.

The custody which they got from the turks made them build churches

What could you tell Christian tourists about Jericho?

 It's The "City of Palms" spreads out on the west side of the Jordan River at 825 feet below sea level.  Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world. Its name may be derived from the word meaning "moon" in Hebrew and Canaanite, as the city was an early center of worship for lunar deities.

Sycamore Tree "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to get a look at Jesus, but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was going to pass that way" Luke 19:1-4.

What are the differences between Mary Magdalene and Dominos Flevit churches?

"Icon" means "image" in Greek, either paintings, mosaics, or statues... The East did not wanted Icons, like the Jews and Muslims... defeated in Nicea in 787... they do have now beautiful uni-dimensional Icons.

The Iconoclastic Controversy occurred between the mid-8th century and the mid-9th century in the Byzantine Christian Church over the question of whether or not Christians should continue to revere icons. Most unsophisticated believers tended to revere icons (thus they were called iconodules), but many political and religious leaders wanted to have them smashed because they believed that venerating icons was a form of idolatry (they were called iconoclasts).

In 724 the beginning of the Iconoclastic Controversy over the veneration of images divides the Byzantine Emperor and the Pope. St. John of Damascene, a Doctor of the Church, made a remarkable work in defense of icons.

In 787 the Second Council of Nicea condemned the Iconoclastic error.

King Theophilus died leaving his wife Theodora regent for his minor heir, Michael III. Like Irene 50 years before her, Theodora mobilized the iconodules and proclaimed the restoration of icons in 843. Since that time the first Sunday of Lent is celebrated in the churches of the Orthodox tradition as the feast of the "Triumph of Orthodoxy".

An iconodule is someone who supports or is in favor of religious images or icons and their veneration, and is in opposition to an Iconoclast (someone against Iconography). The term is usually used in relation to the Iconoclasm controversy in Byzantine times; the most famous Iconodules of that time being Theodore the Studite and John of Damascus.

    The "Icons" may represent the "Mystical Experience" every Orthodox wants to obtain... and the long suffering... with the steady and distinguished cultural and social work of the Eastern Church for centuries. The "Orthodox Theology" is mostly "apophatic", stressing what is not known, rather than "cataphatic", emphasizing what is known.

Apophasis was originally and more broadly a method of logical reasoning or argument by denial, a way of telling what something is by telling what it is not, a process-of-elimination way of talking about something by talking about what it isn't.

A useful inductive technique when given a limited universe of possibilities, the exclusion of all but the one remaining is affirmation through negation. The familiar guessing-game of "Is it bigger than a bread box?" is an example of apophatic inquiry.

This sense has generally fallen into disuse and is frequently overlooked, although it is still current in certain contexts, such as mysticism and negative theology. An apophatic theology sees God as ineffable and attempts to describe God in terms of what God is not. Apophatic statements refer to transcendence in this context, as opposed to cataphasis referring to immanence.

Cataphatic theology describes God positively according to what He has revealed of Himself in Scripture and nature. It is usually discussed as the opposite of Apophatic (or negative) theology, which attempts to describe God only in terms of what He is not.

What is the importance of Hadera?

Hadera is a city located in the Haifa District of Israel approximately half-way between the major cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Hadera was founded in 1891, at the dawn of modern Zionism by Eastern European immigrants who were members of the Zionist group Hovevei Zion on land purchased by Yehoshua Hankin, who was known as the Redeemer of the Valley. The town derives its name from the Arabic word khadra, meaning "green" referring to the color of the swamp vegetation of the area. The notorious swamps of Hadera caused more than half the settlers of Hadera to die of malaria during its first 20 years. The settlers received aid, however, in 1895 when Baron Edmond de Rothschild, a wealthy French philanthropist, gave them funds to drain the swamps by building canals and planting large eucalyptus groves. The eucalyptus tree soon became Haderah's symbol. The first settlers of the town were decimated by nearby malaria-breeding swamps as the city's cemetery bears witness. Initially, Hadera was a lonely outpost of just 10 families and 4 guards but with time others followed and the city has now grown to over 75,000 inhabitants. At first, agriculture was the main occupation of Haderah's settlers. They planted field and vegetable garden crops and citrus groves. But as the population of Hadera increased, the economy expanded and industrialized. Today, industry has become the main element in the town's economy.

What characterizes the Chalcolithic period?    Name a few sites from this period? Some remains?

Chalcolithic period is The period of human culture preliminary to the Bronze Age, characterized by the use of copper and stone tools. The Chalcolithic Period is generally recognized only for Europe and central and western Asia. It's also called Copper and Stone Age. The first period in which settlement sites existed here was in the Chalcolithic period

Sites:

1- Pekiin A karstic cave near Pekiin in the Galilee was used for burials in the Chalcolithic period (4th millennium BCE). The cave contains a large number of clay ossuaries (chests for storing human bones) with painted decorations, several of them representing human faces. They attest to a highly artistic society and provide evidence of the burial customs and the spiritual life of the Chalcolithic people.

2- Horbat Tsur  is located east of the confluence of Nahal Gedud and Nahal HaElah. Four rock shelters were exposed at the site. Evidence of burials was discovered in three of the rock shelters. In one of them jars were discovered that were utilized in secondary use as burial containers. In another rock shelter a rock-hewn installation was exposed with pits and the remains of hearths.

The second site, Horbat ‘Illit B, is located on the banks of Nahal Gedud, c. 1 kilometer east of Horbat Tsur. It seems that the middle of the site, which extends across c. 10 dunams, is located on the northern bank of the river. The site extends across bedrock terraces descending to the middle of the river channel.

3-Nahal Guvrin, remains from this period were exposed including installations and rock shelters with built additions intended for dwelling or storage purposes. Such construction was noted in three places. Based on the pottery shreds that were found inside them, the installations date to the Chalcolithic period. Two phases of occupation levels with furnace-like installations were also discovered.

4-Ein Gedi: Chalcolithic Temple, the earliest remains at En Gedi are of a temple from the Chalcolithic Period (about 4000 - 3150 B.C.). Archaeologists believe that this is proof that En Gedi supported a significant settlement at that time.

What are some of the characteristics of Mamluk architecture?

Mamluk architecture reflects the confidence derived from its military successes and is one of the most distinctive Islamic styles of building. In Egypt brick remained an important material of construction up until the fifteenth century, whereas in Syria it was seldom used. Other differences can be detected in decorative details such as the type of arch used in muqarnas moldings. Muqarnas is the cover of the connection dome-pillars, in a pointed drop shape, to beautify the connection. Surface Decoration is the most characteristic feature of Mamluk architecture (and art in general) is the use of heraldic blazons. These are usually round discs divided into three fields with various emblems. Ablaq is the red and white colored stones in a building, used next to each other.

 Describe the Acre prison:

Acre was conquered by the Ottomans at the beginning of the 16th century. The governor of Galilee, Ahmed al-Jazzar, developed the town, building a fortress and markets and turning it into the 'main gateway' to Eretz Israel (Palestine). Under the British Mandate, the fortress served as a jail, where underground fighters were imprisoned and where eight Irgun fighters went to the gallows. Acre prison was the most highly-guarded fortress in the country; surrounded by walls and encircled to the east and north by a deep moat; the sea to the west. It was located in the heart of an Arab town with no Jewish inhabitants. Despite these factors, the underground never ceased to plan their escape. The turning point came when an Arab inmate, in charge of supplying oil to the kitchen, related that while working in the oil storeroom (in the south wall of the fortress), he had heard women's voices. This was reported to Eitan Livni, the most senior Irgun prisoner, who deduced that the south wall of the prison bordered on a street or alley in the Old City. The information was conveyed by underground post to the Irgun General Headquarters, with a proposal that the wall of the oil storehouse be exploited for a break-in to rescue the Irgun inmates.

What was the Decapolis? In which region did it exist? What period was it created? What period did it exist? What was the point of the Decapolis?

Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in Jordan Syria and Palestine. The ten cities were not an official league or political unit, but they were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status. The Decapolis cities were centers of Greek and Roman culture. The names of the traditional Ten Cities of the Decapolis come from the Roman historian Pliny the Elder (N.H. 5.16.74). They are:

1. Gerasa (Jerash)

2. Scythopolis (Beth-Shean), the only city on the western side of the Jordan River

3. Hippos (Hippus or Sussita)

4. Gadara (Umm Qays)

5. Pella (East of Irbid)

6. Philadelphia, modern day Amman, the capital of Jordan

7. Dion

8. Canatha (Qanawat)

9. Raphana

10. Damascus, the capital of modern Syria; Damascus was considerably north of the others and so is sometimes thought to have been an "honorary" member.

The "Region of the Decapolis" was located in modern-day Jordan, one of them located west of the Jordan River in Palestine (modern day Israel). Each city had a certain degree of autonomy and self-rule.

The Decapolis cities were by and large founded during the Hellenistic period, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the Roman conquest of Coele-Syria, including Judea

What are the geographical boundaries of the Shephela?

To the north Ayalon Valley.???????????

To the south Sorek Valley.???????????

To the west the Mediterranean.?????

To the east Jerusalem Mountains.???????????

What would you advise tourists to see in the area of Eilat?

Timna Valley: The landscapes of Timna valley, about 30 km north of Eilat, are most unusual and breathtaking, and the place is well worth visiting.

The Timna valley is U-shaped: yellow sandstone mountains surround it from three sides, and red volcanic Mt Timna is in the centre. The "U" opens eastward, towards the Arava road. One of the most famous sights in Timna is The Mushroom, a red sandstone rock so shaped by wind and water that it indeed looks like a gigantic mushroom.

Wadi Shlomo, Aquarium and the sea sport plus the ships.

Let's say you visit Mary Magdalene and Dominus Flevit churches. What are the differences between them?

Dominus Flevit: Our Lord Wept. The church is like a tear shape and as we enter we realize a strange phenomena the alter is in the western wall and not in its customary location in the eastern wall the place of the alter opposite to the nice view of Jerusalem framed by the church's western wall is intentional intensifying the religious experience of anyone praying here.

Mary Magdalene Church has a Russian Style in building.

Dominus Flevit was built t0o commemorate Jesus when he wept for Jerusalem, while Mary Magdalene Church was built by Alexander III of Russia dedicated to his mother Maria; it was called the Church of St. Mary Magdalene after her name –Saint Patron.

Dominus Flevit has remains of burial caves and ossuaries that were found dating to the second Temple period.

Tell us about the water source of Herodion.

It was called the Solomon Pools coming from the springs of Wadi Biyar (known as the well of Aroub). Not accurate

What is the origin of the water at Artas?

  Aroub springs (same as question 1)

Is there an additional use of the water "spaces" in Herodion and if so, from what period?

During the Bar Kochva Revolt, the Jewish rebels dug a network of tunnels to hide inside 132-35 AD.

Did any special events take place in pools?

  In the pool of Bethesda, cripple person was healed by Jesus. Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes after he put mud on them to wash them and to be healed.

Name other Herodian palaces.

Masada, Caesarea, Palace in Jerusalem (Jafa Gate), Phasael.???????

How come people did not like Herod?

  Herod was cruel and was loyal to the Roman Pagan system.

Why did Antipater convert?

Alexander Yannai forced the Adomeabs & the Moabites to covert to Judaism.

Which of the Hasmoneans forcibly converted the Edomeans?

  Alexander Yannai.

Who was the father of Antigonus I and Hyrcanus I?

     Simon the Great.

Is there any site named after Alexander Yanai?

     Alexandrion (Antipatris).

Name Herod’s building projects.

The restoration of the Jerusalem 2nd Temple, Antonia Fortress, water aqueducts, Jerusalem Palace in Jaffa Gate, enlarging Jerusalem (Herodion Quarter) the 3 towers: Hepicus, Phasael, Mariaman. Masada, Antipatris, Kipros, Macareus, Herodion & Caesarea.

Describe how Herodion was built.

2/3 of the mountain was man-made which looks like a top of a volcano. He put his mausoleum & his Palace over there.

What are the geographic borders of the City of David?

N: Temple Mount   S: Siloam   E: Kidron Valley   W: Mount Zion

When was the Siloam inscription found?

It was found in 1880 recording the construction of the tunnel in 8th century BC in Hebrew.

Why is it in Turkey?

It was found during the Ottoman rule, so it was taken to Istanbul Museum till now.

Can artifacts/antiquities be taken out of Jerusalem?

It can be taken to be shown to the public?

Why did the Jews in the First Temple period make the Siloam inscription back then?

     It was a great accomplishment for them.

 When was this neighborhood built?

In 1887 by Conrad Schick.

Who settled in Mishkenot?

The poor people & the workers.

What did they live of?

  They were the workers of the windmill.

What is the original direction of prayer for Moslems?

Muslims face Makkah (Qibla) when they pray

Are you allowed to go into a mosque if you are not Moslem?

Yes

When did the Sunni and Shiites split (When did the big split occur)?

The split between the two main branches of Islam is nearly 1,400 years old, and started with a fight over who should lead the faithful after the prophet Muhammad's death in 632. One side believed that direct descendants of the prophet should take up the mantle of the caliph – the leader of the world's faithful. They were known as the Shiat-Ali, or "partisans of Ali," after the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali, whom they favored to become caliph. In time, they came simply to be known as Shiites.

The other side, the Sunnis, thought that any worthy man could lead the faithful, regardless of lineage, and favored Abu Bakr, an early convert to Islam who had married into Muhammad's family. "Sunni" is derived from the Arab word for "followers" and is shorthand for "followers of the prophet."

Name two major Islamic structures on the temple mount.

1-    Dome of the Rock

2-    Al Aqsa Mosque

When were they built? What was their purpose?

1-    Dome of the Rock: The Dome of the Rock was built by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik from 688 to 691 AD. the Dome of the Rock was built to commemorate Muhammad's ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem

2-    Al Aqsa Mosque: The first Al-Aqsa Mosque was constructed of wood by the Umayyads in 710 AD, only a few decades after the Dome of the Rock. The structure has been rebuilt at least five times; it was entirely destroyed at least once by earthquakes. The last major rebuild was in 1035.

Are they both mosques?

No. The Dome of the Rock is not a mosque but a Muslim Shrine.

What do Moslems need to do before they go into a mosque?

Before entering a mosque, Muslims needs to take off their shoes and place it in the designated area.

What is written law and what is oral law in Islam?

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Ill try to ask someone 2moro, maybe you can help

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Who built the White Mosque? Where and when?

????????????????

Tamara, I found 2 white mosques, one in Ramla and one in Nazareth, I really duno which one they mean,,, maybe you can help. ///????????????

Please name the 5 pillars of Islam

The five pillars of Islam – daily prayer; fasting during Ramadan; alms giving; the pilgrimage to Mecca; and belief in one, unitary god

  What are the two main periods in Acre’s history?

Although Acre was from ancient times regarded as ‘the key to the Levant’ because of its strategic coastal location, the two main periods of Acre are

I.             The Crusader period from 1104 till 1291, at first functioning as the main crusader port and in the later period the Capital and embarking port for many pilgrims,

II.            Ottoman period from 1750 under the rule of Daher el Omar and later under Ahmed Al Jazzar Pasha and his successors, till 1840.

NB: Acre’s history in a nutshell

Old Testament: Acre was in the territory of Asher. But it was never an Israelite City.  It was only named once in Judges 1:13, mentioned as one of the places the Israelites could not drive out Canaanite inhabitants.

Ancient history:

1500 BCE ‘Aak’ was on the tribute list of Thutmoses III. Akka was named in the Al Amarna letters.

 In 725 BCE, political connections with Phoenicia joined Sidon and Tyre in the revolt against Shalmanaser V.

Persians, Assyrians and Egyptians ruled over the City until in 330 BCE Alexander the Great entered the City.

Greek/Hasmonean/Roman:

The name was changed to Antiocha Ptolemais after Alexander the Great’s conquest; after the partition of the Greek Kingdom, called Ptolemais. Under Seleucid rule Acre remained more less an independent City State.

153 BCE, Alexander Balas son of Antiochus Ephiphanes, seized the city from Demetrius, his rival for the Syrian crown. Jonathan the Maccabee was asked for help by both. He threw his lot with Alexander. In 150 BCE he received in Ptolemais a great welcome and honor but on his next visit was captured by a Syrian Army officer.  Ptolemais was captured by Alexander Janneus, Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Tigranes III of Armenia.

Herod the Great built a gymnasia and a Roman Colonia was established at the City, Colonia Claudia Caesaris.  It became the Roman base of operations from where they crushed the Jewish Rebellion in the Galilee, during the Great Revolt in 66 CE.  Under Byzantine rule Acre remained a busy port.

Arab rule came to Acre in 638. It functioned as the seaport of Damascus. Crusaders conquered the City in 1104. It was in their hands until 1291

In 1291 the Mamluks took Acre after a bloody siege.

In 1517 Ottomans under Sultan Selim brought Acre under their rule.

British/Israeli rule: From 1918 till 1848 Acre was under British Mandate rule. Acre fell under the UN partition plan from 1947, under a future Arab State in Palestine. The town was captured by the Jewish Haganah on May 17th 1948. ¾ of the Arab population fled the city. (1944 est. population 13.000).

Name two main religious sites in Acre. To whom are they dedicated and why.

Acre has many churches, due to a past with vivid Christian life. But today its major religious – and as such used- sites are:  

I.  Al Jazzar Mosque located in the hart of the Old City on El Jazzar Street. Muslims pray and study here every day. The mosque is dedicated to Ahmed “El Jazzar” Pasha. This Ottoman Ruler built the mosque in one year in 1781. Built for his own glory, the narrative also says that a hair of the prophet Mohammed was found on the spot. Actually the mosque was built on a Crusader church.

II. The Bahai Temple and Gardens, north of the City of Acre. This is a site for Bahai pilgrimage and worship. The founder of the Bahai faith, BAha u’’llah, spent many years here. In a house called the ‘Mansion of Bahji’ where he was formally a prisoner (under house arrest after spending years in Acre’s Citadel prison) of the Ottoman Empire. He wrote in this place many volumes of his works. His shrine is located next to the Mansion and is the Holiest place on earth for Bahai believers. 

Why was the Al Jazzar Mosque built?

He built for the glory of the ruler Ahmed Al Jazzar. Narrative says a hair of the prophet’s head is found at the spot. A box in the back of the mosque contains the hair.

Please briefly describe the main Crusader sites in Acre.

Acre is a subterranean (under the ground) crusader city that has been excavated in the hart of Acre’s Old City.  It was originally built above the ground but the Mamluks buried it after the Crusader defeat. Main parts are:

- The entrance hall

- Seven halls used by the different ‘Langue’ or national divisions of the Crusader   orders. The northern most is the

-          Knights hall, exc. in 1954.High chambers, supported with big pillars and crusader arches. The lower pictures on the pillars are Crusader. Beyond the Knights Hall is

-          The chamber of the Grand Maneir the seat of the Grand Master of the order and his aides.

-          The Crypt. Served as the knight’s refectory. In the supporting beams you can see the name of Louis VII and the date 1184. At the far end of the Crypt are stairs leading down to

-          the underground passage, a secret escape route ending at

-          Templer tunnel

-          The Post, which rooms were served as hospital wards and assembling pilgrims.

Also the underground water cistern on the compound of the El Jazzar mosque is Crusader in origin. It served as water supply when the City was under siege. Parts of the fortifications of Acre’s Old City are based on Crusader walls.

Who built the walls of Acre?

In 1750 Daher el Omar, the Bedouin sheikh who ruled Acre for the Ottomans utilized the remnants of the Crusader walls as a foundation for his walls. El Jazzar reinforced them between 1775 and 1799. They survived Napoleons attack in 1799, but the walls were thin. The height was 10-13 meters and the thickness only one meter.

A heavy Land defense wall was built North and East of the City in 1800-1814, also by El- Jazzar., with the aid of his (Jewish) advisor Haim Farki. This wall you still see, when coming to Acre. It is a fortification which includes a thick defense wall, a dry moat, cannon outposts and burgess. The seawall which remained mostly complete is the original of Daher El Omar.

Describe the Crusader aspects of Acre

The Crusaders invaded Acre in 1104. They called the city, St. Jean d’Arce (probably after the southern town of Ekron), and made it their main port in their Crusader Kingdom. After 1191, it became the Capital of the remnant of the second Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. The city consisted of a huge Crusader Compound, surrounded by communa’s and had her own water supplies, fortifications and an escape tunnel.

Acre was taken by Saladin in 1187, but besieged again by Guy de Lusignan and captured by Richard the Lionheart in 1191. In 1229 it was placed under the control of the Hospitaler Knights. Acre was the final stronghold of the Crusader state. It fell to the Mamluks in a bloody siege in 1291.

Acre was the port where people (knights, soldiers, workers, pilgrims and trade were embarked). As in a good trading City, indulges could be acquired ‘last minute’ before leaving the Holy Land. Many remains of the Crusaders can be seen in Acre. The subterranean excavated City and the water cistern under the El Jazzar Mosque.

Why has Acre won UNESCO world recognition?

A UNESCO World heritage site, is a specific place (forest, mountain, lake, desert, building complex or city), included on the list administered by the UNESCO world heritage committee. The program aims to catalogue, name and conserve these sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity.

Acre is one of the 660 cultural sites on the list, selected on criteria II, III and V.

Criteria II: “to exhibit an important interchange of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.

Criteria III: “to bear unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or has disappeared.

Criteria V: “to be an outstanding example of traditional human settlement, land-use or sera-use, which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change”.

When and why did Napoleon attempt to conquer Acre? Why did Napoleon fail to conquer Acre?   

Napoleon attempted to conquer Acre in 1799. He wanted to raise a ‘Syrian Rebellion’ against the Turkish domination. Probably he wanted to expand his influence…Napoleon failed to conquer the city. He laid siege for two months from March till may 1799.The Turks though received help from (a surprising) force.  The British Sir Sydney Smith arrived with a force of British Sailors. Napoleon lost his siege canons to Smith. His infantry and small caliber cannons were not enough to take the city. He retreated on May 21.

Trace a tour from Acre to Jerusalem

1) By train.  This route leads through the Coastal Plain, the Low Lands and a very scenic route through the Judean Mountains. Stops can be made in Haifa and Tel-Aviv.

2) By road. Acre to the Jezreel Valley, taking Wadi Ara, road # 6, Road # 1. Stops can be made at Megiddo, Latrun/Emmaus, Abu Ghosh, Aqua Bella, Tsuba, Ein Karem.

3) Acre- Karmiel- Tiberias- Bet Shean- Jordan Valley- Road no 1 to Jerusalem.

Stops: Tiberias, Belvoir, Beth Shean, Wadi Qelt,

What is important about the mosque in Acre?

The El Jazzar mosque is one of the finest mosques from the Ottoman Period. What is very important about this mosque is that after you hand over 2 shekel and have your dress inspected, this mosque is open to the public from 8 am till 4 (winter) and 6 (summer), except from an hour and a bit at midday. The mosque is beautiful from the inside and the yard has many interesting sites (sabil, sun clock, water cistern, mausoleum, old but beautiful cloisters).

 Tell us little about the prison. What was its role vis avis the Bahai.

The prison of Acre’s Old City is part of the West fortification, called the Citadel. The foundations are Crusader but what you see today is an Ottoman fortification. During the Ottoman time and the British Mandate it was used as a prison and as a site for gallons. During the British Mandate, activists of the Jewish Zionist Resistant movements (Lehi, Irgun) were held in prison here, some were executed. In May 1947 members of the Irgun broke in the prison and freed hundreds of inmates. The Baha Ullah, one of the important founders of the Bahai movement was held in prison here in the late 19th Century.  

Name some personalities held in prison.

Irgun and Lehi members: Shlomo Ben Yosef, Dov Gruner, Eliezer Kashani, Meir Feinstein, Moshe Barzani. A museum dedicated to the Jewish resistance is established in the prison.

Describe the various orders of the Crusader Knights

The Military Orders were the only sociological creation of the Crusader Kingdom. A Military Order is a ‘contradiction in terminus’, since military means ‘killing’ and monks are not allowed to shed blood. This thus was a first obstacle in the establishment of ‘Military Orders’. The second obstacle for combining military and order is: No movement between the classes (nobility/knights, clergy and peasants). Yet it happened.

The first Western Order is the Hospitaler Order or the order of St. John. (John the patron of Amalfi- Italy). They were no military order at first but merchants from Amalfi, setting up a communa, and build the first hospital in ‘Muristan”.(Bimaristan is Persian for Hospital) in Jerusalem.  In 1119 someone had the idea to combine a military wing to an order. There was a lack of people in the Holy Land and monks could help out, taking care of ‘souls’ and fight at the same time. But due to the obstacles, it needed an authority to bring this idea in effect. One of the biggest theologists at the time, an adviser to the pope, called Bernard of Clervaux, created the idea of ‘bloody monks’, with the credo: ‘malecide non homicide’ (killing the evil is no killing), thus he cleared the road for the establishment of military orders.

The first real Military Order is that of the Templars (1120), The Hospitalers follow in this direction and after that the Lazarites ((founded after Lazarus the poor, which is not necessarily the Leper).

Later in the 12th Century, The German speaking Teutonic Order was established and more: Order of St. James.  The Order of Santiago, Order of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Order of St. Lorain. But the most influential orders were the Templars, Hospitaler and Lazarites.

What was the headquarters of the Crusader Knights orders in Jerusalem

The Templar Knights had their headquarters on the Temple Mount. (Tempelum Salomonis).

The palace of the Crusader Kings was probably in today’s ‘David Citadel’, which they called the ‘Curia Regis’. The Hospitallers were located in Muristan area and the German Hospitallers, the Teutonic Knights established for themselves a center where they could speak their own language and follow their customs, and it contained a church, a medical center, a hostel for the sick and a visitor’s center, located in the Jewish quarter. The headquarters of the Lazarite order was probably under to days Safra square (municipality).

Why was Acre so important in Crusader times

Acre never acquired much in the way of ‘Holy associations’. But it was important because it served as the main and safest Port at the start of the Crusade Kingdom, (although also Jaffa was an important Crusader port, it was considered less save then Acre). During the establishment of the first Crusader Kingdom, which cost about 50 years, Acre was their stronghold in the North, defending the Kingdom from Seljuks.

The 2nd Kingdom contained only the coastal Plain and the Northern Regions, and Acre became the Capital and for that matter and in the end, their last stronghold from which they shipped many of their possessions back to Europe…

When was the Crusader Period?

The roots for the preparations of the Crusades begin in March 1095, when Alexius, the Byzantine Empire writes a letter to Oddo, Pope Urbanus II, asking for help to fight the Seljuks.

The first Crusader Kingdom is from 1099, when the Crusaders take Jerusalem, until 4th of July, 1187 when they lost the Battle of Hittin against Salah al-Din el Ayoub. Jerusalem is the Capital.

The second Crusader Kingdom is from 1191, when Richard the Lionheart re-conquers Acre, till 1292, when Acre falls to the Mamluks.

The Kingdom consists in this period the Coastal Plain area. Acre is the capital.

Jerusalem is between 1229 and 1244 returned to the Crusaders under a political agreement with the Ayyubid.

What were the capitals of the Crusader Kingdom Respectively?

Jerusalem 1099-1187. and 1229 till 1244 Capital of the First Crusader Kingdom and part of the second Kingdom, though the King presided outside the Holy Land and the Crusaders stayed in Jerusalem, sanctioned by the Ayyubid Acre 1191- 1292. Capital of the Second Crusader Kingdom

 What was the purpose of the Crusaders Here?

The aim was to release the Holy Land from Non-Christians and to free the Holy Sepulchre Church. It was a religious war between Muslims and Christians. The idea arose in 964, when Flavius Phocas Augustus, the Byzantine Empire writes a letter to the Khalif in Bagdad, stating that ‘Jerusalem is under Muslim rule and this is unacceptable for Christians’.

Why did the Crusader period happen when it happened

Numerous reasons made the 11th Century ready for the Crusades

1. Theological. The feeling arose that it is an Unbearable idea that Muslims rule the Holy Land and posses the Holy Sepulchre Church

2. Sociological. European Knights were highly interested in fighting A Holy war. And ordinary people, in (Western Europe) were peasants with the status not much more then slaves. Not allowed to leave the villages and with not much perspective of a more prosperous future in their vicinity, they were also ready to move

3. Economic profit. The bourgeois traders of –mostly-South Europe (of spices, salt, incense, jewelry and other valuables) embraced the idea of the Levant becoming European ruled.

4. Demographic reasons. After a disastrous 10th Century in Europe, with numerous attacks of Normans, Magyars etc, the 11th Century is more prosperous. Less people died. Also due to technical inventions such as the plow, the population doubled, but places to live in did not yet grow in the 11th century.

5. The nobility, also due, to lower mortality rates faced inheritance problems. Only in the 11th Century the system of oldest son inherits the property became custom. So many look to live somewhere else and they turned to the East.

The people were ready. If someone would show them the way, they would follow. That someone came in the person of Pope Urbanus II and he showed them the way..

Why did they build such large castles?

Crusaders did learn from local developments, concepts and technology; the concept of a hospital and the technology of the Gothic arch are exported from the Levant to Europe during the Crusades. Despite this ‘meeting of cultures’ the crusaders were hard-core colonialists. They brought their entire ‘staff’ with them and did not intermingle with the local population. Their masons, cooks and soldiers lived all at the Crusader compound. At the periphery of the Kingdom thus, these were huge castles -built in entirely European style- strongholds to defend their land and housing for all their people.  

Who followed the Crusaders?

The Mamluks followed the Crusaders who came from Egypt and replaced the Ayyubid as rulers.

Name some Crusader churches outside Jerusalem

Acre, remains of a chapel in the Crusader city; 2) Carmelite Church, Mount Carmel; 3) Merle( Notre Dame of the Marshes in Dor;  4) Ruins in Caesarea (rebuilt by St. Louis);

5) Jaffa (Church of St. Peter); 6) Ramleh (remains of the Romanesque cathedral); 7) Toron des Chevalier (Latrun); 8) St. Samuel ( Montjoy= hill of yoi, Nabi Samuel); 9) St Lazarus in Bethany; 10) Nativity Church in Bethlehem; 11) St Sebaste (Nablus); 12) Mt Tabor next to the new church of transfiguration; 13) Nazareth, annunciation church, carpentry workshop; 14) Cana;  15) Sepphoris (Tsiupori, another alleged birthplace of St. Anne). 16) Capernaum, Mensa Christi; 17) Ayn Karem, foundations of church of ST. John the Baptist.

Name some remains of Crusader castles around the country.

In the North: Monfort Castle (teutonic); Yadin (Yehiam) castle; The castle near Gesher bnot Yakov; Sfaran (in Shafr’am); Banias Fortress Saphori (Tsipori); Safet( remains of a tremendous castle built by the bishop of Marseille)

In the West: Pellerin (Atlit); Acre; Caesarea.

Around Jerusalem: Nabi Samuel (Hill of joy); Tsuba; Aqua Bell (Ayn Hemed); Emmaus (Latrun),

East: Bet Shean; Belvoir

Please say something about the "upper room". Where is it located? What can one talk about here? What are the topics one can speak about here?

What does St. Peter in Gallicantu commemorate?

26. 1. The House of the high priest Caiaphas

    2. The imprisonment of Jesus before his final trial

    3. The denial of Peter

Where are there Jewish sites on Mt. Zion?

26. 4. The Tomb of David

What does the 'Eastern Hill' mean as opposed to the 'Western Hill'

The Eastern Hill oppose to the Western Hill where the Temple Mount is (Mt. Moriah)

Where in Jerusalem can we see remains of the wall Hezekiah is said to have built?

In the Jewish Quarter

What is Bethesda?

Originally was a valley, the water used to be collected at a certain place by a dam; in its continuity another pool was done, so we have two pools.  They were also called the sheep’s pool during the 2nd Temple Period. 

A tradition used to say that the water in these pools have a great healing power.  And here is where Jesus healed a crippled man on Sabbath. 

Please name a few neighborhoods built outside of the Old City walls.

a. Mishcanot shaanamin

b. Mehanot Israel

c. Nahalat HaShiva

d. Yemin Moshe

e. Mea Shearim

f. Talbieh

g. Rehavia

h. Katamon

At Mt. Herzl there is a section for the Leaders of the Nation. Who is buried there? Who is not buried there (of the people defined as have a privilege to be interred here – PMs and Presidents, etc)

Where is there a church named after Anne in Jerusalem? Where are there Churches named after St. Anne outside of Jerusalem?

Standing at the observation point at Mt. of Olives with a Christian group. What are the topics you would talk about?

You are guiding a mixed group (Jews, Christians and Moslems) around Jerusalem, where would you take them?

The Sheep's Pools in Jerusalem can be related to what profession?

To the merchants of cattle, meat and sacrifice.

Where is the Israelite Tower?

What criticism can you give to the claim that Jesus' tomb was at Gordon's Calvary?

The fact that Hadrian covered the place where the early Christians truly believed that it was the real place, and built the temple above it, exactly as he did on Temple Mount. 

The Emperor Constantine the Great uncovered the place and his mother built the Holy Sepulchre.

Name two people buried on the Temple Mount.

 Name first three neighborhoods established outside of Old City of Jerusalem.

a. Mishcanot Shaananim

b. Mehalat Israel

c. Nahalat  HaShiva

Name some buildings from the 19th century built in Jerusalem.

a. Saint Savior

b. Brother’s High school

c. St. Louis

d. Notre Dame

Please mention some sites in Jerusalem from the 19th century.

Please mention 1-2 Churches in Jerusalem from the Crusader period.

a. Holy Sepulchre

b. St. Anne

When was the Via Dolorosa established?

During the Byzantine Period in the 4th century

What was the Via Dolorosa in the Byzantine period?

From the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane till the Holy Sepulchre

Was there a Byzantine Via Dolorosa?

What were some of the churches on the aforementioned (Byzantine) route?

Please tell us about 1st Temple period sites in Jerusalem. In the Old City?

  The "missing 10th century" with regards to Jerusalem, what is this about?

Please give 4 sites related to the last week of Jesus life.

Dominus Flevit, Getsemani , Ecce Homo, Holy Sepulcher.

Please give 4 sites related to Jesus life in Jerusalem.

Pater Noster, Caenaculum,St. Peter in Gallicantu, Archeological Gardens (Hulda Gate).

Please give two miracles performed by Jesus in Jerusalem.

Two miracles both related to pool and water:

One is the healing of a paralyzed man in Bethesda pool. This miracle is described in John's gospel (chap.5) . The pool was erected nearby the Temple and seemed to be used to wash the sheep prior to their sacrifice. This use of the pools (two) gave the water of the pools a halo of sanctity, and many invalids came to the pool to be healed. In this context Jesus ordered to a paralyzed man to stand and walk.

Another miracle was performed by Jesus in Siloham pool, and it is also described in John's gospel (chap.9). Also in this case the presence of Jesus in the pool seems to be connected to the vicinity of the Temple, people went there to purified before entering the Temple, so did Jesus when he healed a man who had been blind from birth.

How and when did the Crusaders conquer Jerusalem? Describe the siege of Jerusalem.

The 7th of June 1099 Crusaders stand first time in front of the walls of Jerusalem. They will fight until 15th of July. The first Crusade was the only one that reached its objective: the recovery of the Holy Sepulcher. They actually had two objectives in mind: rescuing the Holy Sepulcher and carving out fiefdom for themselves, freeing eastern Christians from Muslim rule. On June 1099 the crusaders reached Jerusalem, which had been recaptured from Seljuk by Fatimid of Egypt only the year before. They put the city to a siege, in which they suffered themselves many casualties, due to the lack of food and water around. Faced with a seemingly impossible task, their morale was raised when a priest, by the name of Peter Desiderious, claimed to have a divine vision instructing them to fast and then march in a barefoot procession around the city walls, after which the city would fall in nine days (following the Biblical example of Joshua at the siege of Jericho). After they performed the procession as instructed by the priest and it didn't really worked!

Godfrey of Buillon,  Robert of Flanders, and Robert of Normandy  besieged the north walls as far south as the Tower of David, while Raymond of Toulouse set up his camp on the western side, from the Tower of David to Mount Zion. Tancred was attacking from North west (New Gate). A direct assault on the walls on June 13 was a failure. Without water or food, both men and animals were quickly dying of thirst and starvation and the crusaders knew time was not on their side. Coincidentally, soon after the first assault, a number of Christian ships sailed into the port at Jaffa, and the crusaders were able to re-supply themselves for a short time. Not only that, the sailing of those ships mainly from the allies cities of Italy (the known Repubbliche Marinare of Genoa, Pisa, Venice and Amalfi) provide them of wood, main material to mark a turning point in the fighting: the Crusader were able now to build big siege towers crucial for the developing of the siege. The siege towers were destroyed and put on fire by Crusader when the Muslim fights them with water, trying to make it impossible to free the way in. It is a battle of minds, not only of powers. At the end Crusader enter the city simultaneously from north and south. Once the Crusaders had breached the outer walls and entered the city, almost every inhabitant of Jerusalem was killed over the course of that afternoon, evening and next morning. Muslims, Jews, and even a few of the Christians were all massacred with indiscriminate violence. Raymond of Toulouse was offered the kingship of Jerusalem but refused . Goffrey of Buillon took the titles of a Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri ("Protector of the Holy Sepulchre") . When he died in July 1100, his brother Baldwin of Edessa took the title of King of Jerusalem, without any problem!. 

Who was the Muslim commander who conquered Jerusalem in 638?

Umar the Great took Jerusalem from Christian Byzantine Empire. In 637, after a prolonged siege the city, the Muslims finally entered peacefully following the signing of a treaty by the Patraich of Elya Al-Quds (i.e. Jerusalem) and Umar himself. Several years earlier, the Patriach had announced that he would not sign a treaty with anyone other than the Caliph himself. For this reason, `Umar personally came to Jerusalem after Muslims had established control of all the surrounding territory. According to both Muslim and Christian accounts, `Umar entered the city humbly, walking beside a donkey upon which his servant was sitting. He is said to have been given the keys to the city by the Orthodox Christian Patriarch Sophronius, after conducting the peace treaty known as the Treaty of Umar.

What was the relationship between Omar and the Jews.

The relationship he established with Jews was good, based on respect. For the first time in 500 years, since their expulsion from the holy land Jews were allowed to practice their religion freely and live in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Please give examples of Mamluk architecture in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in the Mamluk period was a partially walled city on the periphery of the empire. Despite the secondary rank that the city held, entire streets, religious buildings, and bathhouses were built in it, reflecting the investment of large sums of money. What explanation can be given for the massive construction in the city at that time? Two main reasons: 1) Jerusalem for the Muslim is the third most holy city, after Mecca and Medina; 2) According to Mamluk law, a son could not inherit his father's property, and it was feared that after the latter's death his possessions would be confiscated by the authorities. The Mamluks therefore sought means to overcome this problem. One way was construction in Jerusalem. A Mamluk father would erect some building in the city and dedicate it as a waqf(religious trust), since the authorities would usually refrain from confiscating waqf structures. The father would then appoint his son as custodian or financial director of the waqf, thus ensuring the son's economic future. In this process, Jerusalem benefited from many construction projects.

Architectural elements characteristic of many Mamluk buildings or constructions are:

-      Stone "benches" in the entrance.

-      Geometric pattern (guilloche) on the lintel above the entrance

-      Ablaq teqnique to decorate the facade (ablaq-Term used to describe alternating light and dark courses of masonry)

-      Muqarnas ornamentations. It is a system of projecting niches used for zones of transition and for architectural decoration. Muqarnas is one of the most characteristic features of Islamic architecture and is used throughout most of the Muslim world. Muqarnas is usually associated with domes, doorways and niches, although it is often applied to other architectural features and is sometimes used as an ornamental band on a flat surface.

The buildings (and the spaces inside those buildings) that we are talking about have specific name, with specific functions:

-      Turba. It is a tomb structures. Mausoleum.

-      Iwans. An Iwan is a hall. One of the most typical iwan arrangements is to have four iwans opening on to a central courtyard.

-      Miharb. An alcove showing the direction of prayer

-      Khan it is an inn, or hotel. Building which combines the function of hostel and trading centre. Standard features which one might expect to find in a khan are stables, store rooms, sleeping accommodation and a mosque.

-      Madrasa: it is a school. Building which functions as a teaching institution primarily of Islamic sciences.

One of the most typical example of Mamluk architecture in Jerusalem is in the old city and is called Khan Al-Sultan. It was built for merchants and wayfarers who came to the city. It was built in 1386/7 by order of the Mamluk sultan Barquq, the first Mamluk sultan of Circassian origin. The establishment of the Khan at this location, very close to the market canter of Jerusalem, undoubtedly contributed to the commercial life of the city. In the large courtyard of the khan there are rooms on two stories. It seems that the rooms on the first floor served as storerooms and stalls for animals, while the merchants themselves used the rooms on the second floor during their staying in the city. The khan used to have a gate, you can see today the signs of a missing door, that permit people to lock themselves inside in case of danger.

Also as example of Mamluk architecture we can find a typical Turba from Mamluk time outside the old city, in the Mamilla cemetery in the center of Jerusalem. A neglected place that should be considered for future investments of public money in maintenance of public treasures.

You are with a catholic group at the observation point on the Mt. Of Olives. What topics would you talk about to them?

The mount of Olives has been since very ancient time a holy mountain, not only in its own right, but also because its most prominent peak stands opposite the most sacred place in Jerusalem, where once the Temple used to stand and today the Dome of the Rock . It faces holy places but it is itself holy, with churches, monasteries and graveyards that commemorate some of the most important events in the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Its slopes drop steeply into what is considered to be the valley of Judgment, the place in which the Lord will return for the final reckoning of mankind.

The Old Testament emphasizes the significance of the Mount of Olives for the Jewish people. In the New Testament is significance is stressed by the fact that it figured so largely in the last days of Jesus and in here took place is Ascension.

Many items can be touched from this overview of the city, one of the best views that include also the New City beyond the horizon, the Judean desert on the left, the valley on the bottom. You can speak about the geographical position of the city since the time of David, his weak point on the northern side, the majesty of the position of the Temple and the Dome of the rock, built to commemorate Muhammed's Night Journey.

You can speak about the view of the Temple Mountain, significant for the Jews in time when they were forbidden to enter the ruins of the Temple, so they used to pray on Mount of Olives. The high point of the year, during the Jewish main festivities, they would circle the mount seven times, just as they had circled the Temple seven times before its destruction. Or you can speak about last days of Jesus, his mourning over the destruction of the city, commemorate by the Dominus Flevit, the Gethsemane gardens (...) . You can see from here also the Golden Gate, the Lion gate and for an expert eye the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Can you see the Judean desert from this observation point?

  Yes.

Why is the old city divided into quarters?

Today the old city of Jerusalem is usually described as being divided into four quarters. This division, however, was not in use at all before the beginning of the nineteenth century. Explorers and visitors of earlier days make no mention of a Christian or Armenian quarter, the term "quarter" itself was probably imposed by Europeans, who employed it at home. In Jerusalem the term applies to groups of buildings or neighborhoods, each with a focal point around which the homes cluster; there are certainly more than four in the city!.The focal points of the various neighborhoods are the historical religious sites which had always powers of attraction, even in the ancient times. 

So the focal point for the Muslim was and is the Temple Mount. They could not live in the place itself but at least they tried to be as closest as they could.

In the nineteenth century the area known as the Christian Quarter consisted, as it does today, of the northwestern part of the old city. Visitors and travelers of those days pointed out several characteristic features of this area: it was inhabited by members of different Christian sects and few Muslims (especially around Damascus gate) but no Jews in it at all. The most important site was unquestionably the Holy Sepulcher.  The magnetism of this Church was responsible of the concentration of Christian's sects around it.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, when only Sephardic Jews lived in Jerusalem, the Sephardic synagogue region seems to have been the nucleus of the Jewish Quarter. When the Ashkenazim began to return to the city, they lived alongside the Sephardic and the original nucleus expanded, also taking part of the Muslim quarter, but the expansion was no permanent. No Muslim or Christian holy places were located on Mount Zion and the area therefore held no attraction for either community, plus it was near the Wailing Wall and offered a view of the Mount of Olives. That's the reasons for the Jewish Quarter to be where it is.

The Armenian quarter was the most clearly defined and compact neighborhood in the Old city, due to the fact that it was defined by an inner wall with gates that could be close sealing off the rest of the city. The neighborhood derives is name from the two Armenian churches within its limits and from the Armenian community which constituted the majority of its residents.

Why is there a separate Armenian quarter?

One of the central reasons for the existence of an Armenian Quarter is the religion & ethnicity of the Armenians. They, unlike the majority of Christians in Israel, are not Arab, rather they are ethnically and religiously Armenians. The reason for their ethnicity does not need to be elaborated on except to say that they have remained a homogeneous group, intermarrying over the years and keeping their culture intact.

What is the difference between the Old Yshuv and the New Yshuv in Jerusalem.

The terms Old Yshuv refers to all the Jews living in Palestine before the alyiah of 1882 by the Zionist movement.  The Old Yshuv people were Orthodox Jews living mainly in Jerusalem. A large part of them concentrated their time in Torah studies and received donations from Jews in the Diaspora. The term New Yshuv refers to those who built homes outside the Old city walls in Jerusalem from the 1860s.

Why was it important for Jews to spend the rest of their life in Jerusalem (meaning the Jews who emigrated from abroad)?

???????????

I don't know this answer. It can be because of the end of the days, when the Messiah will come and the dead will raise from Mount of Olives?

What would you tell tourist about Masada.

    Masada (a romanization of the Hebrew Metzada, from metzuda, "fortress") is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada became famous after the First Jewish-Roman War (also known as the Great Jewish Revolt) when a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to a mass suicide of the site's Jewish Sicarii fugitives when defeat became imminent.

According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BCE as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 CE, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Judaic extremist rebels called the Sicarii took Masada from the Roman garrison stationed there. The Sicarii are considered an extremist splinter group of the Zealots. The Zealots (according to Josephus), in contrast to the Sicarii, carried the main burden of the rebellion, which opposed Roman rule of Judea. The Sicarii on Masada were commanded by Elazar ben Ya'ir, and in 70 CE they were joined by additional Sicarii and their families that were expelled from Jerusalem by the Zealots with whom the Sicarii were in conflict shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem  and the Second Temple. In 72 CE, the Roman governor of Iudaea Lucius Flavius Silva marched against Masada with the roman legion X and laid siege to the fortress.

After failed attempts to breach the wall, they built a circumvallation wall and then a rampart against the western face of the plateau, using thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth. The rampart was complete in the spring of 73, after approximately two to three months of siege, allowing the Romans to finally breach the wall of the fortress with a battery ram. When they entered the fortress, however, the Romans discovered that its 936 inhabitants had set all the buildings but the food storerooms ablaze and committed mass suicide rather than face certain capture, defeat, slavery or execution by their enemies.

The account of the siege of Masada was related to Josephus by two women who survived the suicide by hiding inside a cistern along with five children (you can see the place where they hided entering Masada from the road that leads to Arad) ,and repeated Elazar ben Yair's exhortations to his followers, prior to the mass suicide, verbatim to the Romans.

What year the great revolt break out ? Why?

The great revolt formally broke in 66, in Caesarea, stemming from Greeks and Jews religious but also social tensions. The area is ruled by Florus, Greek procurator for the Roman Empire, who robes the temple treasures. This together with racing of the quota of taxes makes the Jews in a racing malcontent. Roma doesn't do anything about it, the figure of the procurator in this time of Roman ruling is corrupt, bribes, cruel, insensitive to non roman and non Greeks. The Roman presence is through this kind of figure, and concerning other aspect can be summarized in few words: troops, judicial function (pro-Greeks), order, taxes, assertive power.

Roma find itself in the middle in cases of social riots between people belonging to different groups (usually Jews vs non-Jews, Jews vs Samaritans, Jews vs Greeks) and when they are forced to take a position they surely don't choose to be on the side of the Jews. The discontent towards Romans grows fast and shows through grouping of people that up to the revolt are  only "cooking" some kind of ideological movement to oppose to the Roman way, rebelling here and there in the small things of the everyday life, expressing some kind of refuse to the Roman ruling. Some (like the Zealots) try to make an active resistance with violence, robbery, destruction of properties, they try to create problems, Josephus calls them "bandits", "brigands".

 Some others like the Sectarians are also anti-Roman, their literature is full of hate and anti-Romans feelings, but they are "pacifist", non- violent people. Others express general suspicion for Roman government and culture, they don't oppose in an active way but also they don't help Romans, they don't serve them as informers or keepers of the public order.

In this atmosphere the Great revolt (known also as the first Jewish-Roman war) started and spread fast, reaching Jerusalem where Zealots take control of public buildings, archives , city hall. It is a social revolt, rebellion to get rid of Romans and to "clean" the place.

What is the first topic one would talk about when arriving at Hanita?

What is similar about it and Tel Amal/Nir David?

Hanita was an ancient Jewish settlement, situated in the land belonging to the tribe of Asher. The name is mentioned in the Talmud, in the 2nd - 3rd century, in the description of the Jewish settlements on the northern border, in the Talmud, the source of the name is "Chanaya", an encampment, a place of rest for those travelling back and forth between the plains of Lebanon and the ports of Ahziv and Akko.

The settlements purpose, in those days, was to guard the passes from the mountains to the fertile valley below.

When the Kibbutz was established in1938 archeologists discovered as follows:

1. Artifacts from the Chalcolithic period (4000 years BCE)

2. Caves from the middle-Canaanite period.

3. Phoenician writings.

4. Objects from the Persian and Hellenistic periods.

5. Remains of an early church from the Christian period, and it's splendid mosaics, most of them reconstructed.

6. Burial caves, with paintings, as well as the remains of buildings, coins, wells

Hanita and Tel Amal were built at the same time, building settlements with tower and stockades especially at the boarders.  57 settlements were built at that time.

These were collective settlement built as a stronghold to withstand Arab attacks during the British Mandate period in 1936-39. These settlements were built overnight to overcome mandatory emergency regulations against building of new settlements.

Please describe the following: Kibbutz, Moshava, and Mitzpe.

Connect the above to the various Aliyot

Moshava was a form of settlement common in the first Aliyah, they were communal and cooperative but were not collectivists.

Kibbutz collective settlements developed particularly during the second Aliyah.  Kibbutzim were self-contained, independent economic and social entities.  The members shared everything including all the economic resources and the rearing of their children.  Degania – En Harod

Mizpe it is a word used for a look out.

What is the difference between Shlomi and Karmiel from a settlement concept?

Karmiel

What is the first thing you would talk about with a group when arriving at Kibbutz Hanita? What kind of settlement was this?

Hanita was an ancient Jewish settlement, situated in the land belonging to the tribe of Asher. The name is mentioned in the Talmud, in the 2nd - 3rd century, in the description of the Jewish settlements on the northern border, in the Talmud, the source of the name is "Chanaya", an encampment, a place of rest for those travelling back and forth between the plains of Lebanon and the ports of Ahziv and Akko.

Collective settlement built as a stronghold to withstand Arab attacks during the British Mandate period in 1936-39. These settlements were built overnight to overcome mandatory emergency regulations against building of new settlements.

What characterizes the settlers of the 1st Aliyah? What years was this Aliyah? 1904-1914

a. religious

b. families and small groups

c. Zionists, they thought that coming back to their homeland will solve the Jewish problem.

What year was the 2nd Aliyah?  1904-1914

What is the difference between the 1st and 2nd Aliyot? Compare and contrast.

By and large, where did the 2nd Aliyah settle? (Geographically

The 1rst Aliyah was in 1880-1903, 2nd Aliyah 1904-1914

The 1rst Aliyah less in number than the 2nd Aliyah,

The 1rst Aliyah were more religious than the 2nd Aliyah,

The 1rst Aliyah older people, 2nd Aliyah the majority were non-religious young men and women.

First Aliyah establish the moshavot and 2nd Aliyah the Kibbutzim

The origin of the people were both the same, the first Aliyah had also people from Romania.

The 2nd Aliyah settled in the north part of Israel.

What is written in the Mezuzah?

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 and Deuteronomy 11:18-23

4. “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart; 7 and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.”

Deuteronomy 11:18-23 “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul; and ye shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 20 And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; 21 that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of the heavens above the earth.  22 For if ye shall diligently keep all this commandment which I command you, to do it, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him, 23 then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves.”

What is "בין המיצרים" (the 3 weeks)?

 The three weeks between 17 Tammuz and 9 Av, we maintain a semi-mourning attitude. The time is between the breaking of the walls of Jerusalem on the 17th day of Tammuz until the destruction of the temple until the 9th of Av.  

Metzarim comes from the word Tzar that means pressure or affliction.

Why is Tiberias important to the Jews?

Tiberias is important to the Jews because it was the last place the Sanhedrin was.

What are the 4 holy cities in Judaism?

    a. Jerusalem, known as the city of fire because of the altar.

    b. Hebron, because the Patriarchs were buried there, it is the city of Adama,

       c. Tiberias, because of the Sanhedrin and is known for its water. The Jerusalem Talmud was composed.

   d. Tzfat, because its air, and also the Shulkhan Arukh was written there. 

How would you date Rambam? What is his connection to the Land of Israel?

Born in the 12th century, (1135-1204) He is buried in Tiberias.

You are with first time tourists to Israel and they see people with white strings coming out of their clothes. Explain.

This is the Tzitzit, it comes from Number 15:37-41

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 38 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; 40 that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.'

They are made with 8 threads and five knots, the numeral value is 600.  They are made in order to remind us of the 613 commandments.  One thread is blue, to remind us of heaven where the Torah is given from. 

Explain the black garb of Ultra-Orthodox Jews

The color black represent humility, and modesty.

What is Parshat Hashavua?פרשת השבוע

It is the weekly Torah portion that is read in the synagogue.

What is Tzome Gadaliya? צם גדליה

Gedalya was a governor during the time when the Babylonians were controlling Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedalya as a "governor" over them the Jews. When the Jews in exile heard that the Jews was allowed to remain in Israel and that Gedalya was appointed to oversee them, they were happy, and people started returning to the land to live.

The King of the neighboring nation of Amon, Balis, did not want the Jews to stay happy. He convinced Yishmael Ben Nesania that he should assassinate Gedalya.

At the beginning of the month of Tishre, Yishmael came to Gedalya, he and his henchmen turned on Gedalya and killed him. Then the Jews, who were then living in Israel, feared reprisals from Nebuchadnezzar as "they" killed the leader he had appointed and fled to Egypt, and the land of Israel was then devoid of Jews. This day, therefore, is a day of great tragedy, and therefore we fast.

Are there laws – Halachot – pertaining to animals?

a. There are laws having animals at home. 

b. There are also laws about having mercy to animals.  You will find in Exodus 23:5 “If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, thou shall forbear to pass by him; thou shall surely release it with him.” Also Deuteronomy 22:4 “Thou shall not see thy brother's ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shall surely help him to lift them up again.” Even on Shabbat.

  c. In the Shulkhan Arukh, Joseph Karol, under Ishkhita, it says how to slaughter  the animals. 

  d. Also in the Talmud in Cekhet Baba Matzia, “…everyone should be kind to animals” 

Is it written somewhere that you must treat animals well?

a.    Torah

b. Shulkhan Arukh

c. Talmud

What is the Tosefta? Who collected it?

Tosefta is the commentary on the Mishna; it comes from the word mosif, which it means supplement or addition.  The Tosefta was edited by Rabbis Chiya and Oshaiah, thus the Tosefta is considered less authoritative. It was collected in the 2nd century AD.

What is Torah Shebaal pe – (Oral Law)? Who does not accept it?

It is the Talmud, which is composed of the Mishna, and the Gemara.

The Karaites does not accept it.

What is the Moslem equivalent of Oral Law?

   The Sharriah

How many Israelis are there in the country ?

      Around 5.5 million Jews (Israelis); But there are Arab Israelis who are around One Million.

How many members of the Kenesset are there?

120 members recalling Nehmia appointment 120 members to take care about the 12 tribes after returning from exile.

Who wrote the Hatikva ?

      Different stories of different persons. One of the stories is that there was a secretary called Naftaly working and living with a German Templar Zionist Journalist in Daliet Al-Karmel, and he fell in love with the Journalist wife, he wrote this poem Hatikva means the hope to get together with this wife someday.

Why is Qumran important to Christians ?

     Qumran is where full books of the Old Testament (Tanach) were found, and also bits and pieces of the Whole Old Testament. It watches, or keeps the Old Testament with very small changes and the Christians see this as proving and demonstrating what they have of a Holy Bible as the Word of God. Also its important link to the New Testament in regards to prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ, or even quotations used in the New Testament that has its origins in the Old Testament.

What can one find in Jericho?

      Tell ElSultan (Old Jericho), Elisha Spring, Hisham Palace, Zakius Tree, Herod Palace, Quruntol Monastry (Mt. Temptation),

Where does Ma’ale Adomim come from ?

      Maale Adomim comes from the color of the rock in that hill which is red.

Where can we find evidence of Jerusalem in the 1st temple period?

     Hezekia wall (Jewish Quarter), David Citadel another part of the wall, City of David

Name 3 ecological problems that Israel faces and needs to solve?

     1- Air Pollution, because of increasing industrial areas near towns as in Haifa. The oil Refinery is built on the west side of the city, an the wind comes from the west carrying with it the smoke and dust of the refinery, causing cancer to inhabitants.

     2- Sea pollution as in Ashdod because of ships and cargo ships, in Jaffa as well, in Haifa in addition to the Hospital and industrial waste that ends in the sea, causing cancer to diving soldiers who are sewing the factories.

     3- Chemical pollution in sea air and land, as the result of chemical industries.

What can you say about modern Arad ? When was it built?

What is special in the weather in Revivim ?

         The name Revivim- Showers (rain Drops), for the average yearly rainfall is 80-100 mms ). The name was taken from Holy Scriptures: “And the remnant of Jacob shall be ....... as the showers on grass “. Micha 5,6.

Is there a plane in Revivim, and what is its story ?

      There is a plane in Revivim that was Eizer Wiseman flying when he came to the southern part of the country to help transporting injured and one of the injured soldiers was lying in the plane when Wiseman was flying and he directed him to the other side when Wiseman was flying wrong direction.

What sites are located in Jericho?

Tell ElSultan (Old Jericho), Elisha Spring, Hisham Palace, Zakius Tree, Herod Palace, Quruntol Monastery (Mt. Temptation),

In what period were most of the churches in the country destroyed ?

     Persian Period./ or Al-Mua’thsm Bi’amr-Allah Issa.

What are the sinkholes around the dead sea?

      Sinkholes are holes made in the shores of the Dead Sea as the result of the decreasing of the sea water and the decreasing of the sea level. When the sea was higher, fresh water used to run under, but when the sea got lower, the water began to cut through the conglomerate, and starts dissolving the salt, then the above layer collapse down forming big wholes, as or road # 90 near ‘En Gedi was dangerous because of the sinkholes for that reason the road was built on concrete bridge.

Why do Christians think that there is a connection between Qumran and John the Baptist?

     The Christians think that there is a link between the Qumran community and John the Baptist because the way that both lived is very similar (the desert life, the spirit is more important than the flesh; Baptism for spiritual purification; not getting married; what they eat...)

Where would you go in the Shephelah with the bible in hand ?

 Azeka, Lachish, Socoh, Elah Valley

What is in Beit Guvrin?

 A whole town, tombs, lots of caves in the chalk rock and an olive press, amphitheatre - you need to read more about it.

What is Unique about the Amphitheatre in Beit Guvrin?

The Amphitheatre has a fortress and a moat. And is one of a couple amphitheatres in the country, is well preserved with the Arena the sand on the ground to absorb the blood of the gladiators or animals been killed.  

What is a Voucher?

 A voucher is a slip for the travel agency for paying entrance fees of hotel or anything that the company or hotel can with this slip; take their money from the travel agency (it is instead of a cash or cheque at that moment of payment).

Name 3 major Islamic periods?

 Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayubid

Tell us about the Nabatians, their origin and their organization .

 Jordan, Arabs, their capital was Petra; they were caravan traders (gold, incense...) They settled in the Negev, and established different farms with well irrigation. Read more about towns in the Negev.

 When did the Nabatian spice rout exist ?

      Form the 3rd century BC. The Nabatians gave the rout its presence from the late 1st century BC. The rout lost its importance when the Romans Annexed the Nabatian Empire in 106 AD. And made a passage to the coast much easier, by constructing the cliff road at Ma’ale Aqrabim. Flourished in the Byzantine era

What are the features of the mosaic in the synagogue of Hamat Gader? And to whom was the inscription dedicated?

The synagogue was paved with mosaics, mainly in geometric patterns. Three carpets in geometric and floral designs creating rhombuses containing roses and pomegranates covered the center of the synagogue hall. The carpet in front of the bema is the most elaborate, with two cypress trees and two lions facing the center and a wreath surrounding a dedicatory inscription which ends as follows:

...whose acts of charity are constant everywhere and who have given here five coins of gold. May the King of the Universe bestow the blessing upon their work Amen. Amen.

What was the "Uja Line"?

Uja stands for United Jewish appeal ?!

What do the different colors on a map represent?

Cartographers utilize color on a map to represent certain features. Color use is often consistent across different types of maps by different cartographers or publishers. Map colors are (or should be, for a professional looking map) always consistent on a single map. Many colors used on maps have a relationship to the object or feature on the ground. For example, blue is almost always the color chosen for fresh water or ocean (bust blue may not just represent water).

Different maps can use colors in a variety of ways. It is important to look at the map key for example:

Political maps will also use such colors as blue for water and black and/or red for cities, roads, and railways. Political maps will also often use black to show boundaries, differing the type of dashes and/or dots used in the line to represent the type of boundary - international, state, or county or other political subdivision.

Physical maps commonly use color most dramatically to show changes in elevation. A palette of greens is often used to display common elevations. Dark green usually represents low-lying land with lighter shades of green used for higher elevations. In the higher elevations, physical maps will often use a palette of light brown to dark brown to show higher elevations. Such maps will commonly use reds or white or purples to represent the highest elevations on the map.

Road maps and other general use maps are often a jumble of color. They use map colors in a variety of ways...

Blue - lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, reservoirs, highways, local borders

Red - major highways, roads, urban areas, airports, special interest sites, military sites, place names, buildings, borders

Yellow - built-up or urban areas

Green - parks, golf courses, reservations, forest, orchards, highways

Brown - deserts, historical sites, national parks, military reservations or bases, contour (elevation) lines

Black - roads, railroads, highways, bridges, place names, buildings, borders

Purple - highways, (also used on U.S.G.S. topographic maps to represent features added to the map since the original survey)

What is the history of the JNF?

The JNF was founded at the Fifth Zionist Congress in Basel in 1901 with Theodore Herzl's support upon an earlier suggestion by Zvi Hermann Schapira to create an organization to buy and develop land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. The guiding principle was laid down by Prof. Hermann Schapira. Early land purchases were completed in Judea and the Lower Galilee. In 1909, the JNF supported the founders of Tel Aviv. The JNF received its first parcel of land, 200 Turkish dunams east of Hadera, as a 1903 gift from the Russian Zionist leader Issac Leib Goldberg of Vilnius.

As they expanded they bought more lands that In 1939, 10% of the Jewish population of the British Mandate of Palestine lived on JNF land. JNF holdings by the end of the British Mandate period amounted to 936 km². From the beginning, JNF's policy was to lease land long-term rather than sell it. After Israel's establishment in 1948, there was a debate concerning the future of the JNF. Initially the government wanted to dismantle it, but after the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution  calling for Arab refugees to be allowed back into their homes, the JNF was seen as mechanism by which land which was previously owned by Arab refugees could be placed further out of their reach. Accordingly, the government began to sell land to the JNF that had been seized from Arab refugees.

The early JNF was also active in forestation and reclamation of land. By 1935, JNF had planted 1.7 million trees and drained swamps, like those in the Hulah Valley. JNF has planted 240 million trees to date. The JNF has built 180 reservoirs around the country . Today, tree planting continues. Due to JNF's forestations work, Israel ended the twentieth century with more trees than it began.

What is the "Falluja Pocket"?

Briefly:

Al-Faluja was an Arab village in the British Mandate Palestine, located northeast of Gaza City. The village and the neighbouring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya) formed part of the Faluja pocket, where 4,000 Egyptian troops were trapped for four months by the newly established Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The 1949 Armistice Agreements allowed the Egyptians to escape, soon after which the inhabitants of al-Faluja were forced to leave. The Israeli town of Kiryat Gat was founded on the neighboring village of Iraq al-Manshiyya and borders the site of the former town.

Detailes of the battle:

 A battle between an armored Jewish supply convoy and villagers in al-Faluja on March 14, 1948 Egyptian forces crossed into the former mandate on May 15, 1948 and a column of them were stopped by the Israelis near Ashdod. This column retreated to and encamped at al-Faluja and Iraq al-Manshiyya, the so-called Faluja pocket. Between late October 1948 and late February 1949 some Egyptian troops were encircled here by Israeli forces.Under the terms of the February 4, 1949 Israel–Egypt Armistice Agreement, the surrounded Egyptian forces (including future Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser) were allowed to evacuate, and the area was transferred to Israeli control.

What was the "Allon Plan"?

The Allon Plan  was a proposal to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank with a negotiated partition of its territories between Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The plan was an attempt to implement the "Jordanian option" to the Palestinian refugee problem (also known as "Jordan is Palestine"). It is named after its chief proponent, Yigal Allon, who proposed it shortly after the June 1967 Six-Day war.

The broad aim of the plan was to create a security border running up from the Jordan Valley to the eastern slopes of the West Bank hill ridge, retain sovereignty of that area, avoid Israeli settlement of heavily populated areas in the West Bank, and to offer those areas to Jordan in bilateral negotiations to achieve diplomatic rapprochement.

This plan was not implemented strictly as subsequent governments of Israel created settlements outside of the Jordan rift.

Why do some Jews always dress in black and wear side-curls?

The dress in black and white comes from the belief that we are all equal under G-d, so we shouldn't dress to try and out-do another person in clothing styles and should all appear equal before G-d in generally the same dress. Also the  Halachah emphasizes the qualities of the color black, and indeed, many Chassidic groups literally wear only black (and white), religious Jews generally dress in dark, solid, conservative, and businesslike styles, not necessarily in stark black.

There are several reasons for this code of conservatism:

1) To maintain a distinct identity

The sages say us that the forefathers survived the Egyptian exile for three reasons: they did not change their language, their names, or their style of dress. They maintained a distinct identity that helped them to prevent assimilating into Egyptian society.

2) To maximize human potential

There are two reasons human beings wear clothes: to protect the body from the elements, and to draw attention from other humans. In contrast to modern fashion that draws (unwarranted) attention to various base features of the human body, the Jewish dress code is unassuming, covering what they have in common with the animal kingdom (no details necessary), and exposing what distinguishes us from the animal kingdom (the head and hands).

3) Uniform responsibility

When you wear a uniform, it identifies you to others as someone bearing certain responsibilities. It also serves as a reminder to the one in uniform that his or her responsibilities are different from those not in uniform.

The Torah says  us that Jews are a "...nation of priests and a holy people (Exodus 19:6)." The Jewish dress code serves as a constant reminder of this.

For the curls on the sides , The Torah says, "You shall not round off the peyos of your head" (Leviticus 19:27). The word peyos refers to sideburns -- i.e. the hair in front of the ears that extends to underneath the cheekbone which is level with the nose (Talmud - Makkot 20a). The Talmud explains that this law only applies to men, not to women.

Maimonides explains that the prohibition of “rounding” prohibits the removal of sideburns, by razor, tweezers or any other means. Though it is permitted to trim the sideburns, even very close to the skin, using scissors.

Hair is also a symbol of vanity, a preoccupation of how one looks. The prohibition against cutting off the peyos reminds a person to de-emphasize his looks, and instead depend on intellect and good character . From a mystical perspective, peyos separate between the front part of the brain which is used for abstract thought that can be used for holiness, and the back part of the brain that governs the body.

If you see someone in Jerusalem who has just been on Haj, how will they appear?

During the Hajj, male pilgrims are required to dress only in a garment consisting of two sheets of white unhemmed cloth, with the top draped over the torso and the bottom secured by a white sash; plus a pair of sandals The Ihram clothing is intended to show the equality of all pilgrims in the eyes of Allah, symbolizing the idea that there is no difference between a prince and a pauper when everyone is dressed equally. The Ihram also symbolizes purity and absolution of sins. A place designated for changing into Ihram is called a miqat. While the pilgrim is wearing the Ihram, they cannot shave, clip their nails, and wear deodorant or perfume. They may not swear or quarrel, kill any living thing, or engage in sexual intercourse. When the pilgrims return to their home countries after the journey of Hajj, they return spiritually refreshed, forgiven of their sins, and ready to start life anew, with a clean slate. Family and community members often prepare a celebration to welcome pilgrims home and congratulate them on completing the journey. Those who have performed the Hajj are often called by an honorific title, “Hajji,” (one who has performed the Hajj).

What role did the British play in the planting of trees?

The British Mandate restored the governmental stability that had been disrupted by World War I and augured, under the Balfour Declaration of 1917, a regime initially sympathetic to Zionist aims. It also made other parts of the country available for redemption: the Negev, Transjordan and the Golan Heights.

The Jewish institutional redeemers continued to work with increased vigor, both on rural land acquisition and urban settlement. Examples of urban projects are the "garden neighborhoods" of Jerusalem, the Allenby Street area in Tel Aviv, several neighborhoods in Haifa and various localities on the coastal plain.

Baron Edmond de Rothschild re-entered the field in 1923 by founding the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association (PICA), which carried on his work under his son, James Armand de Rothschild (1878-1957). By 1930, PICA established 50 settlements that reflected the diverse models that had evolved by this time:

The second phase in land redemption, reclamation, became crucial during the Mandate period, because much of the available territory was in marshy valleys. Thus, PICA began to drain swamps, turning over the land to existing or newly founded rural settlements there. In 1934, a piece of land concession was acquired, from two Arab families in Syria, to drain and settle the Huleh Valley in the eastern Upper Galilee "panhandle." The JNF, by purchasing additional land in the northern Huleh Valley, achieved virtual contiguity between Metulla and Rosh Pina.

The JNF, through the PLDC, purchased more than 70,000 hectares during the Mandate period, chiefly in the valleys - Jezreel, Zebulun, Jordan, Beit Shean, Huleh and Hefer - in the Haifa bay area and in the northern Negev. Menachem Ussishkin, dZionist leader from the very inception of Zionism, was instrumental in urging the Zionist Organization to concentrate wholeheartedly on land purchase and settlement in the Land of Israel. He urged Hovevei Zion, in 1912, to allocate funds for the purchase of land on Mount Scopus for a university in Jerusalem. As president of the JNF between 1923 and 1941, he devoted himself to the aim of acquiring land as the property of the nation. He made trips to Europe and Canada to raise funds and undertook difficult negotiations to acquire large tracts of land for the JNF. During his tenure, he increased the possessions of the JNF 25-fold. Yehoshua Hankin (1864-1945), the driving force of the PLDC, was another personage active in this endeavor. By dint of personal efforts beginning in 1890, he secured the land on which Rehovot, Hadera,

.

Private redeemers also made their appearance at this time. One such agency, the American Zion Commonwealth Company, bought the land in the Jezreel Valley on which Afula was founded. Private capital elicited vigorous expansion of citrus plantations on the coastal plain and sustained the establishment of a string of villages there. As time passed, a distinction took shape (with exceptions on either side): private imported capital gravitated to the urban sector; Jewish national capital funded pioneering rural settlement.

As the Zionist movement consolidated its intentions, which became clear to the non-Jewish inhabitants of the country, these activities met with increasing obstacles. The first was economic, as Arabs who had but recently acquired their estates caused the price of land in the country to skyrocket. The best state land in the Beit She'an Valley (near the Jordan River south of Tiberias), for example, was distributed by the Mandate government in the early 1920s to Bedouin, who did not know what to do with it. The Arab owners of the Huleh Valley concession area, who lived in Syria, had acquired the area, most of which was swampy if not altogether inundated, from the Turkish Sultan in 1914. Both sold their holdings to Jews at an exorbitant profit.

As the Mandate period progressed and the commitment to eventual statehood solidified, the third phase of land redemption, settlement, became a factor in determining the future state's boundaries. Thus, purchases were extensive in the marshy, malarial coastal plain and inland valleys and less so in the upland areas of Judea and Samaria. Several purchases and settlement ventures were carried out on the Golan Heights, without lasting success. Almost no transactions had been made in Transjordan, which was originally part of the British Mandate. Often, the determining factors for purchase were the sheer availability and affordability of land.

By May 1948, when the Mandate expired and Israel was about to proclaim its statehood, land redemption had placed nearly one-tenth of the country under Jewish ownership, the rest being owned by the government or by Arabs. Reclamation efforts had eliminated most marshes, with the exception of those in the Huleh Valley, and allowed Jewish agriculture to thrive as it had not since the Roman era. The country had 277 Jewish rural settlements - 15 villages (another 30 had become urban in the meantime), 99 moshavim, 159 kibbutzim, and 4 others. Their 111,000 inhabitants accounted for nearly 20 percent of the total Jewish population.

What are "Areas A, B and C"?

As the Mandate period went on, obstacles to the land redemption effort began to appear. The first impediments followed the 1929 Arab riots, when Arab political leaders pressured their co-nationals to desist from land transactions with the Jews, from which they had been profiting handsomely. In the wake of more extensive Arab disturbances (1936-1939), the Peel Commission partition proposal (July 1937) and the 1939 "White Paper," partitioning of the country became an imminent possibility and the Jewish community and the Zionist movement geared up for statehood. Under these circumstances, land purchase became clandestine, as it had been under the Turks. Regulations under the White Paper policy (Feb. 1940) partitioned the country into three zones: Area A (the Judean and Samarian hills, the Western Galilee, and the Northern Negev), where sales to Jews were banned altogether; Area B (Jezreel Valley, the Eastern Galilee, and most of coastal plain), where sales might continue with approval of the High Commissioner; and Area C (the coastal strip, from Zikhron Ya'akov to a point north of Rehovot, plus the urban areas - corresponding roughly with the Peel Commission partition boundaries), where no restrictions were in effect. To circumvent the rules, the land-redemption agencies established approximately 50 new localities in previously unsettled rural areas by erecting, overnight, settlements which included a stockade and a watchtower. A crucial step in securing the inclusion of the Negev in the Jewish state was the formation of 11 such settlements in this area on October 15, 1946, and another 7 in 1947.

what Muslim structures will you see at Beit Guvrin?

(Mukhtar's house) at Sha'ar HaGai?

(Khan)

What Crusader structure will you see on the Temple Mount?

(triple gate in Solomon's stables, Refectory of Knights between al-Aksa and Islamic Museum)

What is the consequence of driving your car into the Territories?

what is the geology of Masada and its relationship to people building there ?

What road would you take from the Sea of galilee up to the Golan?

Several options depending on your location and destination:

-          Road #90 à Road #99:

From the western side of the lake, drive through Road 90, head up North through the Hula Valley up to "Ha-Metsudot" junction in Kiryat Shemona, then take Road 99 heading east, passing by Hagoshrim, Tel Dan, Banias, Nimrod Fortress …etc.

-          Road #90 à Road #87 à Road #98:

From the Western side of the lake, drive on Road 90 until the Northern part of the lake, take right on "Kfar Nahum" junction, and continue on Road 87 passing by Tabgha and Capernahum. On "Yehudiya" junction continue straight up heading east on the Golan Plateau, passing by Yehudiya Campsite and "Katzrin" junction, drive until "Bahan junction" close to Irus Kushniya Reserve. Next take left on Road 98 heading north, along the Syrian Border.

-          Road #92 à Road #87 à Road #98:

From the Eastern side of the lake, drive north through Road 92 until "Yehudiya Junction", then take right to Road 87 and then Road 87 as explained above.

You are driving up to Jerusalem from the airport with a Catholic group that has just arrived. What topics would you talk about with them on the bus ride?

Since the group has just arrived to the country, first thing would be:

-          Welcome the group, short presentation of the Guide and Driver

-          Climate, weather, instructions of precautions (Sun, clothing, drinking water…etc.)

-          Orientation and destination

-          Brief introduction about the population of the country

-          Naming main themes/topics that the guide will be talking about during the whole stay of the group (Geography, Vegetation, History…etc.). Instead of giving the group a headache by invading them with all the topics (avoid too much talking), the guide should pick up one or two major themes per day.

-            Passing by sites, the guide could tell the group about them, and then elaborate a theme depending on the interest of the group; driving by Latrun, Tsuba and Castle would be a perfect theme to talk about the Crusader Fortresses along the way and the Pilgrims' roads.

Drive from Masada to Jerusalem, what would you say to a Christian group?

A- Masada and the Jewish revolt:

-          The contrast with what Jesus said: "give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Luke 20:25)

-          Herod's Palaces: understand what Jesus meant when he spoke of palaces (Matt. 22:2), or imagine the scene at the beheading of John (Matt. 14:6).

B- Recall of the Exodus from Egypt, through Mt. Edom and Moab, to the east.

C- Monastic life in the desert (City-shadow desert), naming monasteries.

D- King David taking refuge in the area of Ein Gedi.

What do you see along the route when driving along the coastal road from Acre to Ashkelon?

Driving south on road #4 from Acre:

-          Akko

-          Mt. Carmel to the south-east

-          Galilee mountains to the east

-          Pass by Nimfit Reserve (spring)

-          Haifa Bay

If you continue on Road #4 through the city of Haifa:

-          Haifa City

-          Port of Haifa

-          Bahai gardens

-          Hadar Ha-Carmel

-          Stella Maris

-          Atlit (Aradus)

-          Nahsholim

-          Dor (Tantura)

-          Zikhron Ya'akov

-          If you want to by-pass Haifa, through Road #75 then Road #70 pass through:

-          *Nesher

-          *Kiryat Tiv'on

-          *yokne'am

-          *Zikhron Ya'akov

-          Khotem Ha-Carmel Reserve

-          Or Akiva

-          Caesarea

-          Hadera

-          Netanya (by-pass)

-          Even Yehuda

-          Ra'anana and Kfar Saba

-          Tel-Aviv (and surrounding neighborhoods)

-          Yavne

-          Ashdod

-          Nitsanim

-          Ashkelon

You are driving from Haifa to Tel Aviv along the coastal road, what are the topics you will talk about en route?

-          Vegetation

-          Kiboutsim and Moshavim

-          Alyot (1st and 2nd Alya)

-          Mt. Carmel: caves, topography…etc

-          Via Maris and ancient roads (caravans)

Take us from Arad to Dimona, what can we see along the roadside? What can you tell us about the Bedouin?

-          Road #31 à Road #80 à Road #25:

-          Tel Arad

-          Bedouin tents along both sides of the road especially Road #80

-          Most of the Bedouin tribes in the Negev hail from the Hejaz, a region in the north of the Arabian Peninsula. They are considered as legal Israeli citizens today.

-          The desire of about 30% of the Bedouin in the Negev to retain traditional occupations - the raising of livestock and dry farming - as a source of primary or additional income, causes them to seek pasture land, the supply of which is decreasing due to development and increased quantities of livestock. Given the arid conditions of the Negev, the government, though increasing quotas from time to time, providing veterinary services and refraining from the importation of mutton, must limit pasture land. This is at times depicted in the media as cruel, and the Bedouin as victims of high-handedness.

-          The establishment of permanent towns did not begin until the Bedouin themselves constructed buildings to replace tents. But the urbanization process is by no means simple, as the planners have to deal with issues involving tradition and social structure and the Bedouin themselves have difficulty in articulating their wishes in planning terms, according to the Israeli government.

-          The first Bedouin town, Tel Sheva, was founded in 1967. Here all possible mistakes were made, both by the planners and by government officials. Since then another six towns (Rahat, Ar'oer, Kesefia, Segev Shalom, Hura, Lakiya) have been established in the Negev and an effort was made to learn from each previous experience. But the planning concept focused on urban settlement, while many Bedouin wanted to live in rural localities. Today there are plans to found such rural localities and it is hoped that they will satisfy the traditional aspirations of the Bedouin

-                  Two kinds of land offenses make media headlines: illegal building and grazing in protected areas. The media uses the term "the policy of sedentarization"; there have been conscious and calculated attempts by various governments to bring an end to the nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyles of the Bedouin populations. The general trend is to integrate them into modern society by settling them in a permanent location to become agriculturists or if possible or work as wage laborers.

What are some of the issues about Route 6? Pros and cons.

Highway 6 is slated to be the main artery in the general north-south direction of the countrys road system, from the Negev up to two branches in the Galilee. Crossing most of the existing and planned roads running widthwise across the country, and connecting via interchanges to all the highways and main roads and to some of the regional roads crossing it. Together with other main roads, its establishment facilitates smooth transportation connection between and within various regions of the country.

Pros.

-          Eases the traffic flow on roads the length of the country.

-          Shortens the travel time between the north and south of the country and between them and the center of the country and Jerusalem.

-          Promotes the development of land uses along the eastern strip of the center and Haifa as an alternative to continued crowding of the coastal plane.

-          May facilitate international travel once peace is achieved with the neighboring countries? (...)

Cons.

-          Fees

-          Covers part of the western strip of the country North-South only.

Drive from Jerusalem to the Judean Desert – what are 3 subjects one can talk about on the way to the northern part of the Dead Sea?

-          Joshua and the crossing of the Israelites across the Jordan River (Joshua 1:11, 3:13)

-          Monasteries in the Judean Desert, Monastic Life.

-          The Dead Sea; scientific facts.

Go from Latrun to Jerusalem – please mention the Crusader sites one finds en route.

-          Latrun

-          Tsuba (Bel-Mont)

-          Castle

What sites / events would you talk about on a tour bus traveling from Shaar HaGai to Jerusalem? (Crusader and Moslem sites)

-          Crusades (Fortresses mentioned in question 9)

-          Mountain Joy (Nabi Smuel)

-          Maqam Imam Ali

-          Arch of the Covenant (Kiryat Yearim)

-          Abu Gosh (Crusader Church, Bendictin) Emmaus

Driving from bet Shemen to Lachish, what topics/themes can one talk about?

-          Assyrian Invasion and conquest of the land

-          Mile stones (Mt 5:41)

-          Shimshon (Judges 13-16)

-          Burma Road

Going south toward Eilat, from the Arava Junction, what can you talk about from the bus?

-          Borders of the promised land, southern border  the Desert of Tzin (Numbers 34:2-4)

-          Rift Valley

-          The massacre that took place on the top of the serpentine-like descent to the Arava from Ma'ale Aqrabim.

-          Roman Spice trail (between Hatzera and Edom Mountains)

-          The old road connecting to Eilat up to the 1950's

-          Vegetation and animals of the region

-          Geomorphology of the Arava, Tzin mountain

-          Makteshim and their formation ( as you pass Maktesh Ha-Katan)

-          Ein Hatzeva "Tamar" in the bible (Numbers 21:11)

-          The Nabateans

What do you see on the Jordanian side? What does it look like (physically, geographically, vegetation, etc.)

1. What is special about the hula Valley? What was here in the past? What was done?

-          The Hula Nature Reserve in the north of Israel has been designated as a "Wetland of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention.

-          In the 1950s the Hula Valley, was drained for agricultural purposes and only a small area was preserved as the Hula Nature Reserve.

-          In 1992, in the wake of surveys and reports which pinpointed the negative impacts of the drainage project, part of the area was reflooded as part of a rehabilitation effort.

-          The Hula Valley, including the nature reserve and the recently reflooded area, is one of the most important migrating and wintering sites in the region for more than 200 species of birds including five endangered species according to BirdLife International and the IUCN List.

-          Prior to its drainage in the 1950s, Lake Hula was 5.3 kilometres long and 4.4 kilometres wide, extending over 12-14 square kilometres. It was a shallow, pear-shaped basin about one and a half metres deep in summer and three metres deep in winter. The area north of the lake was covered by peat swamps with dense stands of papyrus. Open-water ponds covered with yellow water-lilies occurred in deeper depressions within this papyrus "jungle." Further to the north, in areas that were water-logged in winter but dry in summer, was a zone of swampy meadows covered with grasses. A belt of reeds, mostly restricted to mineral soils, encompassed most of the lake and swamps. Altogether, the lake and swamps covered up to 60 square kilometres, with large seasonal and inter-annual variations due to changes in water level.

-          The past 150 years of human settlement in the valley has been a continuous attempt to impose order upon nature. The drainage of Lake Hula and its surrounding swamps in the 1950s was the epitome of the attempts to alter the environment to suit human needs. Though initially perceived as a great national achievement for the fledgling State of Israel, with time it became evident that the benefits from transforming a "wasteland," Lake Hula and its swamps, into an agricultural "blessing" were limited. Today, after nearly 50 years of largely unsuccessful struggle to utilize the drained valleys resources, the State of Israel has finally recognized that successful development can endure only if a balanced compromise between nature and development is achieved. Consequently, a small section of the former lake and swamp region was recently reflooded in an attempt to prevent further soil deterioration and to revive the spirit of an extinct ecosystem.

What is special about the geology of the Eilat Mountains?

At the point where the riverbed meets the northern slope of Mt. Shehoret (586 meters above sea level), a steep, high wall rises.

Mt. Shehoret is a large slanted mass, surrounded by a fault line. Still, it is also the brightest place in the area, since the mountain consists mainly of limestone. The mountain was given its name, which derives from the Hebrew word shahor (black), because of the dark riverbed by the same name at its foot.

The Israel Trail climbs southward (left) to a lower saddle, where limestone meets granite. This means that nearly every step bounces the hiker back and forth between hundreds of millions of years. The top of the saddle affords a nice view of the area, including the mass of colorful sandstone of Mt. Amir in the north and Mt. Shlomo in the south.

 Beyond the saddle, one can see the multicolored sandstone. In Nahal Shehoret, there's a bedrock - rock that slowly solidified from liquid magma in the depths of the earth's crust. This bedrock marks the northern edge of the Arabo-Nubian Massif, which formed more than 550 million years ago.

The sandstone, on the other hand, formed much later, in the Lower Cretaceous period (141 to 100 million years ago), when the area consisted of dry land. It stratified on the massif after it was carried by rivers that drained from Sinai, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and perhaps even extensive parts of Africa. The colors of the sandstone come from various oxides, whose origin is not completely clear. It seems that at least some of them arrived via the underground water.

At the end of the Lower Cretaceous period, for about 70 million years, a sea flooded the area and the limestone formed in it, stratified onto the sandstone. Dramatic geological activity is still taking place in this area. Entire layers have been destroyed by erosion and others have been shifted by deep faults.

Please explain the creation of the Rift Valley? From where to where does it extend?

The Great Rift, which begins in Syria between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, runs along the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, the Arabah, the Aqaba gulf, the Red Sea, and continues through the continent of Africa as far as Zimbabwe, is generally regarded as the product of a grandiose revolution in the shell of the Earth: for many thousands of kilometers the Great Rift runs from Asia to Africa.

The Great Rift Valley was formed over twenty million years ago by the slow separation of East Africa's giant tectonic plates. As the plates pulled apart, lava was forced up into the space and caused the Earth's surface along the rift to bulge, forming a large snaking highland area.

As the two plates continued to pull apart and seismic activity along the crack intensified, a long line of this elevated crust collapsed, leaving a deep scar, the Great Rift Valley, tracing down through the continent's right flank. When it reaches Southern Ethiopia, the scar splits in two to rejoin again below Lake Malawi. The Western Rift cuts deep through Kenya and Tanzania and contains some of the deepest lakes in the world including Lake Tanganyika (1,470 meters) as well as Lake Natron, Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara, close to the Olduvai Gorge archaeological site.

As old as the hills this rift may be, but it is still very much on the move. The many active and semi-active volcanoes and numerous hot springs that lie along the valley are proof of the continued plate movements and subterranean activity below and softly, softly, the Rift continues to widen.

Say something about Rosh Hanikra geomorphologic ally/geologically?

The bottommost layer is made of hard limestone most of which is under sea level.  The underwater grottoes were quarried out of this layer.      The middle layer is a steep cliff which reaches a height of 60 meters.  This is a light colored rock made of soft chalk (a soft sea rock sediment) lined with rows of dark flintstone which developed in the era when the sea was warm and shallow. As a result, seaweed and marine life were discharged forming and consolidating into the flintstone.

The chalk is a rock made of calcite low in magnesium which does not dissolve and remains soft. Calcite has tiny pores through which water cannot penetrate and it can withstand erosion and therefore there is a landscape of steep cliffs at the point where the chalk ridges come into contact with the sea.

The chalk supplies building material and land rich in lime good for fertilizing fields. The white chalk once favored by teachers to write on class blackboards is essentially this kind of chalk.

On this part of the cliff a different sort of destruction is going on:  The rock surface is covered at many points with thin crust and a white dust which are the result of the ongoing crumbling of the outer rock layer.  This disintegration is helped along by salt carried on the sea spray throughout the year.

The outer layer is made of hard dolomite. Dolomite is a kind of sediment or residue rock, much like limestone in its composition and characteristics. However, unlike chalk, dolomite is very porous allowing water to seep in. Dolomite is rather common in Israel, found mostly in the earth's crust.

How is a Maktesh formed?

The crater formation began hundreds of millions years ago when the ocean that covered the Negev began to move north. First, there was a hump-shaped hill. Water and other climatic forces slowly and steadily flattened the curve on top. Much later (only some 5 million years ago), the Arava rift valley was formed and rivers changed their course. As they did so, they carved out the inside of the crater.

In the desert the erosional power of water by far exceeds that of the occasional rain hitting the sharp edges of the craters. The crater bottom deepens fast while the walls retain their vertical angle, gradually increasing in height. As the crater deepens, lower and more ancient rock strata are exposed.

Timna – what can you say about the geomorphology of the area. What geomorphologic shapes do we have here and how were they formed?

-          Solomon's Pillars:

it was Nature not King Solomon that fashioned incredible 50-meter-high pillars from Timna's Sandstone. Water streaming down a crack in the mountain "polished" the walls and created an awesome site, similar to AMRAM'S PILLARS.

-          The Temple of Hathor:

Built in the 14th century BCE, this place of worship was dedicated to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of music, love, dance, cats, cows and miners. Jews never worshipped in this particular pagan temple, but they did venerate a snake cast in copper which was called "copper" (nehushtan), perhaps their way of defiying metal. During a plague in the desert, when the people spoke against God and Moses, "the lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died" (Numbers 21:5-6). God commanded Moses to make a bronze snake. And he said "put it up on a pole; anyone whi is bitten can look at it and live" (Numbers 21:8).

-          The "Mushroom", Workshops and Second Chalcolithic Temple:

The mushroom is a prominent natural site made of eroded sandstone. This fantastic mushroom-shaped sculpture was carved by the natural forces of humidity and wind. The Mushroom is surrounded by a compound that contains sites where copper ore was smelted between the 14th and 12th centuries BCE.

Near the mushroom are the remains of miners' workrooms and another temple, both from the Chalcolithic period. First the Workshops, seven millennia ago, they represented a significant technological revolution: this was the the first time in history that man separated metal from rock and fashioned it into tools! Timna's copper copper mines are the oldest mines in the wolrd. Somehow the ancient understood the value of the green colored rocks and developed the tools necessary for mining and smelting.

Miners dug vertical shafts up to 30 meters deep, using rock and later, metal hammers. Then the shafts went horizontal, following the ore deposits under the ground. Over 9,000 such shafts have been uncovered here.

The copper-rich rock extracted was placed in a smelting furnance dug into the ground. The process required a strong supply of air, and the bellows had not yet been invented. So they chose this spot, which is fairly open to the wind. Iron oxides were added to the ore and heated to over 1200 degrees centigrade.

Next to the workshop is the Chalcolithic Temple. There are five offering tables , a basin for liquid offrings and five standing stones. Worship of stones was very common thousands of years ago, for the stones symbolized the gods. In the Bible, the Jews were specifically commanded to destroy such pagan holy stones (Deutoronomy 12:3)

-          The Chariots:

 Drawings carved onto the stone facades in the Timna Valley provide a record of the rituals and lifestyles of the people who lived in this area. The carvings, which date from the Egyptian-Midianite periods of activity in the region, offer hints about plants and wildlife that existed in the area as well as the life and work of the people who dwelled here.

For instance, a rock carving of gazelles, ibex, and ostriches, found on a high ridge of sand, suggests that ostriches were once native to this area.

The most famous of the carvings, the 'Chariots', is situated within a narrow canyon. Ox-drawn chariots with their Egyptian charioteers armed with axes and shields are easily identifiable in this large rock drawing.

What is the lithology of Solomon's Pillars?                       

                  If I understood the question as I should…:

Timna is considered the place the first mines on Earth. These were copper mines developed by Egyptians about six thousand years ago. It is also believed to be the place of copper mining under King Solomon. And due to this belief, the name 'King Solomon's Mines' is often associated with Timna. That is how, in my understanding, the name of Solomon got connected to the pillars as well. Instead of presumed biblical ties, Solomon's Pillars apparently have an Egyptian connection. An inscription nearby depicts pharaoh Ramses III offering gifts to goddess Hathor. Also, a goddess Hathor temple was built by Egyptians next to Solomon's Pillars.

When was copper mined in Timna?

See above in question 7 and 8: 6000 years ago.

What is the significance of the Room of the Last Supper (the Upper Room, Coenaculum, etc)?

The Last Supper Room is a second-story room in Jerusalem that commemorates the "upper room" in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with the disciples. It is located directly above the Tomb of David and near the Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion.

Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

"Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." (Mark 14:12-15)

 So the significance of the Room of the Last Supper, is that this is the place where Jesus teach the disciples how to share the wine (blood) & bread (soul, body).   

When entering the Old City of Jerusalem through the Jaffa gate, what instructions would you give the group in terms of precautions?

• One should stay always with the group.

• Do not try to go alone even in a shop; there will be time for shopping.

• Keep all your things in front your body, and watch your pockets.

• Don’t let any person get very close to you.

• Tell them about the street that we will use.

• In case of any problem, there are many police men & soldiers in the street that you can ask him to send you to the police station, in which we could meet again.

Prepare a one day itinerary in Jerusalem for a Catholic group

Begin in Jerusalem  with the inspiring panoramic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives. From here it is a short walk to Dominus Flevit and then a walk (or drive) to the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane.

Continue to the Temple Mount, scene of Abraham’s offering of Isaac today marked by the Dome of the Rock.

Then, it’s on to the Western Wall, revered as Judaism most sacred site as the last remnant of the Second Temple. On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays you can see Bar Mitzva ceremonies at the Western Wall, the joyful occasion when a Jewish boy of 13 reads from the Torah in public for the first time. 

It’s time to get to know Jerusalem close-up today. Begin at St. Stephen’s Gate, also known as Lion’s Gate, and visit the Pool of Bethesda - site of the miraculous healing of a paralyzed man by Jesus, and the Church of St. Anne, where Christian groups love to sing hymns as they visit.

Take the Via Dolorosa passing the Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus.

Wander the Old City markets, steeping yourself in its sights, sounds and aromas, and try your hand at hunting and bargaining for treasures.

Continue to Mount Zion, to visit the  Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus, King David’s Tomb, the Room of the Last Supper and the Church of the Dormition - where by Catholic tradition Mary fell in to eternal sleep.

End your day at the Garden Tomb – a rock hewn tomb believed by Protestant denominations to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

Overnight: in Jerusalem

Name two sites in Jerusalem for every Islamic period:

Early Muslim period

1)The Dome of the Rock, built by the caliph Abd al-Malik (685-705 CE), was completed in the year 691 CE.

2) The Al-Aqsa Mosque

     3) The Umayyad 'Palaces'

Mameluke Period

1)    El-Madrassa et-Tashtamuriya

2)    El-Madrassa et-Tankiziyya

3)    Khan es-Sultan

4)    Turbat Barakat Khan (Khaladiyye Library)

5)    El-Madrassa el-Ashrafiyya

6) The Cottonsellers' Market

Ottoman Period

1)    The wall and the Damascus Gate

2)    Tower of David

How many Stations of the Cross are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher? What are these stations?

Five stations:

The Tenth Station:  Jesus is stripped.

The Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

The Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross.

The Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.

The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the Tomb.

What is the importance of Mt. of Olives to Judaism and Christianity?

A long ridge that was once covered with rich green olive trees, the heights that border Jerusalem to its east figure prominently in Biblical events. David ran to the Mount of Olives for sanctuary after learning of his son Absalom’s treachery [2 Samuel 15:30]; it was the hill on which Solomon built pagan altars for his foreign wives [1 Kings 11:7-8]. It was the crossing place for the scapegoat.

Ever since the First Temple Period Jews have yearned to be buried on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Many believe that when the Messiah comes he will descend the Mount of Olives and enter Jerusalem through the Gates of Mercy and that, resurrected, they too will enter the Holy City. Early tombs include three monumental burial sites in the Kidron (Jehoshaphat) Valley.

Jesus frequented the mountain often, traveling over the mountain to visit his friends Lazarus, Mary, Martha and Simon the Leper in Bethany. On at least one occasion It was there that He gave a major address to the disciples [Matthew 24]. He spent the night before his arrest in the gardens at Gethsemane, where brought guards to arrest him [John 18]. Judas betrayed him the next morning.

The mountain’s slopes are filled with churches commemorating events in Jesus’ life. The Mosque of the Ascension covers the spot from which Moslems recall Jesus’ ascension to Heaven. On the slope, the tear-shaped chapel on its slope is the spot at which he wept while recalling the dire future in store for the Holy City of Jerusalem [Luke 19].

What is the basis of Jewish belief regarding the end of days and Mt. of Olives?

Jews believe that the Messiah will arrive in Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Tradition holds that the thousands of people buried there will be the first to be resurrected upon his arrival.

What is the Church of the Ascension today?

 The Church of the Holy Ascension was taken by Saladin in 1187 and converted into a mosque and remains such today.  It contains what is traditionally the last footprint of Jesus on earth before he ascended into heaven.

Two other places are claimed to be the location of the ascension.  Constantine's mother Helena built a church under the modern Paternoster Church to commemorate this event.  A much later tradition connects the Russian Orthodox Church of the Ascension to Christ's return into heaven.  

Scripture indicates that the Jesus ascended into heaven in the vicinity of Bethany.  This village is down the east slope of the Mt. of Olives about 1.5 miles (2 km).  In this case, none of the traditional locations for the ascension are correct.

Why did all nations contribute to the construction of the Church of the Agony?

The Church of All Nations, also known as the Church of the Agony or the Basilica of the Agony, is a Roman Catholic Church located on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, next to the Garden of Gethsemane. It enshrines a section of bedrock where Jesus is said to have prayed before the night of his arrest.

The chapel was built from 1919 to 1924 using funds from many different countries (hence the title). The symbols of each country are incorporated into the glass of the ceiling, each in a separate, small dome. The front of the church is a facade supported by a row of pillars. Above is a modern mosaic depicting Jesus Christ symbolically as the link between God and humanity. The bubbled-dome roof, thick pillars, and mosaic give the church a Byzantine look architecturally. The architect of the building was Antonio Barluzzi.

The current church rests on the foundations of two earlier ones - a 12th century Crusader chapel abandoned in 1345 and a 4th century Byzantine basilica, destroyed by an earthquake in 746.

Joel 3:1 In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land."

Why did Jesus leave the last supper and walk to the area of Gethsemane?

To fulfill the Prophesies of the Old Testament:

Matt 26:39-43 - "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane . . . and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

 Zec 14:4-7 - "On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. . .Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light."

Ezekiel 15:6-8  "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the LORD. I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign LORD."

- Psalm 116:1-4 "I love the LORD, for he has heard me and listens to my prayer, for he has given me a hearing whenever I have cried to him.... Anguish and torment held me fast; so I invoked the LORD by name, Deliver me, 0 LORD, I beseech thee."

How things happened?????????????  

1800 to 2100

 Passover meal which was concluded with the singing of a hymn  1st Watch

2100 to 2400

 Disciples fall asleep three times as Jesus prays on Mount of Olives  2nd Watch

0000 to 0300

 Betrayal and arrest of Jesus at darkest hour  3rd Watch

0300 to 0600

 Official charges plus Peter's threefold denial  Cockcrow Watch

0600 to 0900

Jesus lead to Pilate, tormented by soldiers  5th Watch

0900 to 1200

 3rd hour - Jesus nailed on the cross  6th Watch

12:00 to 1500

6th hour - Darkness on land for three hours, temple veil rent  7th Watch

1500 to 1800

 9th hour - Jesus taken from cross and buried by Joseph of Arimathea  8th Watch

What is the Jewish date of the Pascal meal?

1.1          The Jewish Passover Festival

The Passover is the most important of the Jewish feast. It is an eight day festival held from the 14th to the 21st day of the Jewish month of Nisan. The Jewish calendar is a lunar one which actually allows the Passover to fall anywhere in March or April. [1] The traditional Jewish belief is that this festival is observed to commemorate the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. The myth is told in Exodus chapters one through thirteen.

Many of the Passover observations and indeed the name of the festival itself can be traced to this story in second book of the Pentateuch. When the pharaoh refused to allow Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt, ten plagues were sent by God to force the Egyptian monarch to change his mind. The last of this ten plagues was the slaughter of all the first born children of the Egyptians. To ensure that the angel of death does not mistake the Israelite households for the Egyptian ones, Moses ordered his people to slaughter a lamb. With the blood of this lamb, they were told to daub their doorposts. seeing these sign will ensure that the angel of death would passover the household. Later in their hurried escape from Egypt, the Israelites had no time to let their bread rise, so they ate unleavened bread. [2]

On the first evening of the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (technically it is the 15th of Nisan for by Jewish reckoning the new day starts after 6pm) the celebration of the Seder takes place. The Seder is a special domestic religious service which includes a ritual meal. This meal contains food which symbolizes the events during the exodus: the paschal lamb which was slain earlier in the evening and the matzoth or unleavened bread. [3]

The rules governing the celebration of the Passover are very explicit. They are laid down in the Torah with additional details being codified in the Talmudic tractate Pesachim. Given below are some of the rules:

On the length of the festival

Numbers 28:16-17 (Exodus 12:18)

On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of this month is a feast, seven days shall unleavened days be eaten.

The selection of the paschal lamb

Exodus 12:5-8

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old, you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.

The prohibition of leaving one's house on Passover night

Exodus 12:22,25

...none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning...you shall observe this rite as an ordinance for you and your sons forever and ever.

The prohibition of doing any kind of work on the Passover

Numbers 28:18

On the first day there shall be convocation; you shall do no laborious work...

Here rabbinical elaboration had extended the prohibition of work to the afternoon of the previous day (Pesachim 4:2). [4] The ritual observation of the Passover, like those for the Sabbath, are very strict and explicit

Gethsemane

The Church of All Nations (Basilica of Jerusalem the Agony),

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

-- Matthew 26:36-39

In the garden of Gethsemane also called the Grotto of the Agony “referring to the last time events in Jesus’ life when he had the most difficult time in his life on earth

Before the crucifixion. This time was so difficult that he poured out his heart to his maker. His disciples however fell a sleep and left him alone. Jesus beseeched GOD to take from him the cup of suffering and throw this time of suffering his sweat dripped like “drops of blood” it is clear to him now what is going to happened next.

How old are the Olive trees in Gethsemane?

A few of the trees which today are fenced off in the garden adjacent to the basilica. Few of the trees are so thick and gnarled that they could conceivably be over a 1000 years old, some researchers maintain that these are the original trees that witnessed both Jesus’ agonizing last night on earth and Judas’ betrayal. Even if not quite that ancient they are quite certainly offshoots of the olive trees which stood in the garden 2000 years ago

.

What is at the Cenacle?

2. Traditionally Cenacle (from Latin cenaculum) is the term for the Upper Room, or the site of The Last Supper. This word is a derivative of the Latin word "cena," which means dinner. It allegedly lies in the second floor of a building on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, just outside the Dormition Church behind the Franciscan house on Sion, and south of the Zion Gate in the Old City walls. In the basement of the building is King David's Tomb.

What can be seen at the room of the last supper?

The Cenacle is divided by three pillars into three naves. The pillars and the arches, windows and other Gothic style architectural elements, a clear indication the room was built by the Crusaders in the early 13th century, on top of a much older structure. The older structure, according to the archaeological research, was the church-synagogue of the early Christian community of Jerusalem.

To the south you can see the Mehrab ( prayer alcove ) for Muslims this is an addition by the Mamluk rulers in the 15th c. and little dome over the stairs.

When was the mosque built here?

The mosque was built in the Mamluk period in the 15th c.

Why is this site important to Moslems?

Muslims believe that Jesus is a prophet and they also believe that he had his last meal with his disciples called also the last supper before his ascension to heaven. In the holy Quran the story of the last supper metioned in SORAT EL- MAEDA and that his disciples asked him for a MAEDA means table of food for GOD and so it was. 

When did Islam begin?

 Islam began with the prophet Mohammad officially at 613 when he went publicly with the new religion after 3 years of secret teachings.

When did Mohammed die?

 He died at the year of 632 at the age of 62 years old at EL –MADINA.

Why did the Moslems come to Jerusalem? Why did they conquer the Land of Israel?

Muslims came to Jerusalem because it is considered a very holy city in their religion the third in its holiness after Mecca and Medina also it was the first place to pray to as the jews for almost 17 months and most importantly because of the nocturnal journey from Mecca to a far place ( Identified as Jerusalem by him) then ascended to heaven where he received the five prayers that Muslims tell today pray and he prayed with the most important prophets among them ADAM , ABRAHAM, MOSES. JESUS…etc.

How does Barluzzi's design of the Church of Agony express the spirit of the event?

By making the Church dark that makes you feel the sorrow and the agony of Jesus’ while he awaits to be taken to his death.

One of the members of the group walks up to you in the garden of Gethsemane and informs you that he needs to leave the country immediately. What do you do?

I call the office and make them arrange all the logistics and things needed to fulfill his wishes.

Where can one find Ahmadians?

The Ahmadians can be found in Mount Carmel in a village called Kababeer.

Where and when did they begin?

They began in India At the end of the 19th century, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian proclaimed himself to be the "Reformer of the age" (Mujaddid), Promised Messiah, Mahdi of the age. (Note that the two sub-sects of the Ahmadiyya interpret this last claim very differently). He claimed to have fulfilled the prophecy of the return of Jesus. He and his followers claimed that his advent was foretold by Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and also by many other religious scriptures of the world. In 1889, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad laid down the foundation of his community, which was later given the name of "Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat". Since its inception, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat's objective has been the revival of Islam

Tell us about the minorities in Haifa/

This question is answered below about in short :

Druze village called Daliyat el karmel, Ahamadians in Kababir, Christians in the city of Haifa Catholics and Orthodox. The Bahai shrines in mount Carmel although their presence can hardly considered as minorities.  

 Do the Samaritans accept the Oral Law?

NO their religion based on the Torah.( Pentateuch) they only accept the first five books and the place of the temple is in GERZIM MOUNT IN Nablus and not at the in Jerusalem.

Plan a tour revolving around minorities on Mt. Carmel

Please say something about the beliefs of the Druze, the Bahai and the Ahmadians

The Druze: 1017: The religion is established in Cairo. The religious orientation gets its name from one of the earliest followers of Caliph al-Hakim, Muhammadu d-Darazi. It is believed that it spread to many regions in the Middle East and North Africa, but that it is only the Druze that kept it up.

The theology of Druze religion is called hikma and its main theme is that God incarnated himself in the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim, who they claim disappeared in 1021. While most Muslims believe he died in 1021, the Druze disagree and believe that al-Hakim is awaiting to return to the world in order to bring a new golden age to true believers.

Druze believe in one God and claim that the qualities of God cannot be understood or defined by humans. Al-Hakim is worshiped in Druze religion, he is called 'Our Lord', and his cruelties and eccentricities are all interpreted symbolically.

The hikma is known only to an elite of religiously trained men, the uqqal. Most Druze know only parts of their religion's theology, and they are referred to as juhhal, "ignorants." One out of 50 members of the uqqal, reach as high as perfection, and are called 'ajawid, 'noble', and work as the real leaders of the Druze religion.The uqqal take care of the religion for the juhhal, and they alone attend the religious meetings taking place on the night between Thursday and Friday, in ordinary buildings in the outskirts of Druze villages.

It is known that they believe in one God and seven prophets — Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and Jethro, Moses' father-in-law "Shaeeb", the most important of prophets in Druze eyes

The Bahai: The Bahá'í Faith is a religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.[1] There are about six million Bahá'ís in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Bahá'u'lláh is regarded as the most recent, but not final, in a line of messengers that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad and others.

Their Qibla is toward Akko where Baha’ullah is buried. Haifa is also cherished by members of the Bahá'í Faith as it is an important site of worship, pilgrimage and administration for the members of the religion. The Bahá'í World Centre (comprising the Shrine of the Báb, terraced gardens and administrative buildings) are all on Mount Carmel's northern slope

The Ahmadians: They began in India At the end of the 19th century, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian proclaimed himself to be the "Reformer of the age" (Mujaddid), Promised Messiah, Mahdi of the age. (Note that the two sub-sects of the Ahmadiyya interpret this last claim very differently). He claimed to have fulfilled the prophecy of the return of Jesus. He and his followers claimed that his advent was foretold by Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, and also by many other religious scriptures of the world. In 1889, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad laid down the foundation of his community, which was later given the name of "Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat". Since its inception, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat's objective has been the revival of Islam

What percentage of Israelis are Moslems?

Abou16% of the Israeli population.

Tell me something about the Druze. Why can't you convert into or out of the Druze religion

The first section of the question is already answered above.

You can’t join their religion because it was closed to the rest of the people at 1053

Name an Alawite village in Israel. What is special about the village?

The name of the village is Ghajar

Prior to the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, this village was in Syria and the separate, smaller village of Wazzani (Ouzzani) was located immediately across the border to the north in Lebanon. When Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967, Ghajar remained as "no man's land" for two and a half months until its food reserve ran out. Lebanon refused to take control of the village as it was in 1967 totally in Syrian territory. About half of the village residents (some 350 people) left for elsewhere in Syria during this period of uncertainty. Eventually the village's leaders negotiated with the Israeli authorities and accepted living under Israeli rule[1]. In 1981 most villagers agreed to become Israeli citizens under the Golan Heights Law.

The Alawites are a sect of Shi'ite Islam [4] [5] prominent in Syria.The Alawites take their name from Imam Ali, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, [6] also the 4th and last "rightly guided Caliph" of Islam

Where are there Circassian villages in Israel?

Circassian villages in Israel located in Kfar-Kama in the lower Galilee and Rihania in the upper Galilee. Circassians arrived at their present location from Balkans in year 1880 after 10 years of residence at Marvel-border of Greece and Bulgaria, they migrated to Palestine, the Holy Land of the three monotheist religions. Ottoman Sultan asked them to reside at Rihania (Reyhaniye) and Kfar-Kama villages. About 1000 Abadzekh Circassians live in Reyhaniye and about 2000 Shapsugh Circassians live in Kfar-Kama and scores of families live in various Israeli cities and towns near their jobs.

Where are there Druze villages in Israel?

Druze Towns and Villages

Most of the Druze towns and villages in Israel are populated exclusively by Druze, although over the last century a minority of Christians and Muslims have become residents in some of them. They are located in the north of the country, mainly on hilltops; historically as a defense against attack and persecution.

The largest Druze town in Israel (and the most southern) is Daliyat el-Carmel, located on Mount Carmel in the heart of the Carmel National Park, southeast of Haifa. Established some 400 years ago, Daliyat el-Carmel has a population of 13,000 Druze residents, who trace their ancestry to the hill country near Aleppo (Halab) in northern Syria, attested to by their strong Aleppo accent and the name of the largest family in the village - Halabi. The large market in the center of the town boasting traditional Druze and Arab products draws tourists from Israel and from abroad, and there is a memorial center for fallen Druze IDF soldiers. The shrine of Abu Ibrahim is located in Daliyat el-Carmel, and the ruins of several Druze villages are located in the vicinity.

Isfiya, also on Mount Carmel, was built on the ruins of a Byzantine settlement. Many Crusader ornaments and relics found on the walls and in the houses led historians to believe that the village was once a Crusader center. In 1930, remains of the fifth-century Jewish settlement of Husifah were unearthed in the village. They include a synagogue with a mosaic floor bearing Jewish symbols and the inscription "Peace upon Israel", and some 4,500 gold coins dating from the Roman Period. The modern village was founded in the early eighteenth century, when residents made their living from the olive oil, honey and the excellent grapes growing in the region. Some 9,000 people live today in Isfiya: 70% Druze, the rest Christians and Muslims. The tomb of Abu Abdallah.

Northeast of Haifa is the village of Shfar'am, a settlement with ancient roots. Shfar'am is mentioned in the Talmud, and in the second century was the seat of the Sanhedrin (the supreme Jewish religious and judicial body). The Jewish community in Shfar'am, dating from the end of the middle Ages, slowly dwindled away during the 19th and early 20th century. Some 27,000 Druze, Christians and Muslims live in Shfar'am today, and the village has a number of holy sites and prayer houses for all three communities, as well as housing for discharged Druze soldiers.

Further north, overlooking Lake Kinneret, is Maghar, believed to be the site of the city of Ma'ariya, where a priestly family lived in Talmudic times. Historical sources mention the many olive trees surrounding the village, which still thrive there today. Some 17,000 people live in Maghar today - 60% Druze, 20% Muslim and 20% Christian.

The village of Rama (population 7,000) north of Maghar, was built on the site of the ancient biblical town of Ramot Naftali. Rama is noted for its level of culture, dating back to the Mandate Period; in 1948, the proportion of physicians, attorneys, and engineers in Rama was the highest in the Arab sector. Nearby is the smaller village of Sajur.

Located north of Rama, on the peak of Mt. Meron, is the all-Druze village of Beit Jan. The village is situated at the highest point in Israel (940 meters above sea level), and has a population of some 9,000. Not far away is Peki'in, one of the most ancient villages in the country. It was frequently mentioned in historical sources from the thirteenth century onward, noting its many springs, flourishing gardens and orchards, and its small Jewish community, which has been present there almost continuously since the Second Temple period. In and near the village are significant sites for Druze and Jews, including a restored Jewish synagogue dating back to the Roman Period. The oldest Druze school in the region was established in Peki'in by the Russian church at the end of the nineteenth century.

of the nineteenth century.

Ein el-Asad, the only all-Druze village founded in the twentieth century, is located nearby. The village's original residents came from Beit Jan and from Syria and Lebanon. Kafr Sumei', west of Peki'in, is thought to be the site of Kefar Sama, mentioned in ancient Hebrew literature.

South of Kafr Sumei', Kisra was the smallest Druze village in the country in the nineteenth century. The village now has about 3,500 residents. The nearby village of Yanuah is mentioned in the Bible (as Janoah), the Talmud, and Crusader documents. Next to the village is the shrine of the Muslim prophet Shams.

The only all-Druze town in western Galilee, Yirka, is the site of one of the largest factories in the Middle East: the steel mill belonging to the Kadmani Brothers. The factory has enabled the village to develop a large commercial and industrial zone. Home to about 11,000 Druze, Yirka has a number of important sites, the most significant of which is the tomb of Sheikh Abu Saraya Ghanem, an important Druze religious scholar of the early eleventh century.

Abu Sinan, another large Druze town in the area, is mentioned in Crusader documents from the year 1250, as the fortress of "Busnen". Abu Sinan became important during the reign of the Druze Emir Fahr ed-Din al-Mani, who built a palace there for his son Ali in 1617. Today Abu Sinan is home to about 10,000 persons - 35% Druze and the rest Christians and Muslims. The tombs of the prophet Zechariah and Sheikh al-Hanbali are located in the town.

South of Abu Sinan is the tranquil village of Julis, homeof Sheikh Amin Tarif, the longtime spiritual leader of the Israeli Druze community, who died in October 1993. His grandson Saleh Tarif, who lives in Julis, was the first Druze to be appointed a minister in the Israeli government.

Druze have lived in Jat, a small village northeast of Abu Sinan, since the eleventh century. Druze sacred texts mention Sheikh Abu Arus, who was responsible for the propagation of the Druze faith in the region, and was buried in the village. The population of Jat today numbers some 8,000.

The village of Hurfeish is situated on the road that runs east from the coastal town of Nahariya, and the site of the tomb of the important prophet Sablan. On September 10th each year, Druze come to celebrate his festival in the village. In 1972, a monument was erected in Hurfeish in memory of Druze soldiers who fell serving with the Israel Defense Forces.

Where are the Bedouin located?

Bedouins are mostly located at south of Israel specially in Negev.

Where do Karaites live in Israel (where is their center?)

Karaism Today

Today there are approximately 30,000 Karaites with some 25,000 Karaites in Israel, 2,500 in the US, and smaller communities in France, Switzerland, Turkey, England, and elsewhere. The main Karaite centers in Israel are located in Ramla, Ashdod, Ofakim, Beersheba, Moshav Ranen, Moshav Masliah, with smaller communities in Jerusalem, Bat Yam, and Arad. The main Karaite center in the US is in San Francisco, which has the only active Karaite synagogue in North AmericaWhat is Karaism?

Karaism is Judaism according to the Hebrew Bible. The word Karaite (Hebrew: Bnei Mikra) means "Followers of the Bible" ("Mikra" is the Hebrew word for Bible). Karaites believe only in the authority of the Hebrew Bible and reject all later innovations such as the Rabbinic "Oral Law".

Biblical Interpretation

Karaites do not take the Bible "literally" since every written work requires interpretation. Instead, Karaism requires that Biblical interpretation strive for the plain meaning of the text, as it would have been understood by the ancient Israelites when it was first given. It is the personal responsibility of every individual to study the Hebrew Scripture and ultimately decide for themselves the correct meaning.

Where do Samaritans live in the Land of Israel?

 In Holon

What are the principles of the Druze religion?

The moral system of Druze religion consists of seven principles:

1. Love of truth

2. Taking care of one another

3. Renouncing all other religions

4. Avoiding the demon (the calf?) and all wrongdoers

5. Accepting divine unity in humanity

6. Accepting all of al-Hakim's acts

7.Acting in total accordance to al-Hakim's will

Please say a few words about the Bedouin.

Bedouin is one who was born and raised in the desert or mountain wilderness and lives alongside nature in black tents or in caves. Someone who raises goats, sheep, donkeys, horses and camels and who knows how to milk and shepherd the goats and to ride the horses and camels. One who knows how to use all kinds of herbs as food, drink and medicine. A person who can navigate and live with ease in the desert. His life is simple – but his famed hospitality and generosity is no myth. A Bedouin accepts and appreciates what he has and is willing to share this. He is happy to give and to assist. He is proud of who he is and is loyal to his land. A Bedouin sees bounty where you perceive barrenness and finds poetry in everything. It is more than a name, it is a way of life.

Samaritans in the Christian Gospels

The Christian Gospels thrice mention good deeds by Samaritans. Jesus, who lived and acted within a society where centuries-long hostility to and prejudice against Samaritans were deeply rooted, evidently sought to teach that actions speak louder than ethnic identity or pious appearances:

• The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Begins in Luke 10:33.

• Jesus asks a Samaritan woman of Sychar for water from Jacob's Well. John 4.

• Jesus healed 10 Lepers, of which only one returned to praise God, and he was a Samaritan. Luke 17:11

In the Gospel of John, Jesus is accused of being a Samaritan and being demon-possessed. John 8:48

Luke has the parable of the Good Samaritan and the story of the Samaritan Leper, but it also contains a story of a Samaritan village denying hospitality to Jesus and his disciples, because they did not want to facilitate a pilgrimage to Jerusalem - a practice which they saw as a violation of the Law of Moses.Luke 9:51

In Matthew 10:5, Jesus forbids his disciples to visit any Samaritan city.

The Gospel of Mark contains no mention of Samaritans,neither positive nor negative.

What is the difference between eastern orthodox and western churches?

Sometime around the fourth century, Christianity was considered to be concentrated in five primary centers: Alexandria (now Egypt), Antioch (now Greece), Constantinople (now Turkey), Jerusalem (now Israel), and Rome (now Italy). As Islam grew and competed with some of the these centers, Rome and Constantinople became the main Christian centers and, for political, cultural, linguistic and religious reasons, the powers in Rome and Constantinople formally separated in 1054 AD. This separation is also referred to as the Great Schism or East-West Schism — there were earlier, lesser schisms. Despite the break, many of the belief structures between the two are largely similar as they both are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. In fact, since the 19th century, there have been continued conversations about reuniting the two churches.

The Pope

A main difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics has to do with the recognition of the Pope. Roman Catholics recognize the Pope as the infallible. Moreover, the Pope has supreme authority over all churches and can, for example, contradict or usurp the power of a lower ranking church leader (e.g., a priest, bishop or cardinal). The Eastern Orthodox, also have various bishops with one being the highest bishop, also called the first among equals, but the Eastern Orthodox do not believe the highest ranking bishop, or archbishop, to be infallible, nor do they grant him with supreme authority over all churches.

As people-centered forms of government become more common, papal authority extends far less than it did in the previous millennium. Today, the Pope may still advise leaders of countries, but has no power to make them change. The governments of predominantly Catholic countries are rarely influenced by the Pope alone. In fact, many predominantly Catholic countries are lead in a way antithetical to what the Catholic Church may desire.

Language of Church Services

Another difference between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches notable until the mid 20th century was that Roman Catholic services were conducted in Latin, rather than in native languages. The early Eastern Orthodox Church rejected the language of Rome and celebrated mass in native languages from its onset. Since Vatican II, the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, however, Roman Catholic services are often conducted in the native tongue. Members of Opus Dei, a section within the Roman Catholic Church, continue to consistently celebrate the Latin mass.

Original Sin

There are also many complex dogmatic distinctions that have arisen since the two churches separated. These are often difficult to understand, but include a few straightforward differences in belief. One is the concept of original sin which has its roots in Adam's sins in the Garden of Eden. Both Churches believe in the concept of original sin but hold it to have different consequences on humanity. Still, both Churches hold baptism as the way to cleanse the soul of sin.

The Churches diverge in how original sin applies to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Catholics believe Mary was born without original sin, and thus was the appropriate vessel for the Son of God. The Eastern Orthodox Church believes this distinction matters little. Like all people, Mary was born and would die. She was chosen to be Jesus' mother because of her virtuous life.

A few minor differences may also be noted:

• Eastern Orthodox Churches often have icons while Catholic churches have statues.

• Catholic Priests may not be married whereas Eastern Orthodox priests may marry prior to ordination.

• There are no separate religious orders of Eastern Orthodox monks or nuns whereas the Roman Catholics belong to these associations which are devoted to a specific form of service.

• The Eastern Orthodox Church does not believe in purgatory and does not observe the Stations of the Cross.

• The Roman Catholic Eucharist is an unleavened wafer while the Eastern Orthodox Church uses leavened bread.

• Easter is calculated differently by the Orthodox and the Catholic but the two celebrate Christmas on the same day.

Who was the population of Safed in the 16th century?

The city flourished in the 16th century, when many famous Jewish religious scholars and mystics moved to Safed following the Spanish Expulsion,, fleeing from the horrors of the Inquisition.

Please name major Kabalistic figures from Safed.

Safed became the spiritual center of the Jewish world, where Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) reached the peak of its influence. Kabbalists, such as Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (Ha-Ari HaKadosh) and Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz (author of Lecha Dodi) and Rabbi Yosef Karo (author of the Shulchan Aruch).

Was Tzippori a Jewish City? What can we find in Tzippori that would indicate that it was Jewish?

Tzippori was a mixed city. We can consider it Jewish in the time of the Mishnah. In Tzippori we can find a synagogue.

What is pagan in Tzippori? Give two examples.

Mosaic Floors, Theater…

Is there a church in Tzippori? If so, then what is its name and from what time period is it? Where is it located?

Yes, we can find a church; it is named Santa Anna from the time of the Crusaders.

Is Helios really located in the synagogue?

Yes. His image is located in the center of the synagogue.

When was the Amidah inaugurated? Was it said 3 times a day in the 5th century?

We don’t know exactly. But after the destruction of the temple, they stared to generate these prayers.

Where is Tzippori mentioned in primary sources? What do we know about Tzippori in the 1 st century CE?

Tzippori is mentioned in Josephus – Jewish wars book. We know that they didn’t participate in the Jewish revolt.  

Are there any anomalies about the synagogue?

It doesn’t face Jerusalem as it was built between houses and the topography didn’t allow to built it facing Jerusalem.

Is there any sign in the floor that indicates they knew where Jerusalem was?

Yes, on the mosaics we can see drawings and signs for the temple.

When did they start excavating Tzippori? Who excavated it?

I don’t know!

How do you pay the entrance fee for a group arriving in Tzippori?

Voucher or cash