Have you been to the Holy Land?

[LittleFlower]

Hello everyone,

I’m currently researching the Holy Land, and places to visit, when to visit. I thought it might make sense to ask my fellow CAFs whether you’ve been!

If you have been (or haven’t and want to), what did/do you want to see? If it isn’t your thing, why not?

Look forward to your responses!

• No, but I would like to visit the Holy Land
• No, not too interested in visiting the Holy Land
• Yes, I have visited the Holy Land just once
• Yes, I have visited the Holy Land more than once

0 voters

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m supposed to go soon. I’m a bit nervous, but two Jewish people who each have visited there multiple times are telling me it’s great and I’ll love it.

I would very much like to go here and get a Jerusalem Cross like the pilgrims used to do, but I don’t know if schedule will permit.

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[LittleFlower]

I’m so excited for you!

Are you doing it by yourself, or with a group / tour?

I have plenty of Jewish female friends who have been, and they love it.

I would very much like to go here and get a Jerusalem Cross like the pilgrims used to do, but I don’t know if schedule will permit.

A tattoo? I’ve never heard of that custom, going to read that blog post now.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I’m going with a priest and pilgrimage group. I went to Poland, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Czech Republic with the same priest last year. I find it is better to go to holy places the first time with a group. Then if I want to later return on my own, I can more easily do so once I know the lay of the land. I went to Fatima last year myself but I had been a few years ago with a group so I knew where everything generally was.

 

[Mtatum1958]

We went with a group of 28 or so. It was quite enjoyable. The guides we had were Arab Christians, and we focused more on the Holy sites than anything else. We did, however, spend part of the day at a Palestinian ‘camp’ and talk with various groups. Tourism is their bread and butter so safety wasn’t a big concern. Wandering off on your own to unknown places might be different.

It was interesting to see how specific places had one church built on top of the previous ruin going back to earliest Christianity.

 

[LittleFlower]

Amazing experiences!

I’d like to go to Rome/the Vatican later this year, and next year to the Holy Land but it all depends on various things.

I’ve looked at the tattooist and must say I never knew the tradition. They do take bookings, and are open late so I do hope you are able to get one done by them.

 

[LittleFlower]

Yes, the history there is amazing.

I would love to go, but really don’t like big groups and tours. But I doubt we could “wing it” either.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We’ll see, I have not yet gotten a tattoo partly because my husband and mother were not keen on the idea. They are now both deceased, so now’s the time.

 

[LittleFlower]

When the seasons change, it may be time to get that tattoo no one can object to! I agree wholeheartedly.

I’ve always wanted to be a blonde, but alas I have the same objectors on my front.

 

[Mtatum1958]

Check with your or a neighboring diocese. We went with a group from the office of the missions. Had enough, but not a lot, of free time to explore in some areas.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Mtatum1958, did you go with the Catholic Traveler group, by any chance? I follow his Facebook and he seems to do really interesting tours that include a camp as you mentioned.

 

[LittleFlower]

I will do just that, thanks so much for the suggestion.

What was your favourite place, where did something resonate with you?

 

[Mtatum1958]

I don’t remember the name. I have it at home, and will let you know in a couple days.

 

[BartholomewB]

@LittleFlower, I would strongly recommend buying this book well in advance, say at least a month before your departure date, so that you can thoroughly familiarize yourself in advance with the places you’re going to see. The only drawback is that it deals with the ancient places only – you’ll need a separate guidebook for the modern places such as Eilat and Tel Aviv, if you expect to be going there, and of course it says nothing about hotels, restaurants and so on!

The author (now deceased), Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, is an Irish Dominican who lived most of his adult life in Israel. He really does have expert knowledge of everything he writes about.

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-holy-land-9780199236664?q=murphy-o%27connor%20holy%20land&lang=en&cc=us

 

[Casilda]

I voted no, and not interested. I hate flying. My MIL has been twice and always complains about the long flight. However, her recollections are mostly with awe that she walked where Jesus walked and saw what He may have seen. She has a lot of pictures of the Holy Land on her walls now. Enough for me.

 

[Londoner]

I’ve been to the Holy Land twice. I’d encourage anyone to go there. It’s one of the most amazing places you will ever see. There is so much history covering such a long expanse of time and so many different faiths and cultures (including every Christian denomination you can think of). It’s also an incredibly beautiful part of the world with a really wide range of different landscapes. The food and drink and very good too.

The first time I went was on a commercially organised tour with a local Jewish tour guide. He was a very nice chap and perfectly competent, but the tour was very much geared towards the tourist market rather than visitors with academic or religious interests. My second trip was with an eminent Catholic biblical scholar and that was by far the better experience. I’m afraid there’s no point posting details in a public forum as his trips were never open to public booking and I’m fairly certain he isn’t running them any more. But if you are planning a trip be sure to pick a tour that you know will suit you.

I can give you a brief summary of the places I’ve been to. It’s a bit haphazard, but Google will help you! It’s been a while, so I’m afraid I can’t really give you detailed descriptions, although if you ask my memory may be prompted!

Nazareth, Sepphoris, Acre, Church of Peter’s Primacy, Golan heights, Kasr Nimrod, Baniass, Hazor, Capernaum, Tabgha, Mount Tabor, Megiddo, Caesarea, Belvoir Castle, Beth Shean, Jericho, St Gerasimos’ Monastery (very remote but well worth a visit), Qumran, Nebi Musa, Jerusalem in general of course, including the Western Wall, Model of Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Pools of Bethzatha, city walls, markets, St George’s Anglican Cathedral, and Israel Museum (plus Temple Mount depending whether you are allowed to visit as a non-Muslim: I was lucky enough to go years ago when the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque were open to non-Muslims), Dominus Flevit, Tunnel of Hezekiah, Kedron Valley, Bethlehem, Gethsemane, Pilate’s aqueduct, Ain Qilt, Wadi Fawwar, Ashqelon, Abu Ghosh, Bethany, Mount of Olives, Masada, Eilat, Yotvata kibbutz (famous for dairy products), Mount Sinai/St Catherine’s Monastery, Ein Gedi (extremely beautiful with natural springs, interesting wildlife, and various biblical connections), the Dead Sea.

As for accommodation, I’ve stayed on numerous kibbutzim and the accommodation and food were always excellent (especially breakfasts). Also stayed at La Maison d’Abraham in Jerusalem. Very basic accommodation (wooden huts) and the food was scarce and not very good. Also, it’s next to a mosque, so the call to prayer will disturb your sleep!

 

[Cruciferi]

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
It’s been many centuries…

 

[ComplineSanFran]

Nazareth, Sepphoris, Acre, Church of Peter’s Primacy, Golan heights, Kasr Nimrod, Baniass, Hazor, Capernaum, Tabgha, Mount Tabor, Megiddo, Caesarea, Belvoir Castle, Beth Shean, Jericho, St Gerasimos’ Monastery (very remote but well worth a visit), Qumran, Nebi Musa, Jerusalem in general of course, including the Western Wall, Model of Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Pools of Bethzatha, city walls, markets, St George’s Anglican Cathedral, and Israel Museum (plus Temple Mount depending whether you are allowed to visit as a non-Muslim: I was lucky enough to go years ago when the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque were open to non-Muslims), Dominus Flevit, Tunnel of Hezekiah, Kedron Valley, Bethlehem, Gethsemane, Pilate’s aqueduct, Ain Qilt, Wadi Fawwar, Ashqelon, Abu Ghosh, Bethany, Mount of Olives, Masada, Eilat, Yotvata kibbutz (famous for dairy products), Mount Sinai/St Catherine’s Monastery, Ein Gedi (extremely beautiful with natural springs, interesting wildlife, and various biblical connections), the Dead Sea.

All wonderful! But don’t forget Hadassah Hospital and the Chagall windows. And High Tea at St Andrew’s Scottish Guest House in Jerusalem. And the city of Tsvat up in the Galil, Bethlehem of course, the Garden Tomb (very peaceful if not exactly historical), swimming in the Dead Sea (and a thousand other absolutely astounding places and experiences.) Go!! You’ll never forget it!

 

[LittleFlower]

I would strongly recommend buying this book well in advance, say at least a month before your departure date

Thank you for the book recommendation, I will purchase it soon! Most likely only stick to “old” places.

I voted no, and not interested. I hate flying.

I don’t like flying either, at all. My only reassurance is that flying and its engineering only gets better.

It’s also an incredibly beautiful part of the world with a really wide range of different landscapes.

Thank you so much for your list and experience. Would you go again the Holy Land, or do you find twice is enough?

 

[Londoner]

Would you go again the Holy Land, or do you find twice is enough?

Hello. Yes, I would definitely go again. There is so much to see and do in the Holy Land region that a couple of trips couldn’t possibly cover it all. Also, I feel I’d go with a different perspective if I went again. Israel does not have a particularly great public transport network, so the main options for the visitor seem to be an organised tour or hire a car. I can’t drive, but if I ever learned to drive I’d definitely consider visiting Israel again and making a DIY trip of it to focus on seeing the things I really wanted to see myself.

Oh, I completely forget to mention, I have also been to Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. It’s an extraordinary place to visit. There are, of course, many Catholics among the Righteous Among the Nations commemorated there.

Oh, and I have also been to the Knesset.

In Jerusalem alone there’s more that I wish I’d seen: the Bible Lands Museum, Rockefeller Archeological Museum, Hebrew Music Museum, the Museum of Italian Jewish Art, the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens, the Great Synagogue, Hurva Synagogue, Italian Synagogue, the Mount Herzl National Cemetery, as well as more churches than I could possible name.

For a contrast, I’d also like to see Tel Aviv, which most visitors skip (apart from the airport).