This
‘Holy Land’ situated in the Eastern Mediterranean shares
its borders with Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic, the
Palestine National Authority, Jordan, Egypt and Gaza.
Jerusalem its capital and worldwide center of religion,
though the UN does not recognize it as so, claiming it
to be Tel Aviv. Hebrew and Arabic are the official
languages, although many other languages are spoken
throughout the country, including English, French,
German, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish
and Yiddish.
Israel is small in size but has a varied landscape from
the fertile hills in Galilee with Mount Hermon and Golan
to the Negev Desert and Eliat on the Red Sea. The Great
Rift Valley goes from the River Jordan sources to the
Dead Sea; this is the lowest point in the world, then
onto the Red Sea and Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), which is
in fact Israel’s biggest freshwater lake.
The Old City of Jerusalem and its Jaffa Gate and David’s
Tower cannot be missed; from here one can explore the
alleys and streets of the Old City Quarters each divided
into a distinct religious creed, Jewish, Muslim,
Christian and Armenian. On Temple Mount stands the Dome
of Rock, an important religious site for both Jews and
Muslims.
Israel is a treasure trove of religious architecture,
art, archeological sites and century-old history,
wherever one goes there are relics of the past and
museums that exhibit magnificent treasures. The Wohl
Archeological Museum is an open-air museum where
2000-year-old houses have been excavated all in
excellent condition.
Other sites of exceptional beauty are Jaffa, the world’s
oldest commercial port, Caesarea with the fascinating
seafront ruins, once a Roman city, Lake Kinneret dotted
with Christian sites such as Capernaum, Cana, and the
Mount of Beatitudes and Nazareth Jesus' home town, now
the largest Arab city in Israel.
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