List of Christian holy sites in the Holy Land
Encyclopedia
The list of Christian holy sites in the Holy Land outlines sites within cities located in the Holy Land
that are regarded as having a special significance to Christians, usually by association with Jesus or other personalities in the New Testament
.
The identification of these sites became important during the Crusades
, when Christian pilgrims
often sought out the Holy places
in the Outremer
, especially in early 12th century immediately after the capture of Jerusalem.
The search for the Christian holy sites was the foundation of 19th century European Biblical archaeology
in the ottoman Syria
and later the Mandate Palestine
.
The holy sites in cities for Christians of all denominations are:
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
that are regarded as having a special significance to Christians, usually by association with Jesus or other personalities in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
The identification of these sites became important during the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, when Christian pilgrims
Pilgrims
Pilgrims , or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States...
often sought out the Holy places
Holy places
Holy places, generally refers to the sites that a religion considers to be of special religious significance. They are usually places visited by pilgrims.-Baha'i:...
in the Outremer
Outremer
Outremer, French for "overseas", was a general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem...
, especially in early 12th century immediately after the capture of Jerusalem.
The search for the Christian holy sites was the foundation of 19th century European Biblical archaeology
Biblical archaeology
For the movement associated with William F. Albright and also known as biblical archaeology, see Biblical archaeology school. For the interpretation of biblical archaeology in relation to biblical historicity, see The Bible and history....
in the ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria
Ottoman Syria is a European reference to the area that during European Renaissance from the late 15th to early 18th century was called the Levant within the early period of the Ottoman Empire, the Orient until the early 19th century, and Greater Syria until 1918...
and later the Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine existed while the British Mandate for Palestine, which formally began in September 1923 and terminated in May 1948, was in effect...
.
The holy sites in cities for Christians of all denominations are:
- The GolgothaCalvaryCalvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
(sometimes called Calvary) hill outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early 1st century walls that contains the Church of the Holy SepulchreChurch of the Holy SepulchreThe Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
and the Church of All Nations, but many other Christian institutions as well. Jerusalem is believed to be the site of some of Jesus's teaching, the Last SupperLast SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
which is believed to have occurred at the CenacleCenacleThe Cenacle , also known as the "Upper Room", is the term used for the site of The Last Supper. The word is a derivative of the Latin word cena, which means dinner....
, and the subsequent institution of the Holy Eucharist as well as His entombment; Christians believe he was crucified on a nearby hill. - the city of BethlehemBethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
with the Church of the NativityChurch of the NativityThe Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians...
is believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus, and also the Shepherd's Fields in the neighboring village of Beit SahourBeit SahourBeit Sahour is a Palestinian town east of Bethlehem under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority...
, the location of the angel's visitation to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ. - Church of the AnnunciationChurch of the AnnunciationThe Church of the Annunciation , sometimes also referred to as the Basilica of the Annunciation is a church in Nazareth, in modern-day northern Israel.-History:...
in BasilicaBasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and Mary's WellMary's WellMary’s Well is reputed to be located at the site where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and announced that she would bear the Son of God - an event known as the Annunciation....
in NazarethNazarethNazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
which is believed to be Jesus's hometown, and the site of other holy places. - SephoriaTzipporiTzippori , also known as Sepphoris, Dioceserea and Saffuriya is located in the central Galilee region, north-northwest of Nazareth, in modern-day Israel...
(Tzippori), where the Virgin Mary was said to have spent her childhood - Nearby Jericho, the site called "Qasr el Yahud" on the western bank of the River Jordan, is the site of the Baptism of Jesus
- Cave dwelling of John the BaptistJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
- Sea of GalileeSea of GalileeThe Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
- The site of the Transfiguration of JesusTransfiguration of JesusThe Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
on Mount Tabor - The Jerusalem to JerichoJerichoJericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
road to which was the location of the Good SamaritanParable of the Good SamaritanThe parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable told by Jesus and is mentioned in only one of the Canonical gospels. According to the Gospel of Luke a traveller is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a...
's charity. - The Mount of TemptationMount of TemptationThe Mount of Temptation was the hill in the Judean Desert where Jesus was tempted by the devil . The exact location is unknown, and impossible to determine. It is generally identified with Mount Quarantania, a mountain approximately 366 m high, located about north-west of the West Bank town of...
in Jericho which was the site of Satan's failed attempts to tempt Jesus - Jacob's WellJacob's WellJacob's Well is a deep well hewn of solid rock that has been associated in religious tradition with Jacob for roughly two millennia...
in NablusNablusNablus is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 126,132. Located in a strategic position between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a Palestinian commercial and cultural center.Founded by the...
marks the site where Jesus revealed to a Samaritan woman that he was the Messiah.