The home of Joseph and Mary; here the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her of her future pregnancy and son (Luke 1:26-27); and the childhood home of Jesus.
Also known as Mount of Precipitation or Mount of the Leap of the Lord. This
mountain was identified as the place where irate townspeople attempted to throw Jesus off the cliff,
“but he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.” (Luke 4:29-30).
Mount Carmel is the place where the Prophet Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. Mount Carmel has always been a symbol of beauty, and whilst it is not especially high, with a peak of just 550m above sea level, the change in scenery from the flat Coastal Plain makes it a striking landform (it can be seen from Mount Precipice). “So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah said, “If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:20, 21)
In Revelation 16 is a description of the end of the age, and the last battle being fought at Armageddon between the forces of good and the forces of evil. The text: (Revelation 16:16): “Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon”. In Hebrew the place can be interpreted as “Har-Megiddo”, where Har is mountain or hill, and Megiddo is the ancient site of Tel Megiddo, which can be seen from Mount Precipice.
The Jezreel Valley (also known as Emek Yisrael and the Plain of Megiddo) is a beautiful area of the Galilee in Northern Israel, a strikingly flat landscape with immense natural beauty and historic importance. It is named for an ancient city which stood here and means “God sows” perhaps alluding to the fertile land in the valley. The Jezreel Valley was inhabited as far back as 4500BC and the valley city of Ophrah is even mentioned in the Bible as the home of Gideon. The Bible also recounts several battles that took place here, the most well known being the Battle of Meggido. The Bible names the valley as the location where the “final battle” or Armageddon will take place.
The mountains’ beauty inspired the Psalmist to exclaim enthusiastically: “You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name” (Psalms 89:12). Tabor is identified as the place of the “Transfiguration” of Jesus, where “After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone.” (Mark 9:2-9). Elijah and Moses appeared before them, who were talking with Jesus.
The route crosses an ancient Roman road which would have been used by Jesus. During his lifetime it was a major thoroughfare running east to west.
Expanses of cultivated crops and wheat fields are associated with the New Testament accounts of Jesus and whether or not grain could be picked on the Sabbath to assuage feelings of hunger (Mark 2:23-25; Luke 6:1-5).
“Horns of Hattin” is an extinct volcano, and due to its twin peaks (“horns”) on each side of the crater it has the form of a bull. A Canaanite and Israelite city were located on the southern horn. The decisive battle of the Crusaders and Saladin was held in the valley below it in 1187, signaling the beginning of the end for the Crusaders Kingdom in the Holy Land.
“Nabi Shuaib” is the Arabic name of the prophet Jethro, the father in law of Moses. Druze tradition recognizes Jethro as the “Father of the Prophets.” The present tomb and prayer complex were built at the end of the 19th century, although the site was identified as far back as the 13th century. The shrine is the site of a major pilgrimage each April in honor of the prophet.
The “Magdala” of the New Testament, and by tradition the home of Mary Magdalene. In 2009, archaeologists uncovered a unique first-century synagogue there.
Israel’s largest fresh water lake is also the site of many Biblical events. It was here that Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. And on the shores of the Sea, He called his disciples unto him.
The first-century fishing craft exhibited there was discovered in the lakebed in 1986.
Visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes and see where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.
Marks the traditional place where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after his resurrection (John 21:9), and where he afterwards reinstated Peter with the words “feed my sheep” (John 21:15-19).
This was the site of the Sermon on the Mount. The Mount of Beatitudes is an enchanting place that invites feelings of quiet and contemplation in the spirit of the great Sermon on the Mount: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: Blessed are the poor in spirit…’” (Matthew 5-7).
Jesus’ “own city” according to the Gospel account (Matthew 9:1). This rich historical site, often mentioned in the New Testament and considered the “Jerusalem of the Galilee,” is the peak of the Gospel Trail experience. In Capernaum Jesus frequented the synagogue (John 6), went into people’s homes (Matthew 8:14-15), received supplicants from afar (Mark 2:1), and performed many of his miracles in that very vicinity.