Israel

This was built in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine after he made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. His mother, Saint Helena, toured the Holy Land to…

It began as a fortified Canaanite city in the days of Abraham and then according to the Book of Samuel, 3000 years later David conquered it and made it the…

it's a bit jarring to see shops with Christmas decorations in Jerusalem's old city but this is the Christian quarter where capitalism reigns!

I watched this kid for a little while because he was  a master of his craft  - one - he had a great product...and he knew it. So he gave…

while wandering around the alleys of Jerusalem's old city, I stumbled on to this alley filled with all kinds of creative expression - the art was wonderful and for me,…

kind of fun to compare the cultures by what they prioritized for selling in their quarters. Think Muslims see fresh fruit juice as an elixir for almost all that ails…

Another common universal - sharing gossip with good friends. As an aside, Israel and Palestine have dueling claims to Jerusalem - Jewish settlers pushed Muslim Arabs out of their homes…

this is in the area where the announcement of Jesus birth to shepherds " keeping watch over flocks by night" by angels took place. The original caves where the shepherds…

Thank goodness the interior is beautiful because you have about two hours to glaze at it as you stand in line waiting to go through this stooped doorway to see…

To get inside you enter through what is called the "door of humility" - built so that an individual must stoop while proceeding to demonstrate  devotion and worship to god.…