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Acre - Ancient Melting Pot
 Date : 30/05/2010 |
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The northern town represents Israel’s tumultuous history and mix of cultures and religions, right up to the present.
Perhaps more than any other city in Israel, Acre represents Israel’s tumultuous history. The Romans, Ottomans, Crusaders, Mamelukes, Byzantines, right down to the British – all left their fingerprints on this town. Even today it is populated by an eclectic mixture of Jews, Christians and Muslims living, studying, working and trading together on a daily basis.
Acre’s multicultural and artistic character also make it a favorite venue for many popular international festivals and artistic events.
In 2001, UNESCO inscribed Acre on the World Heritage List. It achieved this status because of the remains of the Crusader town both above and below street level, which provide an exceptional layout of the medieval Crusader kingdom; also because it is an important example of an Ottoman walled town with citadels, mosques, khans and baths built on top of the underlying Crusader structures.
Over the last 10 years, extensive archeological digs, renovations and rebuilding work have been carried out in several areas of the city. These sites all come under the auspices of the new Visitors Center, which you enter through what is known as the Enchanted Garden.
This small garden, with its enormous trees – together with public rest-rooms and drink machines for the 21st-century visitor – staked its claim to fame as the place where Napoleon was routed in humiliation. He tried to lay siege to and capture Acre in 1799, but failed miserably and was reduced to fleeing in retreat, leaving behind boats and weapons used in his sea-battles – many of which have been retrieved from the ocean over the years and can be viewed in maritime museums.
After entering the Visitors Center, you will first be invited to see a short film explaining the multi-faceted history of Acre. Then you can continue your visit by touring the large renovated Knights’ Halls of the Hospitaller Fortress, which was a main part of the defense of Acre during Crusader times in the 11th century.
You’ll see spacious rooms that were used as ceremonial halls and dining areas for the knights alongside long, narrow alcoves assumed to have been kitchens and storeroom. The beautiful cruciform vaulted ceilings and columns with decorated bases enabled the archaeologists to confirm their ideas on the century and purpose of this fortified edifice.
There is also a separate dormitory wing, with one building built in a different gothic style, indicating that it was added at a later date.
Another exciting find in 1994 was the underground tunnel, which was discovered to have been the Templars Tunnel. The Templars were knights originally stationed around the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (hence the name), whose task it was to safeguard the Christian pilgrims from attack by the Muslims. Toward the end of the 12th century, they were moved to Acre and built this secret tunnel to get from the port area in the east into the fortress in the western part of the city in time of battle.
As you advance along the wooden walkway, through the 350-meter tunnel, you’ll see the water on either side, kept at a safe level for visitors by means of a specially installed pumping system.
Another not-to-miss feature is the sound and light performance at the Hammam Al Basha of “The Story of the Last Bath Attendant.” The Hammam (Turkish Bath) was far more than just a bathhouse; it was the in-place to be for the rich, the influential and of course the politicians. Secrets were let out of the bag, hatchet jobs were plotted, political downfalls were decided – and all under the eye, and ear, of the “invisible” bath attendant.
We visitors walk from room to room in this beautifully renovated bathhouse, listening and watching on screens as the story of Ottoman Acre unfolds colorfully amid the steam and massaging of its rulers.
As you leave the main compound of the fortress and enter the colorful, noisy shuk, a short walk will take you to Jewish Acre, one of whose most famous sites is the modest little shul called the Ramhal Synagogue, named for Rabbi Moshe Haim Luzatto, kabbalist and author of Mesilat Yesharim (The Way of the Just), the famous book on ethics.
One of the most unusual aspects of this synagogue is that the chazan (cantor), instead of standing on a raised bima while reciting the prayers, stood in a cavern below ground. The congregation could hear and see him through a hole in the floor – echoing the psalm “Out of the depths I called to you, my God.”
The caretaker was happy to tell us stories about the history of the synagogue; and in keeping with Jewish tradition of hospitality, at the entrance stood a table of drinks and snacks for visitors.
As you leave the market area, take a walk along the sea front atop the ancient city walls and watch the fishermen trying their luck and the boats bobbing up and down in the marina. The view is stunning, particularly at sunset. It is the view that the pre-State Jewish prisoners incarcerated in the old fortress saw as they stared out of their cell windows.
The Museum of the Underground Prisoners is an oppressive place, as it obviously was for the fighters who were imprisoned there. You may have to ask for its location, as it is still undergoing renovation and the signs seem to be missing. But as you enter the area of the Visitors Center, it is on your right, down a side alleyway.
Crossing the drawbridge to enter the fortress, look down into the deep moat and you’ll understand why no one would have survived jumping out of a prison window. Escaping alone from that side was not an option. So the famous escape of May 4, 1947 was carefully planned down to the last detail.
Through coordinated messages, it was discovered that one of the prison walls where the fighters were held backed directly onto the market, and so this was the wall that was breached with explosives strategically placed inside the prison and outside in the market.
In the ensuing chase, many escaped, but three underground members were recaptured and sentenced to death by hanging. They were not the first Jews to be hanged in this prison, but they were the last.
Right at the top of the fortress you can watch a film of the breakout as seen/imagined by a 21st-century teenager reading his grandfather’s diary and newspaper cuttings.
The buildings and rooms have undergone extensive renovation and life-size models now sit around the old cells and the exercise courtyard. The room the prisoners used as a synagogue and the gallows room where they were hanged are also open to the public.
 The Holy Land – 3000 years of History within your reach
| Date : 08/05/2010 |
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For over 3000 years the Holy Land has been the center of the world, a unique area that concentrates within it the essence of the world's three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity.
For centuries, visitors have been making Holy Land tours to visit the sites that have shaped human history and belief. Often these visits took many years to complete and were fraught with danger. However, today those wishing to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and visit the sites where Christ lived and preached the Gospel, can do so in safety and in comfort.
Holy Land tours can be the experience of a lifetime for you and your family and leave you with memories to be cherished forever. But with so much to see and do in this ancient land that also has both feet firmly planted in the 21st century, you should plan your trip carefully to maximize your time and your enjoyment.
Organized tours or go-it alone?
The Language of Jesus
| Date : 06/05/2010 |
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Aramaic appeared in the 10th century BCE and by the 5th century, it had become the major language in the Near East, spoken and written from Egypt to India. In Eretz Israel, Hebrew was still spoken in a late dialect which would survive until approximately the end of the 2nd century CE. However, the language that was spoken by most of the population was a dialect of Aramaic known as Western Aramaic.
From what we know, in Galilee towards the end of the Second Temple Period, the only language spoken by the Jews was Aramaic, with Hebrew being preserved at the time only in the southern area of Judea. Thus, it safe to assume that the language of Jesus was Aramaic.
Aramaic remained the language of the Jewish and later Christian population of Eretz Israel during the Byzantine and later Muslim Periods, although it began steadily losing ground to Arabic. From the 6th century on, we have a large number of Christian texts written in Aramaic from Eretz Israel for the use of the Aramaic-speaking Christian community, which continued to exist until late into the Middle Ages.
The Generations Centre at the Western Wall Plaza is now open to the public!
| Date : 03/05/2010 |
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Western world heritage foundation is glad to invite you to get acquainted with the new and attractive sites in the Kotel tunnels.
Experience your roots. Take a walk along the Jewish chain of generations. In a 2,000 year old underground tunnel, against a backdrop of First and Second Temple remnants, you will embark on an exciting and emotional journey into your past.
Striking glass sculptures, artistic illumination, and audio stimulation take you on a trip through time. Our national story begins with Abraham and Sarah and continues to you and your family, with Jerusalem acting as the golden thread that ties us all together.
We invite you to partake in an unforgettable experience that will leave you with an even deeper sense of our chain of generations.
Tours must be reserved in advance.
For information and reservations, please call:
1-599-515-888
(in Israel)
or 972-2-627-1333
(from outside of Israel)
The Western Wall
Heritage Foundation
Conservation Internship in Acre
| Date : 20/04/2009 |
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Saving the Stones is a five months Internship in historical and archeological conservation in Acre. It is run by the International Conservation Center in Old Acre (ICC), and is a joint project of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), the Old Acre Development Company, the Acre Municipality and The Nero Bloomfield Wizo School of Design and Education.
Historic Old Acre is the pearl of the Galilee. In 2001, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Many visible remains reveal the stories of the Crusader and Ottoman quarters. The colorful oriental bazaars of Acre, the city walls, the fisherman's wharf and wonderful restaurants are all part of the special attractions of the city.
The International Conservation Center is located in Old Acre, a veritable living laboratory for the study and practice of conservation historic sites and structures as well. The project includes practical work, lectures, special events and more.
Guiding Christian Groups Through the Holy Land
| Date : 19/10/2008 |
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Greetings and shalom to all those who come to Israel as pilgrims and have found here their spiritual homeland.
My name is Zvi Rivai, but you may call me Zvi, which in Hebrew language means gazelle.
I'm an official tour guide and have worked as such for the past 25 years. In the year of 1979 I came to faith in Jesus the Messiah and was born again.
To come and visit Israel is different from visiting any other country in the world. In Israel the Bible will become much more alive to you and you will understand it much better. When Yeshua, (Jesus), spoke in parables, he used the Israeli flora, fauna, history and culture. He spoke in the Hebrew language, "the language of the Bible", and to some extent, all of us know some Hebrew because when we say "Hallelujah" we are praising God in the Hebrew language, the same is true when we say "Amen". So you see this is a good start in learning Hebrew, because in God's kingdom all of us will speak Hebrew fluently.
Israel is God's miracle, and the best proof of that is that the only true God is the God of Israel. He sent his son Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, to be the king of Israel, and you are the branches which are grafted in. You are no longer gentiles, but have become members of spiritual Israel.
The famous American author, Mark Twain, visited the Land of Israel in 1867 and he wrote a book about his visit, which is entitled "The innocents abroad". In this book he wrote about a "very terrible country", filled with swamps and desert, a land which was sparsely populated where sicknesses abounded. He wrote that this country is without hope and should not be called the Holy Land but the "cursed land".
However, God, in his mercy remembered his promises and helped his people to rebuild their homeland and in this year the state of Israel celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence. Yeshua is coming again and as we read in the book of the Prophet Zachariah 14:4: "His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives which is before Jerusalem, on the east…"
So come and see this God's miracle, walk where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob walked and follow the footsteps of Yeshua and his disciples.
"Arise; walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee". (Genesis 17:13)
God bless you in the name of Yeshua,
Zvi Rivai.
The National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel
| Date : 19/10/2008 |
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In Jerusalem's Museum Hill, on land that was recently given by the Israeli Government, across from the Knesset a new national center for nearly one million Archaeological objects, among them 15,000 Dead Sea Scrolls, is to be erected.
The Israeli Antiquities Authority is now undertaking a historically unprecedented project that once completed will assemble priceless treasures that collectively represent the cultural heritage of the Land of Israel, outlining the history of the people that inhabited the land over the past 5,000 years. The archaeological treasures, including the most complete collection of the 2,000 year-old Dead Sea Scrolls, are currently housed in various locations throughout Israel, and are unavailable to the general public. The new safe and permanent home, a 170,000 sq. feet modern building designed by architect Moshe Safdie, will serve as a national center for the collection, study, education, conservation, restoration, presentation and exposure of this most important archeological material discovered in The Land of Israel.
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
| Date : 19/10/2008 |
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Many people say that when visiting The Land of Israel it is almost as if the bible comes to life, for wherever you set your foot you are stepping on ground with biblical associations. However, there is a place where your imagination can be put aside and your eyes can take a close look on biblical animal species that can only be found in The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. Some of these animals have become extinct in the present-day Israel. Factors behind their extinction, mainly in the twentieth century, are hunting and destruction of their natural habitat as the result of rapid construction and development. Animals such as bears, lions, Persian fallow deer, Arabian Oryx, the cheetah and the Nile crocodile are no longer seen in the region.
A few animals at the Biblical Zoo were confiscated from smugglers, but the vast majority was born in captivity. As a matter of policy, none of the animals are collected directly from the wild, which the zoo believes is cruel, aside from being illegal in Israel. The zoo is coordinating a number of projects that involve preserving rare species originated in the Land of Israel and returning them to the wild. The ultimate goal is to restore species that are endangered or locally extinct. Research projects are under way to collect empirical data and anecdotal information on various animals, particularly those threatened with extinction. Again, the chief goal is to provide scientific backing for preservation and breeding programs. Most of the animals in the zoo reside in large enclosures designed to resemble their natural habitats. Efforts are being made to provide the animals with a maximal amount of living space and a stimulating environment.
The Biblical Zoo was originally established in 1940 as a tiny little children's zoo on Harav Kook Street in central Jerusalem. The zoo was founded and established by the late Prof. Aharon Shulov, one of the pioneers in the field of zoology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Since its opening, the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo has been operated by a company that was specifically established for this purpose. The zoo is therefore being run as a corporation, while at the same time being recognized as an NPO (Non-Profit Organization) both in Israel and abroad. The zoo is the product of the combined efforts and investments of the Municipality of Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Foundation, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and the Israel Ministry of Tourism. In 1993, after changing many locations within Jerusalem and being closed for 2 years, the newly designed zoo officially reopened its doors to the public in its current location near the southwestern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Manahat (formerly Malkha). It stretches across an area of 250 dunams (25 hectares) in a lovely valley surrounded by green hills and new neighbourhoods. The establishment of the zoo in its present form was made possible thanks to the generosity of Tisch family of New York, under the auspices of the Jerusalem Foundation.
It is not surprising that The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo is ranked for the third time this year for the most popular tourist site in Israel. Dun's 100, the leading business information company in Israel and abroad, listed the most popular tourist sites in Israel and with 693,115 visitors in the year 2007 the Biblical Zoo is still today one of the most interesting and enjoyable sites in Israel.
A Fragment of a 2,000 Year Old Psalm Scroll was Displayed at the President's Confrence
| Date : 24/06/2008 |
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The Israel Antiquities Authority moved an impressive scroll fragment, which was found in the Judean Desert caves, for display to the President’s Conference in Jerusalem last month.
Since the scrolls are part of Jewish cultural heritage, as well as that of the entire world, the Israel Antiquities Authority, which is the curator and conservator of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel, considers it important that the scrolls be shown to the public in general and the conference attendees in particular. This is being done while meticulously protecting the scrolls and maintaining the conditions in which they are displayed.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls some sixty years ago is considered to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in modern times. The scrolls were written or copied in the Land of Israel between 250 BCE and 68 CE, and were rediscovered in 1947 in the Judean Desert. The Scrolls represent the oldest written record of the Old Testament, and contain the earliest copies of every book of the Bible, except for the Book of Esther. This “Ancient Library" sheds insight into centuries pivotal to both Judaism and Christianity. Thanks to these remarkable finds, our knowledge of the people in the Land of Israel as well as the origins of Judaism and early Christianity has been greatly enriched.
Work on the unpublished texts, consisting of thousands of fragments, was monopolized for thirty-five years by a group of just ten scholars, all great experts in their respective fields. Inevitably, the limited size of the team prevented the speedy publication of the manuscripts. In the early 1990’s major steps were taken by the Israel Antiquities Authority to reorganize the publication efforts. The publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls in their entirety was completed in 2001. These important texts are now accessible to all and can be studied by scholars and the public alike.
The conservation, preservation and documentation of the Dead Sea Scrolls have concerned both scholars and conservators ever since their discovery. The removal of the fragile scrolls from the caves in which they had been preserved for over 2,000 years interrupted the environmental stability that had ensured their preservation for so long. Since their discovery, the scrolls were damaged by the ravages of time, as well as previous handling and treatment. In 1991 the Israel Antiquities Authority, advised by the leading experts on issues relating to the conservation of manuscripts, parchment and papyrus, established a conservation laboratory dedicated solely to the Dead Sea Scrolls. The task of conservation and preservation of the scrolls continues to be an ongoing project due to their extreme brittleness and the need to make use of the most up-to-date conservation methods known worldwide. Currently, the Israel Antiquities Authority in cooperation with international experts, decided to reevaluate the conservation techniques currently used, and determine processes for issues still unresolved. Moreover, as part of our conservation efforts the IAA has initiated a digitization project that will enable us to monitor the well being of the scrolls in a non invasive and precise manner. Digitizing the scrolls and making their images widely available continue the efforts of the IAA in expanding access to the scrolls to scholars and the public around the world.
This fragment of the Psalms scroll, found in cave 11 in the Judean Desert, is part of one of the longer texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls, dated to 30-50 CE. This impressive scroll is a liturgical collection of psalms and hymns, in a non-canonical sequence and with variations on the canonical psalms. The scroll contains twenty eight incomplete columns of text, five of which are represented here including the text of psalms 133, 137, 138, 141, 144 and two non-canonical psalms. Psalm 133 opens with the famous phrase: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity”.
The Pool of Siloam - Ritual Bath or Swimming Pool?
| Date : 25/05/2008 |
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Jesus spit on the ground, creating some mud with his saliva; he then applied the mud to the eyelids of a beggar who had been blind since birth and told him to bathe in the Pool of Siloam. When the blind man did so, he could see (John 9:1-11). A few years ago, the Pool of Siloam where this miracle occurred was discovered in a Jerusalem excavation.
Located at the southern end of the City of David (the oldest part of Jerusalem), near the outlet of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the Pool of Siloam is now a must-see on any trip to the Holy City.
Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron, who are excavating the site on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, have suggested that the Siloam Pool may have been a large public mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath. Not so, says Yoel Elitzur of The Hebrew University: The Pool of Siloam, he says, was probably a public swimming pool!
Nor is there any doubt that it was a magnificent construction with a colonnade on one side. And the steps and landings of the pool are faced with beautifully cut stone pavers.
Thousands of pilgrims would come to Jerusalem on the three Jewish pilgrim festivals: Passover (Pesach), Tabernacles (Sukkoth) and Weeks (Shavuot). They may have camped in the adjacent Kidron Valley. They surely needed to purify themselves before ascending to the Temple Mount. And the Pool of Siloam fulfills all the legal requirements of a mikveh, especially concerning the limitation that requires free-running water.
There is a problem, however: Bathing in a mikveh must be in the nude; the entire body must be immersed while unclothed.
Reich and Shukron, aware of this problem, speculate that mats and wooden poles that have not survived may have been used to create partitions for privacy.
Elitzur is of a different view. He notes that Herod embellished Jerusalem with many of the opulent features of Roman culture, including a theater. Why not a swimming pool? The latter would be less likely to anger Jerusalemites than a theater.
In the Roman world, Elitzur points out, swimming pools were often adjacent to large baths and wrestling rings. As early as the fourth century B.C.E., Rome had its Piscina Publica.
Moreover, a number of palaces that Herod built in Israel had swimming pools. They have been excavated at Caesarea, Jericho, Masada and Herodium. Elitzur suggests that several of Jerusalem’s other large pools may have been used for swimming, rather than for ritual bathing.
The Question is - Why?
| Date : 18/05/2008 |
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One of the questions we often have to contend with in our role as tour operators is "What is so special about Israel and why should we visit your country?" Our reply is simple and to the point: Israel is a land which is incomparable to any other country in the world; a small land with a history which stretches from biblical times up to the present day. It is the land bridge between Europe, Africa and Asia and as such has been an area of conflict from time immemorial. The climax of its history came in the year 1948 when the state of Israel was proclaimed and after emerging victorious from 7 wars of survival plus the intifada uprising, the State of Israel and the Jewish people celebrate 60 years of independence. After more than 2000 years of dispersion throughout the world, the miracle which is the State of Israel is playing a major role in world affairs and we invite you to "Come and see what God has done".
Our agency, Immanuel Tours, has since its establishment in 1983, made tremendous progress and is today reckoned to be the leading Israeli company in the field of Christian travel & pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Our team of multilingual tour operators are at your service throughout starting with the planning of your tour itinerary, the reservation of hotels, guides and transportation and provide a personal service from the time of your arrival in Ben Gurion airport until the moment comes for your departure at the successful conclusion of your tour to this fascinating land with its contrasts of ancient and modern.
Remains from the First Temple Period were exposed
| Date : 18/05/2008 |
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A rich layer of finds from the latter part of the First Temple period (8th-6th centuries BCE) was recently discovered in archaeological salvage excavations that are being carried out in the northwestern part of the Western Wall plaza, west of the Temple Mount. In the excavations, remains of a magnificent colonnaded street from the Late Roman period (2nd century CE) were uncovered that appears on the mosaic Madaba map and is referred to by the name – the Eastern Cardo. The level of the Eastern Cardo is paved with large heavy limestone pavers that were set directly on top of the layer that dates to the end of the First Temple period. Thus the Roman road “seals” beneath it the finds from the First Temple period and has protected them from being plundered in later periods.
This is actually the first time in the history of the archaeological research of Jerusalem that building remains from the First Temple period were exposed so close to the Temple Mount – on the eastern slopes of the Upper City. The walls of the buildings are preserved to a height of more than 2 meters.
Another impressive artifact that was found in the salvage excavations is a personal Hebrew seal and a vast amount of pottery vessels.
Adulam Park
| Date : 15/05/2008 |
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"And David went from there, and fled to the cave of Adulam" (I Samuel 22:1)
Adulam Park, in the Judean foothills, is one of the only stretches of virgin land left in Israel. It is one of KKL-JNF's ( Jewish National Fund) flagship projects for Israel's sixtieth independence that will afford an opportunity for the public to experience Israel's past and present…" says Reuven Na'amat of KKL-JNF's Education Division.
Adulam Park is situated south of Bet Shemesh, in the heart of the Judean Shephelah. Together with Britannia Park and USA Park Adulam Park constitutes one of the largest green spaces in the center of the country. This huge park extends across some 50,000 dunams and includes a breathtaking landscape, archaeological finds from the time of the Second Temple, foot paths and cycling paths.
A New Archaeological Park in Tiberias
| Date : 15/05/2008 |
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A national project for the construction of an archaeological park in Tiberias that will bring the Roman city “back to life” will soon begin. Berko Park will expose the public at large to Tiberias’ glorious past, through all of its history which has its beginnings in the Early Roman period 2,000 years ago.
The Park extends across an area of approximately 100 dunams and is replete with ancient remains of the city of Tiberias that date from the time of the city’s establishment by Herod Antipas in the 1st century CE until the time of the Fatimid dynasty in the 11th century CE.
According to the program, the visitors will arrive in a large entrance area that will include a visitor’s center, recreation facilities for children etc. They will pass the stone walls of the Byzantine city or go by way of the southern gate of the Roman city, which was magnificently preserved including both of its towers. The visitors will continue on along the cardo, which is the main street that is paved with stone tiles and that leads from the gate to the Roman city (and to cities of later periods). They will enter a “green area” of lawns and flora characteristic of the Land of Israel that will include a network of paths which will conform to the geometry and the material appearance of the Roman city. The paths will be suitable for those on foot, the handicapped and baby strollers and will reach the assembly center – the “amphilawn”– which will contain thousands of seats and is intended for public events (which Tiberias currently lacks) where musical performances, shows etc will take place outdoors.
The main cardo will continue further north through green areas to the bathhouse which visitors can go into and on toward the basilica.
Archaeological artifacts that were discovered in excavations that were conducted in Tiberias in the past, among them stone columns and capitals, ancient agricultural installations etc, will be incorporated the length of the cardo.
It is anticipated that the work in this part of the park will be finished this coming summer.
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