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Where is the “Holy Land?”

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When someone says, “I visited the Holy Land,” what does that mean to you? Is it the same as what it means to them? People talk about “going to the Holy Land” as if everyone knows exactly what that encompasses, but in reality, people often have different ideas of what makes up the “Holy Land.” 

Most Christians referencing the “Holy Land” are exclusively talking about what is today Israel and Palestine, where Jesus’ ministry took place from baptism to resurrection. This reference isn’t incorrect—Israel and Palestine are home to the vast majority of holy sites in Christianity, as well as Judaism. However, if the “Holy Land” refers to all the places mentioned in the Bible, including the disciples’ mission work after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, it stretches far beyond Israel’s present-day borders. 

You can read in scripture about Biblical sites in Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, and Turkey. While this is not an exhaustive list, below are some of the highlights from each present-day country:

Egypt

The Nile

  • Where Moses was found floating in a basket, then adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1-10)
  • The first plague, where Moses turned the Nile water into blood (Exodus 7:14-25)

The Exodus

  • God led the Israelites out of Egypt and away from slavery (Exodus 12)

Mount Sinai

  • Moses was given the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20)

Abu Serga Church in Coptic Cairo

  • One of the locations where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph stayed after fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod (Matthew 2:13-15)

Alexandria

  • Mark Spreads the Gospel in Alexandria, Egypt, around 42 A.D. (Coptic Christian tradition and history of his death in Alexandria in 68 A.D.)

Greece

Athens

  • Paul preached on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31)

Philippi

  • Philippi was the hometown of Lydia, the first Christian convert in Europe (Acts 16:11-15)

Letters to Churches in Greece

  • Paul wrote letters to many churches in Greece; five of these letters make up the books of I and II Corinthians, Philippians, and I and II Thessalonians 

Island of Patmos

  • Island where John was exiled from Ephesus; while here he wrote the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9-11)

Israel

Bethlehem

  • David’s hometown, where he was a shepherd before defeating Goliath and eventually becoming King David (I Samuel 17:12-20)
  • The place where Jesus was born (Luke 2:1-21)

Galilee

  • Jesus walked on water on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21)
  • Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount at the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5)
  • The site of many miracles, including feeding the 5,000, the miraculous catch of fish, calming the storm, etc. (Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Tel Aviv-Jaffa

  • Jonah fled God from the Port of Jaffa and was subsequently swallowed by a “big fish” (Book of Jonah)
  • Simon the Tanner’s house, where Peter saw a vision that led him to understand that the message of Christ was intended for all people, not only the Jews (Acts 10)

Jerusalem

  • God calls this “The city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel” (I Kings 11:32)
  • Solomon built the First Temple here (I Kings 6)
  • Second temple built here (Ezra 1:1-4; II Chronicles 36:22-23)
  • Jesus crucified and resurrected (Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
  • Jesus ascends to Heaven (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-11)

Jericho

  • One of the world’s oldest cities is also the first city the Israelites attacked after entering Israel; they marched around it and blew trumpets to make the walls fall (Joshua 6)

Jordan River

  • Where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22)
  • Naaman was healed of leprosy after bathing in the Jordan River seven times (II Kings 5:1-14)
  • Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan River on dry land, and Elijah ascended to Heaven on the west side the Jordan River (II Kings 2:1-14)

Valley of Elah

  • Where the battle between David and Goliath took place (I Samuel 17)

Jordan

Bethany

  • Where the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua 3)

Jerash (Decapolis Region)

  • Jesus healed a deaf man and gained many followers (Mark 7:31-37)

Mount Nebo

  • Where Moses stood and looked at the Promised Land before his death on the site (Deuteronomy 32:48-52)

Turkey

Letters to Churches in Turkey

  • Paul wrote letters to many churches in Turkey; three of these letters make up the books of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians

Ephesus

  • Riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41)

Cave Churches

  • Early Christian churches can be found in caves in the Cappadocia region, many of which have maintained their original paint colors (early Christian history)