Explore Israel: A Biblical Tour of the Holy LandSample

Day 1: City of David

The land of the Bible teaches us so much about the context of our faith. Israel holds the mysteries of centuries of biblical history. From the call of Abraham, to the exodus from Egypt, to the Judges and Kings, to the Messiah born in the small town of Bethlehem, this land is the setting. Join us as we travel through 6 regions of the country to discover the ancient history and biblical significance. 

We begin the journey in ancient Jerusalem. This city holds the mystery of many cultures and ancient battles, and it is centered around a very famous and holy site: the Temple Mount. Long before Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem, this location was known as Mt. Moriah. In Genesis 22 we learn that the patriarch Abraham received instructions to take his son Isaac to a mountain in the region of Moriah and sacrifice him. He obeyed, but was thankfully spared from actually taking his own son’s life. The angel of the Lord intervened, and a ram appeared as a substitute to save Isaac and his descendants. 

Traditionally, the Jewish people believe that the temple of Solomon was built upon the same mountain years later, allowing God to commune with his people. For Christians, the story of Isaac’s binding is often viewed as a foreshadow of Jesus’ death. The Son of God died as a sacrifice for our sins. 

As we look at a small piece of the history of this ancient city, we can glimpse the coming of Christ. Jesus was never an afterthought in God’s plan, but always the center of biblical history. How can knowing this change the way we read all of Scripture?