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Praying at the pools of Bethesda in old Jerusalem

Archaeologists uncover mosaic showing five loaves and two fish near Sea of Galilee Archaeologists working on the site of an early Christian church near the Sea of Galilee have unearthed a mosaic depicting five loaves of bread and two fish.

At Friends Tours and Travel we are so excited to celebrate Christmas! 🎄 What are your favorite Christmas traditions?

The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 B.C.
Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion.
His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods.
In 168 B.C. his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.
Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 166 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee, took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics.
Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah—the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.
According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s most central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights, leaving them time to find a fresh supply.

At Friends Tours and Travel, we customize reliable and trustworthy Religious Tours, Educational Tours, Vacation Travel, and Cruises to destinations all over the world.

Nabi Samuel National Park

🔰Located 8km west of Jerusalem.
🔰The name of the hill here is Mount of Joy because this is the place where the Crusaders saw the city for the first time in the 11th century.

✅Prophet Samuel was born and died at Ramah and according to Tradition this is Ramah from the Old Testament.

✅One of the few places in the country where we have a Synagogue, Church and a Mosque built one on top of the other.

✅Today both the Synagogue and the Mosque are active and you can see a good friendship between the Cousins here.

You can see remains from:
❗Persian period
❗Hellenistic period
❗Byzantine period
❗Muslim period
❗Crusaders period
❗Mammluk period
❗Ottoman empire

Rosh Pina 

🔰is a small city neighbouring Safed that, along with the ancient city of Hazor, comprise a tri-city feature.
🔰Filled with rich history, beautiful buildings, and lovely scenery and today, light industry and tourism. 🔰The youngest of the three cities, Rosh Pina was founded in the later half of the 19th century by Baron Rothschild, governing the local British rule.
🔰He built a synagogue first and then orchestrated the building of the houses and schools that is now the old, quaint neighbourhood of Rosh Pina.

Caesarea Martima

🔰A city built by King Herod the Great between 25-13BC to show his loyalty to the new emperor
Octavian (which was later given the title Agustus)
🔰A city with theaters, hippodromes and the 2nd biggest port in the Roman Empire
🔰Aftre his death it became under the control of his son Herod Archealous

2 important events in the bible took place here:
❗Acts 10 - the baptism of Cornelius (the first gentile)
❗Acts 23-25 Paul was imprisoned here before he appealed to Caesar