Bethlehem & Jericho

About this tour

From Jerusalem we take a trip southbound to the Dead Sea passing the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) and carry on through the Biblical wilderness of the Judean desert, passing Wadi Kelt we can have a look at the 5th-century Monastery of Saint George.

Take a glance at the sign indicating the point of ‘sea level’ as we proceed with our travels towards Jericho being 258 meters below sea level. A historical city stated often in the New Testament and the Old Testament, for example, Joshua led his trips around the city walls until they fell(Joshua 6). Jesus entered Jericho, while the tax collector climbed up a sycamore tree so that he could get a better view of Jesus. We can view this ancient tree, as it still exists.

Not far from here is Mount Temptation where Jesus spent forty days and forty nights. The devil tried to turn Jesus away from God. Jesus resisted temptation and said, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Mathew 4: 1-4)

We return back in the direction of Jerusalem past the Judean Mountains to Bethlehem, where lived Jesse, King David’s father and is the birthplace of Jesus. (Mathew 2:1).

We approach Manger Square and enter the Church of the Nativity through a small door. Constructed in the 4th century, this church has been through some renovations and restorations from the 6th century up to recently. Situated below it is the grotto where the birth of Jesus took place.

Inside the church, we have a star marking the place where Jesus was born. There is also an altar commemorating the three wise men. Our next part of the journey is Crusader Church of Saint Catherine. Here lies the Grotto below where Saint Jerome religiously translated the bible from Hebrew to Latin. Achieving what is known as the Vulgate.

Finally, we reach Shepherd’s field in Bethlehem. This is where an Angel of the Lord approached the Shepherds on Christmas eve to inform them of the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God.