tour virtual jerusalem

#1 Experience in Israel

Our Jerusalem Boutique Day Tour, source: Tripadvisor

Jerusalem Old City Virtual

We only need your email address to send you the link. Other fields are required because of bookings for real tours, but you can fill it with dummy info to book a virtual tour.

Searching Availability...

Walk through the 5000 years of history in a 1 hour virtual tour to the Old City of Jerusalem. On this tour you will experience Jerusalem’s holy sites while viewing photospheres, animations, aerial images and drone pictures besides of unique lookout views that you cannot have even on a real tour.

You will be visiting:

Mount of olives lookout City citadel lookout The Wailing Wall Temple mount (Including Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque) Holy Sepulcher church This itinerary covers the holiest sites for the three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam and shows the connection between the sites the 1 square kilometer walled city of old Jerusalem.

This Zoom meeting is guided by an Israeli licensed tour guide and open for Q&A.

Like our other tours you can contact us for having a private tour to your clients/church/community etc. which then could be modified to your request.

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Tours & packages.

• Boutique Hotel Tel Aviv
• 12 Days Middle East Golf Tour
• 8 days DIT Pilgrimage Tour

Featured Trips

AmazingJerusalem Boutique Tour $135

Jerusalem Old City Boutique Tour – All Inclusive $120

Private Tour Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Private Tour Old City Jerusalem $450

Related trips you might interested in.

Private Virtual Tour

360° Video Tour

• Jerusalem Tour
• Hebron Tour

Your Cart is Empty

• $0.00 Subtotal

I Agree with the Terms & Conditions

Time to get excited about our new collection for Men!

tour the bible in

Jerusalem: City of Gold

From the Comfort of your own home

Authentic Virtual Tours of Israel

HEBRON: ISRAEL'S HOME OF THE PATRIARCHS

Notify me when this product is available:

Wish you could visit Israel right now?

Join veteran tour guide,  Nosson Shulman, for this one of a kind tour! 

You will actually feel like you are in Israel yourself as we walk in the footsteps of the Patriarchs and King David who lived here, seeing the city as they saw. 

Here, G-d spoke to his prophets. Before Jerusalem became the eternal capital of Israel, Hebron reigned supreme. 

The birthplace of monotheism & the second holiest site in Judaism today plays an outsized role in the Israeli Arab conflict & world politics. 

On this exclusive tour , we will explore together:  

• Biblical Cave of the Patriarchs (Machpelah)
• The Judea & Samaria (West Bank), "settlement" of Kiryat Arba
• Impressive ruins mentioned explicitly in the Bible
• One of a kind Jewish communities of Hebron 
• Sites associated with the Israeli-Arab conflict
• And much more

This 40 minute virtual tour video is the equivalent of my 3 hour walking tour of Hebron, minus all the extra walking, breaks and waiting in site lines!

You will receive a link in your email, click on the link and watch the video. It's that easy! You can watch it whenever you want, as many times as you want! No downloading necessary.

Start Your Tour Now!   Be transformed into Hebron in minutes!

Jerusalem, City of Gold: Tour the Bible with Nosson Shulman

Wish you could visit Jerusalem right now?

Walk in the footsteps of Jesus, tour Biblical sites and much more!

Join veteran tour guide,   N osson Shulman, for a Judeo-Christian  Virtual Tour.

Where you will travel:

The stations of the cross (The Jesus Walk)

Mount of Olives

City of David 

The Christian, Muslim and Jewish Quarters

The Western Wall and so much more …

This 1 hour and 20 minute virtual tour video is the equivalent of my 7 hour walking tour of Jerusalem, minus all the extra walking, breaks and waiting in site lines!

You will receive a link in your email, click on the link and watch the video. Whenever you want, as many times as you want! No downloading necessary.

Start Your Tour Now! Be transformed into Jerusalem in minutes!

Easy ways to get in touch

You can reach us easily for any inquiries or concerns you may have, we will be trying our best to reach out to you in the best way possible.

• Use the Contact Us Form

• Send us an email at  [email protected] • Give us a call at +1 (800) 401-9207

• For more information about tours in Israel and for sample tour itineraries, please go to guidedtoursofisrael.com

"Breathtaking Visuals"

Sight Seeing the Holy Land has never been this easy

• Plan Your Visit
• Premium Experiences
• Current Exhibits
• Permanent and Long-Term Exhibits
• Upcoming Exhibits
• Museum Tours
• Museum from Home
• Collections
• K–12 Programs
• Host an Event
• Speaker Series
• Current Shows
• Theater Rental
• Online Store
• Gift Certificates

DIVE Virtual Tours

Join Museum of the Bible and DIVE (Digital Interactive Virtual Experiences), in collaboration with the INHFA, on these virtual trips through ancient cities in the land of Israel using advanced images combined with an online interactive classroom to create a rich, immersive experience. From walking the Via Dolorosa to standing near the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in Qumran, you will travel both in the present and back in time to the time of Jesus and other Biblical figures, seeing sights mentioned throughout the pages of the Bible. Come “walk” with us through these sites and learn more with expert archaeologists and historians leading us back to the past!

Get 25% off additional tickets when you purchase a ticket at full price. You can find the discount code on your receipt. Ticketing coming soon.

The Via Dolorosa: March 29, 2023 

Via Dolorosa (“Way of Grief” in Latin) is a road in the old city of Jerusalem. Narrow stone roads and stone storefronts on each side of the road make this a unique experience of different smells, colors, and sounds. Many tourists are often surprised to learn that not much has changed in 2000 years, and it is in fact exactly what Jesus would have experienced when walking these streets on any given Friday. Join us in exploring this route and the surrounding area on a unique virtual tour in a 3D model. 

Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m. EDT Cost: $19.99

Masada: May 31, 2023 

Travel back in time to the end of the Second Temple era atop Masada. We will first meet King Herod and discover his monumental building projects atop the mountain. This will be followed by our reliving the story of Jewish zealots, the Sicarii, who vehemently opposed the Roman occupation of Judaea. Learn about their lives and how they chose death over slavery and subjugation. "Walk" with us through an advanced 3D rendering of the ancient site with a local archeologist and Israeli tour guide. 

Caesarea: August 30, 2023 

Join Museum of the Bible and DIVE (Digital Interactive Virtual Experiences)as we explore Caesarea on August 30th. Guides will take you on a virtual trip through this ancient city built by Herod the Great and named after the famous emperor Caesar Augustus. This city was also where Cornelius, the first Gentile to believe in Jesus, was converted. Tour this ancient site using advanced images combined with an online interactive classroom to create a rich, immersive experience. 

Qumran: October 25, 2023 

A virtual tour of the fascinating site of Qumran by the northern shores of the Dead Sea. Insights into the ascetic Jewish sect who lived here in relative isolation in the late 2nd Temple Era, in a tour covering the site in-depth. During this tour, you'll hear how after the excavations exposed the ancient structures, they were preserved from the elements with modern technology. 

You are now leaving museumoftheBible.org

• Tours and Activities
• Accommodation and camping
• Activities for groups
• City of David National Park
• The Farm In the Valley
• Mount of Olives
• Armon Hanatziv
• Emek Tzurim National Park
• The Peace Forest
• Kidron Valley
• News in Antiquities
• Celebrating
• About City of David

Cart is empty

Homepage > News in Antiquities > City of David Unearthed – Ancient Jerusalem Virtual Tour

City of David Unearthed – Ancient Jerusalem Virtual Tour

A new immersive, virtual tour takes you back in time to where Jerusalem began 3,000 years ago at the City of David - with City of David Unearthed.

For the first time, you can visit ancient Jerusalem from the comfort of your home! A new immersive, virtual tour takes you back in time to where Jerusalem began 3,000 years ago at the City of David – with City of David Unearthed.

This is the place where familiar biblical stories are being uncovered by archaeologists thousands of years later, with exciting artifacts just waiting to be discovered lying deep beneath the earth. Become part of this epic journey of discovery and join City of David Unearthed to take part of this marvelous adventure back in time!

  Take a peak and be sure to sign up and experience this virtual trip.

May interest you

Good people with values along the way.

When leaving for a vacation, it’s important to know there’s someone looking out for you where you’re staying. Gilad Levi, who has gained lots of experience working with customers for the City of David and continues the ethical path his grandparents paved, awaits you at the hospitality and camping area at the Peace Forest

Everyone is a little light

How many children in the world get to live in the land of their ancestors and actually touch the objects they left behind? This magic exists almost exclusively in the Land of Israel, mainly in Jerusalem, and especially in Emek Tzurim. This valley, which lies below Mount Scopus next to the Kidron stream, has in recent years become the most surprising archaeological research laboratory of our region. What is special about it is that children are full partners in everything that is happening there.

The ancient Siloam Pool in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem will be fully excavated and opened to the general public

Due to its significant importance, the Shiloah Pool has been a focal point for archaeologists and researchers from around the world for the past 150 years, who have come with the goal of identifying and excavating the pool. Now, it is expected to be fully uncovered and opened to the general public for the first time.

Special for Memorial Day: The story of the death of Benjamin Meuhas, the first child born in the City of David

Benjamin Meuhas was the son of Rahamim and Fortuna Meuhas, who, in 1873, were among the first to leave and settle outside the walls in the Shiloah village - the City of David. That same year, they had a son named Benjamin, the first child born in the City of David.

Is anyone here?

Since the system has not been used for some time, an automatic logout will occur in - 03:00 minutes

אופס, משהו השתבש...

.לא הצלחנו לסיים את תהליך הרכישה ניתן לחזור לסל הקניות ולנסות שוב :או ליצור איתנו קשר

טלפון נייד *

The Best Free Virtual Tours of Israel

There are times when it’s impossible or not convenient to travel to Israel, like now, when there’s a war going on. If you already bought a flight ticket and had to postpone or completely cancel your trip, it’s probably frustrating. But you can use this time to learn more about Israel from the comfort of your home and understand Israel better before coming here. You can watch recommended movies about Israel , read interesting books, and check out some free virtual tours of Israel.

In some cases, you can get even more information from virtual tours than from touring the place in reality. That’s because you can explore the sites at your own pace, focus on what really interests you, and won’t get distracted by the heat, the cold, or other people walking around the place. 

Here are some of the best free virtual tours of Israel today.

Table of Contents

Virtual tour of the City of David

The City of David is the most ancient part of Jerusalem, where you can feel the Bible come to life. This is where the city existed in the time of the First Jewish Temple, in the time of King David, King Solomon, and King Hezekiah. When you come to Israel, this place should definitely be on your list. But until then, they have a beautiful free virtual tour. 

Their virtual tour includes commentary, written descriptions of points of interest, and videos that show how things looked in the ancient past. There are even points where you can read phrases from the Bible that are connected to the locations. The only downside is that you must subscribe to their newsletter to view it.

The virtual tour covers all the sites of the City of David, including Warren’s Shaft, King David’s Palace, the Siloam Tunnel, and the Givati Parking Lot, the newest area excavated in the City of David. It even covers part of the Davidson Center Jerusalem Archeological Park!

Click here for the free virtual tour

Virtual tour of the Israel Museum

The Israel Museum is the leading museum in Israel, with the most comprehensive collection of Bible time archeology. Apart from the archeology wing, the Israel Museum has an extensive art exhibition and changing exhibitions focusing on different aspects of Israel.

The museum offers a virtual tour of its galleries through the Google Arts & Culture Street View platform. You can virtually “walk” around the exhibitions and see the different displays, but it’s very hard – and in some cases impossible – to read the signs that explain what you are seeing.

There are also other virtual tours on the Israel Museum’s website. Some of them lead to an insecure link, while others, like the Maimonides Exhibition , the Veiled Women of the Holy Land Exhibition , and the To Go Exhibition , are powered by 4panorama and are actually quite good! You can clearly read the signs in the exhibitions, get “up close” to the displays, and view videos showing the story of each display. The problem is that in some of the tours, the description inside is only in Hebrew. But in some, there is also English, so it’s okay.     

If you want to enjoy commentary of the main museum exhibitions, you can book me for a virtual guided tour of the museum. We’ll “walk” around the museum using Google’s Street View platform, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the museum’s highlights. Contact me at [email protected] for a price quote and more information.

Read more about the highlights of the Israel Museum .

Virtual tour of Yad Vashem

Yad Vashem is the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. It’s a huge center that includes memorial monuments, a history museum, and other spaces that focus on researching the Holocaust. You can find a lot of online resources about the Holocaust on Yad Vashem’s website , but I want to focus on their free virtual tour.

The virtual tour doesn’t enter the Yad Vashem Museum. Instead, it takes you to an online space where you can explore six different exhibitions, each focusing on a different aspect of the Holocaust – life in the Ghetto, Nazi ideology, the Beginning of the Systematic Murder and its Spread to Occupied Poland, the Europe-wide murder of Jews, Liberation and a New Life, and Historical Figures from the Holocaust. Each exhibition has several videos that tell more about each topic. If you’re interested in the Holocaust, this is definitely an enriching resource!

Yad Vashem also uploaded a fascinating virtual tour to YouTube, which uses the 4panorma platform to explore the different exhibition halls. The tour is about an hour long and can be viewed here:

Virtual tour of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Another top-notch museum in Israel is the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, which displays both international and local Israeli art. The museum offers free virtual tours of some of its changing galleries. The best virtual tours of the museum are the 360-degree tours, but not all of them are perfect. In most of them, you can clearly read what is written on the explanation signs, but in some, the signs are too small to view.

Click here for the free virtual tours

Virtual tour of Israel by Taglit

Taglit, or Birthright Israel , is an educational tourism program for young Jewish people in the Jewish diaspora. The program lets them travel to Israel free of charge and explore the country’s highlights. During the Coronavirus pandemic, Taglit created a fun interactive virtual tour powered by Eko that shows you the best of Israel from the comfort of your home.

The tour is an interactive video that lets you choose where your guide will take you. It is guided by tour guide Navee Cohen and other tour guides who join him at the different sites. The footage is fantastic, but the explanations are pretty basic. I think it’s meant more to give you a taste of Israel and less to explain each point. Also, there’s no option to skip forward, so you’ll have to make time to view the entire tour.

Click here for the free virtual tour  

My virtual tours of Israel (not free)

If you prefer a private guided virtual tour of Israel, I’ll be happy to show you the highlights of Israel through a Zoom or Google Meet meeting. On my virtual tours, I guide you using platforms such as Google Street View and Google Earth and show original photos and videos I’ve taken during my travels in Israel. I’m a certified Israeli tour guide and would love to share my knowledge about the different sites and topics.

The virtual tours are usually one hour long, starting from 280 ILS (around 70 USD) for one group. Contact me at [email protected] for a quote, availability, and more information.

Here are some of my top virtual tours, but you can request any topic that interests you.

Temple Mount virtual tour

On this virtual tour, we’ll talk about the history of Temple Mount, the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions connected to it, and understand a bit about the Status Quo from 1967.

This tour will include only images of Temple Mount, without videos or Google Street View. It’s more of a lecture and less of a tour.

The Via Dolorosa virtual tour

On this virtual tour, we’ll virtually walk along the Via Dolorosa – the traditional route Jesus took to the crucifixion point. We’ll view the different stations and also learn about the history and stories behind the Via Dolorosa. 

This tour will include images and a walkthrough using Google Street View. 

Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967 virtual tour

This online lecture will tell Jerusalem’s story from the 1948 Independence War to the 1967 Six-Day War. We’ll talk about the fall of the Jewish Quarter, the life along the border from 1948 to 1967, and the unification of Jerusalem after 1967.  Did East Jerusalem really unite with the West? 

This tour will include images and a few parts with Google Street View. It’s more of a lecture and less of a tour. 

Israel Museum Highlights virtual tour

On this virtual tour, we’ll virtually walk through the main exhibitions of the Israel Museum and talk about its highlights, focusing on the archeology wing. This is an excellent tour for those interested in ancient archeology and history.

This tour will include images and a walk-through using Google’s Street View platform.

When it’s impossible to travel to Israel, it’s the perfect time to delve into the virtual tours of Israel. Sometimes, you can learn much more from a virtual tour than an actual tour of the site because there are no distractions, and you can focus more on the information that interests you. I hope you’ll have a good time exploring the free virtual tours of the Israel Museum, the City of David, Yad Vashem, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. They’re all interesting!

Save this post for later!

If you liked this post or found it useful, please don’t hesitate to like, share or comment (:

If you need any more advice, please don’t hesitate to send me a message on my  Facebook page  or to contact me at [email protected] .

If you’re searching for a tour guide in Israel, I also offer private tours in Israel .

You can also support my work by buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi .  Your support helps me maintain the site and keep creating content about Israel. It’s greatly appreciated!

The Story of the Gaza Strip: History & Today

Is palestine a state the israeli-palestinian conflict 101, you may also like, the gatekeepers film: a review with personal insights, volunteering opportunities in israel: find the best program, what does the quran say about the jews, understanding the geography of israel, the story of the gaza strip: history &..., israel-hamas war updates and how you can help, son of hamas book review: a peek into..., 15 things not to do in israel when..., what to wear in jerusalem: dress code for..., leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. I'm assuming you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read the Privacy Policy

Welcome to Israel! Our Magical Virtual Tours await you.

photography: craig-vodnik

Welcome to israel is beautiful , israel's premier virtual tour website, offering exclusive weekly, you-are-there video tour packages created by peter abelow, onnie schiffmiller and renowned israeli tour guides, sharing more than thirty years of professional tour guiding experience and a love of the land of israel. israel is beautiful brings israel into the comfort of your home:​​, weekly video tours , fun for the whole family activity sheets, weekly meet the tour guide live video chats, machal is an acronym for "mitnadvei chutz laaretz", a group .overseas volunteers who, since before the founding of the state, have worked with great courage and pride to insure the vibrancy and security of the state of israel.  meet two of the original members who fought in the war of independence in 1948, zipporah (zippy) porath and harold (smokey) simon, both of whom have recently passed away., meet the guides:  , peter abelow, onnie schiffmiller, dani abelow.

Testimonials

Rabbi Dana Bogatz of the First Hebrew Congregation, Peekskill NY talks about their Israel is Beautiful Shul Group subscription.

Israel is Beautiful - a true statement, and a fabulous learning experience. These travel videos and worksheets have provided us with many doorways into Israel. From ancient to modern, from urban to rural, from well known to 'hot off the press' locations, Israel is Beautiful has been the backdrop to a wonderful online class about Israel. Here's what one adult student said: "Rabbi Dana has “turned on” our “Lunch and Learn” class to “Israel is Beautiful” and I’ve enjoyed every virtual tour of Israel that they’ve hosted!” Rabbi Dana Bogatz, First Hebrew Congregation, Peekskill NY

Julie Druker Kravetz, Westport, CT  USA

How fortunate I have been to participate and learn from Israel is Beautiful. Especially during covid,  

We were able to be magically transported to Israel in all it’s glory. Every week there are opportunities to learn so many new things from amazing educators that make history truly come alive.  Each week is filled with inspiration and connection with the land of Israel and it’s people. The connection is warm and inviting  Even if you have been to Israel several times, Israel is Beautiful finds endless gems to celebrate and embrace.  Highly recommended .

3Disrael.com

3Disrael.com is the home for Flash virtual tours of Israel, showing attractions and events in a unique interactive display.

Each real image is full of details and enables you to locate yourself where ever you want, move your point of view around and explore the location of your choice in 360 degrees. Our goal is to present you with Israel’s beauty in full color and high resolution and give you a unique visual experience, never seen before.

We add new panoramic images daily, so visit us again and see what’s new.

If you have any suggestions or would like us to add a location to our galleries, please do not hesitate to contact us and present us with your idea.

Eilat Virtual Tours - Orchid Hotel Eilat

The Daniel Hotel Dead Sea

Mamilla Jerusalem Hotel Virtual Tours

Attractions.

Tower of David - Museum of the History of Jerusalem

Tel Aviv Old Port - Namal

Jerusalem Virtual Tours - Church of Mary Magdalene - Jerusalem, Israel

Architecture.

Neve Tzedek Tel Aviv neighbourhood visit

Acco Virtual Tours - The Al-Jezzar Mosque

Aqueduct of Caesarea Virtual Video Tour

Tel Aviv Beaches - Tel Aviv video tours

Eilat underwater observatory

Mahaneh Yehuda Market Jerusalem - Video Virtual Tour

Souvenir shop in the Old City - Jerusalem Video Tours

Nachalat Binyamin Pedestrian market Tel Aviv - Virtual visit

ISRAEL A VIRTUAL TOUR 

Welcome to Bethlehem , one of the most sacred places on earth, and yet, a place filled with turmoil and often despair.  How little has changed in 2000 years.  Our tour through Bethlehem will include both pictures and videos, don't forget to hover your mouse over the pictures to reveal information about the sites.  For most westerners, visiting   Bethlehem is a half day trip.  Here, on our virtual tour we will visit a few extra places that most people do not see.  This virtual tour will include: The Church of the Nativity, St. Jerome's Cave, the Shepherd's Fields, and Rachel's tomb.

We will also take some time in Bethlehem to consider the modern day political tensions between Israel and the occupied territories, which, in Bethlehem, reveal themselves in a 20 foot high wall dividing it from Jerusalem.  We will first begin with the Holy sites, and then look into modern day Bethlehem.  As you scroll down this page, if you wish to follow the tour as I have designed it, please take the time to view the videos, and photo galleries as they appear below - this will give you the most comprehensive experience. If you do so, your virtual tour of Bethlehem will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Because I wanted to offer a more comprehensive tour of Bethlehem, I have used pictures and videos from other sites, sources are credited appropriately. 

The Church of the Nativity - The Heart of Bethlehem

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was built in A.D. 330 by the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine and was mostly destroyed during a Samaritan rebellion in A.D. 529, although parts of the original mosaic floor still remain. Soon after, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian rebuilt the church in a bigger, grander fashion— this is the church that remains today, which makes it the oldest complete church in the world today. In A.D. 614, the Persians, who destroyed many other churches during wars with Byzantium, spared the Church of the Nativity out of respect for a mosaic of the Magi shown wearing Persian attire - The Persians saw themselves in the church, and chose to save it from destruction. View the video and photo galley  for an up close view of this magnificent  church built over the traditional site of Jesus' birth. The video is courtesy  of Voice of Faith Tours, who have sadly gone out of business due to the pandemic.

Church of the Nativity - Photo Gallery

St. Jerome's Cave (Church of St. Catherine )

To really get the most out of Bethlehem, like Jerusalem, you need a little information and a lot of imagination.  This is because places like Bethlehem and Jerusalem have been destroyed and rebuilt over and over again.  So when it comes to Bethlehem, to get your mind's eye into the world of the Bible you must think of a small town amongst the hills, with lots and lots of caves.  Nothing is flat in Bethlehem! And this is a problem for many western visitors , they have trouble removing the cathedrals  and seeing the landscape that Jesus walked upon.  Which brings us to St. Jerome's cave. Jerome (AD 383) spent 30 years of his life living in a cave beside the Church of the Nativity, in which he translated the Bible into Latin.  Jerome's version of the Bible, The Latin Vulgate, became the standard version in the Catholic church until the 19th century.  Below is a photo gallery of the cave he lived in, and the 19th century church built over the cave - The Church of St. Catherine , which stands adjacent  to the Church of the Nativity.

The Shepherd's  Fields ​

Caves where shepherds “kept watch over their flock” still abound in the area east of Bethlehem. Here, the Gospel of Luke tells us, that an angel announced the birth of Jesus.   The angel’s good news was not given to the noble or pious, but to workers with a low reputation. Jewish literature ranked “shepherd” as among the most despised occupations of the time — but Jesus was to identify Himself with this occupation when He called Himself “the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11).

The traditional place of the angel’s visit is the town of Beit Sahur. Originally known as the Village of the Shepherds, it is now an eastern suburb of Bethlehem. Christians have worshiped on this cite since the 2rd Century AD, and it is considered the more probably place where shepherds of Bethlehem took their sheep to graze. 

Rachel's Tomb ​

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Gen 35:19-20

The traditional place of Rachel's tomb lies between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, just outside the cities' paramotors today.  And while some dispute its location this place has been accepted since the 4th century. From the Byzantine period, the tomb was an open dome, but Sir Moses Montefiore enclosed the dome in 1841. In recent years, Rachel’s tomb was surrounded by a large reinforced building completed with guard towers.

The tomb is a popular place for prayers, particularly by barren women. Below are a few pictures of the tomb, click on them to enlarge.

Bethlehem's struggle for freedom. ​

It is impossible, in a short paragraph or two to explain the complex nature of Israeli Palestinian politics, but in order to bring this virtual tour into modern context, we need to offer some context for a tour of this ancient town.

For most western visitors to the Holy Land, Bethlehem is the place where they come face to face with the stark dilemma  of modern politics in Israel.  This is because  the visitor  to Bethlehem comes face to face with a 30 foot high concrete wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem.  Erected  in 2002 to curb domestic  terrorism, this wall makes it all but impossible  to travel freely between  the two places - tourists are the exception, as both the Israelis and Palestinians  welcome both tourists and their money.  Arrangements have been made that allow pilgrims  and tourists to travel freely between the cities, but it is far from a normal experience  for most.

The Barrier  wall feels like the  Berlin  Wall of the cold war, it cuts through neighborhoods , and hinders free movement and commerce for those living in Bethlehem.  The problem is, from the Israeli point of view, the wall works.  I n 2002 after years of terrorist attacks in which 1000 Israelis were killed in Jerusalem the security fence “wall” was built.  Today, annual deaths as a result of terrorism in Jerusalem has been reduced to almost zero.  So the Israeli politicians promote the wall because it makes one group safe. However, most of the people behind the wall are law abiding people who have never engaged in terror, and so for them the wall is profoundly oppressive and destructive for their lives.

When I took members of my congregation to Bethlehem I prepared them for this experience, but it is still very unsettling for Canadians.  All I can say in this short space is that we, westerners, are a poor judge of what is right and wrong when it comes to middle-eastern politics.  The issues are so complex, and so divisive, they cannot be solved with modern, self-righteous platitudes about rights, and freedoms.  These issues will only be solved with prayer and righteousness on all sides - something our world is sadly lacking in.  

All that said, it is important for the modern pilgrim to confront the wall around Bethlehem, for it reminds us that this world is still under a curse, that there is still hatred and oppression, violence and anger, even in the place where the angels once declared, "Peace on Earth, good will to men."  Below is a gallery of the barrier wall.  As you view this Gallery take a few moments to pray for peace in the Holy Land, that all might find blessing no matter which side of the wall they might live on.  For a little more information, once have viewed this gallery, click here to view a brief summary of the historical issues that have brought about such animosity in the modern state of Israel.

Barrier Wall Gallery

Recommended

Top nypd cop pepper sprays himself breaking up anti-israel protest on manhattan bridge.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A top NYPD officer was seemingly caught on camera accidentally pepper-spraying himself while trying to break up an anti-Israel demonstration on the Manhattan Bridge Saturday.

Video shared on social media shows NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy getting a face-full of the chemical irritant as he tried to deploy it on protesters who brought traffic to a standstill as they marched across the bridge Saturday evening.

Cops in riot gear can be seen in the chaotic footage trying to wrangle protesters who are falling over each other as they back away chanting “Rafah!”

The group of protesters, some carrying signs reading “Palestine will be free,” appear to have their arms linked together while backing away from police.

Toward the end of the clip, which had been viewed over 230,000 times Sunday morning, McCarthy can be seen alongside three protesters pulling pepper spray out of his pocket and accidentally spraying himself.

Photographs show McCarthy wearing a white uniform while other officers dump a bottle of water over his shocked face.

Several other officers can be seen tending to his injuries following the accident.

Other clips shared online showed the large crowd slowly marching across the span chanting, “ We don’t want your f–king war, ” according to one X post, while cops gathered on the Manhattan side, eventually meeting the group and trying to round them up.

About 150 people were arrested during the demonstration Saturday evening, an NYPD spokesperson told The Post on Sunday.

The NYPD did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment regarding McCarthy’s pepper pray incident.

Share this article:

Advertisement

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Biden decries surge of antisemitism since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel

Tamara Keith

President Biden arrives to speak at the annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on May 7. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

President Biden arrives to speak at the annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on May 7.

President Biden condemned antisemitic incidents on college campuses in a speech during a solemn event at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday: the Days of Remembrance for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Biden drew a line from the atrocities in the Holocaust to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, and said what has followed that day has been despicable.

Campus protests over the Gaza war

What we can learn from 4 schools that have reached agreements with gaza protesters.

"We've seen a ferocious surge of antisemitism in America and around the world," Biden said.

He described Jewish students facing harassment, and posters and slogans "calling for the annihilation of Israel" as well as efforts by some to deny what happened on Oct. 7.

"We know hate never goes away. It only hides and given a little oxygen, it comes out from under the rocks. We also know what stops hate — one thing — all of us."

Six months out from the election, Wisconsin students weigh voting for Biden

Biden last week delivered brief remarks denouncing "chaos" on college campuses, saying that things had gone too far.

On Tuesday, he repeated that people are entitled to speak, debate and protest issues about which they feel strongly. "But there is no place on any campus in America — any place in America — for antisemitism or hate speech, or threats of violence or any kind," he said.

Biden has said antisemitism propelled him to run for president

Biden often talks about how the 2017 march of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., chanting "Jews will not replace us" played a big role his decision to run for president — though he did not recount this story at the bipartisan event at the Capitol on Tuesday.

President Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson hold images of Holocaust victims during the annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

President Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson hold images of Holocaust victims during the annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

The president often describes his father at the dinner table teaching the family about the horrors of the Holocaust. The lesson: that silence is complicity. Biden took his own children and grandchildren to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany to make sure they learned that same lesson.

His track record on the issue makes him uniquely positioned to make the case that Americans need to pay attention to antisemitic incidents, said Sarah Hurwitz, former speech writer for Michelle Obama and author of Here all Along , a book about Judaism .

"I think he perceives something very old and very ugly coming back to haunt us," Hurwitz said.

• antisemitism
• Hamas-Israel war
• college protests

Advertisement

Supported by

Blinken to Meet With Arab Officials in Saudi Arabia About Israel-Gaza War

The U.S. secretary of state plans to raise the issues of hostages held by Hamas, a potential cease-fire, humanitarian aid and a long-term political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• Share full article

By Edward Wong

Reporting from Washington

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to speak with top Arab officials and try to figure out possible solutions for the thorniest issues of the Israel-Gaza war, including humanitarian aid, reconstruction and hostages, the State Department said on Saturday.

One of Mr. Blinken’s priorities on Monday and Tuesday will be discussing “ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages,” a department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Blinken would underscore his belief that it is Hamas that stands in the way of a cease-fire for the Palestinian people, since the group is not budging on the hostage negotiations.

Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, and top Arab officials, including Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic counterparts, are attending. They include senior ministers from Qatar and Egypt, which have been the two Arab mediators in multiple rounds of talks over a potential hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The forum’s website says Mr. Blinken will be in a half-hour public “conversation” starting at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, the final day of the conference.

American officials are pushing for Hamas to release about 40 of the 100 or more hostages it is holding in exchange for the liberation of many more Palestinian prisoners and a six-week cease-fire. U.S. officials say that would be the first step in securing a permanent cease-fire, and Israel supports the proposal. However, Hamas has insisted on a commitment to a permanent cease-fire, and many Arab officials, including in Saudi Arabia, have been calling for the same; those officials say that such a cease-fire should take place immediately.

Mr. Blinken and other top aides of President Biden have also been trying to push for a long-term political solution to the conflict. In their best-case scenario, they envision Saudi Arabia and perhaps a few other Arab nations agreeing to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. In exchange, Saudi Arabia would receive advanced weapons and security guarantees, including a mutual defense treaty , from the United States, and a commitment for U.S. cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom .

For its part, Israel would have to commit to a concrete pathway to the founding of a Palestinian nation, with specific deadlines, U.S. and Saudi officials say.

Before the war started last October, U.S. and Saudi officials were in intense discussions to reach an agreement on the terms of such a proposal. For those negotiators, a big question at the time was what Israel would agree to. Since the war began, the Americans and Saudis have publicly insisted that Israel must agree to the existence of a Palestinian state.

But Israeli leaders and ordinary citizens have become even more resistant to that idea since the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas and allied gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and took about 240 people as hostages. About 100 of the hostages were released last November in a prisoner swap during a weeklong cease-fire. The Israeli military has launched attacks to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, where the health ministry says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Mr. Miller also said on Saturday that Mr. Blinken planned to discuss “continued progress on climate change mitigation and the global energy transition” at one of the World Economic Forum events. The secretary also expected to attend a meeting of ministers from nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organization, to talk about security coordination.

An Israeli official told The New York Times on Friday that Mr. Blinken planned to visit Israel while in the region.

If Mr. Blinken does go there, the topics he is likely to discuss would no doubt be the same ones on his agenda for Riyadh, including increasing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, a potential political solution in the form of a multicountry megadeal and the impasse over a hostage/cease-fire agreement. He would also probably discuss Israel’s plans for a major offensive in the Rafah area of Gaza, which Mr. Biden opposes.

The details of Mr. Blinken’s scheduled trips to the Middle East often change at the last minute . As of Saturday night, the State Department has not announced any stops beyond Riyadh.

Edward Wong is a diplomatic correspondent who has reported for The Times for more than 24 years from New York, Baghdad, Beijing and Washington. He was on a team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for Iraq War coverage. More about Edward Wong

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

Around 300,000 Palestinians in southern and northern Gaza were being forced to flee once again , the U.N. said, just as Israel issued new and expanded evacuation orders.

The flow of aid to Gaza through border crossings has come to a near-total stop , first closed off by Israel and then further restricted, officials say, by Egypt. Here is a look at the major routes for aid into Gaza and their status .

A White House spokesman told Israel that an assault on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where more than one million people are sheltering, would not eradicate Hamas . For months, the United States has urged Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians .

A Key Weapon: When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded Rafah, the devastating effects of the 2,000-pound Mark 84 bomb  were of particular concern to him.

A Presidential Move: Ronald Reagan also used the power of American arms to influence  Israeli war policy. The comparison underscores how much the politics of Israel have changed in the United States since the 1980s.

Netanyahu’s Concerns: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, under pressure from all sides, is trying to reassure his many domestic, military and diplomatic critics. Here’s a look at what he is confronting .

Al Jazeera Shutdown: The influential Arab news network says it will continue reporting from Gaza and the West Bank, but its departure from Israel is a new low in its long-strained history with the country .