Tourism Archives - Page 91 of 96

New Website: See the Holy Land

Seetheholyland.net “opened its doors” yesterday to encourage pilgrims to visit the Holy Lands. The site was created by a retired journalist in New Zealand, and it is filled with numerous articles and photographs. Some issues addressed include:

What is this Holy Land?
A pilgrim is not a tourist
When should I go?
Is it safe?
In a group, or solo?
Are the sites authentic?
What should I pack?
Tips for travelling
Could I lead a pilgrimage?

In addition, the most popular pilgrimage sites are described and illustrated. This looks like a terrific resource.

Tagged Tourism

Burger King to Close in Israel

The Whopper is leaving Israel, nearly twenty years after the Burger King chain opened in the country. Israelis apparently prefer the taste of Burger Ranch, or so say the owners who are converting the 52 Burger Kings into Burger Ranches. From Arutz-7:

Orgad Holdings, Burger King’s Israeli franchise, announced Sunday that Israel’s 52 Burger Kings will be converted to Burger Ranches, and will stop operating in August.
[…]
Burger King is not the first American company to fail in Israel. Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Wendy’s have also come and gone. McDonald’s which opened in Israel in 1993 and has 131 branches, is still serving Big Macs throughout the country.

I don’t remember Wendy’s, but I do remember when the very first McDonalds opened up in Israel. A group of us made the drive from Jerusalem down to Tel Aviv for the taste of a non-kosher American hamburger. McDonalds has a thriving business now, but it almost never opened in Israel because the government refused to allow the fast-food chain to use their preferred type of potato.

The story is also reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Tagged Tourism

Jerusalem Top Tourist Destination

From the Jerusalem Post:

Jerusalem has been named one of the world’s top 10 travel destinations for culture and sightseeing. The TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice award for Jerusalem, the only city in the Middle East and Africa to receive the honor, was announced Wednesday. TripAdvisor lists several sites in Jerusalem as must-see for travelers, including the Western Wall, Temple Mount, Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and the City of David. […] Other destinations on the top 10 list include London, New York City, Paris, Rome and Washington, D.C. Also, Florence and Venice, in Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; and Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The full story is here.

Tagged Jerusalem, Tourism

Baptismal Sites on the Jordan River

As noted on Monday, so much water is being taken from the sources of the Jordan River that it may run dry as early as next year. Among other things, this would affect the new tourist facility that Israel has built along the Jordan River near Jericho. Ferrell Jenkins visited the area yesterday and has a photo of the new baptismal site.

This area has been restricted to tourists because it lies on the sensitive border of Israel and Jordan.

Historically it has been a popular place, especially for Russian pilgrims, because of the tradition that Jesus was baptized in this area by John (Mark 1:9; cf. John 1:28).

Russian Epiphany ceremony at Jordan River, mat06399

Russian pilgrims at Jordan River (source)

With visits to the southern area all but impossible, an enterprising kibbutz built the baptismal facility known as Yardenit near the Sea of Galilee.

Yardenit baptismal area on Jordan River, tb040300

Yardenit Baptismal Site

One of the attractions of this site is the description of Jesus’ baptism in various languages. English readers may be able to make some sense of the inscription in Hawaii Pidgin. (You can purchase the entire New Testament in this language at Amazon.)

Mark 1:9-11 in Hawaii Pidgin at Yardenit

Tagged American Colony Photos, Tourism

Weekend Roundup

Tours of the ancient sites in Iraq will begin this summer. A nine-day tour costs $3,375.

Hamas plans to regulate the trade of antiquities in Gaza. Of 25,000 gold and bronze coins unearthed since 1990, 14,000 were sold on the black market.

The Washington Post has the best article I’ve read on the restoration of Jaffa Gate.

Christianity Today has a story on the discovery of the “Miracle Boat,” also known as the “Jesus Boat.” (Why not “Galilee Boat”?) The article also mentions the recent campaign to increase the number of visitors to the boat. My suggestion: lower the outrageous entrance fee.

Tourists can now bring their iPad to Israel without fear of it being confiscated by customs authorities.

Israel’s Tourism Minister is vowing to stop the country’s degrading treatment of visitors.

Leon Maudlin has been posting “two views” of Miletus, showing the dramatic differences in the ancient city in different seasons.

HT: Explorator, Paleojudaica, and Joe Lauer

Tagged Galilee, Jerusalem, Tourism, Weekend Roundup

Tourist Shot in Church of Holy Sepulcher

From the Jerusalem Post:

A tourist visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem was shot by a policeman and seriously wounded Friday night after allegedly threatening visitors with a knife and attempting to stab a police officer.
Police said the incident began at closing time when two priests and a policeman walked among the visitors, asking them to leave. The man then allegedly drew a knife and threatened them. The policeman drew his sidearm and instructed the man to put down the knife. Other officers arrived on the scene and, when the man refused to lay down his weapon, sprayed pepper spray on him. The man then reportedly tried to run and was shot after threatening one of the policemen with his knife.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem

Tagged Jerusalem, Tourism