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| Map of Old Testament |
Old Testament Sites in the Holy Land
Most of stories told in the Old Testament had taken place in Egypt, Sinai and Israel. The Bible gives many of pretty accurate geographical names, such as Jerusalem and Jericho. I am very excited to be in the place such as the desert or the cities where the stories have occurred.
The Old Testament as History
Unlike other countries (Egypt or Mesopotamia) the Holy Land has yielded only few written records. The only such resource is the Bible.
Here are some important sites where I want to visit and the stories associated to it.
1. The Destruction of Sodom
Then Sodom was destroyed by God only Lot and his family were spared, but his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.
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| Destruction of Sodom |
2. The Sacrifice of Isaac
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. The patriarch was about to obey when an angel stayed his hand and instructed him to slaughter a ram instead (Genesis 22). Tradition identifies the place of sacrifice as Mount Moriah, later a part of Jerusalem, and the site on which Solomon’s Temple is said to have been subsequently built.
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| The scrifice of Isaac |
3. The Tombs of the Patriarchs
Acquired as a burial place for his wife Sarah, the Machpelah cave was the first plot in the Land of Canaan purchased by Abraham (Genesis 23). A mosque/synagogue now occupies the traditional site of the tomb, located in the present-day town of Hebron.
4. Moses Receives the Ten Commandments
Since the 4th century, Mount Sinai has been associated with the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The Bible places Mount Sinai in a region called Horeb, but the location of Horeb has never been identified.
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| Mount Sinai |
5. The Death of Moses
Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land from the summit of Mount Nebo and died in the same place. Christian tradition identifies Mount Nebo as being just southwest of modern=day Amman. As the Bible states, the whereabouts of Moses’ tomb is unknown (Deuteronomy 34: 1-7)
6. Joshua Conquers Jericho
The Old Testament story tells how the walls of Jericho fell to the blast of horns (Joshua 6). This ancient oasis was the first city conquered by the Israelites, led by Joshua, after they emerged from their 40 years in the wilderness.
7. The Ark of the Covenant
At Shiloh the Jews built the first temple and placed in it the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred container of the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark is shown here in a 13th-century illumination being carried by two angels.
8. Samson and Delilah
The climax of this story, in which Samson pulls down the Philistines’ temple, killing himself and his enemies, is described as taking place in Gaza (Judges 14-16)
9. David defeats Goliath
As the champion of the Isrelites during the reign of King Saul, David defeated Goliath and routed the Philistines (I Samuel 17). The site of the battle is given as the Ha-Ela Valley, northwest of Hebron.
10. Elijah and the Prophets of Baal
Elijah challenged the prophets of the Canaanite god Baal. An altar was set up and sacrifices prepared. Only Elijjah’s offering burst into flames, showing it had been acknowledged and proving who the true God was (I Kings 18). The traditional site of this event is Mount Carmel, at Haifa.