Page 4 - Holyland Magazine - 2025 Edition
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A LIVING LAND
WHY NOW IS THE TIME TO JOURNEY TO THE HOLY LAND
IJill Daly l Photos: IMOT visitors with the same warmth and heartfelt Mount of Beatitudes, to pray at the Garden of
srael is not just a destination for me. hospitality they always have. Gethsemane, to walk the Via Dolorosa—these
I’ve traveled to many bucket list places are moments that move beyond tourism. They
around the world—each special in its Hotels are open, with new ones opening. become spiritual milestones.
own way—but in Israel, something Pilgrimage sites are active. Licensed tour
deeper happened. My faith was guides are ready. The streets of the Old While the biblical stories remain unchanged,
awakened. Scripture came alive. I have walked City in Jerusalem are filled once again with Israel itself is constantly revealing new chapters
streets where prophets once preached, looked songs, prayers, and the awe of travelers of its ancient past.
out over valleys where miracles happened, and who are rediscovering the joy of walking
prayed where Jesus wept. This is not just a land where Jesus walked. Recently, a 3,000-year-old moat – used to
of history—it is a place where faith breathes. divide Jerusalem into two parts was found
New restaurants are opening throughout hidden beneath a parking lot in the City
Today, more than ever, this sacred land calls the country, new archaeological discoveries of David. It is believed to be one of the
out—not only as a land of stories past, but are being made, and a renewed spirit of monumental fortifications that protected the
as a living, breathing testament to resilience, connection fills the air. Israel is not paused. It is kings of Jerusalem. The site provides strong
faith, and hope. preparing, evolving, and inviting. evidence of complex, fortified societies
existing in Israel.
Despite the challenges Israel has faced since For Christian travelers, Israel offers more than
October 7, 2023, Israel’s doors remain open. sightseeing—it offers a journey that deepens And in May 2025, Israeli archaeologists
From Jerusalem to the Galilee, from the Jordan faith in profound and unforgettable ways. I unveiled to the public for the first time a
River to the shores of the Mediterranean, have seen this in my own life. To stand on the 1,600-year-old mosaic floor from a Byzantine
the people of Israel continue to welcome Christian monastery located at the Merhavim
4 l HOLY LAND