I live vicariously through relatives telling me about their trips to Israel - pictures of them up on Masada, baptismal spot of Christ in the Jordan River (on Jordan side, right?); I guess that’s a popular spot for tourists as I’ve seen other people mention it also; mud baths in the Dead Sea..
I saw Pete Hegseth on FOX with some very good reports on the Holy Land - probably the week of Christmas. Very enjoyable.
He asked for permission from a guide to pray at the site of the birth of Jesus (down some steps into sort of a cave) and that surprised me. I’ve always read that “the manger” was out in the desolate part of the country and where travelers stopped overnight enroute to probably Bethlehem..couldn’t make the connection to the Biblical “no room at the inn” as it wouldn’t seem there would have been any accommodations anywhere nearby except stables. Still interesting!
some sites are not nailed down and there are options like the tomb where christ was taken after the cruxifiction. Honest tour guides will tell you the truth I lied the synagogue in Capharnum (meeting g hall) a lot of stone seats and walls still there where Christ preached to the locals when he stayed with peter.
We wanted to go to the foe of the rock mosque. We followed the arab crowd into the Damascus gate of the old city and then turned down a narrow street. Before the entrance to the courtyard was a table across 2/3rds if the small street Israeli soldiers. Only muslims today, he said. I aSKED HOW DO YOU KNOW WE ARE NOT MUSLIM. HE lookEd right through me and asked, well are you a muslim, I have a few questions. We left Tried to go on wed and closed to everyone. Tough place to get into.