JERUSALEM HIGHLIGHTS
911 Memorial
Designed by award-winning Israeli artist Eliezer Weishoff and commissioned by the Jewish National Fund-USA, the memorial depicts the World Trade Center and Pentagon through sculpture and landscape architecture.
Armenian Quarter
The Armenian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Armenian Quarter is the smallest of the four quarters, with the smallest number of residents. One of the central reasons for the existence of an Armenian quarter is the religion and ethnicity of the Armenians. Armenians, unlike the majority of Christians in Israel, are not Arab, rather they are ethnically and religiously Armenian.
The Armenians claim a presence in Jerusalem since the first century when an Armenian battalion fought under the Roman emperor Titus. The Armenians adopted Christianity as their official religion in 286 A.D., even before the Romans and, for the last 1,700 years, have been ensconced in Jerusalem, frequently finding themselves between warring factions. The Armenian Quarter was established in the fourteenth century. Today, approximately 2,500 Armenians live in Jerusalem.
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is in biblical tradition the childhood home of David, who was named king here as he tended his father’s sheep. It is also the birthplace of Jesus Christ and a major site of pilgrimage since the construction of the Church of the Nativity in the fourth century AD.
Cardo
Part of the Old City's Jewish Quarter, the Cardo is the reconstructed main street of Byzantine Jerusalem from the 6th century. This street, with columns along the entire length, used to be a long avenue that crossed the whole city from north to south. Today, situated 20 feet below modern street level, one part of the Cardo is a restored arcade of Jewish galleries and shops, while the other part is an open-air reconstructed street. Some of the finest artisans of Jerusalem are located in the Cardo.
Christian Quarter
The Christian Quarter is one of the four quarters of the ancient walled Old City of Jerusalem. The Christian quarter contains about 40 Christian holy places. Among them is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of Christianity's holiest places. The Christian quarter was built around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is the heart of the quarter.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Historians believe this is where Jesus’ body was prepared for burial after he died. In the church’s center, priests-Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic-hold services at different times. Wander under the rotunda and through the vast multilevel church, with its tombs, Byzantine wall etchings, and other artifacts.
Davidson Archaeological Park
One of the highlights of the Jerusalem Archaeological Park's Ethan and Marla Davidson Center is a real-time visual simulation model of the Herodian Temple Mount on display in the Center's interactive classroom.
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the ruins of the ancient settlement of Qumran.
Ein Karem
Ein Karem (Arabic for The spring of vineyard) is a picturesque village. It is indirectly mentioned in the bible as home of St. Zacharia and his wife Elizabeth, and the birthplace of their son John the Baptist. Mary visited Ein Karem on the way to Bethlehem during her pregnancy, met her kinswoman Elizabeth, and stayed with her for three months following the visitation by the angel Gabriel in which he announced the future birth of Jesus.
Felice and Michael Friedson The Media LineTM (TML) is a unique non-profit news organization established to enhance and balance media coverage in the Middle East, promote independent reporting in the region, and break down barriers to understanding in the Arab and Israeli journalism communities. TML’s mission is to provide credible, unbiased content, background and context to local media outlets throughout the Middle East and around the world.
Hannah Pick-Golsar
Hannah is one of the survivors of the Holocaust. The last concentration camp she was in was Bergen-Belsen. The total amount of time Hannah stayed at the camps was two years and two months. She was the best friend of the famous Anne Frank when they were young girls. Hannah's sister also survived, and she was only four years old at the time of the Holocaust.
Holocaust Museum (Yad Vashem / A Memorial)
Yad Vashem, meaning “a name and a place” is an archive, research institute, museum and above all, a monument to perpetuate the memory of the more than six millions who died in the Nazi Holocaust. More than 20 monuments occupy this hillside site.
Hurve Square
This is the heart and social center of the present-day Jewish Quarter. In the maze of narrow, winding streets which, though modern, follow the topography of the quarter before its destruction.
Israel Museum
Built in 1965 on a ridge overlooking West Jerusalem the Israel Museum contains some of the country’s finest art and archaeology. The museum consists of a series of pavilions. The layout of traditional Arab villages, entire synagogues interiors from Europe and India, an array of regional art and archaeology and the world famous Dead Sea Scrolls.
Jerusalem
Originally a small Jebusite settlement, occupied the slopes of Mt. Moriah, where according to the Old Testament Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. In 997 BC King David captured the city and made it his capital, and his son and successor, Solomon, built the great First Temple. Today, the control of the Holy City remains a bone of contention with the Palestinians, who also claim it as their capital.
Jewish Quarter
Jewish Quarter was inhabited by Jews as far back as the First Temple Period, 3,000 years ago. Today, it is a modern neighborhood with numerous synagogues. This community was literally rebuilt out of the rubble following the reunification of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Kfar Etzion Vistor’s Center
The Kfar Etzion visitors' center showcases the region’s heritage in a moving audio-visual presentation.
Knesset
The Knesset (Assembly) is the seat of the Israeli Parliament. It takes its name from the Knesset ha-Geodola (Great Assembly) of 120 men that governed the political and civic life of Jews in the Second Temple period. Opposite the entrance is a large, seven-branched menorah, symbol of the State of Israel.
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
The Lutheran Church of the Redeemer was constructed over the remains of the 11th century church of St. Mary of the Latins, built by wealthy merchants from Amalfi in Italy. An even earlier church is thought to have existed on the site from the fifth century.
Macheneh Yeduda Market
Jerusalem’s most famous produce market dates back to the 19th century, when Arab merchants began selling fruits and vegetables to residents in an empty lot owned by a Sephardic Jewish family. Today, all of its shop owners are now Jewish. Today, the market always bustles especially on Fridays when the city descends upon the narrow strip of stalls in search of produce for Shabbat, or just a leisurely lunch. Tucked throughout the market, diners can find restaurants featuring delicacies from Israel’s many ethnicities.
Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus has been strategically important as a base from which to attack the city since antiquity. A Roman Legion camped there in 66 CE. The Crusaders used it as a base in 1099. ] As a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, parts of Mount Scopus became a UN protected Jewish property onclave within Jordanian-occupied territory until the Six Day War in 1967. Today, Mount Scopus lies within the municipal boundaries of the city of Jerusalem.
Mt. Zion
Believed by many to be the site of King David’s tomb and associated with the final days of Christ. Mount Zion is revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. Christians began assembling here some time after Christ’s death to worship in the Hall of the Last Supper and later at the stone where the Virgin Mary is said to have died.
Muslim Quarter
This is the largest and most densely populated quarter of the Old City. It was first developed under Herod the Great and delineated in its present form under the Byzantines. In the 12th century it was taken over by the Crusaders, hence the quarter’s wealth of churches and other Christian institutions, such as the Via Dolorosa.
Rabbi Danny Gordis
Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a Senior Fellow. He is a regular columnist for the Jerusalem Post, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, in print and on-line. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel, and a recent winner of the National Jewish Book Award.
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
In 1991, he won the case and established the first program for the training of women advocates in the religious courts. Rabbi Riskin is an advocate of respectful dialogue with the leaders of other religions to create better understanding, religious tolerance and support for Israel against the forces of fanatical anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. He has also worked tirelessly to promote good relations with the Sheikhs (leaders) of the Arab villages surrounding the city of Efrat.
Second Temple Period, Model of Jerusalem
Returning to Jerusalem, in the 6th century BC, the Jews built a new temple on the same site as the first. This event marks the beginning of what is referred to as the “Second Temple” period.
Shabbat Dinner
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. The most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment.
Shrine of the Book
Built to house the Dead Sea Scrolls and other important artifacts, the pavilion’s intriguingly shaped Shrine of the Book has become a symbol of the whole Israel Museum. The scrolls themselves inspired the unusual design. The distinctive dome is intended to imitate the lids of the jars in which the scrolls were found.
Shukl / Souk
The open-air food market (called a “shuk/souk” in Hebrew and Arabic, respectively) is a vital part of Israel’s culinary and social ecology.
Tower of David, Night Spectacular
The walls of the Citadel serve as a stage for a nightime show which is a celebration of sight and sound. Amidst the archaeological remains in the Citadel’s courtyard and to the sound of original music, the story of Jerusalem unfolds through giant breathtaking, virtual reality images.
US Ambassador to Israel, James B. Cunningham
Ambassador James B. Cunningham arrived in Israel on August 18, 2008. Ambassador Cunningham holds the rank of Career Minister in the Foreign Service. Ambassador Cunningham was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University, with degrees in political science and psychology. He speaks Italian, French and Spanish. Ambassador Cunningham is the recipient of the Department's Superior, Merit and Performance awards; the National Performance Review's Hammer Award for innovation in government management; and the President's Meritorious Service Award. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society.
Via Dolorosa
The Via Dolorosa traces the last steps of Jesus Christ from where he was tried to Calvary, where he was crucified, and the tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where he is said to have been buried. Tradition is so strong that countless pilgrims walk the route, identifying with Jesus’s suffering as they stop at the fourteen Stations of the Cross, each connected with a particular event in the story.
Western Wall (Kotel)
The massive, blank wall built of huge stone blocks, the West Wall (Ha-Kotel in Hebrew) is Judaism’s holiest site, and the plaza in front of it is a permanent place of worship. The wall is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount and was built by Herod the Great. During the Ottoman period, the wall became where Jews came to lament the destruction of the Second Temple. For this reason it was for centuries known as the Wailing Wall.
Western Wall Tunnels
The Western Wall Tunnels is an underground tunnel exposing the Western Wall in its full length. The ancient tunnel dating back to the Second Temple period and includes a Herodian water tunnel, paved road and quarry. The tunnel is adjacent to the Western Wall and is located under buildings of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 meters long, the majority of its original length is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to an additional 485 meters of the wall.
Ask about Optional Pre and Post-cruise Extensions
|
