The archeological site of Caesarea Philippi is situated in Banias, today a Natural Reserve in Northern Israel. At the time of Jesus it was a city of Greek-Roman culture known for worship of false gods. The city had been known as Banias, the name honoring the Greek god Pan — a half-man, half-goat deity depicted most of the time playing a flute. Here in this Holy Land destination is where Jesus proclaimed he would establish his church giving authority to the apostle Simon.
For pilgrims visiting Israel, crossing into Bethlehem from Jerusalem -and back, is not a complicated matter, especially since the terminal and transit system between the two cities has been upgraded by establishing special lanes for tourist moving between them. The Israel Ministry of Tourism has also been promoting cooperation with private Israeli and Palestinian partners to develop the crossing points, and ministry representative is always present or on call at the border crossing to deal with any unanticipated matters.
Perched on top of Mount Carmel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa is Israel’s third largest city. It has Israel’s largest port, thriving industries, institutions of higher learning and many interesting museums. Haifa is especially well-known for the harmonious interaction among the different faiths, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and is World Center of the Bahai Faith.
Herodion (Herodium; the Mountain of the Franks), which has the appearance of an extinct volcano, has aroused the curiosity of researchers and tourist since the 5th century. It is situated on an artificial hill on the outskirts of the Judean Desert, 12 km south of Jerusalem and 6 km southeast of Bethlehem. The national park includes the ruins of a number of impressive palaces built by King Herod between 25 and 15 BCE. This impressive building project was meant to commemorate Herod's name and his victory over the last Hasmonean king, Antigonus II (Mattathias), and his men in 40 BCE. According to the famous historian Josephus, King Herod was buried in Herodion, however his grave has not yet been found by archaeologists, despite many excavations. Josephus' description of Herodion matches the archaeological finds at the site:
Established by Pope Julius II in the mid sixteenth century and augmented by pontiffs throughout history, the Vatican Museums; in the Vatican City State offers one of the world's greatest collections of art. The Museum Art exhibits, which are shown along 4.3 mi of corridors and halls, feature everything from Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronzes to old busts, historic masterpieces to modern sculptures and paintings. While touring the museum some highlights include the Museo Pio-Clementino, a stunning collection of classical statuary, rooms with frescos by Raphael, and the famous Sistien Chapel, painted by Michealangelo.