Once I was out of the busy parking lot on the Mt. of Beatitudes I headed off toward the gardens surrounding the chapel. I looked out over the Sea of Galilee and its surrounding shores. It was here that Christ spent most of his ministry, here that he called his disciples and walked on the water. And ironically, it was at here that he was pursued by crowds of his own. His appeal hasn't diminished.
Small country remains popular with tourists Israel is a small country by nearly any measure.
With a total area of only 10,551 square miles, including the Occupied Territories, Israel is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland. But measured in terms of religious importance Israel ranks first. For Jews, Israel is the Promised Land, a land of refuge for its persecuted adherents, and the place in which its Messiah will arrive. Christians revere Israel as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, the site of his ministry, martyrdom, and resurrection. And Muslims believe that Mohammed ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount, the site of today's Dome of the Rock mosque.