In the footsteps of Jesus

Jesus, born a Jew, spent his days in the region now known as Israel. He was born in Bethlehem and lived by the Sea of Galilee. Christians believe that he was crucified at Golgotha outside Jerusalem – only to rise from the dead three days later

  • Sea of Galilee in Israel (photo: DW/H. Nolte)
    Sea of Galilee: because of the numerous events relating to Jesus that took place there, the Sea of Galilee is of outstanding importance to all Christians. Tabgha in the north (the church commemorates the feeding of the five thousand) and the Mount of the Beatitudes (where Jesus is said to have preached the Sermon on the Mount) are major biblical sites
  • Silver star in the Grotto of the Nativity, Bethlehem (photo: Christian Engels)
    Grotto of the Nativity: the Grotto of the Nativity is located in the crypt of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The place where Jesus was born is marked by a 14-pointed star which lies exactly on the central axis of the church. It bears the inscription "Hic de virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est" (translation: Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary)
  • Church of the Beatitudes, Israel (photo: DW/H. Nolte)
    Church of the Beatitudes: located high up on the Mount of the Beatitudes, the site commands a fantastic view over the Sea of Galilee. The tranquil location is a wonderful place for pilgrims to reflect on the verses and passages of the Bible in the New Testament
  • St. George's Monastery, Israel (DW/H. Nolte)
    St George's Monastery: the monastery of St. George was founded in 420 by five Syrian hermits and was built into the rock above a gorge. Until then they had lived in ordinary caves. The monastery in its present form was acquired at the beginning of the 20th century. Some hermits still live in the surrounding caves
  • The Stone of Anointing (photo: DW/H. Nolte)
    The Stone of Anointing: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem houses the Stone of Anointing, which is highly venerated by pilgrims. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was embalmed by Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion. Tradition has it that the stone marks the spot where this took place
  • An empty shopping street in Hebron in the West Bank (photo: DW/H. Nolte)
    Hebron: located in the West Bank, this ancient city is over 3000 years old and is mentioned in numerous places in the Bible. In the 1997 Hebron Agreement, Israel and Palestine agreed to divide the city. After 2002, many Palestinians were forced by Israeli civilians, soldiers and police to vacate 1014 apartments and to abandon 1829 shops and businesses in the city centre
  • Children's Memorial at Yad Vashem, Israel (photo: DW/H. Nolte)
    Yad Vashem Children's Memorial: this monument was erected at the Yad Vashem memorial for the Jews murdered in the Holocaust – the Shoah – in Jerusalem in 1987, in memory of the children killed during the Third Reich. In the entrance area, these broken-off stelae symbolise the lives cut brutally short by the National Socialist regime
  • The Temple Mount in Jerusalem (photo: DW/T. Kramer)
    Temple Mount: the Temple Mount in Jerusalem rises behind the Wailing Wall. It is one of the holiest places in the world – and one of the most controversial. Originally, the Temple of Solomon stood on top of the mountain. Today the Dome of the Rock is located there. On the southern side of the Temple Mount stands the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third most important mosque in Islam
  • Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem (photo: Dieter Vieweger)
    Church of the Redeemer: the Church of the Redeemer was built between 1893-1889 on the ground plan of the Crusader Church of St. Maria Latina. It is located in the centre of the Old Town of Jerusalem