In the Footsteps of Jesus, A Virtual Pilgrimage

This virtual pilgrimage takes you to a place known variously as Israel, Palestine and the Holy Land to trace the footsteps of Jesus from his birth through his ministry years to his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.

By whatever name you choose to call it, this small region at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea has often been called the "Fifth Gospel." To know that land, to understand that time provides deeper insights into Jesus' words and actions. Two thousand years later, it is still possible to sit quietly on hillsides by the Sea of Galilee where Jesus taught his disciples and see the expanse of water, fertile shores and bare cliffs very much as he saw them. In the Old City of Jerusalem, it is possible to climb steps Jesus climbed and touch stones he touched. Around cities like Nazareth and Bethlehem the hills provide much the same vistas that Jesus saw. Shepherds still tend their flocks, olives are still harvested, vines are still tended on the very same terraced hillsides. The Dead Sea and the surrounding desert appear as desolate today as they did then. Throughout the Holy Land, archaeologists continue to excavate ancient cities and historic sites, providing ample opportunity to put Jesus' life, his teachings and his healing ministry into perspective.

Click "Introduction and Background" to begin. Click the link at the bottom of each page to follow the tour from one stop to the next. Click the links below for a self-guided tour of individual sites.

Above, Satellite view of the "Holy Land," called "the Fifth Gospel" by St. Jerome (5th century AD).

Note these geographical features:

Sea of Galilee (dark blue, shaped like a human heart) at the top. Lies 700' below sea level.

Dead Sea (dark blue near the bottom). Lack of water flow from the Jordan River is causing its shoreline to recede. Lies 1290' below sea level, the lowest point on the earth's surface.

Jordan River - Sources are springs originating at the base of Mt. Hermon north of the Sea of Galilee. It flows into the Sea Galilee than exits at the south end, then continues over a winding, twisting course to the Dead Sea, where it ends. Most of its course is below sea level.

Note the borders: State of Israel, Jordan (east of the Jordan River), Palestine/West Bank (west side of the Jordan River; notch on the left is location of Jerusalem), Gaza Strip (small area on the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt).