Israel, the Holy Land -- it is the historic land of the Bible and the birthplace of Jesus Christ. God has called it the Apple of His Eye. Israel, the crossroads of the world -- located at the junction of Europe, Asia and Africa, it is a world-class destination for travelers from every walk of life. It has held the world's attention for more than three centuries. Today it holds a treasury of experiences and discoveries for Christians, Jews and people of faith from every corner of the globe.
The land of Israel is a place where Jesus was born, where he lived, where he taught his disciples, where he died and rose again -- opening the doorway of salvation to the world. This historically rich place is the Promised Land of the past, and of the future. It is God’s chosen land, and it is the land where history will begin anew one day.
Visit the land of Israel and you can walk where Jesus walked, you can pray where Jesus prayed. You can stand in the places where Jesus stood. The Bible will come alive for you in ways that it never has before!
The Israeli people trace their origin to Abraham and are deeply committed to the long established belief that there is one God who created the universe. Their history is one of the most unique in the world today, being the only nation to remain in the same land, speak the same language, hold the same name, and bow to the same God that it did over 3,000 years ago.
Israel is both a land and a people. The history of the Jewish people, and its roots in the Land of Israel, spans some 35 centuries. In this land, its cultural, national and religious identity was formed; here, its physical presence has been maintained unbroken throughout the centuries, even after the majority was forced into exile.
Despite two millennia of the Jews' dispersion throughout the world, the Jewish presence in Israel, their ancestral homeland, has never been interrupted. And since the birth of the modern-day State of Israel in 1948, the nation has experienced an historic return of Jewish exiles -- more than two-and-a-half million of them-- from around the globe.
Israel offers cultural attractions on a par with Europe, the U.S. and Canada, luxury hotels, glamorous spas and a hot restaurant scene - all within an atmosphere that combines the very ancient with the modern, the exotic with the contemporary.
Come discover God's promise for you in Israel, the Land of Promise!
Did you know that…
- Israel is very small, about 290 miles in length and, at its narrowest point, only about 9 miles wide.
- About 91% of Israel's inhabitants live in 200 urban centers, some of which are located on ancient historical sites. Approximately 5% of the population are members of unique rural cooperative settlements known as the kibbutz and the moshav.
- Israel's largest cities are Jerusalem (population 675,000) Tel Aviv-Jaffa (360,000) Haifa (272,000) and Be'er Sheva (180,000).
- Jerusalem has been at the center of Israel's national and spiritual existence since King David made it the capital of his kingdom approximately 3,000 years ago.
- The Jews have been gathered from more than 70 countries of the world, creating a culture that is comprised on multi-ethnic communities living side by side. Thousands of years of history have created a kaleidoscope of worldwide elements that make up the Israeli culture with a unique identity of its own.
- Since Israel’s birth in 1948, its population has grown fivefold. Its 6.5 million inhabitants come from various ethnic backgrounds, religions and traditions. Jews make up 77.2% of the population, while non-Jewish citizens, mostly Arabs, account for about 22.8%
- Israel is a parliamentary democracy with legislative, executive and judicial branches. The head of state is the president, whose duties are mostly ceremonial and formal; the office symbolizes the unity and sovereignty of the state.
- The Knesset, Israel's legislative authority, is a 120-member unicameral parliament which operates in plenary session and through 15 standing committees. Its members are elected every four years in universal nationwide elections.
- The official languages of the country are Hebrew and Arabic, but across the country many other languages are spoken. Just in case you were wondering, English is used by many throughout Israel.
- Hebrew, the language of the Bible, formerly confined to liturgy and literature, was revived one hundred years ago, emerging with the renewal of Jewish life in the Land of Israel.
- The walled Old City, with more than 4,000 years of history, contains some of the holiest places of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock and the El Aksa Mosque atop it, the Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
- Israel has more museums per capita than any country on earth including the legendary Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
- In addition to world-class Israeli hotels and hotel-chains, almost every international hotel chain is represented in Israel. Click here for detailed information.
- Two Israel hotels/restaurants are members of the prestigious Relais and Chateaux organization.
- France's legendary Gault-Millau food critics consider Israel one of the world's major food destinations, one of the only countries outside France on which it publishes a restaurant guide Check out Israel's Best restaurants!
- Israel has a network of international-standard spa resorts in the Galilee, at the Dead Sea and at Eilat.
- Israel - a country no bigger than New Jersey or Prince Edward Island - has an international standard Opera Company (The New Israeli Opera) , four full-time symphony orchestras (including the Israel Philharmonic, founded in 1936), as well as dozens of theater, dance, chamber music and contemporary music companies
- The International Opera Festival in the Roman Theater at Caesarea is now an annual event held every June and July, and includes world-class performances by the New Israeli Opera. Visiting superstars at recent festivals have included Jessye Norman and Kiri Ti Kanawa.
- Israel's club scene - particularly in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem - is part of the Ibiza-Amsterdam-London scene, drawing DJ's and club fans from North America and Europe to all-night parties.
- 2000 was the best year ever for tourism to Israel, bringing almost 3 million tourists to the country from almost every country on earth.
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