Holy Land Blog

Statement of the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice and Bethlehem Bible College on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People The Palestinian people are suffering. Children are arrested and held without charges before being tried in military courts. Daily, radical Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers to force them off their land. If [...]

The Significance of the Olive Tree in Palestine By Mr. Haytham Dieck, head of the Tour Guide Program The olive tree (botanically, European Olive) is found mainly in the Mediterranean Basin from Portugal to the Levant. This spread is because of the rich red soil (Terra Rossa). In Palestine, the olive trees are mainly planted [...]

Bible Stories in 3D Photography Imagine yourself living hundreds of years ago, or one-thousand to two-thousand years ago, during a time when today’s technology did not exist. Living outside of the Holy Land, you would hear of stories, myths, and legends passed down from generation to generation as it was the only method to “document” [...]

Amira FarhoudAmira is the Communications Coordinator of Bethlehem Bible College. She is a committed Palestinian Christian who has a passion for writing about the intersection of faith and seeking justice for her fellow countrymen. To read more of her writings sign up for Bethlehem Bible College’s monthly newsletter.

Palestinian Cuisine, Music and Heritage - the perfect combination! By Daoud Baboun, a Tour Guide graduate   Food Have you ever thought that the food you are eating today in any Palestinian home could be the same food that Jesus ate at the Last Supper while He was in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, just [...]

Palestinian Nakba of 1948 by Ibrahim Khair a Tour Guide student Tracing back the Nakba to the year 1948 will not give us full insight into the tragedy of this event. The Nakba did not start in 1948 and that surely didn’t mark its end. Goethe, the Orientalist German poet, once said, “He who cannot [...]

What’s Behind the Uproar in Jerusalem? By Rev. Dr. Jack Sara As Israel and Palestine are once again in the global headlines, many have asked me to comment on recent events from the perspective of a Palestinian Christian. Let me first begin with an image. Recently, I was on a tour of old Nazareth. As [...]

The Month of Ramadan Ali Abu Dayyeh is one of our Tour Guide students. As a Muslim, he has a unique insight into this month of Ramadan, which is so important to our Muslim neighbors. We are glad that God loves them as He loves us all. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month [...]

Holy Sepulcher: The Tomb of Jesus By Georgette Loussi, a Tour Guide student. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” In this exact holy site, we travel back in time to a moment of absolute greatness, holiness, a moment when all the prophecies of God [...]

Coronavirus ... Is there a moral? By Dr. Jihan Twemeh Nazzal, Director of Administration. Once upon a time ... but not too very long ago, life had another form, another taste, another color, another rhythm... At a glance, the world has changed - the features of the universe have changed - as this dreaded intercontinental [...]