As we know, the Holy Land is one of the most sought after pilgrimage sites in the world, especially by Christians, since it was in Jerusalem that Jesus Christ lived most of his great moments,
Where is the Holy Land?
Geographically the Holy Land is the place located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, currently being divided between: Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, being a common place for the three great faiths: Known as the Holy Land by Christianity, in Judaism as Eretz HaKodesh and in Islam by Al-Ar Al-Muqaddasa.
In other words, we can see that the Holy Land is a very important place of faith and pilgrimage, even making it known as the Spiritual Center of the World.
The Holy Land and the various cults
For a long time the Holy Land was home to people who worshiped the false gods of Roman mythology, remaining so during the 1st and 2nd centuries, when Emperor Constantine in the 3rd century banned the cults of pagan gods, further strengthening faith in Jesus. Christ.
In the period of Emperor Constantine, Saint Helena, his mother asked that important churches be built so that the Christian faithful could then have places to say their prayers.
But after a long period this place would be taken over by the Ottomans which would result in the crusades.
The Crusades
The Crusades are an important endeavor of the Holy Church to protect the Sacred Sites of the Holy Land that were being destroyed by invading peoples, a call made to all Christian nations in Europe by Pope Urban II himself during the Council of Clermont.
In this period of invasion of the Holy Land, in addition to the attacks on the churches built by Saint Helena, there were depredations in places such as the Holy Sepulchre, and ambushes against the pilgrims who went there, thus making it necessary to protect these noble knights who were willing to leave from their homes to provide protection.
In total there were 8 crusades, aiming to protect the pilgrims who were in great danger during their journeys and the sacred places. For unlike what we live in the current period, there was no freedom for faiths to live together within the Holy Land.
The Holy Land Today
Currently, the Holy Land is a place where the three largest faiths in the world meet, with tolerance and mutual respect due to the evolution of dialogue between people, and even today it is mostly visited by Christians who go there to discover all the sacred places, including they,
The Holy Land is the place where Jesus Christ was born, pilgrimaged, and left his teachings, including being the place of his martyrdom on the cross to save humanity.
Nazareth- Where the coming of Jesus was announced
The Basilica of the Annunciation
Belem-Where Jesus was born
The Church of the Nativity
Galilee- Where Jesus Preached
Jordáo River- Where Jesus was baptized and John the Baptist developed his preaching in its vicinity.
Tabgha – Where several miracles of Jesus were performed between the Multiplication of Bread and fish, and meetings with his disciples, and where Mary Magdalene comes from.
Capernaum- And the House of Peter and additionally the place where Jesus is credited with performing miracles (the centurion’s servant, Peter’s mother-in-law, an exorcism at sunset and another in the synagogue, the healing of a paralytic and an officer’s son)
Jerusalem – One of the oldest cities of humanity, Jerusalem should be a symbol of tolerance and the search for peace — Christians, Muslims and Jews consider the place sacred for harboring symbols that are pillars of these religions. Dolorosa, the Church of Gethsemani and the Church of the Nations, the tomb of Mary, the Mount of Olives, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Garden Tomb, the Church of Santa Ana, the Church of São Pedro de Calicanto, the Church of Maria Magdalena, the Abbey of the Dormition, the Cenacle (Last Supper) and many other significant places.
