Among the empires of the ancient world nomadic tribes found their home in a land they called Canaan. These new settlers managed to prosper through trade with their neighbors. In our tour of Israel we will visit the villages of this lost civilization and discover their
daily lives.

In a bustling city of the Sumerian Empire citizens were preying to an assortment of statues representing their many deities. In their midst was Abraham who heard the voice of God.

It is a scene of epic proportions: Alexander the Great at the head of tens of thousands of soldiers facing off against a much greater army amassed by the Persians.

In Nazareth, while Jews awaited the messiah that would save them from their roman conquerors, a boy was born in a barn, son to a carpenter. His name was Jesus.

During Jesus' lifetime Israel was ruled by King Herod. This Jewish convert, appointed by Ceasur Augastus in Rome saw himself as the king of Jews. Even today, the complexes he built stand in silent testament to one of the most trying eras of Jewish history.

Around A.D. 610, and approximately 800 miles from Israel, one man’s mystical experience in the Arabian Desert was about to change Israel and the world.

WARS OF RELIGIONS

While Roman Emperors allowed the spread of Christianity throughout the empire, and the Muslim world grew in strength through the Arab conquests, the stage was set for a Holy War.

Jerusalem was conquered by the Caliphates, and Mongolian Muslims brought Islam to the gates of Europe. With the blessings of the Pope, Crusaders ventured to the Holy Land in the hope of reconquering Jerusalem.

It was a clash of cultures and spiritual zeal, bringing Israel to the forefront during centuries of bloody religious conflicts and battles.

The relics of the religious war era can be found everywhere in Israel and you can see them during our educational tour. But antique weaponry, fortresses and monuments are not all that survived from those troubled times.

The rivalry and animosity spawned by this period would form the grounding and basis for future conflicts.
 
 

At the turn of the 19th Century waves of Jews began to arrive in Palestine. and those who were already here were reassesing their place under the Ottuman Empire.

The sun set on the British rule of the Holy land. The dawn held a promise of a new beginning for Arab Palestinians and Jews.

Its 1967 tensions run high in the Middle East. Citizens dig ditches and fill sand bags. The days are hot and so is the rhetoric of the regional powers.

Today Israel is a divided land where religion, politics, emotion and ethnicity all find their way into vibrant debate.