Taqou' village
The name of this village, located southeast
of Bethlehem, probably means "the place for pitching tents," which reflects
its location on the eastern edge of the southern hills where the wilderness
begins. According to biblical records, this city was founded by Ephrathites
from Bethlehem in the north and by Calebites from Hebron in the south.
It seems to have served as an administrative center and was also a fortified
city. The Old Testament prophet Amos was from the village of Taqou'.
Today, there are ruins from a memorial, presumably
to Amos, dating back at least to the first century. This memorial consists
of a double cave over which stood a square structure ten meters on a side.
Nearby stand the ruins of a Byzantine St. Nicholas church with mosaic floors,
and a Monophysite monastery was also located here. The village continued
to be important until at least the Crusader period. In more recent times,
the village has been relocated about two kilometers west of the ancient
site. The Christian inhabitants of Taqou' migrated to Bethlehem in the
eighteenth century. Today it is a Muslim village, which is well known for
its vegetables.
Source: Mitri Raheb and Fred Strickert,
Bethlehem Past and Present. Germany: Palmyra publishing house, 1998.
The Church of Bethany or Lazarus
The Church of Bethany or Lazarus
Located 4 kms east of Jerusalem in the Palestinian
village of Azaria, along the Jericho road. The Arabic name of the village
is a derivation of the earlier Greek name. Remains of a Crusader Church
which replaced a 4th century chapel on top of Lazarus' grave were found
here. 
The church
was later converted into a mosque and again, in the 17th century into a
church. The present church was built in the 1950s by the Roman Catholics.
The blue domed church nearby is a Greek Orthodox church. It was built over
the Tomb of Lazarus, renowned for being the place where Jesus raised the
man from the dead (John 11: 1- 44).
The church
was later converted into a mosque and again, in the 17th century into a
church. The present church was built in the 1950s by the Roman Catholics.
The blue domed church nearby is a Greek Orthodox church. It was built over
the Tomb of Lazarus, renowned for being the place where Jesus raised the
man from the dead (John 11: 1- 44).
The pool and tunnel of Silwan
In the village of Silwan, just outside the
walled city from the East, lies the pool and tunnel of Silwan which were
probably built by Hezekiah, king of Jerusalem in 700 BC. The cut rock tunnel
was dug to protect the water supply of the city from the invading Assyrians.
The pool at the southern end of the tunnel was used as a reservoir for
water coming from the Gihon Spring through the tunnel. The pool is sacred
to Christians because Jesus sent the blind man to wash the clay from his
eyes here, and he got his sight back. (John 9).