Jerusalem – From 3000 BC to Today

Published on February 07, 2017 by IBMT

Jerusalem is a magical city, deemed by many religions, the spiritual center of the world. Originally built by King David in 1004 BCE, Jerusalem is important to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is home to some of the religions holiest sites. The Temple Mount is important to all three religious groups, and is one of many unique historical attractions of Israel.

The Old City in Jerusalem is home to many of these historic sites. The tomb of Jerusalem’s first leader, King David, lies on Mount Zion and is visited everyday by tourists and citizens; also on Mount Zion is the historic room of the Last Supper. The Tower of David, a major attraction and host of an incredible light performance, was built in 24 BC by King Herod to protect his palace. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is considered one of Christianity’s most sacred spots, is also around till this day, allowing tourists to stand in the spot where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. The Old City of Jerusalem’s walls, date back to the Ottoman period and still remain, offering you entrance into the historical masterpieces they enclose.

The Temple Mount is of particular significance; it is where Abraham sacrificed Yitzchak to God and where Muhammed ascended to heaven. The Western Wall of the Temple, which surrounds the Temple Mount plaza and is commonly called the Kotel, survives from Jerusalem’s Second Temple, and is thought to have been built by Herod in 19 BCE. You can see the inside of the Temple Mount by taking a tour through the Western Wall tunnels, a journey into the past, where you are sure to see evidence of the legends you have been told. The Kotel is where Jews come to observe history, pray, and bring notes of wishes and gratitude to God.

History can be found as well in the Davidson Center, a center of the Umayyad palace in Jerusalem which keeps various artifacts from the Second Temple Period. Even where authentic historical artifacts are not available, the New City of Jerusalem is rich with museums — from Yad Vashem, the world-renowned Holocaust memorial, to the Israel Museum. A cultural museum of Israel’s history that houses the original Dead Sea Scrolls, Jerusalem can always be relied on to tell a story.

Clearly, Jerusalem is packed with must-see sites of history and adventure. But the best part of a trip to Jerusalem is that you don’t have to worry about organizing and planning alone — IBMT Tours is here to do all the work for you! IBMT representative visit all destinations annually to ensure top quality. You don’t have to lift a finger in the planning or organizing process. An IBMT trip is truly the trip of a lifetime, and Jerusalem is a destination you do not want to miss. If you have additional questions or would like to sign up for a trip, you can contact us by phone at 1(877) 977-4268 or send us an email info@ibmttours.com.

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TestimonialsTestimonials

Still traveling but wanted to thank you for planning a marvelous trip.  It is truly a trip of a lifetime.

Best, 

Susan Lachtman

 

The IBMT Bar Mitzvah tour was fantastic! It was the perfect blend of family time and peer group time, of sites with religious/historic significance and just plain fun. The guide was personable and informative, and even the bus driver was great. All the details were attended to and you didn’t have to concern yourself with or worry about a thing. It was a true vacation. We would highly recommend it to anyone. If you are going to Eilat, Petra is a must!

We went on a church group to the Holyland with IBMT Tours and had a great trip, everything was planned for us perfectly. There was over 123 people in four different bus groups and things went smoothly, I thought it was going to be hectic with that many people in the group but IBMT did a wonderful job and made sure the buses did not go convoy, every bus had its own time table and itinerary for the day, our guide Dani was so knowledgeable and loving. We love you IBMT and we will recommend you guys. Thanks for everything you have done for us.

We just returned from Israel on an IBMT Bar Mitzvah Tour for our three grandsons.  We had enough family members to warrant our own bus.  After checking out many tour companies we went with IBMT and all of us were glad we did.  The hotels were fabulous and the rooms allotted even more so.  From the INBAL in Jerusalem, KFAR BLUM in the Galilee, the SHERATON in Tel Aviv, to the ROYAL BEACH in Eilat we couldn’t have asked for more.  Our meals were equally excellent.  Beginning with a welcome reception at the INBAL to the closing dinner at the CANAAN restaurant in Tel Aviv one and all loved them.

It was a busy tour made even more so by my husband who was determined the grandchildren see “everything”.  Fortunately for us, we had the best guide when Ornan (from IBMT) gave us GADI.  All of the groups loved their guides but Gadi was  special.  He was able to reach the kids (ages 7-13) as well as the adults.  His knowledge, willingness to adjust the schedule, and good nature gave him a soft spot in all of our hearts.  He filled in at Yad Vashem when the guide droned on a bit too much for some of us.  He searched out a cemetery where a father, grandfather and great grandfather was buried and proceeded to enlighten us on the rituals and customs of a military cemetery.  He adjusted our times to include those little extras.  When weather precluded the camels, we visited Qumran.  After the Bar Mitzvahs, some wanted to walk down Masada - again, no problem. 

We loved everything.  Friday night dinner with an Israeli family (coincidentally the husband was from Toronto), meeting the soldiers on the kibbutz, the Druze lunch, sampling different foods at the shuk, the bullet factory and on and on.  Although the weather was precarious in December, it didn’t stop us and we were able to celebrate Chanukah in Israel...menorahs  everywhere, sufganiyot of every kind, celebrations in the street galore.

Would we recommend this tour...without a moments hesitation.  We had a family trip of a lifetime.  Thank you also to our bus driver Louie, whom we all loved and who got us around safely. 

“Gadi” - what else can we say ... g double o - d, j-o-b. Good job, good job.  V-e-r-y-n-i-c-e, very nice, very nice.💕

 

 

I cannot imagine a better, more organized, more perfect experience! IBMT went above and beyond all expectations!

Loved the trip! The itinerary was fantastic and really kept us moving. We were able to see and do so much. Best of all was our tour guide Natalie. She was very kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable on every aspect of Israel.

5/5
Call: 1.877.977.4268

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