Tell Elias is where Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven, although there is little to see here. The rebuilt arch marks the 5th- to 6th-century pilgrim chapel, where Pope John Paul II authenticated the site in 2000. The nearby 3rd-century rectangular prayer hall is one of the earliest Christian places of worship ever discovered, dating from a period when Christianity was still illegal.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
19.95 MILES
Four magnificent arches, their lintels richly decorated with Crusader crosses, herald the entrance to one of Christianity's most sacred sites. The church…
Temple Mount/Al Haram Ash Sharif
19.64 MILES
There are few patches of ground as holy – or as disputed – as this one. Known to Muslims as Al Haram Ash Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Har…
19.7 MILES
The air is electric at Judaism's holiest prayer site, where worshippers recite scriptures, lay their hands on 2000-year-old stone and utter impassioned…
21.48 MILES
More than 5000 years of cultural treasures are assembled around the vast Israel Museum's indoor and outdoor galleries. Highlights are the titanic statues…
23.44 MILES
The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon…
27.24 MILES
This reserve consists of two roughly parallel canyons, Wadi David and Wadi Arugot, each of which has its own entrance complex and ticket office. It is…
23.15 MILES
On the hillside to the north of the downtown area, this cultural haven is dedicated to contemporary art. The main building features an excellent art…
16.29 MILES
A must-see on any journey through the Holy Land is Mar Saba Monastery, a bleak and beautiful 20km drive east of Bethlehem (beyond Beit Sahour).
Nearby attractions
0.58 MILES
Accessible on foot (hot in summer so take a hat and water), this is one of several places where John is believed to have carried out baptisms. Most…
0.78 MILES
The hill behind the House of Mary the Egyptian holds the presumed cave of John the Baptist, a 5th-century monastery (built around the site) and the ruined…
0.84 MILES
Mary the Egyptian was a ‘reformed sinner’ who lived and died in a two-room house in the 4th century, now a ruin. The trail continues left, up some wooden…
4. Baptism Site of Jesus Christ
1.67 MILES
A covered walking trail meanders past ancient steps down to the original water level and the sparse archeological remains of 5th-century Byzantine…
2.7 MILES
At an isolated spot on the Jordan River, on the border between Jordan and the West Bank, stands the reputed spot of Jesus’s baptism by John, which began…
6. Russian Museum & Tree of Zacchaeus
6.36 MILES
A short walk from the town centre, the Russian Museum traces the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Holy Land and has an interesting collection…
6.86 MILES
A short drive north of Tel Al Sultan, this is a spot not to be missed. The sprawling winter hunting retreat of Caliph Hisham Ibn Abd al Malik must have…
7.32 MILES
It is impossible not feel a sense of history strolling around the mounds and ruins at Tel Al Sultan, where remains of dwellings and fortifications dating…