The list of Christian holy places in the Holy Land outlines sites within cities located in the Holy Land that are regarded as having a special religious significance to Christians, usually by association with Jesus or other persons mentioned in the Bible.
The identification of the Christian holy sites became of increased importance especially from around the time of Constantine the Great of the Roman Empire. Interest was also strong during Emperor Charlemagne, as was also the case during the Crusades, when Christian pilgrims often sought out holy places in the Outremer, especially in early 12th century immediately after the capture of Jerusalem.[2]
The primary holy places are connected to the main events in the life of Jesus. Other holy sites are associated with events from the Old Testament, the lives of Mary, John the Baptist, and the Apostles, with endless more associated with later Christian saints, holy men and women, and local traditions. Different Christian denominations all have their particular sites and preferences. Some were only venerated in a particular period and were replaced in later times, and some have been proposed by archaeologists, but have not gained yet much traction due to a lack of tradition or continuity thereof. That leads to a wide range of places that have been venerated, forgotten, (re)discovered, and so forth. Some local traditions are only regionally accepted, and some holy figures and their related sites are recognised only by national Churches. Therefore, this list will always remain incomplete by definition.
The Holy Land is a loose notion. It covers territories which are mainly part of, or controlled by (from north to south), Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt. Some cities and sites mentioned in the Bible are farther afield.
Jerusalem was the main city of Judea and the historical capital of the Kingdom of Judah, occupied at the time by Rome. It is the site of some of Jesus' teaching; of the Last Supper from which the Holy Eucharist evolved; of his crucifixion on a nearby hill, Golgotha or Calvary; and of his entombment.
Bethlehem, where the Church of the Nativity is believed to mark the birthplace of Jesus. The nearby Shepherds' Fields in the modern village of Beit Sahour is the traditional site of the angel's visitation to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ.
Emmaus has been identified by Byzantines, Crusaders and archaeologists with at least four different locations
The Jordan River borders several regions from the time of Jesus - Gaulanitis and Galilee, Decapolis, Samaria, Perea and Judea.
The Jordan River: John the Baptist has preached and baptised at several sites along the river. The most important site is that of the Baptism of Jesus, traditionally identified with the site of Al-Maghtas on the East Bank in Jordan and extending onto the West BankatQasr al-Yahud.
Biblical Galilee is nowadays mainly in Israel, with a small part in southern Lebanon. It was inhabited mainly by Jews, but with a substantial number of other communities.
Cana of the Galilee is the town where Jesus made his first miracle by turning the water into wine. Several sites have been venerated as biblical Cana, of which all but one are today in Israel and one in Lebanon.
Sepphoris, identified some Crusaders as the place where the Virgin Mary has spent her childhood, with a site in Jerusalem being another traditional contender
Samaria was a region inhabited mainly by Samaritans, a nation generally hostile to the Jews, and therefore mostly avoided by them. Today it is part of the West BankinPalestine, currently occupied by Israel.
