10 Historical Facts You Did Not Know About Biblical Israel

The country of Israel is one of the most interesting from a cultural and historical point of view. In part, this is because most people are familiar with at least one or two Biblical stories that occurred in the country of Israel. Here are some facts about people and places of Israel that are interesting and educational as well.

1. The Passover is an event that is celebrated each year in the land of Israel. It begins on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month Nisan, which is similar to March and April on other calendars. This is the first month of the Hebrew calendar's festival year according to the Bible of the Jews. In the book of Exodus in the Bible, God cursed the Egyptian people with ten plagues, to force Pharaoh to release the Israelite people. The last of the plagues was for the firstborn son of each family to die. Therefore, the Jewish people were instructed to put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts so that the death angel would "pass over" their homes. Although the Egyptian sons were killed, the Jewish people were spared this terrible calamity. Therefore, they commemorate the Passover each year.

2. It was in Cana that the Bible records where Jesus turned the water into wine, his first miracle. The Bible also records Jesus healing the son of a royal official in Cana. An interesting fact is that no one is exactly sure where biblical Cana is located, although there have been many suppositions.

3. The Dead Sea is often a popular place for tourists to visit in the land of Israel due to its amazing salt water qualities of healing and buoyancy. The term "Dead Sea' is a modern name for the body of water and therefore is never mentioned in the Bible. The Bible refers to this area as the Salt Sea, the Sea of Arabah, and the Eastern Sea. Because of its unique location, this area was a place of escape and refuge.

4. Under the leadership of King David, Jerusalem was built about 5,000 years ago. It is the capital of Israel and is one of the most sought-after cities of the world. Around 2500 BC, the Canaanites took over the city, but near the year 1000 BC, David and his men recaptured the city and made it the capital of David's kingdom. The first Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon, David's son, in which to place the Ark of the Covenant. Later, it was taken by King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, but 50 years later, Cyrus the Great permitted the Jews to return to rebuild their city. Throughout history, Jerusalem has been captured by enemies of the Jewish people, but they always managed to conquer it once again.

5. The Western Wall or Wailing Wall is located in Old Jerusalem. Its original use was for the Jews to mourn over the destruction of their temple in Jerusalem. Today, it is still used as a place of prayer for the Israeli people.

6. The city of Eilat was an important place in the Old Testament, as it is next to the Red Sea. Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites passed through the Red Sea on dry land to escape from the Egyptians. Eilat is also a city that was conquered by King David. The city of Eilat was sometimes referred to as "Elath" in the King James Version of the Bible.

7. The tribes of Israel were ruled by judges before the year 1020 BC. One of Benjamin's sons, Saul, was made the first king of Israel in 1020 BC. However, it was David, the son of Jesse, who unified the country and made it into a monarchy. The people insisted upon having a king, to be like their neighboring countries. However, Samuel, the last judge of Israel, insisted that a king would only bring problems to the nation. King Saul made many grave mistakes, however, and was quite a disappointment to his country. Although he was an unlikely candidate for royalty, David was anointed by the judge Samuel to be the next king. However, it was David who brought the country back together again after Saul's failure.

8. Solomon, David's son, followed his father's footsteps to the throne. Solomon, considered the wisest man on earth, was not the eldest of David's sons and therefore, there was contention in the family regarding who would be the next king. However, David was determined that Solomon would be his successor and Solomon was anointed to be the next king of Israel. Some of Israel's major cities, including Gezer, Megiddo and Hazor were rebuilt by Solomon. His reign was one of peace and prosperity.

9. The Jewish people came from three main patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. According to the Bible, Jacob wrestled with an angel and his name was changed to Israel. The Jewish people where therefore given this name. The twelve tribes of Israel were formed by Jacob's twelve sons.

10. Moses, a historical figure from the Bible's Old Testament, is considered an important prophet in many major religions. Taken from his mother as a baby, he was raised by Pharaoh's daughter, an Egyptian princess. Moses decided to leave the lush Egyptian lifestyle to lead his people, the Jews, out of Egypt's bondage. He helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt and was used to bring the people to the land of Canaan. He died at the age of 120 years, never making into the land of promise.