The Bible in plain sight

Some things in life are overrated. Israel is not one of those things.

In August 2025, I visited Israel for the first time, and the Bible came alive to me. That is not a cliché. Much of Israel appears just as it did when the Scriptures were written. The footsteps of Jesus are truly there to follow.

The journey

During the first few days of the journey, I walked the streets of Joppa, where Jonah attempted his escape from the Lord and where Peter lodged several days with a tanner named Simon. I toured Caesarea for an inside look at Herod’s life and the Romans’ playground. I entered a prison believed to be where the apostle Paul and others were held, and I circled the remnants of a synagogue in Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene) that dates to the days of Jesus’ ministry. In fact, experts believe the Lord Himself might have sat in that very same synagogue. With my own eyes, I experienced nearby Capernaum where it is said that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

I visited Tiberias and sailed at dusk on the Sea of Galilee. Viewing mountains and hillsides from the boat as the disciples did was a “goosebump,” faith-filled moment. I traveled up and down mountains, visiting the site where Jesus cast out demons from a man and sent them into a herd of swine. I also toured the remains of Beit She´an – an arts and entertainment destination developed over centuries. Standing on different mountaintops allowed views of the Jezreel Valley and Nazareth, where waterfalls and wildlife captured my attention just as they did the attention of David and Peter.

A drive to the Jordan River gifted me the incredible sight of witnessing siblings in Christ experience baptism in the same water that Jesus did. Caverns in En Gedi revealed where David hid from Saul. The Dead Sea was unlike any other body of water I have ever experienced. Floating in the salt bath was both spa-like and spiritually refreshing.

The joy

The next day, a cable car transported me to the top of Masada – an ancient Jewish fortress built by King Herod the Great, which was later used as a hiding place for Jews who fled Roman soldiers. Think of it as Israel’s Alamo.

The final two days were spent in Jerusalem and the City of David. A time of prayer at the Western Wall was the perfect preparation for a delicious Shabbat dinner hosted by a chef and her husband. The next day included shopping in markets as well as visits to the Mount of Olives, Garden Tomb, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and a room that may have been the location of the Last Supper.

My faith grew from seeing these biblical sites as well as praying and reading the Bible while in Israel. The people of the Bible who lived in these very places became even more real to me. And I felt a real connection with the Lord while in Israel.

I miss the Holy Land already. But I will be forever grateful that I got to see the Bible in plain sight.

Editor’s Note: Chris Woodward is the newscast coordinator for American Family News (afn.net), the news media outlet of American Family Association. AFN provides news on current events from a Christian perspective. Hosted by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Woodward traveled to Israel alongside American Family Radio’s JJ Jasper and John Riley.