by Brooke Obie
There is so much to see, feel and experience in the Holy Land, which spans several countries and territories. The stray cats across the region were an added--though unexpected!--delight for me when I toured the Holy Land for Guideposts.org on a Collette travel agency tour. Check out these fun photos of cats in the Holy Land and learn about the sacred sites where these cats love to hang out. --Brooke Obie
Find out more about Guideposts' upcoming trips with Collette here.
This little guy was curious about what was inside a tourist's backpack in front of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Ein Karem, Jerusalem. The church is a Catholic church run by the Franciscan order that is built on top of what is believed to be the birthplace of John the Baptist.
This fella strolls along the wall around the Church of St. John the Baptist. The wall features mosaics in different languages from around the world of John the Baptist's father, Zechariah's song, from Luke 1:68-79, which details the prophecy of John as the one who will make way for his cousin, Jesus Christ.
This cat stretches out on a ledge of the Chapel of the Primacy, built on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Tagbha, Israel, marking the spot where Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ in John 21.
In White Market in the village of Acre, this kitty curls up in a vendor's pile of shoes. In Acts 21:7, Luke, Paul and their compatriots spent a day in this city (once known as Ptolemais) visiting with other Christians.
John 5 tells the story of Jesus healing a sick man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. This cat was lounging around the ruins of the pool.
Capernaum is an old fishing village by the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus' disciples Peter and Andrew, James and John once lived. Here, Jesus called these fishermen to follow him and become "fishers of men." This is also the location where Jesus healed Peter's sick mother-in-law. It's also where this cat enjoyed a backscratch from a tourist.
A lovely mediterranean restaurant right on the Sea of Galilee called Ein Gev serves a famous fried dish called St. Peter's Fish. No wonder this cat likes to hang around.
In the shopping and restaurant district White Market of Acre, this cat poses for a quick picture before getting a bite to eat.
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Click on a picture to enjoy more inspiring photos and stories.