A full day today included a drive up the Mediterranean Sea coastline from Tel Aviv to Caesarea, then to Mount Carmel and finally to Nazareth. Many stops along the way, included historic ports, archeological digs, churches and a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation, which is built around the site believed to be where the Holy Family lived.

It truly seemed to be a day of the ancient world and the modern world blending together. We walked some of the streets of Jaffa, a city dating back to 4000 B.C. This is the place Jonah left to begin his ministry in Nineveh and where Peter started his own ministry. Like the rest of the region, it has been ruled by a number of different empires: Turkish, Roman, Byzantine, Arab.  Today, shops and art studios fill the buildings, which are located near archeological dig sites and remains of walls that were destroyed during Napoleon’s time.

The Basilica of the Annunciation was built over what is believed to have been the home of the Holy Family in Nazareth. (Chronicle photo by Angela Kessler)

A visit to Caesarea National Park also combines the old with the new. The archeological dig there has unearthed pieces of King Herod’s palace, including parts of a Roman theater and stadium. Next to the artifacts is a reconstructed Roman theater that still serves to entertain the local with top acts. Our guide said it is considered the Carnegie Hall of Israel.

Mount Carmel is located in the bustling city of Haifa. The modern port city also attracts cruise ship vacationers and is home to a university and a nature preserve. Nazareth, however, is the epitome of combining the old with the new. Most striking is the Basilica of the Annunciation, which was built around what is believed to be the Holy Family’s home. At Mary’s Well, a spring where Mary would have collected water, is located in the middle of a plaza and has the scars of graffiti. Via Maria traces the course Mary would have taken from the spring, past Joseph’s workshop and to their home. Today, the narrow, winding street is home to many shops and restaurants.

The newly-opened Gospel Trail that connects Nazareth and Capernaum attempts to take visitors away from the hustle and bustle of the modern city. The trail, meant for hiking and bicycling, was purposely constructed along undeveloped areas using possible routes Jesus would have walked during his ministry. The trail is about 38.5 miles long and could be hiked in three to four days.

But it was our visit with Ronny Eid, director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism that really brings home the changes in the Holy Land. Mr. Eid, a Christian, is troubled by the number of Christians who are leaving the area.

“In the place where Christianity started … we have a problem,” he says. In the very place Christianity started and at every turn are the very places Jesus performed his ministry, Christians are becoming almost extinct, he says. People are choosing to leave the area because they are becoming the minority to the Muslim population. Israel’s Christians now total about 150,000 out of more than 7 million people. “We have churches, but no believers,” he says.