I’ve seldom been moved to tears while traveling, but once I found myself tearing up while at the Mount of Beatitudes. Remembering the moving words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount while looking over the serene Sea of Galilee stands out as a moment I felt very close to God.
Discover some inspiration for a pilgrimage with your religious group with these well-researched faith-based travel books.
The Holy Land:
1.) “The Holy Land Guide for Christian Travelers” by John A. Beck
A highly-anticipated religious travel book set to hit stores in August is “The Holy Land Guide for Christian Travelers.” Written by a biblical scholar and experienced Holy Land guide, the book helps Christians plan a meaningful trip to the Holy Land with explanations of each place’s biblical significance.
2.) “In the Steps of Jesus” by Peter Walker
“In the Steps of Jesus: An Illustrated Guide to the Places of the Holy Land” released this year with plenty of gorgeous pictures to give a sense for each place being written about. Each chapter focuses on a location from the life of Jesus with a biblical and historic overview.
Biblical Lands:
3.) “The Bible On Location” by Julie Baretz
If you don’t want to only see the same few major biblical sites that most pilgrims experience, try reading “The Bible On Location: Off the Beaten Path in Ancient and Modern Israel.” The book explores 21 lesser known Biblical locations in Israel from the Old Testament to relate the historical context as well as the spiritual one.
4.) “The Cities that Built the Bible” by Robert Cargill
Professor of Religious Studies, archeologist, Biblical scholar and host to the History Channel’s “Bible Secrets Revealed,” Robert Cargill examines cities connected to Biblical stores that often get overlooked for Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Cargill explores 14 cities’ role in the creation of the Bible, such as Babylon, Nazareth, and Alexandria.
Germany:
5.) “Martin Luther’s Travel Guide” by Cornelia Domer
Connect with the places Martin Luther preached, fought or lived with this Protestant-based travel guide. Domer weaves stories of Luther’s life into the book to explain the importance of each town, castle and church featured.
Rome:
6.) “Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches” by George Weigel
Each year, many pilgrims travel to dozens of Rome’s most striking churches during Lent as they have for almost two millennia. The book explores this early Christian tradition and provides an informative itinerary for anyone wanting to duplicate the experience.
