The King James translation comes closest to paraphrasing God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee.…"

As myriads of pilgrims made their way upward toward Jerusalem, they most likely sang the group of Psalms 120-134 known as the Songs of Ascent. Psalm 122 describes their joyful anticipation of being in God's house and in Jerusalem itself, the focal point of Israel. As those pilgrims climbed toward Jerusalem, the rocky paths afforded them views of the surrounding countryside, their fellow travelers below, and perhaps even the borders of an enemy nation on the horizon. To them, the word "peace" suggested not only the cessation of war, but also the entire well-being that came from harmony between man and God, man and neighbor, man and self, and man and nature.

The Holy Land

The Holy Land is significant in Christianity, mainly because it is the place of birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Saviour or Messiah to Christianity.

Holy cities for Christians of all denominations:

• Jerusalem is believed to be the site of some of Jesus's teaching, the Last Supper, the subsequent institution of the Holy Eucharist as well as his entombment; Christians believe he was crucified on a nearby hill, Golgotha (sometimes called Calvary). It contains the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of All Nations.

• Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus.

• Nazareth is Jesus's hometown and the site of many of his acts and miracles.

JERUSALEM

Christianity reveres Jerusalem not only for its role in the Old Testament but also for its significance in the life of Jesus. According to Biblical accounts, Jesus was brought to the city of Jerusalem not long after his birth and later in his life cleansed the Second Temple. The Cenacle, believed to be the site of Jesus' Last Supper, is located on Mount Zion in the same building that houses the Tomb of King David. Another prominent Christian site in Jerusalem is Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion. The Gospel of John describes it as being located outside Jerusalem, but recent archaeological evidence suggests Golgotha is a short distance from the Old City walls, within the present-day confines of the city. The land currently occupied by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is considered one of the top candidates for Golgotha and thus has been a Christian pilgrimage site for the past two thousand years.