Reflections on the Holy Land

Times have changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Not since the Black Death/Bubonic Plague in the 14th century have parts of the Holy Land been closed this long and infinitely, nor have visitors been limited in numbers for this long. The closure, or limited access, coincidentally coincides with the release of Reflections on the Holy Land following the author’s return from a spiritual and emotional pilgrimage in Israel/Palestine, during early spring 2019 with more questions than answers. Soon after, Linda Roy Cross began her year-long research.
"Reflections on the Holy Land: A Pilgrim's Guide for Travelers" is a book for those who plan to travel to the Holy Land, once the current Coronavirus pandemic has been controlled.
It’s also for wanna-be travelers, and those who for a variety of reasons will never travel there, be it health, finances, fear of terrorism, or fear of flying. This is the author’s fourth pilgrimage including Fatima. She also walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage twice: alone in 2012 and again 2017. See: Alone on the Camino on Smashwords.com
There is something for everyone in the Holy Land whether it be spiritual, historical, or an archeological curiousity. This illustrated work, with more than 270 full color photos, makes the biblical sites and gospels come alive. The Holy Land is where Christians, Jews and Muslims work, worship, live, and fight face-to-face on a daily basis. Her curiosity tapped, Cross grabbed the opportunity to begin delving into the 30+ sites visited including some where Jesus was born, preached, crucified, and buried.
The knowledgeable tour guide was a wealth of information as he explained that it takes someone with a Ph.D., and perhaps first-hand life involvement, to understand how differently neighboring Israelis and Palestinians live, and how strongly each side feels. It becomes easier for the reader to understand the intrigue of Ancient Israel and its hold over Orthodox and modern Jews, and its relationship with the sovereign state of neighboring Palestine.
As the saying goes, what you get out of [travel] depends on how much you put into it. Knowing not all readers enjoy doing research themselves, Cross investigated and dug deeper beyond what most tourist see on the surface. This resulted in an additional 50+ up-to-date chapters, which examines and explains the unseen. These inside stories of Biblical and historic places go back to hundreds and thousand of years before the time of Christ (BC), laid the recognition of Christianity in the 4th century, and tell of current times.