Christian Articles & Holy Land Guides

The Council of Nicaea did not choose the books of the Bible. In AD 325, bishops gathered to confront a dispute over Christ's divinity, producing the Nicene Creed and decisions that would shape Christianity for centuries.

Constantine changed Christianity's place in the Roman Empire, while Saint Helena's Holy Land journey helped reshape Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Discover the history behind the churches, pilgrimage sites, and True Cross tradition that followed.

Christianity began in Jerusalem, but within a generation Christian communities existed from Syria to Rome. Follow the roads, ports, cities, synagogues, households, and ordinary travelers that carried the early Christian message across the Roman world.

Christianity did not begin in Rome or medieval Europe. It began among Jewish followers of Jesus in first-century Jerusalem. This guide traces the earliest Church from the Resurrection and Pentecost through the first Christian communities, the mission to Gentiles, persecution, and the faith's expansion across the Roman world.

The Virgin Mary stands at the center of the Gospel's account of the Incarnation and holds a unique place across Christian history. This guide follows Mary from Nazareth and Scripture through the title Theotokos, Catholic Marian dogmas, Orthodox devotion, and Protestant approaches to the mother of Jesus.

Who were the Magi who followed the Star of Bethlehem, and what does the Bible actually tell us about them? Matthew gives no names, number, or homeland—only learned men from the East who followed a mysterious sign to Christ. This article separates Scripture from later tradition and explores the star, the gifts, Herod, and the deeper meaning of their journey.

The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem is more than the beginning of the Gospel story. Follow the biblical Nativity through Luke and Matthew, fulfilled prophecy, the manger, the shepherds, the Magi, and the mystery of the Incarnation.

The olive tree has accompanied the story of salvation from the beginning. From Noah's dove and the anointing of kings to the Garden of Gethsemane and the workshops of Bethlehem, this guide explores why the olive tree became Christianity's most enduring symbol and why its wood continues to hold deep spiritual meaning for Christians around the world.

Light has always held profound meaning in Christianity. From God’s first words in Genesis to the Easter proclamation that Christ is risen, light represents God’s presence, truth, and love. For centuries, Christians have expressed this symbolism in prayer, worship, and sacred tradition, most notably through the act of lighting candles. Whether in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem or in the quiet corner of a believer’s home, light unites Christians across generations as a sign of faith and hope.

The hill was small, outside Jerusalem's walls, and easy to overlook — but what happened there one Friday afternoon at the ninth hour has defined two thousand years of human history. Pilgrims who kneel at the Rock of Golgotha inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre often find they cannot speak. This is the place where the Son of God died, and three days later walked out of a tomb sealed by Roman soldiers. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a comforting story. It is the ground of all Christian hope.

The Sign of the Cross. A Saint Benedict Medal worn close to the heart. Holy water near the doorway. A crucifix above the bed. Across centuries and Christian traditions, believers have turned to visible signs while praying for God's protection. But Christianity has never understood these objects as magic. Their meaning lies in whom they point to. This guide follows the history of Christianity's most enduring protection symbols, the Scripture behind them, and the faith that gives them meaning.

For thousands of years, olive trees have shaped the landscape, livelihoods and Christian traditions of the Holy Land. From the ancient groves of Gethsemane to Bethlehem's olive-wood workshops, discover what threatens these remarkable trees, how families care for them, and why their preservation matters.