A love story in which no one wins — February 4, 1908, a day that Yetta Wegmann would never forget. She and her parents had spent the day hanging wedding decorations in their small family home on Chicago’s West side. By early evening, the guests were beginning to arrive for the ceremony, scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start. As…

Did Christ heal the lepers in Burqin, Palestine? — Burqin is a small village planted in the rich alluvial farmland of northern Palestine. Approximately four kilometers southwest of Jenin, the older part of the town is a maze of winding, car-blocking, stone-slabbed alleys. Built into the side of a south-facing prominence, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George stands…

The Peripatetic Historian visits Petra, Jordan — You don’t hear much about the Nabataeans these days. When people discuss ancient civilizations around the campfire, conversation inevitably gravitates toward the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians of Cyrus or the mysterious Tang Dynasty. …

PeriBlog XVII: Wadi Rum, Jordan — Silence. There is an emptiness in the air that you must hear to believe. In a world overwhelmed with noise, auditory clutter, and verbal distractions, it is remarkable to find a place where the loudest sound is your own breath. Simply silence. Welcome to Wadi Rum.

The Peripatetic Historian visits Qumran, hoping to find the Dead Sea Scrolls — It is a place that is famous for what is no longer there. Shortly after the end of World War II, a young Bedouin boy named Muhammid Ahmed el-Hamed was exploring caves in the limestone cliffs that stand west of the Dead Sea. …

Star-crossed lovers and fatal pills — It was a tale fit for a Shakespearian tragedy. A young couple, thwarted in love, joined in death. But here ends the resemblance, for this was not a reenactment of Romeo and Juliet. No — in this story, one of the enamored was a murderer. March 8, 1906. Mae Agnes…

PeriBlog XIV: Qalqilya, Palestine — Jawaafa? Jawaafa? Jawaafa! Our orange Service, the seven passenger van carrying us back to Ramallah, scoots to the side of the road. What is it? An Israeli roadblock? Some kind of trouble ahead? The three men sitting in the middle of the van jump out and rush a roadside vegetable…

Two Churches, One YMCA — The First Noel the angel did say Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep. – The First Noel We begin this week’s edition of the Peripatetic Historian with couplets from a beloved Christmas carol. The First Noel originated in…

The Peripatetic Historian continues to explore Bethlehem’s ancient Christian sites. — For most Bethlehem visitors, the Church of the Nativity is the main event (see my earlier post — O Little Town of Bethlehem — for details). …