Thirty stories and activities about the land where Jesus walked!
by Eric Elder and Family

Features 30 devotional lessons for kids (and over 90 photographs), including fun activities such as word searches, crosswords, pictures to color, word scrambles, sudokus, coded phrases, mazes and more!

DOWNLOAD THE PDF to print or save or view all the puzzles and games on a screen. There’s a game that goes with each chapter of this book!

Listen here, read below, or click here to download the full-color PDF
Also available in Paperback in Color or Black & White

Welcome to Israel!

Did you know that most of the stories in the Bible took place in Israel?  In this book, you’ll find 30 questions and answers about some of the most interesting things that have happened there.

You’ll also find lots of awesome activities to do along the way, from word searches, mazes, and coloring pages, to word scrambles, connect-the-dots, and coded phrases.

We had fun making this book for you and we hope you have fun going through it!

P.S. Remember all you can, because there’s a fun quiz at the end!

Love,
Eric Elder and Family

Introduction: Where did Jesus live, die, and rise again?

Israel! Israel has a special place in God’s heart.  The Bible says that God’s eyes “are always on it from the beginning of the year to the end.”  

Out of all the places in the world, God chose Israel as the birthplace of His Son, Jesus.  Jesus lived almost His whole life here, and this is where He died, and rose again from the dead. In this book, you’ll learn about lots of other things that happened in Israel, too, and things that will happen in the future.  

Look it up!  Deuteronomy 11:12

(You can look up the things you read here in your own Bible.  The verse above about God’s love for Israel is from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 11, verse 12)

Lesson 1: Where did Israel get its name?

Israel got its name from a man named Jacob, whom God later renamed “Israel” because he wrestled with God (Israel means “to wrestle”).  God promised Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, that He would give Abraham a special place to live.  So Abraham went to this “promised land,” and his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, (and on and on!) have continued to live there ever since.  They became known as the children of Israel, and the country became known as the nation of Israel.

Look it up!  Genesis 32:28, Deuteronomy 11:24, and Joshua 3:1-4

Lesson 2: What happened in Caesarea?

Caesarea is where Peter told Cornelius about Jesus.  Cornelius was a soldier in the Roman army.  He lived in Caesarea, a famous city in the Roman Empire named after the Emperor Caesar.  One day, while Peter was praying on his roof in the city of Joppa, God gave him a vision.  He told Peter to go to Caesarea and tell Cornelius about Jesus. So Peter went, and Cornelius and his whole family were so happy to hear about Jesus that they were all baptized and put their faith in Him.

Look it up!  Acts 10:1-48

Lesson 3: What happened on Mount Carmel?

God sent Elijah to the top of Mount Carmel to challenge the prophets of the false god Baal.  King Ahab told the people they had to worship Baal.  But Elijah told them they should worship the one true God, instead.  Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest to see if their god or his could light a fire under each of their offerings.  God answered Elijah’s prayers, and the people put their faith in the one true God again.

Look it up! 1 Kings 18:16-46

Lesson 4: What’s going to happen at Megiddo?

That’s where the final battle will take place when Jesus returns.  Although God wants us to live at peace with others, others don’t always want to live at peace with us.  So there’s going to be a final battle one day at a place called Megiddo.  The word “har” means “hill,” and the Bible says this battle will take place near the hill of Megiddo, or “Har Megiddo” — or as it’s called in the Bible, “Armegeddon.”

Look it up!  Revelation 16:16

Lesson 5: What happened in Nazareth?

Nazareth is the city where Jesus grew up.  Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His parents were from Nazareth originally, so they returned there a few years after His birth.  The Bible says that while Jesus was in Nazareth, He “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”  That’s the way God wants us to grow, too!  

Look it up!  Matthew 2:22-23

Lesson 6: What happened on the Sea of Galilee?

That’s where Jesus walked on the water and calmed the storm.  Jesus and His disciples often took a boat out onto the Sea of Galilee.  One night, Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him in a boat so He could stay back and pray on a hill.  Later that night, He came to them, walking on the water!  Another night, He calmed a furious storm by speaking to it and saying: “Be still!”

Look it up!  Matthew 14:23-33

Lesson 7: What happened in Capernaum?

Capernaum is the city where Jesus lived after He had grown up in Nazareth, and it was here that He healed many people.  He lived in Capernaum three years.  Some of the people He healed here included a soldier’s servant, a paralyzed man, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, and two blind men.  He even raised a little girl from the dead when He said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

Look it up!  Matthew chapters 8 and 9.

Lesson 8: What happened on the Mount of Beatitudes?

That’s where Jesus preached His famous Sermon on the Mount.  Over 5,000 people gathered on the hillside to hear Him speak.  The word “beatitude” means “blessing,” and many of the things He spoke to them were blessings, like “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Look it up!  Matthew chapters 5-7

Lesson 9: What happened in Caesarea Philippi?

It was here that God revealed to Peter that Jesus was “the Christ.”  The word “Christ” means “Messiah,” or “Savior,” and God promised that one day He would send someone to save the people from their sins.  It was Jesus!  It was also here, in the midst of these huge mountains of rock, that Jesus renamed Simon to Peter, which means “rock,” saying to him, “on this rock I will build My church.”

Look it up!  Matthew 16:13-20

Lesson 10: What happened at the Jordan River?

The Jordan River is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and where hundreds of thousands of others have been baptized as well!  Many famous events in the Bible took place at the Jordan River, like when Joshua and the Israelites crossed the river after coming back from Egypt, and when Naaman dipped in it and was healed of leprosy.  The Jordan River flows through the Sea of Galilee at the north of Israel, and ends at the Dead Sea in the south.  

Look it up! John 1:29-32

Lesson 11: What will happen at the Dead Sea?

The Dead Sea will come back to life one day!  The Dead Sea is the lowest spot in the world, and the saltiest body of water anywhere.  The water is so salty that nothing can live in it.  But one day, when Jesus comes back, a river of life will flow from Jerusalem all the way to the Dead Sea and bring it back to life.  All kinds of fish will swim in it, and fisherman will stand along its shores again!

Look it up! Ezekiel 47:6-12

Lesson 12: What happened at Sodom and Gomorrah?

God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah completely.  They used to be beautiful cities and full of life.  But the people who lived there were wicked.  So God said that He would have to destroy the cities if He couldn’t find 10 people who did what was right.  He couldn’t, so He destroyed them completely—and nothing has lived there again for 4,000 years!

Look it up! Genesis 13:10 and Genesis 18 and 19

Lesson 13: What happened at Masada?

Masada was a fortress at the top of a mountain (“masada” means “fortress”), and it was here that about 1,000 Israelites died.  Although this story isn’t in the Bible, it’s famous in Israel because it shows that some things are worth dying for.  The Israelites fought against the Romans from the fort at the top of the mountain, but the Romans built a ramp of dirt all the way to the top of Masada, only to find the people dead when they got there.

Look it up! Luke 9:23

Lesson 14: What happened at the Qumran caves?

That’s where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.  Qumran is a place in the mountains of Israel where a group of people lived who loved God.  They carefully wrote the words of the Old Testament on scrolls and kept them stored safely in the caves on the hills.  A shepherd accidentally discovered them in 1947, when he threw a rock into a small hole in a cave and heard the sound of a jar breaking.  Some of the scrolls, like the scroll of Isaiah, are the oldest copies of those books ever found.

Look it up!  Isaiah 40:8

Lesson 15: What happened at En Gedi?

That’s where David hid from King Saul.  Saul used to love David, and asked him to play the harp for him at the palace.  But Saul tried to kill David one day after hearing that some people thought David was more powerful than Saul.  David ran away to hide in the caves at En Gedi, near a stream in the mountains that ran through the desert.

Look it up!  1 Samuel 24

Lesson 16: What happened in Bethlehem?

Bethlehem is the city where Jesus was born!  God said that the Messiah would be one of King David’s great, great, great, great…really great grandchildren. He also said that the Messiah would be born in the same city where David was born, which was Bethlehem.  This is also where the wise men came to see Jesus, after following a special star that they saw in the sky.

Look it up! Luke 2

Lesson 17: What’s the capital of Israel?

The capital of Israel is Jerusalem.  It’s been the capital of Israel ever since David moved there about 3,000 years ago.  It’s still the capital of Israel today!  So many important things from the Bible have happened in Jerusalem, that the rest of the pages in this book will focus on this special city.

Look it up!  2 Samuel 5:4-5

Lesson 18: What happened at Mount Moriah?

Mount Moriah was the place where God tested Abraham’s faith.  Although God promised Abraham that he would have many, many children, God tested his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  Abraham went to do it, but when God saw his faith, God provided as a ram as a sacrifice instead.

Look it up!  Genesis 22

Lesson 19: What’s happening at the Western Wall?

People are praying at the Western Wall.  God said that He would always listen to the prayers of His people when they came to the Temple in Jerusalem.  But when the Temple was destroyed, others took it over and prevented the Israelites from praying there.  So now the closest spot to the former Temple where the Israelites can pray is the Western Wall.  So people still come to pray there today!

Look it up! 2 Chronicles 7:11-16

Lesson 20: What happened at the North Gate?

That’s where Ezekiel was taken in a vision from God.  God wanted to show him what would happen one day when the Messiah came back.  God also showed him the river of life that would one day flow from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and bring everything back to life.  

Look it up!  Ezekiel 8:1-4 and Ezekiel 47:12

Lesson 21: What happened at the Southern Steps?

Jesus frequently walked on these steps to get to the Temple in Jerusalem.  The steps were recently found at the southern end of the Temple Mount.  It’s exciting to think that Jesus walked on these same steps, and that you can walk on them today, too, if you visit Israel!  This is also where Jesus may have sometimes taught the people when He was in Jerusalem, as rabbis often taught on these steps.

Look it up!  Luke 2:49 and Luke 21:37-38

Lesson 22: What happened at the Pools of Bethesda?

That’s where Jesus healed a lame man.  The man had been crippled for thirty-eight years, and he came to the Pools of Bethesda, near the Temple in Jerusalem, hoping he might be healed by the water there.  But when Jesus saw him and heard he had been sick for so long, Jesus healed him!

Look it up!  John 5

Lesson 23: What’s going to happen on the Mount of Olives?

That’s where Jesus will come first when He comes back!  After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to the disciples many times for 40 days.  The last time He appeared to them, it was on the Mount of Olives and from there Jesus went up into heaven. Two angels appeared to the disciples saying that Jesus would come back through the clouds one day in the same way He left!

Look it up!  Zechariah 14:4, Acts 1:11-12, and Matthew 24

Lesson 24: What happened at the Garden of Gethsemane?

That’s where Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”  It was the night before He was going to have to die on the cross for our sins.  He prayed that God would make another way, if possible.  But if not, He said He was willing to do whatever God wanted Him to do.  He knew that God’s ways were always the best, and He trusted God to work it all out–which God did!

Look it up! Luke 22

Lesson 25: What happened at the House of Caiaphas?

While Peter loved Jesus very much, he was afraid when Jesus was captured and taken to the House of Caiaphas, the high priest.  When Peter waited in the courtyard to find out what was going to happen to Jesus, Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus.  But Jesus prayed for him, and after Jesus rose from the dead, Peter was no longer afraid, and He spoke boldly about Jesus again!

Look it up!  Matthew 26:69-74

Lesson 26: What happened on the Via Dolorosa?

That’s where Jesus carried His cross through the streets of Jerusalem.  After Jesus was sentenced to death, the soldiers made Him carry His own cross to the hill where He would be killed.  The path He took is called the “Via Dolorosa,” which means “the way of suffering” in Latin.  A man named Simon carried Jesus’ cross for Him when He became too weak to carry it Himself.

Look it up!  John 19:17 and Matthew 27:32

Lesson 27: What happened at Golgotha?

That’s where Jesus died and rose again!  Golgotha means “the place of the skull,” probably because so many people died there.  Jesus died there and was buried in a tomb nearby, but then He rose from the dead 3 days later!  That was great for Jesus, but it’s also great for us, because we can know for sure that we’ll rise from the dead one day, too, if we put our faith in Him.  As Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Look it up!  Matthew 26:33-36 and Matthew 28:1-7

Lesson 28: What happened at the Upper Room?

The Holy Spirit came to the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost to give the believers God’s power. Pentecost means “fifty,” and this happened fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead.  Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received God’s power to go into all the world and tell people about Him.  Three thousand people were baptized and saved that day. 

Look it up!  Acts 1:4-5 & 8 and Acts 2

Conclusion – What can you do to bless Israel today?

One of the best ways to bless Israel is to pray.  The Bible says that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and that all nations on earth will be blessed through Israel.  

In many ways we’ve already been blessed through Israel, for the Israelites have preserved the words of God for us in the Bible, and have given us Jesus, who was an Israelite.  But because God’s promises are forever, if we continue to bless Israel, He will continue to pour out His blessings on us and on them!  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and pray that they will put their faith in Jesus, the Prince of Peace!

Look it up! Genesis 12:2-3 and Psalm 122:6

Final Quiz!

Here’s a review of the 30 questions and answers in this book to help you remember what you’ve learned about Israel!

1. Where did Jesus heal a thirty-eight year old man? Chapter 22

2. Where did Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal? Chapter 3

3. Where did Jesus heal many people? Chapter 7

4. Where will Jesus come back first? Chapter 23

5. Where did Peter tell Cornelius about Jesus? Chapter 2

6. What’s one city that God destroyed completely? Chapter 12

7. Where did Peter deny Christ three times? Chapter 25

8. Where was Abraham going to sacrifice Isaac? Chapter 18

9. Where did 1,000 Jews die? Chapter 13

10. What’s the closest spot Jews can pray at Mount Moriah? Chapter 19

11. Where did Peter say Jesus was the Christ? Chapter 9

12. What’s the capital of Israel? Chapter 17

13. Where did the Holy Spirt come on Pentecost? Chapter 28

14. In what garden did Jesus pray? Chapter 24

15. Where did God take Ezekiel in a vision? Chapter 20

16. Where did Jesus live, die and rise again? Introduction

17. Where did Jesus walk on water and calm the storm? Chapter 6

18. Where will the final battle take place? Chapter 4

19. What can you do to bless Israel today? Conclusion

20. Where were the Dead Sea Scrolls found? Chapter 14

21. Where did David hide from Saul? Chapter 15

22. Where was Jesus crucified? Chapter 27

23. Where did Jesus grow up? Chapter 5

24. What is the path on which Jesus carried His cross? Chapter 26

25. What steps did Jesus take to get to the Temple? Chapter 21

26. Where was Jesus baptized? Chapter 10

27. What was Israel’s name before God renamed him? Chapter 1

28. What Sea will come back to life when Jesus returns? Chapter 11

29. Where was Jesus born? Chapter 16

30. On what mount did Jesus preach to 5,000? Chapter 8About The Author

Do you like Christmas stories? Ballet? Puppet Shows? Eric Elder has written and produced several award-winning stories that you’re going to LOVE! To watch, read, or learn more, look for his Saint Nicholas stories on ericelder.com.

For adults who enjoy a boost in their faith, look for more inspiring books from Eric at inspiringbooks.com.