A series of 100-year-old images from the Holy Land

A series of 100-year-old images from the Holy Land have revealed a fascinating insight into rural life in the last ruling days of the Ottoman Empire.

The dramatic mountains and barren deserts surrounding Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine and Jordan have deep cultural significance for the different religions living in the area.

These black and white lantern slides from the Oregon State University Visual Instruction Department show the traditional houses, clothing and manual labour that were typical of the early 20th century.

But the various locations in the slides, including Nazareth, the Garden of Gethsemane and Mount of Olives are all also written about in the bible as key sites of religious and historic importance.

For example, Nazareth is described in the New Testament as the childhood home of Jesus, and it has long been a popular centre for Christian pilgrimage.

Elsewhere, the city of Shechem is the home of the ancient people, the Samaritans, who reject all of the Bible except the five books of Moses.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4128874/Images-days-Ottoman-Rule-Holy-Land.html#ixzz4WEw95BtG
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A Muslim school in Ramah, where a teacher, with a page of the Koran in his hand, reads to young pupils seated in a circle

The Hill of Moreh from the south. In the foreground is the home of a farmer and his family – a one-room house that is built of clay

Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. Directly in front is the south eastern corner of the modern wall, which follows the course of the ancient wall


The Cave of the Patriarchs, also known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or the Ibrahimi Mosque, is a series of subterranean chambers located in the heart of the old city of Hebron in the Hebron Hills

The Garden of Gethsemane and Mount of Olives in Jerusalem – a range of hills with four summits to the east of the city

The ancient city of Shechem, lying between the twin mountains, Ebal and Gerizim is half-way between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea


The village of Samaria from the minaret of the mosque, along the eastern slope of the Samaritan mountain