Sacred Cities Visited By Christ And His Disciples

Tyre: Christ went to Tyre and Sidon (Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17; Mark 7:31). St. Paul visited Tyre around 58. A.D where he met with his disciples and stayed with them for seven days (Acts 21: 3-6).

Sidon: God entrusted a particular mission to the Messiah: "Son of man set your face towards Sidon (Ezekiel 28-21). Near Sidon, Jesus encountered the Canaanite woman (Mathew 15:21). In the acts it is mentioned that St. Paul was allowed on his way to Rome as a prisoner around 60 A.D. to meet his friends in that city (Acts 27:3).

Maghdouche / Mantara: When Jesus came to Sidon, the Virgin Mary who accompanied him stopped to wait for him near the town of Maghdouche at the top of the hill; she spent the night inside a cave, which was named later Al-Mantara. Emperor Constantin responded to St. Helen’s, his mother, request and transformed the cave into a sanctuary for the Virgin Mary.

Cana: In Cana at the wedding attended by Christ and his mother the Virgin Mary, Jesus performed his first miracle transforming water into wine (John 2:11).

Caserea Philippi / near Marjayoun: In this region Jesus handed over the keys of his church "the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven" to Peter (Mathew 16:30), (Mark 8:27).

Beirut: St. Peter participated directly in the Christening of the inhabitants of Beirut. His disciple and heir St. Euclimus reports that Peter built the Church of Beirut in the middle of the first Century (Chabot, J.B "Chronique de Michel le Syrian" Bruxelles 1963 , T.I livre 5, chap. X, p.147).

Byblos: In Byblos, the first church was founded by St. John Mark, one of Christ's 70 followers. St. Peter appointed him bishop of the city where he was martyred (Al Mashrek Journal No 22, 1924 p. 330).

Tripoli: On his way to Antioch, St. Peter Appointed Maro (or Maronos) as the first bishop of Tripoli and ordained twelve priests as well (Lammens P.H notes Archeologique sur le Liban, 1914 p. 45).