Jerusalem! It is a city that holds so much history. People have been fighting over it for thousands of years.

I've heard and read so much about it, but I never thought I would actually stand in the middle of it. That's exactly where I was last week, though! There were ancient buildings. There were religious pilgrims. And there were synagogues, churches and mosques all around me.

When we first arrived in Israel, it wasn't what I had expected. Most of what I had read about Israel either took place 2,000 years ago or had to do with war and fighting. Sailing into Tel Aviv, I saw right away that it wasn't going to involve either of those two things.

In fact, Tel Aviv is modern and peaceful. It reminded me a lot of the Chicago lakefront in the summertime. The beach stretched for miles. There were cafes, art galleries and shops everywhere.

It was neat, but I hadn't come to Israel for beaches and shopping. Where was the history I wanted to learn about?