It is hoped that Pope John Paul II's visit to Israel in March will increase the numbers of Catholics among 2.5 million annual visitors. The pilgrims won't be disappointed. The tiny country that has been coveted by other nations for 5,000 years is amazing, offering everything from religious heritage to water skiing and scuba diving to great nightlife in Tel Aviv and excellent Mid East cuisine.

Traveling with a group of journalists hosted by the Israel Ministry of Tourism we previewed the pope's itinerary, including Nazareth, Bethlehem and the Jordan (more about that later), the country's historical sites and Jerusalem. These highlights are just a sampling of the country's diversity however.

Limestone-built Jerusalem, dominated by the gilded Islamic Dome of the Rock, unfolds from atop the Mount of Olives. The site of the millenniums-old area where David, Jesus and Mohammed established the religions that dominate western and eastern culture is awesome.

Thoughts of shooting or terrorism (Israelis say CNN would be lost without such reports) faded as we strolled through the bazaars of the Old City, which is divided into Jewish, Moslem, Christian and Armenian quarters. Stalls selling Israel's abundance of fruit, dates and vegetables, clothes, pottery and Arab headdress flourish nonchalantly amidst the centers of the world's three great monotheistic religions -- Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

The Western Wall is a sacred remainder of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Facing it, you can hear the chanting of Muslims at prayer nearby. The wall, where people pray and leave messages, is divided into sections for men and women. They do not "wail," although they bow a lot, and modern Israelites prefer to affix the word "western" to the wall's name. Dating from the second century B.C., the wall reinforced the Temple Mount foundation.

If I forget you, O Jerusalem". . .. Words from Psalm 137 inspire Kotel Kam to post electronic writing and payers on the Western Wall. Click Kotel's "Photography Album" for lovely pictures. Aish.com relates the wall's history.

Above the Mount stands the Dome of the Rock and Mosque of Al Aska, a shrine most holy to Islam. Early one morning, I had the good fortune to be almost alone inside the blue and gold Dome structure, which shelters the rock where the prophet Muhammed journeyed to heaven.

Colorful pieces by glass artist Dale Chihuly decorate the Tower of David, housing the Museum of the History of Jerusalem. Located at the Jaffa Gate, the museum chronicles the history of Jerusalem from the time of the Canaanites through Roman, Byzantine, Crusader, Syrian, Egyptian, Ottoman and British rule. Jerusalem Museums features the Tower; the Jerusalem Museum's Dead Sea Scrolls and Judaica exhibits; the chilling Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust; and the Museum of Islamic Art. Vivid Israel Pictures, courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism, are virtual viewing at its best.

The Israel Government Tourist Office is eager to assist Catholic archdioceses, parishes and tour operators with details about Holy Land tours, according to Northeast USA director Yehuda Shen. For information, visit the Ministry of Tourism.

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