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This cascade of mineral-rich hot springs and waterfalls is an oasis in the Jordanian desert.

The world's oldest map of the holy land gives us a fragmented glimpse of the layout of biblical nations.

Gladiators battle and chariots race daily in the ruins of a once-great Roman city.

An ancient capital city that dates back 3,000 years and harbors many surprises.

An elegant garden commemorating the 1841 visit from apostle and missionary, Orson Hyde.

The mosaic floor of a 4th-century synagogue features a pagan zodiac wheel alongside traditional images of a Torah ark and menorahs.

Israel's first dedicated natural history museum is home to 5 million specimens and still growing.

Biblical beasts and endangered animal preservation come together in this Israeli zoo.

This nightmarish children's plaything was left grotesque to help kids conquer their fear.

A modern-day cabinet of curiosities housed in a 300-year-old inn.

This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public.

The home of the Dead Sea Scrolls is an abstract modernist dream.

These numerous Israeli caves were dug out over hundreds years for reasons ranging from hideouts to burial sites.

This family tattoo parlor has been inking religious pilgrims in the Middle East for 700 years.

You can row a boat through this ancient underground reservoir.

Giant reed houses made in the marshes of Southern Iraq.

A 605-page Quran penned in the blood of a dictator is locked away in a mosque.

Celebrated as a center of civilization, the remains of the ancient city have been nearly destroyed by greed, egoism, and war.

This mosque turned crypt is an amazing display of Persian-Islamic architecture.

Colorful mineral deposits turn these mountains into an Impressionist fantasy.

Iranian tombstones shaped like male and female sexual organs.

The fire inside this temple has burned for more than 1,500 years.

This vast, water-filled underground labyrinth can only be toured by boat.

A sophisticated astronomical tower built by one of the greatest Persian scholars of the Islamic Golden Age.