Pre-dawn sounds awakened me; first the Muslim call to prayer, then church bells ringing on the hour, followed by a series of sirens and finally the cooing of pigeons. The diversity of this audio track perfectly painted the canvas of my locale: Israel. The State of Israel was created in 1948, less than seven decades ago, yet its land has a recorded history of more than 4,000 years. The Bible is not merely a book of faith, it chronicles this ancient ground, considered the birthplace of Christianity. The country is composed of countless customs reflective of every civilization which has ever occupied its territory.
