What is "holy land"

Holy \Ho"ly\, a. [Compar. Holier; superl. Holiest.] [OE. holi, hali, AS. h[=a]lig, fr. h[ae]l health, salvation, happiness, fr. h[=a]l whole, well; akin to OS. h?lag, D. & G. heilig, OHG. heilac, Dan. hellig, Sw. helig, Icel. heilagr. See Whole, and cf. Halibut, Halidom, Hallow, Hollyhock.]

1. Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood. ``Holy rites and solemn feasts.''
   --Milton.

2. Spiritually whole or sound; of unimpaired innocence and virtue; free from sinful affections; pure in heart; godly; pious; irreproachable; guiltless; acceptable to God. Now through her round of holy thought The Church our annual steps has brought. --Keble. Holy Alliance (Hist.), a league ostensibly for conserving religion, justice, and peace in Europe, but really for repressing popular tendencies toward constitutional government, entered into by Alexander I. of Russia, Francis I. of Austria, and Frederic William III. of Prussia, at Paris, on the 26th of September, 1815, and subsequently joined by all the sovereigns of Europe, except the pope and the king of England. Holy bark. See Cascara sagrada. Holy Communion. See Eucharist. Holy family (Art), a picture in which the infant Christ, his parents, and others of his family are represented. Holy Father, a title of the pope. Holy Ghost (Theol.), the third person of the Trinity; the Comforter; the Paraclete. Holy Grail. See Grail. Holy grass (Bot.), a sweet-scented grass ( Hierochloa borealis and Hierochloa alpina). In the north of Europe it was formerly strewed before church doors on saints' days; whence the name. It is common in the northern and western parts of the United States. Called also vanilla grass or Seneca grass. Holy Innocents' day, Childermas day. Holy Land, Palestine, the birthplace of Christianity. Holy office, the Inquisition. Holy of holies (Script.), the innermost apartment of the Jewish tabernacle or temple, where the ark was kept, and where no person entered, except the high priest once a year. Holy One.

   1. The Supreme Being; -- so called by way of emphasis. `` The Holy One of Israel.''
      --Is. xliii. 14.

   2. One separated to the service of God. Holy orders. See Order. Holy rood, the cross or crucifix, particularly one placed, in churches. over the entrance to the chancel. Holy rope, a plant, the hemp agrimony. Holy Saturday (Eccl.), the Saturday immediately preceding the festival of Easter; the vigil of Easter. Holy Spirit, same as Holy Ghost (above). Holy Spirit plant. See Dove plant. Holy thistle (Bot.), the blessed thistle. See under Thistle. Holy Thursday. (Eccl.)

      1. (Episcopal Ch.) Ascension day.

      2. (R. C. Ch.) The Thursday in Holy Week; Maundy Thursday.

         Holy war, a crusade; an expedition carried on by Christians against the Saracens in the Holy Land, in the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries, for the possession of the holy places.

         Holy water (Gr. & R. C. Churches), water which has been blessed by the priest for sacred purposes.

         Holy-water stoup, the stone stoup or font placed near the entrance of a church, as a receptacle for holy water.

         Holy Week (Eccl.), the week before Easter, in which the passion of our Savior is commemorated.

         Holy writ, the sacred Scriptures. `` Word of holy writ.''
         --Wordsworth.

"western Palestine, Judaea," late 13c., translating Medieval Latin terra sancta (11c.).

The Holy Land ( Hebrew: , ; Arabic: ) is an area roughly located between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea that also includes the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River. Historically, it is synonymous with both the Land of Israel and Palestine, and the Lebanese Republic, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is considered holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Part of the significance of the land stems from the religious significance of Jerusalem, the holiest city to Judaism, the historical region of Jesus' ministry, and the Isra and Mi'raj event in Islam and Mount Nebo, where Moses presumably died. The perceived holiness of the land to Christianity was part of the motivation for the Crusades, as European Christians sought to win the Holy Land back from the Muslim Seljuk Turks. The Turks had taken over the Holy Land after defeating the Muslim Arabs, who had in turn conquered the area from the Christian Byzantine Empire.

Many sites in the Holy Land have long been pilgrimage destinations for adherents of the Abrahamic religions, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Bahá'ís. Pilgrims visit the Holy Land to touch and see physical manifestations of their faith, confirm their beliefs in the holy context with collective excitation, and connect personally to the Holy Land.

The Holy Land is an area of Dingle, Liverpool, composed of several streets with streets named after prophets, including Moses Street, Isaac Street, Jacob Street and David Street. At the end of the 19th Century, it was observed that there still existed similarly named places including a farm named Jericho, a stream named Jordan and landmarks called David's Throne and Adam's Battery. Some attribute the name to the population of Nonconformists in the region in the early 17th century.

Many homes on the streets are Victorian terraced houses.

Holy Land is a 1996 concept album by Brazilian metal band Angra. Its theme is centered on the Brazilian land by the time it was discovered in the 16th century, as depicted in the art surrounding the album release. Once fully opened, the cover illustration turns out to be an old 15th-century map. Title track "Holy Land" contains many indigenous and folkloric influences taken from Brazilian music, but also includes classical arrangements symbolizing Europe at the time.

The opening track "Crossing" features a rendition of O Crux Ave by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The following songs deal with life in the "holy land" prior to its colonization by the Portuguese and subsequent changes Brazil underwent upon their arrival.

According to drummer Ricardo Confessori, the track "Nothing to Say" was developed around a drum riff he created around 1994 at a small rural property owned by guitarist Rafael Bittencourt. His band mates heard it and soon joined in to create the rest of the song, including the single-note opening riff.

The Holy Land refers to the land of Israel, sacred to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

"Holy Land", "The Holy Land" or "Holyland" may also refer to:

• Holy Land (Liverpool) refers to an area of south Toxteth, Liverpool, with streets named after Biblical characters
• Holy Land (album), a concept album by Brazilian power metal band Angra
• Holy Land, a planned attraction at Ghost Town in the Sky theme park in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, USA
• The Holy Land (album), a concept album by American country singer Johnny Cash
• Holy Land Experience, a theme park in Orlando, Florida, USA
• Holy Land USA, a miniature representation of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in Waterbury, Connecticut
• Holyland (Belfast), an area in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, so named for its streets with names like Damascus Street, notable for incidents of anti-social student behaviour
• Holyland Case, about the Holyland complex in Jerusalem, involving Ehud Olmert
• The Holyland (Wisconsin), a region in Wisconsin
• Holyland, a neighborhood in southern Jerusalem
• Holyland (drama), a Japanese drama