Ten Most Known Cities of the Middle East

10.) Manama: The Capital of Bahrain has a population of about two million with more than three million annual tourists.

9.) Doha: The capital of Qa'tar has a population of over two million with about the same number of tourists.

8.) Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv is an extremely modern city in Israel known for it's beaches. Four million people call it home and about three million people visit annually.

7.) Dubai: Dubai is a city in the United Arab Emirates with a population of over two million. It's known as an extremely luxurious place and receives over eleven million tourists every year. 

6.) Riyadh: Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is by far the largest country in the Middle East. It's become intriguing to tens of thousands of investors. With a population of more than four million it's among the largest desert cities. It receives close to four million tourists annually.

5.) Baghdad: The Capital and largest city of Iraq its population is about four million. And it receives less than million tourists a year (because of the ongoing war with ISIS.)

4.) Damascus: Damascus is one of the oldest cities ever founded; it's known to Christian worldwide as the place Paul of Tarsus was going to persecute Christians before being Born Again, and to Arab's its remembered as a major city of the Caliphate. Today it's the Capital of Syria. With a population near two million it's suffering greatly with the ongoing conflict and because of it get's no real tourism.

3.) Medina: Medina is known as "the city of The Prophet" and is considered holy by Muslims. The city itself has about one million people but it attracts over ten times as many people every year.

2.) Mecca: It's at Mecca where two million Muslims visit annually for the Hajj and where they face when they pray. Overall approximately twelve million visit the city annually. How many live there?
1.6 million.

1.) Jerusalem: Overall however, the best known city of the region is Jerusalem. It's where King David ruled from, where the Great Jerusalem Temple was built and it was outside this city that Jesus of Nazereth was crucified. Christianity began here. And according to Muslims Muhammad traveled here on a creature called the Buraq. Jerusalem is among the most ancient cities as well as the most populous in the region. Eight million people call Jerusalem home and receives 3.5 million tourists annually.

Ten Best Known Cities in Europe

10.) Vienna: Located in Austria this city was founded back in  , it has just under two million people and is visited by over eleven million people every year.

9.) Warsaw: The capital of Poland and the nation`s capital has under two million residents as well, in terms of tourists it has over fourteen million.

8.) St. Petersburg: This northern city has more than five million residents and is the most populous city to be that far north to ever exist. It makes Russia proud. About five million people visit every year.

7.) Madrid: Less well known among English speakers Madrid is the capital of Spain. Over three million people call it home and over six million visit it annually.

6.) Budapest: The capital of Hungary has a little less than two million people living in it. It`s not too hungry for tourists either, it has a mouth full--over eight million.

5.) Berlin: The capital of Germany. Berlin isn`t lacking in population or tourism. It has a population of over three million and 20+ million tourists annually.

4.) Moscow: The capital of the largest country on Earth (by far) and of Putin`s government this city is huge with twelve million people and five million visited the city.

3.) Rome: This city has been known to north Africans, southern Europeans and Middle-Easteners since at least the 3rd century BC. It`s empire ruled every land around the Mediterranean without exception and every educated Westerner knows it as the foundational city of their culture. Today it has a population of over two and a half million with more than thirty million tourists a year.

2.) Paris: The capital of the French has a population of near two and a half million. How many people visit Paris? Over thirty million.

1.) London: At the top of the list is the capital and economic center of Great Britain. This is no small capital: 8.6 million people along with the Queen of the Commonwealth call this city home. Over 16 million people visit it every year.

Ten Most Known Cities in North America

Population, tourists per year and Political importance.

10.) Vancouver: Located on Canada's west coast Vancouver represents the most northern city on the list (despite the fact that it's only about 20 miles from America's border.) Vancouver has a population of less than a million but receives almost two million tourists annually.

9.) Toronto: Toronto is Canada's best known city but not it's capital (which would be Ottawa). It's located in South-Eastern Ontario and has a population of two and a half million receiving several thousand more tourists than residents.

8.) Mexico City: Both Mexico's capital and largest city it is also the southern most city on the list. Mexico city is known as the former capital of the Aztec Empire and is very attractive to Latin Americans who are eager to visit somewhere familiar but 'more advanced.' About nine million Mexicans call the city home and more than three million visit it annually.

7.) Dallas: Home of the Dallas cowboys this Texan city has a population of nearly one and half million it receives over fifteen million visitors annually.

6.) Philadelphia: Home of the Flyers this Pennsylvania city has a population of approximately 1.5 million and welcomes over 25 million people annually.

5.) Houston: Houston has a population of over two million and is visited by over 14 million people annually. The city stands out in its size: it covers an area of over 650 square miles.

4.) Chicago: This American city located on the southern edge of the Great Lakes has a population of nearly three million and is visited by more than forty-five million people every year.

3.) Los Angeles: The "City of the Angels" is the top city on the Western part of the Continent. With a population of about four million the Los Angeleans welcome over forty million people every year.

2.) Washington: The capital of America is known in every country in the world but without it`s Political importance it wouldn`t be on the list. Home of the White House (the former being burned down by some angry Canadians) this Atlantic city has less than a million people yet it is visited by more than 17 million.

1.) New York City: New York City is both the economic capital of the New World and a competitor for the cultural capital. More than 8.5 million people call the `Big Apple` home. An amazing number visit the city every year--more than 50 million.

Ten Differences Between Canada and America

1.) Religious majority: In Canada about 67% of people identify as Roman Catholics but in America about 46% identify as Protestant (which is the largest religious group.)

2.) Political leanings: Canada's conservatives are usually at least as Left-wing as the typical                                                   American Democrat.

3.) Political colors: In America Blue = Democrat and Red = Republican.
                                 In Canada  Blue = Conservative and Red = Liberal

4.) Major Federal Political groups: In America it's Republican or Democrat, but in Canada there's three parties: Conservative, New Democratic and Liberal.

5.) Colonial Genesis: The majority of early settlers who came to what would become America were English; the first settlers to what would become Canada were French.

6.) History of Independence: America declared independence in 1776 which was followed by a bloody war wherein thousands of American rebels and British loyalists lost their lives.

Canada's process is more complicated: it became a Principality 1867 with Britain`s permission, but it wasn't until 1949 that Newfoundland agreed to become a Canadian province (thus completing Canada.)

7.) Language: In Canada the major secondary language is French, in America it's Spanish.

8.) Population: America has a population of 320 million. Canada only has 35 million people.

9.) General Culture: In America there's more of a push to embrace a defined cultural identity. In Canada the cultural identity is to embrace your own culture as long as you accept a few basic Canadian values.

10.) States vs. Provinces: Canada is one state with 10 Provinces and three territories. America is not a single state but is made up of fifty.

A Province holds less power over itself compared to a state. And a territory has less power than a Province because of it`s small population. (In Canada only about 2% of Canadians live in the Northern Territories even though they include about 40% of the country`s land.)

Evocations in Israel Reveal Goliath's Home City

Bar-Ilan University in Israel has published its Summer evacuation findings on the Philistine city of Gath; this season they finally found the city's gate. 

Gath was one of the largest cities in the region and one of the major five Philistine cities along with Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron and Gaza (from which the Gaza strip gets its name.) 

The city is located a few miles west of the valley of Elah--where the famous fight between David and Goliath took place.

The Bible mentions Gath in detail two times, once is in 1 Samuel 5 where the Ark of the Covenant has been stolen by the Philistines. They decide to take it to Ashdod but after a number of people broke out with tumors it is carried eastward to Gath. After the Ark arrives in Gath tumors break out there as well and the Philistines once again take it to another city. The whole account can be read in detail starting here.

The other major mention of the city comes sixty years later in the narrative when David is fleeing King Saul who has become jealous and murderous. David comes to Gath for shelter. But the citizens of Gath recognized David as a top warrior of the Israelite army, so he acts like a madman "making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard." On seeing this the King of the city says "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?” This part of David's story can be read in detail here.

The Bible also mentions Gath elsewhere in less detail:

It's first mentioned in Joshua 11 as one of the places where a race called the "Anakim" remained.

Gath was where the Philistine Goliath came from (1 Samuel 17)

And David mentions it in a lament after his King and best friend Jonathan die (2 Samuel 1:17-27)

The last mention of the city in the Bible is in Micah: "Tell it not in Gath; weep not at all. In Beth Ophrah roll in the dust." (Micah 1:10) At this point the city's been lying in ruin for more than a century. 

The city is believed to have been destroyed by King Hazael of Syria who reigned in Damascus (which even at the time was an ancient city.) King Hazael defeated both the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah in battle and captured the Philistine's Gath in about 850 BC.

He turned his forces to Jerusalem but King Joash gave him a large tribute that satisfied the warring King. 

For updates on the cities' evacuation from those working on the sight, click here.

The Downward Steps of Secularism

Religion out of government: All religious references in speech and prayer is banned in Congress,                                                       parliament and city hall meetings. Except on rare occasions.

           Religion out of public view: Street preaching and religious dress is deemed unacceptable by                                                              the state.

                     Religion banned: Churches and Mosques lose any tax-exempt status and the state                                                             dictates what's taught in private religious schools. Individuals
                                                cannot openly practice their religion. At this point a culture as been                                                       created that is hostile to anything religious and those who are                                                                 considered devoutly religious are shunned.

                               The religious wiped out: It's at this point, either by the state's direct actions or by                                                                    their permission religious individuals are shunned, exiled                                                                               and/or murdered as the majority of society looks at them                                                                         as fanatics those persecuted mourn the lose of what their                                                                         society was a few decades ago and wonder why no one                                                                           did anything to stop the steps leading to the dark pit that                                                                         results in thousands of deaths.

26 'Religious' YouTube Channels that have More Subscribers than the Vatican

As of August 3rd, 2015 the official Vatican YouTube page had 119,565 subscribers. While this might not seem like a lot compared to channels such as 
Buzzfed which has 7,036,465 subscribers or WatchMojo.com with 8,863,896 subscribers; it is still
 a lot for a channel that uses the Name of God and not as an excuse not to swear. 

As of August 3rd, 2015 the official Vatican YouTube page had 119,565 subscribers. While this might not seem like a lot compared to channels such as Buzzfed which has 7,036,465 subscribers or WatchMojo.com with 8,863,896 subscribers; it is still a lot for a channel that uses the Name of God and not as a ``swear-word replacement``. 

Still the Vatican has been beaten by a number of YouTube channels, most of whom are Evangelical.
They are as follows: 

P4CM (An Evangelical channel that uses poetry and drama to spread Christian ideals) is the 26^th most subscribed English YouTube channel. It has 126,748 subscribers.

25.) Living Waters (with Ray Comfort) has 128,667 subscribers. 

24.) LoveAllah328 (A Muslim channel) has 129,881 subscribers.

23.) RELEVANT has 130,537 subscribers.

22.) TheProphetsPath has 134,681 subscribers

21.) TheAnimaSeries has 146,531 subscribers. 

20.) WorshipVideo has 149,131 subscribers. 

19.) KariJobeVEVO has 177,382 subscribers

18.) Muslim Speakers has 188,087 subscribers. 

17.) TobyMacVEVO has 191,341 subscribers. 

16.) Islamic Guidance has 202,907 subscribers. 

15.) Jesus Culture has 214,371 subscribers.

14.) DigitalMimbar has 215,806 subscribers. 

13.) The Vigilant Christian (the most conversational Evangelical channel has 249,017 subscribers. 

12.) ChrisTomlinVEVO has 249,762 subscribers.

11.) The Daily Reminder has 274,859 subscribers. 

10.) Talk Islam has 276,142 subscribers. 

9.) NewsboysVEVO has 279,241 subscribers. 

8.) Hillsong Worship has 280,199 subscribers. 

7.) Bethel Music has 286,000 subscribers.

6.) Reach Records (with extraordinarily popular Lacrea) has 298,786 subscribers. 

5.) Mormon Channel (has 348,917 subscribers. 

4.) Anthem Lights 365,329 subscribers. 

3.) The Merciful Servant has 385,002 subscribers.

2.) Skilletband has 415,511 subscribers. 

1.) Jefferson Bethke the producer of the extremely popular video “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus`` which got well over 29 million views. As of August 3, 2015 he has 545,880 subscribers. (More than four and half times the Vatican.)