So we had dinner tonight with a Druz family (hope I’m spelling that correctly.) They are a local Israeli family of the Druz faith. The dinner was family style with lots of great new flavors. After that a couple of family members played music and we danced. Now I’m beat and have to get some sleep finally.
Early start with a wake up call at 6:30 then breakfast at 8am. The breakfast bar here is a lot different from the typical breakdast in the US. There are salads and whole fruits and potatoes – even cold fish. Of course there are eggs and cereal too. The fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh milk and breads are awesome.
7 of the disciples were from this region of Galilee. These were the common people. Remember 1 Corinthians 1:17 – God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.
Jesus performed many of His miracles in this region. I’m stoked about this day.
First thing is the Mount of Beattitudes. The church is in the general vicinity of the site. To the right (as you look toward the sea) is a natural theater where the earth is shaped just right to amplify sound. Possibly that is the location – no one knows for certain, but it has to be close. You can see this in one if the pictures. See Matthew 5 for the scripture reference. We didn’t spend much time here. The Catholic Church owns the site. It’s beautiful and the church is built out of local stone which is a dark volcanic stone. Next we are making a side trip to a little tent where a really kind Armenian man sells fresh olive oil.
As we descend back from the mountain to the sea it strikes me how beautiful this land is. We are headed to the traditional site where Jesus multiplied the bread and the fish. The first thing we came across was a couple of large stone oil presses. One stone was for the first squeeze (virgin) olive oil. The second with the rolling stone was the second press of the olives. Olive oil was incredibly important to people living in a dry climate. To them it was for annointing, food, fuel and medicine. We entered the church and found a 1600 year old mosaic of two fish and two loaves of bread. Ive posted a picture but am having to use my iPhone for blog pictures which has no flash. I hope your able to make out the image. I took a picture of a picture of the mosaic in a souvenier shop so you can better see whatbthe mosaic looks like.
Several times in the gospels the disciples suggest sending the people away. To them at that time, the people were a hassle. Not so for Jesus. In Matthew 14 Jesus miraculously accomodates the hungry crowd using what is available. Two loaves of bread and two fish. As always God provided. With God a little is a lot. In verse 18 Jesus said bring the fish and bread to Him. Jesus then did what? He didn’t add and He didn’t duplicate but He multiplied. He multiplied the practical to produce the miraculous. Some of you reading this blog may be thinking that you would love to do this trip but how can you afford it? Friend God can make it happen. Tithe first. That’s so important. Malachi 3 – God says he will heap blessing on all who give. Then take practical steps (save, budget) and watch God do the miraculous.
Next we went to Capernaeum the home of Peter’s mother in law (picture of her house below.) She wasn’t home. The name literally means “city of Nahum.” Matthew was a tax collector in this city. The Roman government would ask the tax collector for a certain amount over a year and anything above that was theirs to keep. So tax collectors had a license to steal. Tax collectors were of course hated. Jesus called Matthew from here. Typically a Rabbi would choose disciples from the best of the best. The guys that Jesus selected were guys who did not make the cut so to speak in the religious schooling system of the day. In a rabbinical sense when Jesus said “follow Me” it meant to take on His yoke – to follow so closely that you would become like Him. Imagine what the other disciples thought when Jesus said “follow Me” to Matthew the tax collector. But then again He said that to you and I as well didn’t He? God doesn’t always call the equipped but He always equips the called. Cool thing about this site is that Jesus spent lots of time here and you know that somewhere here you will cross Jesus’ path.
Jesus speaks of three local unbelieving cities in Matthew 11:20-24. Capernaum was one of those cities.
After Capernaum we went to eat St. Peter’s Fish on the shore of the sea. This is the second time I’ve been to Israel and the second time I’ve eaten talapia on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In recent years there has been a drought in the land and that is extremely evident when you look at how much the shoreline has receded.
Next we headed to a kibutz where what’s called “the Jesus Boat” is kept. This boat is a wooden boat found buried in the mud of the Sea of Galilee during a drought year. The boat is 2000 years old and is preserved for public viewing in the kibutz.
So here we are on a boat sailing out into the Sea of Galilee. The wind is slight but it carries a bite of cold. Gulls follow the boat and Pastor David is speaking giving details about the sea. From here we can see the Golan Heights even with the haze. You can almost see Peter and the other fishermen disciples casting nets. In Mark 4:35-41 we see the disciples in a boat on the sea being tossed by a violent (probably supernatural) storm. Jesus was sleeping. The disciples, fearful for their lives, awoke Jesus with a question – “don’t You care that we are dying?” That is a question Jesus answered for us all with His own life. We will have storms in life. Even with Jesus on board. But we can be confident that Jesus as the Captain will do the work (see Phil 1:6). The boat sailed across HaKineret (the sea) to our hotel where we disembarked for the bus.
Now we are off to the Jordan for a group baptism. It’s 50 something degrees outside and the water felt like 40 something. Brrrrr … It was awesome to be baptized in the Jordan (HaYarden) but even more awesome to have the priviledge of participating in the baptism of my friends here in Israel in the river Jordan.
With that we’re heading back to the Hotel in Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee for dinner at 7:00.
After dinner we spent some time sharing together some things God had done in our lives. Many incredible God stories were told and it was a great blessing. We closed with communion and now Frank and I are winding down in the room and probably going to crash real soon to be ready to hit the ground running at 6:30 in the morning.
Lielah Tov (Good Night)
PS – having difficulties getting photos to upload. I’m calling it quits tonight and will try again in the morning.
Ok, so hopefully I’ll be able to upload pictures when we get back today. I think the problem is the wifi signal in my room is weak. I’ll try to upload from the lobby tonight.
I’m not sure what is on the schedule today. I’m hoping for Bet Shean but am not sure if that’s today or tomorrow. So we are starting out early this morning at 1am US time and 8am Israel.
We’re starting with the area of Caesarea Philipi. To get there we ascend into the mountains of the Golan Heights. When Mark Twain visited this land 100 years he wrote that it was a swampy and barren place. The land I see is so different. It’s lush and fertile. Surely God is blessing His people in His land. I can see into Lebanon across the field to my left.
After a bus ride of about an hour we pass by the ruins of Caesaria Philipi and our first stop is at Banias which is a tributary of the Yarden (Jordan). The scene is beautiful. Here is a hill with a large cave and many altars. This was a place of worship of the god Pan. The cave was known as the “Gate of Hell.” In Matthew 16 Jesus and his disciples were in this place when he called Peter the little rock and he referred to the church being built on the big rock (Jesus) and the gates of hell (probably pointing to this cave) would not prevail against it. The people would come to this place to sacrifice (animal and maybe even human) to the god Pan. The pagans really believed that this place was an entrance to Sheol. There were other temples here as well, the remains of which are scattered about.
Next we are on the Damascas road continuing up in elevation. We stop for some pictures of a Crusader fortress called Nimrod’s Castle. In the distance I can see snow capped peaks of Mount Hermon and in the other direction the sun is breaking over the valley.
We’ve turned around and descended some into a valley to visit Tel Dan. On the way we pass fields of Avocado trees (our guide Ido calls them quacamole trees).
After a long hike we make it up the hill to Tel Dan. Here was one of the high places where Baal was worshipped. 1 Kings 12:25 mentions this altar built in Dan by King Jeraboam. Found some more pot sherds here. Mankind has been trying to create their own religion for a long time.
Next we are off to have lunch at Kibbutz Gonen. It’s on the front line near Syria. The food was wonderful as it has been this whole trip. While here we tour one of the many bomb shelters.
From the Kibbutz we head north and east along the Golan Heights toward the Syrian boarder again going up in elevation. As we continue, I glance back one more time at the beatuiful valley which was once all swamp and is now covered in farms.
We approach an IDF Paratroopers base and see three tanks – the latest in the Israeli army. Up here in the Heights anyone who controls it has easy targetting of much of Israel. We are heading to an area known as the valley of tears where one of the bloodiest battles of the war was fought. We stopped at another Kibbutz where we watched a short documentary movie called Oz (otz) 77 about a tank brigade during the Yom Kippur war.
After leaving the Kibbutz we head to Mount Bental where we will visit a bunker that was active during the war.
The bunker is on top of the ridge of a former volcano. When we arrive it has clouded back over and we are literally standing in the clouds. The bunker itself is in a great position for battle. Without the clouds the view would be for many miles.
I’m exhausted. We are on our way back to the hotel and have a wake up call at 6am to leave for the Dead Sea at 7am.
Tomorrow is Bet Shean, Qumran, the Dead Sea and more!
Shalom Shalom.
Lahitraot.
- shawn
This day starts out with a mix of emotions. I can’t wait to get back to my family. I’m dreading the flight. I hate leaving this place. It’s a beautiful and majestic land – one on which the Lord of lords and King of kings has inscribed his name. But there is still more to do today so I will push those emotions back for later.
The first thing we do is head up the temple mount. As you can imagine there is a lot of security around the temple mount so it takes a while to get there. The area on top is huge. We make our way across and over to the top of an underground mosque that was recently constructed. From here there’s a good view of the dome of the rock. From there we cross the mount to the other side of the dome and look to the east towards the eastern gate. We at at the point where many believe that the Holy of Holies once was. From there we head to the eastern gate where Jesus will enter the temple mount. We leave through a side gate an enter the Muslim Quarter of the old city. We stop at the Pool of Bethsaida. Water was collected from the mountains. This is where the lame and the diseased would come to dip in the water stirred by an angel. Jesus healed the paralytic here.
We head towards the praetorium in the Antonio Fortress where Jesus was flogged and given the cross. We travel up a slope with buildings forming avenues by their walls on each side. We enter a building and descend back in time to the Roman Period. The floors here are from the Antinio Palace. At this place Jesus suffered beatings and floggings and scourgings culminating in him being handed the cross to carry up to Golgotha. The whips that were used had imbedded in them bits of bones, glass, and metal. Each hit would rip away skin. Many who were scourged did not survive. At any point Jesus could have said no. He didn’t. He wore a crown of thorns and a purple cloak and endured on top of these things mockery. After a period of thinking an praying we head back up. Into the streets. Making our way through the crowded market streets we end up exiting through the Damascus Gate where Jesus would have passed carrying the cross on His way to Golgotha (John 19:16-18).
I’m looking up at the hill near the place where my Lord died for me. I’m quite confident this is the place. The hill still bears the appearance of a skull. This right next to the busy road leading from Jerusalem to Damascas. The Romans always crucified people on major roads for maximum effect. The ridgeline is that of Mount Moriah. It would not have been on top of the hill but would have been near the hill.
The tomb is not far off from this spot – maybe a hundred yards. There is a huge water cistern on the garden as well as a wine press. The tomb is empty. There is a slot in from of the tomb where the stone would have been rolled. As I enter the tomb there is the spot where Jesus would have been lain off to my diagonal right. Again, the tomb is empty and it was empty when it was found. Jesus resurrected and is alive. We can’t say that about anyone else. Jesus had a goal – He had a mission and He was driven by His love for us to fulfill that mission. This was probably the spot where Abraham offered Isaac in Genesis 22. In fact the parallels between the events of Genesis 22 and of Jesus are incredible. In this place we take communion together and it’s a wonderful thing.
Now we head to another section of Jerusalem called the German Colony where we will have a lunch of shewarma (like a gyro). This is one of the richest areas of Jerusalem and the neighborhood is a lot like some of the trendy neighborhoods in New York.
We head back to the hotel where we will hang out for a while until we leave for a meal and then the airport. The airport promises to be an adventure if it’s anything like the last time I left Israel.
I’m going to go ahead and post this blog now. I cannot guarantee a signal or wifi the rest of the journey so thanks to all who came along with me in Spirit. It’s an incredible trip and one that I pray everyone will take. If you have any questions I would love to answer them for you.
Shalom. Lehitraot.
Shawn
Day 10 starts out with an early start. Up at 6:00 and on the road at 7:30. After a great breakfast we head out into the city of Jerusalem.
We stop at The City of David Archaeological Park. God said that He was going to write His name on this land and if you look at an aerial picture you will notice three valleys that cut through Jerusalem in the shape of a “w” or the Hebrew letter Shin. That is “shorthand” for the name of God – “HaShem” – “The Name.”
We watch a great 3-D movie relating the history of the City of David. I’m standing on the highest point of the city and can see the temple mount above and the valley below. I’m on the Mount Moriah Ridgeline. The highest point originally would have been David’s palace where he would have been able to look down into the city an have a view of all the flat roofs. From here David would have seen Bathsheba.
We continue down to some of the ruins. All of these things over 3000 years old. We enter a tunnel hewn into the stone leading to the water source which was outside the city walls. The part of the tunnel we explore is the original Canaanite section which David used to move under the city walls and take the city (2 Samuel 5:6-9). The tunnel is small and tight. It’s an incredible feat of ingenuity. These people were not afraid of work in the least. We end up outside of the tunnel in the Kidron Valley and a Palestinian neighborhood. Israel is doing some road maintanance but the workers have to each have a bodyguard because the Palestinians give them such problems – even though the improvements are beneficial to them. On the way out we stop by the Pool of Siloam.
Next we head to an archaeological dig to salvage what the muslims have dumped from the temple mount. We will all get to sift through rubble and such to find atifacts. We all found some pottery, mosaics, bone and marble. We also found three coins and an earing.
From there we travel to Yad VaShem – the holocaust Museum.
I’ve just been through a portion of the holocaust museum. I feel I can hardly breathe. I’m trying not to just break down in tears but have already done so several times. The images are horrifying but it’s the realization that people can do this to one another that really hits hard. There was a quote inscribed on a wall that made me stop dead. It said, “Around here everything screams in silence.” I don’t know who’s quote it was. Another wall was the picture of a soldier with his rifle aimed at the back of a woman trying to run away with a small child in her arms. I’m about to enter the children’s memorial but I really don’t want to. I don’t. Know if I can handle it. 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust and 1.5 million were children. Inside the memorial it’s not what I expected. The room is round an dark with mirrors and candles reflecting countless spots of light. The names of children an their ages are being read aloud. I’m not in there long … Couldn’t. It’s horrible and I want to push it out of my brain but I cannot and should not. Quite frankly now I just want to be alone to sob. I’m going to stop writing for a little while.
Ok, so we are heading back to the hotel after a very emotional end to the day. I’m wiped out and have a lot to think about.
Shalom.
Shaalu shalom Yerushaliam (pray for the peace of Jerusalem).
Boker Tov. Good morning.
We begin this day early with breakfast and fresh juices and coffee. We are headed to the Mount of Olives. When we get there the view is incredible. The first thing we notice is the temple mount and the golden dome of the rock. Next I notice the Kidron Valley where the brook Kidron would have run red with the blood of the many lambs sacrificed at Pesach (Passover). The next thing you notice is that there are Jewish graves all over the mount of olives. The reason is that when the Messiah comes He will set foot on the Mount of Olives and those buried here would be the first to be resurrected.
From here you can see the gold top of the Russian Orthodox Church next to the Garden of Gethsemene. In 2 Samuel 15:30 David ascends the Mount of Olives weeping because his son Absalom had conspired against him. Ahithophel was an extremely wise man who betrayed David to join Absalom. It was a series of poor decisions that David made that led Ahithophel to go against David. Uriah was related to Ahithophel. We don’t know every person that our sins affect. My words and actions today carry into the lives of others tomorrow – probably further and deeper than we know. Zechariah 14:4 talks about the next time Jesus will step foot on the Mount of Olives as the Conquering Lion of the tribe of Judah coming forth to reign. In Matthew 23:37 – Barruk attah hashem Adonai – blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Matthew 24 -Jesus is on this Mount talking about the things to come. Now I sit here looking at the Temple Mount with no temple and indeed the temple that was there is thrown down – not one stone left upon another. As we descend a bit further we see graves that date back 1100 years. In the actual valley graves date to the time of King David.
Genesis 22 speaks about the mountain on which Abraham was tested and it was a prophecy of what Jesus would do on the cross. This is where Solomon built the first temple. From where I am now in the distance across the valley I can see a small portion of the original fortification wall King David built when he founded the city. I can also see the house of the High Priest Caiaphas where Jesus was held and accused.
We continue down to the garden of gethsemene and enter. The olive trees are old and knotted. Some of the trees are very old. I stand before a tree that is around 2000 years old and may have been a silent witness to all that transpired in this garden. Inside a church here is what is said to be the rock that Jesus laid His head on.
We leave that area and head to the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book. On the way there we pass the Israel Parlaiment Building. It’s a large concrete building with a flat roof. There are 40 pillars around the building to comemorate the years of wandering in the wilderness. We arrive at the Israel Museum. Here there is a scale model of the city of Jerusalem at the time of the second temple. The Shrine of the Book contains actual pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as the Alepo Codex. The shrine of the scroll is actually shaped like a Torah scroll.
We leave there and head to an overlook of Bethlehem (house of bread). Bethlehem is palestinian controlled so going into the city can be difficult. It is seperated from Jerusalem by a huge wall with armed Israeli soldiers set to guard. I’ve been inside the town before. And there is not much remarkable about it. This is the place where Jesus was born though we don’t know where – even though there is a church (the church of the nativity) with a cave underneath where they say Jesus was born. It might be or might not be but many revere it. Isn’t that what we do? We revere the place or the thing and leave the Lord out of it? It is likely that this is the place. There are many other shepherd caves in this area that could have been the manger where Jesus was born but evidence points to that place. The story of Ruth and Boaz took place here.
We arrive at the overlook and can see the shepherds fields. Bethlehem was not a large city. Matthew 2 speaks of Bethlehem and the wise men seeking after the star for the King born to save the world (HaOlam). Bethlehem was a humble town a few miles out from Jerusalem. The Lord has a track record of choosing the least and the lowest. This way the Lord receives the glory. My dad always told me to remember where I came from. That is wisdom because when I look at the path I chose before I was saved I have to say, who am I to serve the Lord God Most High? Glory to God.
As we depart from the overlook some shepherd children approach with a small herd of sheep and a few lambs. They offer the lambs for anyone who wants to take a picture with a lamb for a dollar. We stop at another Kibutz to lunch which is buffet style and quite good. The people of this Kibutz held off the Egyptian army during the 1967 war.
We are now at the house of the high priest Caiaphas. From this location we can see the temple mount, the kidron valley, and the mount of olives and the Potter’s field bought by thirty pieces of silver.
Entering into a 16th century church we walk down some steps to the level which is equated to the time of Jesus. There is a hole in the ground leading into a dungeon where Jesus was probably held. You would have been thrown down into the dungeon and it would have taken a rope to lift you out. Walking down some steps that did not exist at the time we go into a prison and dungeon with a place for torture.
Outside that area is a set of original stairs leading from the Kidron to the garden of gethsemene to here and to herod’s place. As I walk these stairs I realize that Jesus walked these stairs too … as He suffered on His way to pay for my sins.
So ends the day.
It’s dinner time and I’m tired. I hope to have an opportunity to get down to Ben Yehuda Street which is kinda the hang out area for the younger set. There are also some great stores there.
Alright. It’s time for me to wrap up today’s writing.
Shalom. Lehitraot!
Shalom my friends!
What a day is ahead! We are in Jerusalem (Yeru – city Shalom – peace) the sun is up, the sky is blue and the day is ahead. Many things to see but Shabbat is ahead and the day will end early. The city is crowded and the streets are narrow. Add to that parked cars and foot traffic and you could not pay me enough to be a bus driver here.
The mix of buildings is striking. Some look like tin roof shanties others are modest buildings and others are beautiful limestone works of art. The walls of the old city stand in stark contrast to the sloping greenery of the Kidron Valley. Today we will take the same steps into the temple mount that Jesus took. There is so much around that I can’t document everything.
First stop is the temple mount. The structure is awesome in proportion. We move to the Southern Steps where everyone who entered the temple would have walked. We take a seat as Pastor David shares a few words. Jesus would have walked here. He may have even sat on these steps to teach His disciples. You know, there has been such an attempt (probably demonic) to seperate Judaism from Christianity. In reality we are grounded in the Hebrew Scriptures. We cannot fully understand why and what Jesus did without understanding the Tanakh – the Hebrew Scriptures. So many Christians miss out on the significance of the OT because they have been told – maybe by their pastor that they are irrelevant.
We pass through security to get to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). The area of the wall is closer to where the Holy of Holies was. That’s what makes this section of the wall is so special.
After a prayer at the wall and some looking around we head up some stairs to The Temple Institute. Here we see implements (Shofars, Levites Clothes, High Priests Garments, Harps, Wash Basins, Table of Showbread, etc) that have been and are being constructed for use in the Third Temple which will be rebuilt. Check it out at http://www.templeinstitute.org.
We leave the temple institute and walk down some stairs to a small overlook where the new Menorah is located. It’s exactly as the Bible prescribes and is huge. You can also see pictures of it at the temple institute website.
We stop in a wonderful restaurant to eat lunch. Can you guess what I ate? Falafel. I love Falafel. While we were eating, a guy that does custom jewelry came by and I ordered a special ring for Christy. The view from the terrace where we are eating is impeccable. I can see the temple mount and the mount of olives.
Leaving the cafe we head into the old city. The old city is divided into quarters. There is the Jewish, Armenian, Muslim and the Christian quarter. We end up in an area that dates to the time of Christ. It’s a city street that was uncovered during excavation. This leads to a room with a mosaic of the city dating back 1600 years during the time of Constantine.
We continue down that same street to the Jewish Quarter. Prior to 1967 Israel did not have control over the old city – the Muslims did. They destroyed the Jewish section which allowed archaeologists to do some great work in this area but it also means most of the buildings had to be rebuilt.
After a short walk we end up at the Zion Gate. At Zion Gate was some of the most fierce fighting and you can see bullet scars everywhere in the stone of the gate. All together there are 7 gates, including the Eastern Gate where Jesus will enter the city (see Ezekial 46). The Muslims have sealed that gate and built a cemetary in front of it to prevent this foolishly believing that the Messiah will be prevented by the Torah regulations.
The streets of the old city are winding. We are headed toward the upper room where Jesus had His last meal. The room dates back to Crusader time but condenses is that the room they were in was in this location. This is where the meal happened and where Jesus told Judas to go ahead and do what he planned to do. It’s pretty incredible to think that 2000 years later here we are. Take the journey here. It changes you forever.
As we head out we pass by a Hebrew school called a Yeshiva. When Jewish children learn the 22 letter Hebrew Aleph-Beth (alphabet) they are given a taste of honey with each letter. In this way they associate the language of God with sweetness. We should approach God’s Word that same way. It’s a sweet taste in our mouths as we speak it and as we consume it.
Shabbat begins today at sundown. That means that our day ends early and we each get to participate in the rest of Shabbat in Jerusalem in Israel. I’m going to spend this time meditating in the Word of God, in prayer and in fellowship as I enjoy the sweetness of my Jewish roots.
Shalom Shabbat.
Got to sleep an extra 30 minutes this morning. The sun on the mountains and cast across the sea is beautiful. It’s almost 8am and we’ve placed our bags outside the room for the poters to take to the bus. We ate going down fir some breakfast.
I’m slathering on sunscreen as we are going to be in the Judean Wilderness today and the skies are clear and sunny. By the way, the bus we travel on is extremely comfortable. The bus driver, David, is very good at what he does and he keeps the bus immaculate.
First stop is Herods fortress at Massada. This is the place where hundreds of Jews (the Macabee revolt), surrounded by the Roman Army, committee suicide rather than be taken captive. At the top of the table mount we are 1500 feet above the Dead Sea. The view is incredible. Temps here in the summer are 120 F in the shade. In the winter it gets below freezing. Masada means fortress. In 103 BC a king first built a tower here as an overlook. So this was an outpost to warn the capital of Jerusalem about approaching armies. This would have given the king 2 months of time to prepare for the attack. Later King Herod (who suffered from a crazed mind due to Syphillis) would build a palace fortress here in the case of a worst case scenario. There was enough food storage and water cisterns for 1000 people to be able survive a seige for many years. The uprising of the Jews against the Romans (due to taxes) started around 66 A.D. At 70 AD when Jerusalem is taken and the temple burned about 1000 people fled to Masada.
In May 14 1948 Israel received independence. Yasser Arafat used to wear a patch and on that patch was a picture of the entire land of israel. The Israelis are very proud of their land. I can see that as i walk around and observe. I’m sitting in the synagogue in the Masada complex. A fragment of a scroll was found here – Ezekial 37. That’s interesting because Masada continues to live in the hearts of Israelis not just as something that happened but as an ongoing rallying cry – Masada will never fall again. Israel is back in the land and no man has the right to take away what God has given. The clock is ticking and Jesus is coming quickly. Time passes and like water drains away. A rabbi once asked a student “when should you repent?” The student said “I do not know.” the rabbi said, “one day before you die.”. The student protested, “I don’t know when that will be.” “Then repent now,” said the rabbi. Where are you with Jesus?
Next up is En Gedi. This is the place where David hid from Saul when Saul was trying to kill him. As I hike up the rock trail following several waterfalls there are many small animals and a few larger one’s like Ibixes. We see numerous caves on the way – any one could be the one David hid inside. We end up at a place called David’s waterfall. 1 Samuel 23-24 is the scriptural reference. Read Psalm 63. When David arrived at this point after traveling in a dry land it must have been an incredible moment for him. What an oasis. Jesus, who gives living water, is our En Gedi – our Oasis. Has someone or something else become your En Gedi?
Now we are back on the bus and headed towards “Genesis Land.” it was awesome. A great meal served in a tent located on a hill that could easily have been the location where Abraham sojurned.
We are now headed towards Jerusalem. I remember the first time I crested the hill and Jerusalem revealed herself in the sunset. It is a momentvi will never forget. Now I get to relive this experience with 26 family members. It’s a moment that I hope to repeat many times over. As we clear a tunnel and crest the hill there is Jerusalem. I see a myriad of lights, the temple mount and the old city. We stop at a store where they have antiquities – Bar Kokbah coins as well as older and more recent, ancient pottery, and other things – some as old as 3500 years. I inquired about an ancient coin set in a white gold necklace priced at $6800. My wife will be happy to know that I did not purchase anything.
It’s time to go to the hotel. We are all exhausted. The hotel is awesome. Free Internet … Gotta like that. See you later! Lehitraot!
OK – so internet is not working with my phone here in this hotel. I’m having to re-type this whole thing … I cannot post pictures because they are all on my phone, but will as soon as I’m able.
Wednesday morning in Tiberias. We were woken up at 6am for a quick shower and breakfast then loading into the bus. We head out at 7:30 and go south to the lower part of the Jezreel valley to the place where Gideon chose his men. The sun is out and it’s a beautiful day. Many different smells – all of them quite refreshing. Down a winding path we end up at a fresh mineral water spring streaming out from a slight cave in the side of a hill. This is where Gideon chose the 300. Th ename of the place is Herad. In judges 6 we see Gideon threshing wheat in a wine press to hide from the Mideonites who would raid. The Angel of the Lord called Gideon a Mighty Man of Valor – God sees the potential in Gideon. Remember that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). I remember when I was in Junior High I had a coach that would grab me by the shoulder, squeeze and say “man of God.” Now, I was not a man of God – not by a long shot. Coach Young saw the potential in me and that’s what he was speaking to. He was not stating the current situation, but was pointing to the goal. I look back now and see that he was speaking prophetically. who can you be encouraging?
Back on the bus, we continue south toward the ruins at Beth Shean. Looking out across the valley towards the Tel the scene is awesome. Roman ruins populate the valley and at the top of the Tel are the ruins of Beth Shean where the body of Saul was hung on the Philistine city wall. This is perhaps one of the most rich sites with structures and artifacts. I’m currently sitting in the ruins of the Roman theatre. This theatre originally was three tiers high and seated 8000 people. I can see the city center lined with pillars and off to the left the heated bath house area. The roman city was destroyed by an earthquake as evidenced by the random layout of the fallen pillars.
As I ascend the Tel I notice the earth is covered in pot sherds of which I grab a few. As we leave the area, we pass by the roman coliseum whree gladiators, lions, bears and christians would have been pitted against one another for sport.
Passing through an armed checkpoint we continue south toward Qumran. to my left I see the boarder of Israel and Jordan. we are in the oft mis-reported on West Bank. We stop at Qumran where the dead sea scrolls were found in caves. the whole bible (hebrew scriptures) was found here except for one book – the book of Esther. The cliffs are tall and dusty with gullies and caves all around. There is no green – only the tans, reds and browns of the Judean Wilderness. Here the Essenes lived a seperated life from the rest if Jewish society. Many of the ruins of their day to day life are preserved including a cistern and a mikvah. I look out across the road and see the Dead Sea and Mount Nebo (where Moses viewed the Promised Land before he died.)
We’re now headed to the hotel on the Dead Sea where we are goin gto spend the night. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth. It is 1200 feet deep. The hotel room has a great view of the dead sea.
The spa in the hotel has the dead sea water pumped in and heated in an indoor pool. It’s a really odd sensation – almost like weightlessness.
Lehitraot.
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