Today was a relatively uneventful day for us in Jerusalem. Today was a planned free day, intentionally left open for us to explore and do whatever we want. So... we slept in later today than we have the entire trip... sleeping in until 7 am. After a quick 8 o'clock breakfast, we were hoofing it to an open air market in the city called The Shook. Wow! Awesome! This was like pike place market on steroids! Tons of produce, fresh meats, and fish, candies, oils, drinks, desserts... everything.
From the Shook we headed to Ben Yahuda shopping district for some souvenir shopping. We found some good stuff, and the decided to venture down into the old city for lunch and to see some sights. We had lunch at a burger place... which actually had good burgers (kosher... no cheese) but took FOREVER to get our food. When we sat down in the plaza, an old man stumbled up and asked for change... Jason pulled some change out of his pocket and gave him a 5 shekel coin. Seeing the other coins in my pocket as he selected the one he would give him, the bum became emboldened and demanded more. After a thorough exchange, the man relented and left us to enjoy our lunch. That will teach us!
After lunch, we ventured into the old city markets hidden beneath the streets of the old city. After getting lost and wandering into the back alleys of the muslim quarter, we decided to throw in the towel and head back to the hotel. After some relaxing, we went to dinner and the wrapped up our evening with "The Night Tour"... an optional add-on adventure offered by our guide.
We walked the grounds of the kinneset and the supreme court. We visited ultra-orthodox areas of the city to see their way of life, and we drove around the old city walls which were all lit up and glowing. Very cool...
Next, we headed down to the border with Bethlehem where we were able to visit Rachel's Tomb (Rachel was Jacob's wife). The border area between Israel Proper (Jerusalem) and Bethlehem, is very strange. Very tall 30 foot walls divide the two cities and the tomb lies right in between two large walls. The walls were constructed to prevent terrorists from getting out of the west bank/Bethlehem into Jerusalem and has resulted in a 99% drop in suicide attacks.
We ended the night at a first century tomb in an area that could have been where Jesus was entombed. There is no real certainty as to where this took place, so during the trip, we'll see a few different places where this could have occurred.
Tomorrow could be one of the most exciting days of the trip thus far! Off to bed for a few hours.... then on the bus again for more sights!
We're having a great time. Our guide Eitan is AWESOME. He really knows his stuff and is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, in a couple days, we'll be leaving Eitan and a bunch of our group behind and heading into Jordan for the last few days of our trip. Looking forward to what God has in store!
We're starting to miss home and Rocky, but so glad to have this opportunity. More to come...
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Day 7
After a restful night sleep, we're off into the city of Jerusalem again. We started this morning off visiting the City of David, an ancient canaanite city that Kind David conquered and which would later grow into the great city it is today... seeing much war and strife, miracles and tragedies along the way.
In the old City of David we were able to walk through a long narrow tunnel known as Hezakiah's tunnel, which led to springs which were hidden and contained within the walls to protect the inhabitants water source. Some people went through a "wet tunnel" that still had water flowing that you had to wade trough. We chose not to as it was the first stop of the day and the weather had been calling for rain and wind. We were a bit worried we wouldn't warm back up, so we opted for the "dry tunnel" which was still very cool... and not all that dry!
The tunnel and city of David tour ended at the pool of siloam where Jesus performed his first miracle by causing a blind man to see. In the scriptures, it says that Jesus rubbed mud on a blind man's eyes, and then told him to rinse them in the pool... the pool of Siloam where we were. This was very cool! Tina had just finished studying this in the book of John which she's been reading with a group of middle school girls.
Next we visited the southwest walls of the temple mount where we saw huge stones piled on top of one another in the exact same position in which they fell off of the temple mount above when the Romans destroyed the second temple in 70 AD. As Jesus said to the pharisees "I tell you, not one stone will remain on another". We then went and walked up steps on the south side that used to lead onto the temple mount. We stood on and walked in places that Jesus surely traveled. This was a very surreal experience and amazing to get to do... but we are continually reminded that it is not the places or the things here that are important, but who did them and why. It is really incredible to see all of these stories we've heard about and read through all these years actually coming to life before our eyes.
We had lunch at Yad Vashim, the Holocaust Memorial. After lunch, we visited the holocaust memorial. We only had a little over an hour to go through the memorial. While this wasn't nearly enough time to read through each display, it was enough time for us to go through each area and get a good feel for the content and the intent of the memorial. It truly was an incredible experience. Starting with the bridge that you have to cross to get to the memorial, which is designed with loose boards on steel tracks which eerily simulates the sound of railroad cars traveling over train tracks, the main method for moving Jews to death camps during the "Final Solution" in which nearly 6 million Jews would die, the entire affair was utterly breathtaking and deeply impacting. The way the museum is laid out leads you through the progression of the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, through the ghettos, and death camps, finally heading up again through the allied liberation and the beginning of Zionism. This is truly one of the most amazing displays ever. They very tastefully and respectfully displayed the events of the holocaust without villainizing the German people or being too graphic with the horrors that occurred. Outside the main memorial, was a childrens memorial. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million children were killed during the holocaust.The children's memorial is a candle, surrounded by countless mirrors in the dark. The effect of a single candle, and the mirrors, is the appearance of hundreds of thousands of stars in the night sky. It truly was an incredible experience and will never be forgotten. The horror of the holocaust is so beautifully remembered here at the memorial grounds. It is incredible how kind the Jewish people are in remembering their lost. All around the grounds, they've planted 6 million trees to represent those lost. In addition, they have an additional 28,000 trees planted to commemorate and thank those non-Jews who risked life and limb to save Jews, without reward. If you go to Jerusalem for one thing, it should be to see the land described in the bible on which Jesus and the prophets tread. If you go for two reasons it should be the former and the Holocaust Museum.
We ended our day at the Wailing Wall. Here we encountered scores of orthodox Jews praying at the wall, which is the closest they are able to get to the place of their former temple. We were able to follow tradition and each placed a written prayer into the cracks of the wall. It is interesting to note that the notes are never thrown away. They are indefinitely stored because the Jewish people do not want to destroy anything on which the name of God may be written... so our prayers will be preserved. Not necessarily there in the wall, but somewhere close by.
OK. as I am sure you can see... lots of activity every day! We're so blessed to be here and we're very hopeful that you are blessed by our blog and that you get the opportunity to someday visit this wonderful Holy Land yourself one day.
In the old City of David we were able to walk through a long narrow tunnel known as Hezakiah's tunnel, which led to springs which were hidden and contained within the walls to protect the inhabitants water source. Some people went through a "wet tunnel" that still had water flowing that you had to wade trough. We chose not to as it was the first stop of the day and the weather had been calling for rain and wind. We were a bit worried we wouldn't warm back up, so we opted for the "dry tunnel" which was still very cool... and not all that dry!
The tunnel and city of David tour ended at the pool of siloam where Jesus performed his first miracle by causing a blind man to see. In the scriptures, it says that Jesus rubbed mud on a blind man's eyes, and then told him to rinse them in the pool... the pool of Siloam where we were. This was very cool! Tina had just finished studying this in the book of John which she's been reading with a group of middle school girls.
Next we visited the southwest walls of the temple mount where we saw huge stones piled on top of one another in the exact same position in which they fell off of the temple mount above when the Romans destroyed the second temple in 70 AD. As Jesus said to the pharisees "I tell you, not one stone will remain on another". We then went and walked up steps on the south side that used to lead onto the temple mount. We stood on and walked in places that Jesus surely traveled. This was a very surreal experience and amazing to get to do... but we are continually reminded that it is not the places or the things here that are important, but who did them and why. It is really incredible to see all of these stories we've heard about and read through all these years actually coming to life before our eyes.
We had lunch at Yad Vashim, the Holocaust Memorial. After lunch, we visited the holocaust memorial. We only had a little over an hour to go through the memorial. While this wasn't nearly enough time to read through each display, it was enough time for us to go through each area and get a good feel for the content and the intent of the memorial. It truly was an incredible experience. Starting with the bridge that you have to cross to get to the memorial, which is designed with loose boards on steel tracks which eerily simulates the sound of railroad cars traveling over train tracks, the main method for moving Jews to death camps during the "Final Solution" in which nearly 6 million Jews would die, the entire affair was utterly breathtaking and deeply impacting. The way the museum is laid out leads you through the progression of the rise of the Nazi party in Germany, through the ghettos, and death camps, finally heading up again through the allied liberation and the beginning of Zionism. This is truly one of the most amazing displays ever. They very tastefully and respectfully displayed the events of the holocaust without villainizing the German people or being too graphic with the horrors that occurred. Outside the main memorial, was a childrens memorial. It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million children were killed during the holocaust.The children's memorial is a candle, surrounded by countless mirrors in the dark. The effect of a single candle, and the mirrors, is the appearance of hundreds of thousands of stars in the night sky. It truly was an incredible experience and will never be forgotten. The horror of the holocaust is so beautifully remembered here at the memorial grounds. It is incredible how kind the Jewish people are in remembering their lost. All around the grounds, they've planted 6 million trees to represent those lost. In addition, they have an additional 28,000 trees planted to commemorate and thank those non-Jews who risked life and limb to save Jews, without reward. If you go to Jerusalem for one thing, it should be to see the land described in the bible on which Jesus and the prophets tread. If you go for two reasons it should be the former and the Holocaust Museum.
We ended our day at the Wailing Wall. Here we encountered scores of orthodox Jews praying at the wall, which is the closest they are able to get to the place of their former temple. We were able to follow tradition and each placed a written prayer into the cracks of the wall. It is interesting to note that the notes are never thrown away. They are indefinitely stored because the Jewish people do not want to destroy anything on which the name of God may be written... so our prayers will be preserved. Not necessarily there in the wall, but somewhere close by.
OK. as I am sure you can see... lots of activity every day! We're so blessed to be here and we're very hopeful that you are blessed by our blog and that you get the opportunity to someday visit this wonderful Holy Land yourself one day.
Day 6... wow
Today was a truly incredible day. We started the day with what has so far been one of the most touching events of the trip. We visited the home of Caiaphas, the high priest in whose home Jesus was held prior to his crucifixion. Amazing. We went down into the cistern which is believed to have held Jesus the night before his execution. On the walls were early first century crosses which had been carved into the wall. We also found the shadow which is on the north wall of the cell that appears to depict the image of a man kneeling in prayer... how it appears there cannot be explained. That was a highlight of the trip so far to say the least.
Next we went through the "Burnt House Museum" which detailed the high priest of the Jewish temples final days prior to the roman destruction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This was pretty cool and quite informative.
This was our first day inside the old city walls of Jerusalem. We had lunch on our own at a little pizza place in the Jewish Quarter of the old city. This was quite an experience... as you know, Jews are Kosher... this means they don't mix dairy and meat and they certainly don't eat pork.... The first thing Tina asks as she approaches the counter is for two slices of pepperoni pizza. Ha~! You should have seen the look on the guys face... he just sort of scowled and shook his head... we all laughed after that and it will not be soon forgot! The kosher pizza did turn out to be quite good and we enjoyed our first meal on our own.
After lunch we visited the Temple Institute, which is a small museum in the Jewish Quarter which houses artifacts, models, and paintings of what the 2nd Jewish Temple looked like, and what they think the future holds for their 3rd temple. Very cool... the young Jewish girl who gave the presentation was quite a little firecracker and had a lot of spunk. The Jewish people are really incredible.
Next we visited the site of "The Upper Room" where Jesus and his disciples had their passover meal and the Last Supper. This is likely the same room where Jesus Appeared to the "disciples and Thomas" after his resurrection. While the room we were in does not date back to first century, the structure below it did and is quite possible the correct location.
In the afternoon we visited King David's Tomb. This is not where King David was originally entombed, but a location where he is believed to have been moved later. It was a very "religious" place in that the women and men had to enter separately and the men all had to put on yamakas (head covering). There were Rabbis and other men there praying and studying. It was an interesting experience and the first real close encounter with traditional orthodox Jewish customs.
Walking through the old city this first day was such a fun experience! Being Monday, one of the traditional days for Barmitzvas and the first reading of the Jewish Torah (first 5 books of the bible) for thirteen year old boys, the city was abuzz with activity. Large groups of people were dancing through the old cobblestone streets singing and carrying on. It was so cool to watch this active community in real life. Very cool.
Late in the afternoon, we decended the Mount of Olives. We walked through old olive groves and areas of tombs and graves and ended up in the Garden of Gathsemene. This was the place where Jesus prayed while his disciples slept on the night that he was betrayed. Next to the garden, which was filled with ancient olive trees, quite possibly the very same trees on which Jesus and his disciples leaned as they napped and prayed, is a large Christian church which is built over a large stone slab. The stone is believed to be the stone on which Jesus knelt and prayed, in such agony over what was to come, that he sweat drops of blood. This was another very spiritual place for both of us as we beheld the rock and the imagery of the suffering and the sacrifice to come.
Our long and eventful day was wrapped up with a quiet evening back at the hotel. As usual, we fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillow! Tomorrow proves to be another exciting day as we are scheduled to see the Wailing Wall, the holocaust museum and walk on the old steps of the temple mount.
Stay tuned....
Next we went through the "Burnt House Museum" which detailed the high priest of the Jewish temples final days prior to the roman destruction of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem. This was pretty cool and quite informative.
This was our first day inside the old city walls of Jerusalem. We had lunch on our own at a little pizza place in the Jewish Quarter of the old city. This was quite an experience... as you know, Jews are Kosher... this means they don't mix dairy and meat and they certainly don't eat pork.... The first thing Tina asks as she approaches the counter is for two slices of pepperoni pizza. Ha~! You should have seen the look on the guys face... he just sort of scowled and shook his head... we all laughed after that and it will not be soon forgot! The kosher pizza did turn out to be quite good and we enjoyed our first meal on our own.
After lunch we visited the Temple Institute, which is a small museum in the Jewish Quarter which houses artifacts, models, and paintings of what the 2nd Jewish Temple looked like, and what they think the future holds for their 3rd temple. Very cool... the young Jewish girl who gave the presentation was quite a little firecracker and had a lot of spunk. The Jewish people are really incredible.
Next we visited the site of "The Upper Room" where Jesus and his disciples had their passover meal and the Last Supper. This is likely the same room where Jesus Appeared to the "disciples and Thomas" after his resurrection. While the room we were in does not date back to first century, the structure below it did and is quite possible the correct location.
In the afternoon we visited King David's Tomb. This is not where King David was originally entombed, but a location where he is believed to have been moved later. It was a very "religious" place in that the women and men had to enter separately and the men all had to put on yamakas (head covering). There were Rabbis and other men there praying and studying. It was an interesting experience and the first real close encounter with traditional orthodox Jewish customs.
Walking through the old city this first day was such a fun experience! Being Monday, one of the traditional days for Barmitzvas and the first reading of the Jewish Torah (first 5 books of the bible) for thirteen year old boys, the city was abuzz with activity. Large groups of people were dancing through the old cobblestone streets singing and carrying on. It was so cool to watch this active community in real life. Very cool.
Late in the afternoon, we decended the Mount of Olives. We walked through old olive groves and areas of tombs and graves and ended up in the Garden of Gathsemene. This was the place where Jesus prayed while his disciples slept on the night that he was betrayed. Next to the garden, which was filled with ancient olive trees, quite possibly the very same trees on which Jesus and his disciples leaned as they napped and prayed, is a large Christian church which is built over a large stone slab. The stone is believed to be the stone on which Jesus knelt and prayed, in such agony over what was to come, that he sweat drops of blood. This was another very spiritual place for both of us as we beheld the rock and the imagery of the suffering and the sacrifice to come.
Our long and eventful day was wrapped up with a quiet evening back at the hotel. As usual, we fell asleep as soon as we hit the pillow! Tomorrow proves to be another exciting day as we are scheduled to see the Wailing Wall, the holocaust museum and walk on the old steps of the temple mount.
Stay tuned....
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Day 5
Today is our last full day outside Jerusalem. We stayed last night at our hotel Dan Panorama in downtown Jerusalem, just a few blocks from the Old City and its incredible walls.
Last night, as we were coming into town, we stopped on the mount of olives and looked out over the old city and the temple mount. Wow! We are actually here! This is where it all happened! From our vantage point we were able to see the valleys surrounding Jerusalem, the City of David, the Old City, the Temple Mount, Mt Scopus and Hebrew University and so much more. What a sight!
This morning we made our way out of Jerusalem and headed south to The Dead Sea. On our way, we stopped by En Geti, a beautiful national park and wildlife reserve that carves its way through a valley and back to a series of waterfalls. It was here that David forgave King Saul for his relentless pursuit of him in an attempt to protect his throne. It is so cool to be in the places talked about in the Bible... it really does all come alive. Jason swam in the falls and we both had a terrific time there.
Further south around the Dead Sea, we visited Masada, an ancient fortress set atop a high flat topped mountain. It was here that the last of the Jews held out against a sustained roman siege before finally killing themselves, rather than falling into enemy hands. This was really one of the coolest things we've seen.
While at Masada, we had lunch... at McDonalds! A kosher McDonalds that is... no cheeseburgers! And no Bacon! I had a "Double Royal" burger which was $14! Wow.... and it was cooked to order, not from the heat rack.
We ended the day with a nice float in the dead sea. What a strange feeling! We spread dead sea mud all over and got a high end skin treatment... what a trip!
Now we're back in Jerusalem for another buffet dinner and early bedtime! Up at 6 tomorrow for another action packed day!
We are video taping everything we do and it is a good thing. We're both feeling like we're drinking water from a firehose and we can't really take it all in right now. When we get home and go through all the videos and photos, it should be easier to process through and really grasp... in the mean time, its go go go.
Last night, as we were coming into town, we stopped on the mount of olives and looked out over the old city and the temple mount. Wow! We are actually here! This is where it all happened! From our vantage point we were able to see the valleys surrounding Jerusalem, the City of David, the Old City, the Temple Mount, Mt Scopus and Hebrew University and so much more. What a sight!
This morning we made our way out of Jerusalem and headed south to The Dead Sea. On our way, we stopped by En Geti, a beautiful national park and wildlife reserve that carves its way through a valley and back to a series of waterfalls. It was here that David forgave King Saul for his relentless pursuit of him in an attempt to protect his throne. It is so cool to be in the places talked about in the Bible... it really does all come alive. Jason swam in the falls and we both had a terrific time there.
Further south around the Dead Sea, we visited Masada, an ancient fortress set atop a high flat topped mountain. It was here that the last of the Jews held out against a sustained roman siege before finally killing themselves, rather than falling into enemy hands. This was really one of the coolest things we've seen.
While at Masada, we had lunch... at McDonalds! A kosher McDonalds that is... no cheeseburgers! And no Bacon! I had a "Double Royal" burger which was $14! Wow.... and it was cooked to order, not from the heat rack.
We ended the day with a nice float in the dead sea. What a strange feeling! We spread dead sea mud all over and got a high end skin treatment... what a trip!
Now we're back in Jerusalem for another buffet dinner and early bedtime! Up at 6 tomorrow for another action packed day!
We are video taping everything we do and it is a good thing. We're both feeling like we're drinking water from a firehose and we can't really take it all in right now. When we get home and go through all the videos and photos, it should be easier to process through and really grasp... in the mean time, its go go go.
Day 4
We started today off at Gideon's Springs. The area on the edge of the Jezreel valley where Gideon took on an army of thousands with just three hundred men. It was very lush and green and peaceful, but the park and the actual spring were closed, so we were downstream just a little ways.
We then ventured to Tel Jezreel, an ancient village on a hill where there were vinyards and wine presses carved into the hillside. the view from here was awesome looking out over the beautiful Jezreel valley. Then it was off to Bet She'an and ancient roman ruins and temples.
We had lunch at Qasr El Yahud, a place along the Jordan river just north of the dead sea. It was here, along these very shores of the Jordan river, where John the Baptist baptized the masses... including Jesus. We at lunch along the shores of the Jordan and shared our lunch with a few Israeli soldiers who were there guarding the border (see photos). The Jordan River is the border between Israel and Jordan and we were able to see the Jordanian soldiers on the other side guarding the border there.
After lunch, we changed into our bathing suits and sandals. We also put on baptismal robes that they sell there to be sure nobody is wearing anything too revealing. We made our way down to the shores of the river and one by one, were baptized by our pastor Rick Crawford in the Jordan. What an experience. Unforgettable to say the least.
In the afternoon we made our way to Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a series of caves in 1947. Wow! This was really cool. We saw a short movie on exactly how it happened and how significant the discoveries were... truly incredible. These dead sea scrolls, are available for viewing and occasionally make their way around the world. If you ever have a chance to see them, do!
Tonight we're headed to our hotel in Jerusalem! We're looking forward to seeing the city that has captivated the nations for thousands of years. We'll spend the next six nights in Jersalem and travel from there to see the rest of the country.
It is truly amazing how God has blessed this land and the Jewish people. The ingenuity, creativity and shear mind power of the Jewish people is awesome. They truly are God's chosen people and we are so blessed to be here and to be "Grafted In" as the greater body of the Church.
Stay tuned for more!!!
We then ventured to Tel Jezreel, an ancient village on a hill where there were vinyards and wine presses carved into the hillside. the view from here was awesome looking out over the beautiful Jezreel valley. Then it was off to Bet She'an and ancient roman ruins and temples.
We had lunch at Qasr El Yahud, a place along the Jordan river just north of the dead sea. It was here, along these very shores of the Jordan river, where John the Baptist baptized the masses... including Jesus. We at lunch along the shores of the Jordan and shared our lunch with a few Israeli soldiers who were there guarding the border (see photos). The Jordan River is the border between Israel and Jordan and we were able to see the Jordanian soldiers on the other side guarding the border there.
After lunch, we changed into our bathing suits and sandals. We also put on baptismal robes that they sell there to be sure nobody is wearing anything too revealing. We made our way down to the shores of the river and one by one, were baptized by our pastor Rick Crawford in the Jordan. What an experience. Unforgettable to say the least.
In the afternoon we made our way to Qumran, the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a series of caves in 1947. Wow! This was really cool. We saw a short movie on exactly how it happened and how significant the discoveries were... truly incredible. These dead sea scrolls, are available for viewing and occasionally make their way around the world. If you ever have a chance to see them, do!
Tonight we're headed to our hotel in Jerusalem! We're looking forward to seeing the city that has captivated the nations for thousands of years. We'll spend the next six nights in Jersalem and travel from there to see the rest of the country.
It is truly amazing how God has blessed this land and the Jewish people. The ingenuity, creativity and shear mind power of the Jewish people is awesome. They truly are God's chosen people and we are so blessed to be here and to be "Grafted In" as the greater body of the Church.
Stay tuned for more!!!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 3
Okey doke here we go...We are playing catch-up on this blog so a week into this trip I am going to mention some things we did on Day 3. We are still at our Kabbutz up at the Sea of Galilee and loving it!
We started off in Kursi on the eastern shore of the Galilee where in Mark 5 Jesus cast a legion of demons into swine. This location fits the story as there are steep cliffs here running down to water where the swine would have ran off and died. The Byzantine monastary here at Kursi was found by mistake when they were widening the roads in the early 1980s. Swine is a problem in this story since Jews don't eat pork.....why were Jews herding pigs? The answer....this is probably an early contact that Jesus had with Gentiles in that area....probably a Roman city but definitely not Jewish.
In the monastary there is an olive press for income and to also make oil for annointing. There is a beautiful mosaic floor here and even though it was a Byzantine church you don't see any images. This is probably because they were defaced when the Muslims conquered the land and carried out the Islamic Law of no images.....or destroyed by the Greek Orthodox....you can see where images may have been in the floor but were torn out.
There is also a crypt to the right of the main room where 35 priests who served in this monastary were buried.
Up the hill from the church is a small shrine dedicated to the spot where Christ encountered the demon possessed man. You can see the Sea from the top and its easy to picture how the swine would have run off.
We then made our way up the Golan Heights. What a gorgeous view! It was really chilly on top of the mountain but we had a beautiful view overlooking the Syrian border and Mount Hermon. I encourage you to visit this website to read about the history of the Golan Heights once controlled by the Syrians. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/golan_hts.html
Our third stop was Ceaeserea Phillipi or modern day Baniass. This spot was a cultic site dedicated to Pan- who is the spirit of caves and is connected to water. Herod built this pagan city on the edge of Israel and made a shrine to pan and a temple beside it dedicated to Caeser. Herod Phillipa, his son, made it his capital city. It is within this region that in Matthew 16, Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
When Agrippa II comes he builds an even bigger palace here and Josephus tells us that Jewish slaves were brought here to be sold after the great revolt. They were also forced into playing gladiator games against one another for sport. It had been called Paniass ( for pan ) but since the Arabs dont have a p sound they called it Baniass.
Off to Tel Dan we go. The word "Tel" is another word for hill or mound. There are many places here that start with "Tel." Dan is mentioned in both Joshua 19 and Judges 18:27-31. We also know that Abraham pursued Lot to Dan in Genesis. We stood at the Canaanite gate that had an arch which Abraham walked through.
We had a delicious buffet style lunch with the most incredible vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted, followed by a very bumpy but awesome Jeep ride up the Golan Heights!!!
Stayed tune for more....
We started off in Kursi on the eastern shore of the Galilee where in Mark 5 Jesus cast a legion of demons into swine. This location fits the story as there are steep cliffs here running down to water where the swine would have ran off and died. The Byzantine monastary here at Kursi was found by mistake when they were widening the roads in the early 1980s. Swine is a problem in this story since Jews don't eat pork.....why were Jews herding pigs? The answer....this is probably an early contact that Jesus had with Gentiles in that area....probably a Roman city but definitely not Jewish.
In the monastary there is an olive press for income and to also make oil for annointing. There is a beautiful mosaic floor here and even though it was a Byzantine church you don't see any images. This is probably because they were defaced when the Muslims conquered the land and carried out the Islamic Law of no images.....or destroyed by the Greek Orthodox....you can see where images may have been in the floor but were torn out.
There is also a crypt to the right of the main room where 35 priests who served in this monastary were buried.
Up the hill from the church is a small shrine dedicated to the spot where Christ encountered the demon possessed man. You can see the Sea from the top and its easy to picture how the swine would have run off.
We then made our way up the Golan Heights. What a gorgeous view! It was really chilly on top of the mountain but we had a beautiful view overlooking the Syrian border and Mount Hermon. I encourage you to visit this website to read about the history of the Golan Heights once controlled by the Syrians. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/golan_hts.html
Our third stop was Ceaeserea Phillipi or modern day Baniass. This spot was a cultic site dedicated to Pan- who is the spirit of caves and is connected to water. Herod built this pagan city on the edge of Israel and made a shrine to pan and a temple beside it dedicated to Caeser. Herod Phillipa, his son, made it his capital city. It is within this region that in Matthew 16, Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah.
When Agrippa II comes he builds an even bigger palace here and Josephus tells us that Jewish slaves were brought here to be sold after the great revolt. They were also forced into playing gladiator games against one another for sport. It had been called Paniass ( for pan ) but since the Arabs dont have a p sound they called it Baniass.
Off to Tel Dan we go. The word "Tel" is another word for hill or mound. There are many places here that start with "Tel." Dan is mentioned in both Joshua 19 and Judges 18:27-31. We also know that Abraham pursued Lot to Dan in Genesis. We stood at the Canaanite gate that had an arch which Abraham walked through.
We had a delicious buffet style lunch with the most incredible vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted, followed by a very bumpy but awesome Jeep ride up the Golan Heights!!!
Stayed tune for more....
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Day 2
The weather is just beautiful today! While still experiencing jet lag, we are getting rest at night and ready to see this beautiful country. Tina and I are both surprised by how green and lush the landscape is. It seems that everywhere you turn, the Jewish people are growing something!
We learned today that more patents come out of Israel than all of Europe combined and that they are only second to the US. Our guide is name Eitan (pronounce 'a-tawn'). He was born in Atlanta Georgia and has a masters degree in ancient studies. He is Jewish and emigrated to Israel 12 years ago. He is very knowledgeable and has no noticeable accent so understanding him is quite easy.
There are 32 people from our church, The Bridge Christian Fellowship, on the trip. So far we're enjoying everything we encounter. The food has been fine so far although noticeably different. Everything is kosher which means if they're serving meat at a meal there will be no dairy. They have lots of different types of cheeses and yogurts that we've never tried and serve a lot of vegetables and salads.
Today was an exciting day. We visited the Arbel pass which is a cut between mountains that Jesus traveled many times when going from Capernum back to his families home in Nazereth. We visited the village of Magdel, where Mary Magdelon was from. Here is Magdel, we saw the "Jesus Boat". A boat that was discovered a few years ago and has been carbon dated to be from the times of Jesus. The boat was in very poor condition, but has been preserved as it was found. Because this boat is in Capernum, the area where the story of Jesus calming the sea occurred, there is the chance that this was the boat he was in. Of course, this can't be verified and it doesn't really affect our faith, just cool to imagine.
While in Magdel, we experienced the highlight of our trip so far. We rode on a replica fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. We were on the only boat owned by Christians and enjoyed some worship music and a sermon from Pastor Rick on the Sea of Galilee. Wow... it doesn't get much better than that.
After the boat ride, we went up to the Mt of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount. Here we looked out and saw the natural ampitheater caused by the lay of the land and could visualize thousands of people there on the hills listening to Jesus teach. We walked from the top of the Mt down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee where we had lunch.
We then traveled to Capernum, the place where Jesus lived in Peter's Mother's home. We saw the actual home where he stayed with Peter and the church that is now built over it. Here we also saw an early synagogue and a mile marker on "The Roman Road".
To end the day, we visited the top of Mt. Arbel and looked out on the Galilee. It was beautiful and stunning. tonight is our second night in the Kibbutz Ma'agan.
We are just blown away by the things we are seeing and learning. What an incredible opportunity this is to be in such a special place. The bible and the things we've learned as we've grown in our faith up until this point, are absolutely coming alive being here in the land. The State of Israel, and the Jewish people are truly a marvel.
We learned today that more patents come out of Israel than all of Europe combined and that they are only second to the US. Our guide is name Eitan (pronounce 'a-tawn'). He was born in Atlanta Georgia and has a masters degree in ancient studies. He is Jewish and emigrated to Israel 12 years ago. He is very knowledgeable and has no noticeable accent so understanding him is quite easy.
There are 32 people from our church, The Bridge Christian Fellowship, on the trip. So far we're enjoying everything we encounter. The food has been fine so far although noticeably different. Everything is kosher which means if they're serving meat at a meal there will be no dairy. They have lots of different types of cheeses and yogurts that we've never tried and serve a lot of vegetables and salads.
Today was an exciting day. We visited the Arbel pass which is a cut between mountains that Jesus traveled many times when going from Capernum back to his families home in Nazereth. We visited the village of Magdel, where Mary Magdelon was from. Here is Magdel, we saw the "Jesus Boat". A boat that was discovered a few years ago and has been carbon dated to be from the times of Jesus. The boat was in very poor condition, but has been preserved as it was found. Because this boat is in Capernum, the area where the story of Jesus calming the sea occurred, there is the chance that this was the boat he was in. Of course, this can't be verified and it doesn't really affect our faith, just cool to imagine.
While in Magdel, we experienced the highlight of our trip so far. We rode on a replica fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee. We were on the only boat owned by Christians and enjoyed some worship music and a sermon from Pastor Rick on the Sea of Galilee. Wow... it doesn't get much better than that.
After the boat ride, we went up to the Mt of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount. Here we looked out and saw the natural ampitheater caused by the lay of the land and could visualize thousands of people there on the hills listening to Jesus teach. We walked from the top of the Mt down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee where we had lunch.
We then traveled to Capernum, the place where Jesus lived in Peter's Mother's home. We saw the actual home where he stayed with Peter and the church that is now built over it. Here we also saw an early synagogue and a mile marker on "The Roman Road".
To end the day, we visited the top of Mt. Arbel and looked out on the Galilee. It was beautiful and stunning. tonight is our second night in the Kibbutz Ma'agan.
We are just blown away by the things we are seeing and learning. What an incredible opportunity this is to be in such a special place. The bible and the things we've learned as we've grown in our faith up until this point, are absolutely coming alive being here in the land. The State of Israel, and the Jewish people are truly a marvel.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Day 1
Wow! We really hit the ground running on our first full day in Israel. By the end of the day we were completely beat!
We saw Caesarea and a theater that King Herod built. We visited Mt Carmel where the prophet Elijah slayed the prophets of Baal. We stood atop Mt Megiddo and looked out across the valley of Armageddon Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up.
It is really hard to describe this place, but we are going to do out best. We are finally in a place for the next five days where we have good Internet so we will try to get caught up.
For now, you can visit the photo page here and see some pictures. We'll log in later and put captions on them so you know where they are.
Please come back... We promise to do a better job keeping you all up to date!
We saw Caesarea and a theater that King Herod built. We visited Mt Carmel where the prophet Elijah slayed the prophets of Baal. We stood atop Mt Megiddo and looked out across the valley of Armageddon Nazareth, the place where Jesus grew up.
It is really hard to describe this place, but we are going to do out best. We are finally in a place for the next five days where we have good Internet so we will try to get caught up.
For now, you can visit the photo page here and see some pictures. We'll log in later and put captions on them so you know where they are.
Please come back... We promise to do a better job keeping you all up to date!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Leaving Seattle
Here we are! It is hard to believe this day has finally arrived! After an absolutely crazy busy week preparing to leave on our trip, we are here at the airport ready to leave! Of course we are rushing to get our blog up and running at the very last minute. We are glad you have visited our blog to check on our progress!
From Seattle we are headed to Chicago. Jason is planning on enjoying a nice big Chicago Dog during our stop over there and Tina will likely study.
From Chicago we will travel to Frankfurt Germany for our last plane change and then on to the final leg to Tel Aviv. Arrival in Tel Aviv is slated for tomorrow evening.
Check back for a much more detailed post soon!
Please pray for safety for us and our group over the next day or so as we fly around the globe and for safe traveling for the duration of our trip.
Thanks
Jason & Tina
Jason & Tina
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