December 8, 2022

On our last day, our flight home was not until nearly midnight, Israeli time, so we had the day to make stops on the way to the airport. It was an awesome day. We visited two cave areas. The Dove Caves were caves carved underground in limestone that housed thousands of doves. Little dove houses were carved into caves where the temperature was conducive as a dove habitat. The area was on a major road into Jerusalem where pilgrims to the Temple would stop to buy their dove offerings for worship purposes. It is highly possible that Mary and Joseph stopped here when Jesus was twelve, and they were on the way to the Temple with Jesus.

The Bell Caves were hollowed out from above to excavate the limestone for building purposes. The process caused the caves to be shaped like a bell in the interior. They were connected to each other and were a beautiful sight with their unique shape and coloration.

From the caves, we proceeded to the Khirbet Quiyafa National Park, famed because it was the site of the battle between young David (who would become King) and the Philistine giant called Goliath, ending with David’s sling shot victory. The park overlooks the Ela Valley where the opposing armies of Israel and Philistine gathered. Just amazing.

Jaffa, ancient Joppa, is a seaside port and old city not far from Tel Aviv. Here, Old Testament Jonah tried to escape from God, being swallowed by a large fish when he was thrown overboard into the Mediterranean Sea. It was here that Jesus healed Tabitha (Dorcas), a revered woman of extraordinary good works. It was also here that Peter, in the still present home of Simon the Tanner, saw a heavenly vision of unclean animals and heard God say he was to eat. Peter realized that God was telling him to open the church to Gentiles, who were considered unclean, thus setting the church on a missionary path into the world. Today, the old city has been preserved and is quite trendy with artist shops along its narrow cobbled streets and sailing vessels filling its long pedestrianized harbor area. One particularly unusual artist piece was above us as we walked along one area. Hundreds of white plastic lawn chairs were stacked together and snaked over and around buildings. Fun!

We had a farewell dinner in Joffa and headed off to the airport. We flew overnight and arrived home in the dark earlier in the day than we departed (flying against 8 time zones) only to go to bed at the time we normally would have been “up and at ’em” in Israel. We treasure the memories we made in the Holy Land!

December 7, 2022

Our hotel in Jerusalem has been wonderful, with excellent food and lots of buffet choices. For breakfast, shawarma was a favorite of many. It has pickled vegetables in a tahini/hummus/tomato sauce covered with cracked eggs and baked in an oven.

Later, we descended into the rock which housed the Jebusite irrigation canal. Many of our group walked, or inched and squeezed, through it. Others in the group descended further down to Hezekiah’s water-filled tunnel which he engineered to bring water into the city and cleverly disguised to hide it from enemies, all hand-chiseled out of dense stone. All of us ended up at the same place, the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the man born blind.

After breakfast we visited the old Jerusalem in the morning, known as the City of David. It had been a stronghold of the ancient Jebusites, but David sent some troops to secretly find their way through an underground irrigation canal that he theorized would lead into the the heart of the city. He was right! Later, Jerusalem (City of Peace) extended outward beyond the walls into the city it is today. David’s palace has been discovered and excavations are continuing. It felt surreal to walk through the palace, not large, but an important part of the Old Testament history (think David and Bathsheba).

A highlight of the day, if not the trip, was having communion at the Garden Tomb, the second contested site (the Temple Mount being the other and the one most scholars believe to be the correct one) of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. It was a very meaningful moment in time.

The day ended at the Machane Yehuda Food Market. It was huge and colorful with spices and food vendors making foods we do not really have available in the States, but very tasty. We got to sample many along the way. I so wanted to eat a piece of poppy seed rolled loaf. However, one had to buy the entire loaf, not just a piece, and I knew I would eat the whole thing if I bought it, so I refrained. It was back to the hotel and a night of sweet dreams.

December 6, 2022

After breakfast, we took the very short ride to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We first visited an artisan woodwork factory run by a Christian family. The Christian community is under duress in the Palestinian-controlled area. We watched artisans taking blocks of olive wood and turning them into beautiful objects, often religious in nature. We were able to visit the traditionally-accepted place of Jesus’s birth, a cave. One can crawl on hands and knees to touch the accepted place of the birth. Only a short distance away are the shepherds’ fields where the temple shepherds were watching their flocks at night when the army of angels appeared to them announcing the Savior’s birth. Up the hill is a church with phenomenal acoustics. Our rendition of “Angels We Have Heard on High” sounded beautiful. 

From Bethlehem, we returned to Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, where Jesus went to pray with His disciples. Over 2,000 year old olive trees witnessed Jesus’s visit. We had one section of the garden to ourselves where we spent time in personal reflection and prayer. This was a powerful time, and our view of Jerusalem across the valley was glorious. We walked all the way down to Jerusalem on the Palm Sunday Road immediately outside the gates of the Mount of Olives, the same road on which Jesus rode a donkey to the applause of the people of Jerusalem. After the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus took His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives. Here He was betrayed by Judas, handed over to the soldiers, and the Passion Story began to unfold ending in the Crucifixion of Jesus. We visited the stunning Church of All Nations at Gethsemane filled with intricate mosaics. 

Our day concluded at the Western Wailing Wall, which is a remnant of the Great Temple that at one time stood there. People approach the wall to pray and to stuff small pieces of paper with written prayer requests into the crevices of the wall. It was a long day and a very rewarding day. Evening meal, shower and sleep! 

December 3, 2022

We started our day with an early morning trip to the Jordan River where important stories of Jesus’s ministry took place; most importantly, the inauguration of His public ministry when he was baptized by John the Baptizer. It was here that His Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit gave public witness that Jesus was the Son of God and that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were in union as the Trinity. We took time on the banks of the Jordan to remember our own baptisms as we reenacted that part of our personal spiritual journeys with water from the Jordan. It was a priceless moment in time. Interestingly, the water was warm on this beautiful winter day. 

Nearby, we arrived on a hill overlooking the Sea Of Galilee into which the River Jordan flows. Atop the hill is a church covering the spot where Jesus preached the famous “Sermon on the Mount.” We read part of the sermon from the Bible and sang the old hymn, “Just as I Am,” to recall that the sermon was in part a call to follow Jesus throughout life. Surrounding the church was a beautiful garden which had awesome views of the Sea of Galilee below. 

Just a short drive away is Capernaum where the Apostle Peter lived.  Located here is a portion of Peter’s preserved home where Jesus would have been a guest. Steps away is the synagogue ruins where the Bible records that Jesus read from the Old Testament. It is also here that Jesus healed the daughter of Jairus, a leader in the community. 

After just a short drive was the place along the Sea of Galilee where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes feeding thousands of people. It was first marked with a stone upon which later a beautiful church was built. Under the altar is the ancient stone marker. It was fitting that we drove to a nearby local restaurant where we ate fried fish, called “Peter’s Fish,” and had bread. The fish was wonderful! 

After lunch, we drove to a shore line rocky beach where the resurrected Jesus noticed that the fishermen were not catching fish and told them to cast their nets on the other side on the boat. When they did so, they hauled in an oversupply of fish. Upon reaching shore, they noticed that Jesus was the man who had called out to them. Shortly thereafter, the disciple Peter, who had denied Jesus three times in public was restored to ministry by Jesus Himself as He asked Peter to “Feed my sheep.” A church and beautiful gardens surround this beach. 

Then, as the light began to fade, we arrived at our fishermen’s boat for a ride on the tranquil Sea of Galilee. It was another awe-inspiring time as we viewed one Biblical site after another as we sailed the middle of the lake. Praise music played and we often burst into singing. The high hills that surround the Sea of Galilee provided a majestic backdrop to the deep blue waters, and the setting sun and flocks of birds that surrounded the boat couldn’t have been prettier. We danced and sang and meditated along the way. 

Departing the boat, we walked to a museum which houses an over 2,000 year old Sea of Galilee fishing boat. It had been preserved in the mud of the lake. Because it was made of cedar, it is the only such ancient boat in existence. It dates to the time of Jesus. A question on the museum wall asks if Jesus would have seen this boat or maybe even sailed in it? We will never know. 

What an amazingly refreshing day filled with spiritual enrichment and encouragement! 

Our stops nearly always include Bible reading about the place we are encountering and often some Biblical commentary or prayers. Donna is a great Bible scholar and Ori, our guide, “knows his stuff!” I add the pastoral touch. We are in Bibleland! God be praised! 

November 30-December 2, 2022

Our flight from Houston to Tel Aviv was uneventful. Upon arrival in the afternoon (8 hour time zone differential from home), we were met outside the gate by a representative of the Imagine tour company who guided us effortlessly and quickly through the entry processes of Israel. We soon met our guide, Ori, and Serah, our driver, at our beautiful bus. Ori is well known in Israel since he was an evening newscaster and later top official of the prime minister of the nation. A Bible scholar, he is an ideal guide. Our hotel in Netanya was awesome, and the food, served buffet style, was very tasty. We went to sleep for the night as quickly as possible since the 8 hour time differential (plus 20 hour flight times) from home had our bodies out of whack. 

The next morning–December 2–was to turn out to be meaningful and spiritual and beautiful experience. 

Caesarea Maritima–King Herod the Great, who ruled just prior to the time of Jesus, built a magnificent palace complex from the ground up. Its harbor was safe from storms, since he built a mile long protective barrier into the Mediterranean. It brought in huge sums of money as a major Mediterranean port. Now mostly a ruin, the complex contained a large Hippodrome for 20,000 spectators for horse and chariot races and an amphitheater that seated 3,500. Arched aqueducts brought water to the complex. Many New Testament events took place in this seat of government power. Of great importance was Jesus’ disciple Peter’s encounter with the pagan centurion Cornelius, which opened the Christian church to the influx on non-Jews. It was also here that the missionary Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament Bible, defended himself against accusations of treason before the Roman leadership. He was eventually to die a martyr’s death in Rome. We were able to stand on the very spot where Paul made his defense as he shared his faith in Jesus. 

Mount Carmel is a high hill with commanding views to the hills and valleys below. From here, Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet, challenged the pagan priests, who were being introduced into the nation by increasingly pagan Kings and Queens, to produce fire from heaven on a pile of wood. They could not do so, yet Elijah’s wood offering was immediately consumed by fire. The pagans were driven out from the land. This was a momentous event in the life of the Old Testament church.

Mount Tabor is another important hill where Jesus took some of His disciples to witness His transfiguration, proving Himself to be the Son of God as His body beamed with light as He visited with Moses and Elijah. A beautiful church stands on this space on the hill. 

We drove on Route 66–this time in Israel. This road connects Africa and Europe and Asia close to the Mediterranean. Another major ancient road crosses this route near Megiddo and connects the Mediterranean to the Middle East. Here armies marched in ancient times to control this strategic trade route. The last book of the Bible, Revelations, speaks of this place now known as Armageddon.

Nazareth is the boyhood home of Jesus until his public three-year ministry commenced. Only about 200 people lived here in Jesus’s day. Today, Nazareth has a population of 90,000, yet the infrastructure has not kept pace, and it is a crowded noisy city. A magnificent church sits over the ruins of Joseph and Mary’s  home where Jesus grew up. Pilgrims flock by the touching site. 

Upon arrival at our Sea of Galilee hotel, we spoke of the overwhelming sites we had seen and the impact of the Biblical knowledge we had gained. Putting Bible stories to Bible sites and connecting the dots is a moving experience. As we stood on the commanding height of Mount Carmel and viewed the hills and valleys that stretch far into the distance and our guide spoke of numerous major Bible events or stories that took place within our eyesight, we were overwhelmed. Huge amounts of the Old Testament and the New Testament were lived out before us. It was rare air to breathe.