Home!

November 5 (posted November 7 9am)

I was picked up outside the Gloria Hotel by the sherut (shared taxi) at 6:30 a.m.  I was the first passenger to be picked up. The  sherut went about town picking up the other 7 passengers and I was able to see many parts of the city where we had not been. We arrived at the airport in Tel Aviv at 8am.  After about 5 security checks, they decided that I was truly a harmless middle-aged woman and they let me proceed to the United Airlines gate. All that took about 2 hours, but I must say, throughout the security process everyone I encountered was polite and professional (even the ones with big guns strapped across their body).  I had about an hour before boarding and enjoyed the down time to just sit and do nothing. The past 16 days have been a whirlwind and I needed a little break. On boarding, I found that once again, I was blessed with 2 great seat mates. They were a retired couple from South Carolina (people who speak my native tongue with a lot of "you alls" and "bless your hearts"). They own a second home in Israel and spend several months there each year. It was a long flight and we arrived in Newark, NJ around 4:30 pm EST. It was so good to see a great big US flag as I entered the US customs area. It took about an hour to retrieve my luggage, recheck it, take the air train to a different terminal, go through TSASecurity (sad to say they were not as polite or professional as the Israelis), and find my gate. I had about 1hour before my flight left for Knoxville which I spent trying in vain to find a diet Mountain Dew. No luck :(  My flight left Newark on time and the last thing I remember after getting on the plane was taxiing toward the runway. The next thing I know, the pilot is announcing that we are beginning our decent into Knoxville. I actually slept all the way through take off and the beverage cart!  Melvin and Megan were there to pick me up at the the airport in Knoxville (with a cold diet Mountain Dew). Home sure looked good.

My trip was everything and more than I ever dreamed it could be. I have learned so much and been so blessed by the places and people I encountered during my journey. However, this journey did not begin on October 20, 2013; it began in 2011when The Lord began to speak to my heart. There were many more people that influenced and blessed me well before I left  a little over two weeks ago. These include my husband, Melvin, who encouraged me to follow the Lord and to become prepared to meet  the physical challenges necessary for my trip;  my children Travis and Megan who told me how proud they were of me for following my dream; my Mom and family who were supportive despite reservations about my safety (and lack of common sense and my propensity for of trips, falls, etc...); my friends and church family who prayed and worried about me while I was gone; my  management and co-workers who have carried extra workload while I was gone; and all of you who have taken the time to read about my journey.

This was my journey of faith and it may appear to have been extraordinary to you, but each time The Lord speaks to any of our hearts, isn't that always extraordinary? A walk with The Lord is a very personal walk and the step of faith The Lord is asking you to take is just as special as mine.  I encourage you to read  Daniel 10:12 and substitute your name for Daniel's; also read  Proverbs 2: 1-6 and  open your hearts and minds. The Lord has much to show you.

Tel Aviv Airport waiting for boarding pass

Home Sweet Home!

(Jordan) Amman, Medeba, Mt. Nebo

November 4 (9:39p.m.)

We began today in Amman with a really nice breakfast at the hotel and a little later start of 8a.m.  We toured The Citadel ruins and museum. The Citadel is the name for the fortified city that was the capital of the Ammonites. It is called Rabbah in Old Testament times. The city sat high on a hill with valleys on three sides and high fortified wall surrounding it. Israel defeated the Ammonites  here when David was king. It was in Rabbah that David had Uriah killed by ordering the army to pull back from Uriah when the fighting was the fiercest (II Samuel 11) so he would be killed.  The archers shot from the top of the wall and Uriah was killed. David did this in order to marry Uriah's  wife, Bathsheba. Because of Rabbah's positioning, there is only one place where the city can be attacked. There are archer's boxes present in the city  wall at that location. That means Uriah was killed right below where we stood and the archers would have been exactly where we were standing. We left the big, bustling city of Amman which is growing extremely fast and is a study in contradiction,  There were many places with very big expensive homes and there would be a Bedouim tent right in front of the home with all his goats, sheep and family. We left Amman and headed for Medeba. We viewed the Medeba Map at The Church of Saint George. The map was found in 1896 when the site was being prepared to build a new building. The mosaic contains 2.8 million tiles and was designed to direct travelers who were making a pilgrimage to  the Holy sites Palestine and the Nile Delta. It dates to 566 AD. We had lunch at a local restaurant which serves the entire table with shared bowls of food. They also have water pipes and shisha  (flavored tobacco)  you can order. There was a group of young Muslim  women sitting around, talking and sharing the water pipe. It was a very odd sight. Last stop of the day was Mount Nebo. It was here that God allowed Moses to see the promised land. Even though Moses would not get to enter the land, he was able to view it from a far place. But, as surely as he was able to see it from afar, it was there; out in the distance, real. We need to remember that each of us has that same promise of a land  full of good things from God. It is real and just out  there waiting for us.  All we need to do is to look out and claim it. It was a really special experience for all our group to see the same view as Moses did so long ago. Time to return to Israel and this time, we went to the King Hussein border crossing and went through border control. Guess who was chosen for s random search of their person by the guards? That's right, me, and on top of that, she was training a new agent. I felt like a whirling Dervish before they got through spinning me around, checking me from every angle. Then back to Jerusalem and the Gloria Hotel. I have packed up my suitcase and look forward to coming home tomorrow. I will wrap up this blog with a final entry after I get home.

             
                         Fiona demonstrating  how and from where the archers fired on Uriah

Lunch at  a Jordanian restaurant

Atop Mt. Nebo where Moses viewed the Promised Land

(Jordan), Jerash, Dibon, Petra, Bozrah, Amman

November 3 (11:00 p.m.)

This entry will cover 2 days November 2 and November 3

We left Jerusalem very early on Friday. We met the bus at 6:30. Dr. Paul Wright, President of Jerusalem University College will be with us on this part of the trip. There are 7 of us going on the Jordan extension. We were given our  breakfast on the bus. We had 2 muffins, meat, cheese, pita bread (still warm), boiled egg, yogurt, orange, banana, and can drink. More than enough and I saved some for later. They are taking very good care of us. We headed East out of Jerusalem and turned  North when we reached the Dead Sea area. We crossed into the West Bank and were stopped at this check point. That is the first time we have been stopped. The Israeli soldiers came on the bus and gave us a look over and waved us on through. The West Bank is called the West Bank because it used to be part of Jordan and this part of the country was across the Jordan River on it's West Bank.  Thus, the name, even  though this area is now in the Eastern part of Israel.  We crossed into Jordan at the Sheik Hussein border crossing. That was a really strange experience. We had to get off the bus and leave all our things in it except for our passport; show our passport and exit Israel; find our cleared bus and retrieve our things; get on a shared  bus with our bags; get off that bus and go through security; go through Jordan passport control; have our picture taken and be cleared for entry; meet  our Jordanian tour guide; and get on a smaller bus. Finally, we were underway. There is a lot of Old Testament history here in Jordan. Some examples; in the area of Gilead, where we entered Jordan, the event of Jacob wrestling with the angel,   Absalom getting his long hair caught in the oak tree causing him to be so entangled that his pursuers overtook and killed him,  Elijah was fed by the angel here, and John the Baptist was baptizing near here. Our first stop was Jerash, the best preserved Roman city (outside of Rome). This is a huge place and loaded with history. There are elaborate temples of Zeus and Artemis (aka Diana). An earthquake in 749 AD caused major damage to the city causing many of the structures to collapse or be damaged. However, there is a lot still standing. We ate lunch at the Temple of Artemis restaurant. The food was very good and the bread is made outside in a clay  oven where they throw the dough into the side of the oven where it sticks there and bakes. It was delicious.Then off again and headed South to Petra with one stop on the way at an archeological site in Dibon which was the capital of  ancient Moab. It was in Moab that the story of Ruth and Naomi takes place.  A  shepherd boy came right by us while we were discussing Bible events related to Dibon. He had  his shepherd stick  in hand and lead  his goats and sheep, with bells clanging, right by us. We drove several hours South down the King's Highway and the Desert Highway to Petra. We arrived there around 9p.m. And after a late dinner, went straight to bed.  Up early and after breakfast, we headed to Petra, the city of the Nabeteans. These were desert people who built this great city out of the sandstone rock and controlled the camel caravan travel from the East. The camel caravans carried goods from the Far East to the Mediterranean and had to pass by here on their way. The Nabateans taxed them as they came through and also sold them provisions for the rest of their journey. The Nabateans became very wealthy. They were very smart people and these buildings are evidence of just how extraordinarily smart they were.  Petra was the filming site for the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and this place is truly like something out of  a movie. Words can't describe it adequately. The city went ou of business with the decline of the camel caravans. The citydisappeared  and Petra was lost for about 1,000 years. It was rediscovered in the 1800's.  In 1984, it became a UNESCO protected site and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  We spent about 6 hours there and left for lunch at a nice local restaurant arranged by our guide. Next, we headed North toward Amman with one stop at Bozrah. There is an archaeological site there that is  thought to be the capital city of  ancient Edom. Edom was the land given to Esau after he sold his birthright to Jacob.  No one has worked on this site for over 30 years but it us hoped that someone will get funding and get working on it again. We made it to Amman around 7p.m. We are staying at a very nice hotel and someone important must be here tonight because we had to go through security before we came into the hotel lobby. I'll keep my eyes out for whomever it is. We had a very nice dinner at the hotel and are now settled into our rooms for  much needed  good night's sleep. Amman is a very big modern city as
opposed to the other places we have been in Jordan.

The colonnade at Jerash

                                                           The Treasury at Petra
                                                      (That's.me with the camels)

Masada, En Gedi Nature Preserve, Caves of Qumran, Dead Sea

November 1 (11:00 pm)

The day started earlier than usual today. We boarded the bus at 6:30a.m. instead of our usual 7:30a.m. We left Jerusalem and headed East toward the Dead Sea. At modern Jericho, we turned South and traveled down the Jordan River Valley toward Masada. As we traveled toward Masada, the Dead Sea was to our left and the barren hills of the Judean Wilderness was to our right. The Dead Sea has a salt content of  30 - 35% and is unfit for drinking, but it is beautifully blue.  We arrived at Masada before the temperature and the crowds got too bad. We all rode the cable car up the mountain. Masada is 1400 feet high and flat on top. Herod the Great (who else) built this place as a fortress and of course he built a beautiful palace there for himself. Also, zealots  who  resisted  Roman rule  held out at Masada for over one year while the Romans laid siege to the stronghold. There were 967 resisters, and 15,000 Romans. Rome did eventually take the city in 72AD only to find that the residents had committed mass suicide rather than be taken by Rome. A very tragic story. Some of our group elected to walk the "serpentine path back down while myself and several others decided to "save our knees. The walk down winds down with steep steps, step, steps, and takes about 50 minutes. Those who chose to ride down decided that we needed our knees for the next stop. Next, we turned North and traveled  to En Gedi  Nature Reserve. We enjoyed a nice but steep and sometimes wet walk up to a waterfall where David  and his men spent time hiding out when Saul was pursuing David. In one of these caves near here, David had the perfect opportunity to kill Saul, but David decided not  to kill him since he did not a clear word from God to do so. We should consider David's example when confronted with opportunity, but not having clear  direction from God.  Dr. Beck gave us a demonstration of why there is so much water here and how it flows into this oasis. We saw several Nubian Ibexes and other wildlife. Dr. Beck told us that this land used to be home to many leopards and other large predators. We ate our picnic lunch quickly and hit the road again. Next stop was at the Caves of Qumran.  The Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1947 in a cave on this site.  Archeologists believe a large community of people were living there and apparently making copies of the Bible. I wonder if  today, we would be as dedicated as they were  about preserving the Word for future generations. Last stop was at the Dead Sea for a float in the salt water.  I did not expect to sink into mud up to my thighs. Paula, Nancy, and I had to pull each other out when we got stuck.  Bruce (husband of Paula and clearly smarter than we were) snapped a picture for us and rather quickly we ended our float in the Dead Sea. The three if us agrees, that we can say, "been there done that ". We came back to Jerusalem and had dinner together. After dinner, we had our departure meeting where the logistics of our departure were discussed. Some of us are off to Jordan for 3 more days and some are departing for home tomorrow. At our meeting, we also had a chance to say our goodbyes and to share with one another what this trip and group of Christian brothers and sisters has meant to us during the past 2 weeks. We are all agreed that we are so thankful for having had Jack shepherding us through this land where the Great Shepherd  walked.

Dr. Jack Beck and our group studying atop Masada

The spring at En Gedi where David and his men were hiding out from Saul.

Sepphoris, Harod Springs, Bath-shan

October 31 (11:30)

We left the Ein Gev kibbutz this morning and headed back  to the west side of the lake and climbed back out of the Galilee basin. As we were leaving the Sea of Galilee,  we crossed the Jordan river and passed by a popular spot where people  get baptized. At that site, the person must buy a baptismal robe in order to enter the Jordan River for baptism. Russian Jews who get baptized there keep that robe and then use it as their burial garment to signify that they are "buried in Christ".  I think that is a really meaningful thing to do. Our first stop was Sopphoris (called Ziporri today). On this site, Herod Antipas  (son of Herod the Great) built a beautiful city in the Greco -Roman style.The sidewalks are  paved with mosaic tiles in a herringbone pattern. There was a large floor mosaic with  pictures of birds, animals, and scenes of everyday life depicted. There was also the face of a beautiful woman inlaid in this floor mosaic.  She is called the Mona Lisa of the Galilee for her beauty. From here, we could look out to see the site where the wedding feast of Cana most likely took place. This is where Jesus' turned the water into wine. That was His first recorded miracle. We left there and traveled toward the junction  of the Jezreel Valley and the Harod Valley. The Harod Springs is at the base of Mt. Gilboa. Saul died on Mt. Gilboa when he was defeated by the Philistines. Also,  this spring is the site where Gideon  reduced his fighting force from  10,000 men down to 300 according to the direction of God. With this small force  he defeated the Midianites. The lesson from this Bible happening is the "sufficiency of God".  Also, very  near here is where  Jezebel was thrown from a high window and run over by a chariot, thus meeting her well deserved end. I guess the lesson here is; stay away from  open windows!  We had Bible study here and ate a picnic lunch. Next, we traveled through the Harod Valley to  Beth-shan. This city was built around 3BC in the Greco-Roman style as a way to get the  people "Romanized" in order to promote allegiance to Rome. This place is enormous and has a theatre, public baths, streets lined with towering columns, etc......we walked 250  feet up a hill to look back down on that city. What a view! While we were up there, the wind was  blowing with gusts more than 30 mph. There is a lone tree at the very top that is scrawny and bare. This site was used in the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" for the scene where Judas hangs himself. After we had  come back down the hill and explored the ruins, we headed South through the Jordan River Valley and then back up to Jerusalem. We checked back into the Gloria Hotel and most of us even got the same rooms. Several of us headed out for pizza and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a  street festival that was going on in the old city.  There were dancers in the streets performing, acrobats suspended way up high with a crane, drummers, lights, etc.....It lasted until around  10:00  p.m. Lots of people crowding the streets having a high old time. 

                                                                  Gideon's Spring

                                                    Roman ruins at  Beth-shan
(I climbed that hill in the background) 

Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. Arbel, Kursi (Bethsaida)

October 30 (7:30 pm)

We are still at the Ein Gev kibbutz. A kibbutz is a community that works cooperatively to provide for the needs of those living there. The kibbutz communities were established for Jews living in other countries who wanted to settle in Israel but did not have the financial resources to do so. To join the kibbutz, the person  had to sell all his property (bank accounts, house, furniture, etc..) and contribute those funds to the kibbutz for the support of the community. The Ein Gev operates a resort here on the Sea of Galilee. The restaurant here is very good (minus the cow tongue) and the meals are kosher. That means, at dinner, there is no dairy served and at breakfast there is no meat served. There cannot even be any of the banned food group brought into the dining room. Dairy and meat cannot be prepared together. Somehow they manage to prepare wonderful food while staying within those guidelines.

Today, we began our day with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The boat was wooden and modeled after the type of boat that Jesus and his disciples would have used. After we got underway, the crew raised the United States flag along with the flag of Israel and played the Star-Spangled Banner. That was a nice reminder of home. Half-way across the lake, they stopped the boat and Pastor Dave read from Luke about Jesus calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Andy lead us in several songs, and we enjoyed the peace of this beautiful place where our Lord did so many wonderful things. On the other side of the lake,  we visited a museum that has an ancient Galilee boat on display. It was discovered in the mud by two fisherman during a drought year. It has been preserved and is from the time of Jesus. From there, we went to Capernaum  and visited the site where Peter's house was located. Jesus would gave been in this place teaching, preaching, and  healing the sick. His ministry was  really raising the ire of the Jewish leaders. In order to preach, authority had to be granted by the church rulers and Jesus was preaching to the people without their
earthly authority. Didn't go over so well. From there, we went up to the top of Mt. Arbel, a place where Jesus taught his disciples. It was a place where Jesus could teach is disciples without the press of the crowds. What a view!  We came back down the mountain and visited Kursi; known as Bethsaida in the time of Jesus. This is thought to be the site of the feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8).  Ruins of a Byzantine monestary are there in Bethsaida. Surviving at the site are mosaics that depict baskets of bread. Kursi (Bethsaida) is on the opposite the side of the lake from where Jesus had earlier fed the 5,000. This side of the lake was like, how do you say, the other side of the tracks. A lot of not so clean living went on there. Luke 8 tells us that is here that Jesus healed a man possessed by many demons. Jesus let the demons enter a herd of pigs.The pigs then ran down a hill into the sea and drowned. Made for a bad day for the demons (and the pigs).

 We ended our day a little early in order to have time to pack up for our return to Jerusalem tomorrow.

On the Sea of Galilee. 

Just who has been taking all those photos of me, you ask?

Dave and Joann from Vancouver.  Thanks, guys. 

On Mt. Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee 

Dr. Jack Beck, our instructor, helping scripture come alive for us.

Golan Heights, Gamala Park, Bental Cone, Caesarea Phillipi, Dan

October 29 (10:00 pm)

The Ein Gev Kibbutz is a beautiful place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. I can sit on my patio and look directly at the sea. The Sea of Galilee is 700 feet below sea level and I think the extra oxygen made us all feel more refreshed this morning. We left the En Gev and traveled North East out of the Galilee basin and up into the Golan Heights area or Bashan as it was called in Bible times.  This area is very different from any other area we have been. It is a broad plateau and is extremely rocky. Despite that, there are herds of cattle grazing up there among the rocks. Didn't expect to see that. Also unexpected were the signs saying "warning tank route". This is the area that the modern state of Israel added to its borders during the 1967 six day war. It is a buffer zone between Syria and  Israel.  We took a hike in the Gamala Park and were given the usual warnings about not picking flowers, take plenty of water with you, and oh yeah, that one about staying on marked trails due to the possibility of unexplored land mines. Didn't have to tell me that twice. In the park are the ruins of a 1st century city that was the site of the first Jewish revolt. In 67AD, Rome attacked the city and killed 4,000 of the Zealots that were holed up there. We hiked down about 800 feet of steep, rocky terrain  to the site of the city ruins. There was a synagogue  in the city and most likely, Jesus taught in that very synagogue. Luke chapter 4 tells us that Jesus began his ministry in the Galilee area  preaching and teaching in the synagogues. It was so awesome to sit exactly where the people would have been sitting when Jesus was teaching. Shawn led us in a beautiful prayer and Mike lead some singing before we left. The climb back up was a killer, but some of our group that chose to stay back encouraged us during  those final feet back up the slope by shouting out to us Psalms 121 and Philippians  4:13. We left there and went to Mount Bental. There is an Israeli monitoring post there and it overlooks the border of Israel with Syria and Lebanon. I would have never dreamed in my life that I would be here. The valley below is where the road to Damascus passed through. It was here that Jesus appeared to Paul (then called Saul) and he was subsequently converted and delivered the Gospel to the world. Then off the mountain, down in elevation to Caesarea Phillipi. What a difference a few miles makes in the terrain and surroundings! This area is full of vegetation and it has plenty of water. The area was used as a place for Pan worship (think half man, half goat) and there is a huge grotto in the cliff face that gushed forth water (a volcanic eruption has since diverted the water). People thought this place was the entrance to Hades and there are ruins of a massive temple complex here.  Our last stop was at the  nature preserve at Dan.  It reminded me somewhat of home due to lush vegetation and roaring streams of water. There are rapids there due to the water coming off the mountains in the North and this stream is one of the headwaters of the Jordan River.  Located here is the  oldest gate city discovered in Israel. This gate dates to the time of Abraham and the original city steps up to the gate are still there. Abraham would have walked on these very steps. The Bible says he  passed by here on his way to rescue Lot who had been captured and carried away from Sodom by invaders. We left the nature preserve and traveled by the Hula Basin, an area of fertile farmland which was a swamp before Israel drained it in the 1950's.  We had a great supper back at En Gev; minus the beef dish.  Someone asked me how the beef was and I told them I didn't really care for it. It had a funky consistency. When Ken told me it was cow tongue, I thought I was going to die right then and there. Unlike the Bedouin coffee, I never even  had that one on my list of things to try.

Having Bible study in the synagogue ruins at Gamala

The northern border of modern Israel. Syria in the background.

Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Nazareth, Gaililee

October 28 (11pm)

We left Jerusalem at 7:30 this morning and traveled to the Galilee region. Our first stop was  Caesarea. This is the site of an opulent port city that Herod the Great built. He planned, directed, and completed in his lifetime many great projects. Think palaces, temples, ports, aqueducts,....the list goes on; and all on a grand scale. The only other person I know who could pull off this type of planning  would be my sister Sharon. He has her beat though, because he did it all without the help of Excel spreadsheets. The Mediterranean Sea was very beautiful and the sky was clear blue. We left there and traveled toward Mt. Carmel. On the way up, we stopped and ate at a restaurant owned by a Syrian Druze family. The food was great. Very different. Next, we arrived at the summit of Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged Jezebel's prophets of Baal in  order to show the people that there is only one God and it wasn't Baal. My  grandson Ethan would say it was the ultimate "smack down". From there, we went down into the Jezreel valley and to the archeological site of Megiddo. This is where many people believe the battle of Armegeddon will take place. No matter how you interpret  Revelations, the underlying theme of the book is hope and assurance.  The believer can be comforted that in the end, God's kingdom will prevail and things will be better. Our last stop of the day was at Nazareth. This is the place where The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told here she would be the mother of the Messiah. We went to the top of the ridge overlooking Nazareth and the Jezreel  Valley for some Bible study and saw a beautiful sunset. We got to the En Gev kibbutz around 6p.m. 
We will be staying here for for the next few days while we explore the Galilee region. 

Herod the Great's port city of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea

Sunset from the Nazareth ridge overlooking the Jezreel Valley

(Problems with wifi last night. I gave you two pictures since this was late) 

   

Free day in The Old City, Evening lecture

October 27 (8:30 p.m. There is now a six hour difference because the time changed here this weekend)

Even though we had a free day, we still got up early. The extra hour of rest from the time change here was much needed because we went to the Temple Mount this morning. There are 12 people from a church in Michigan and I joined them to go there. I told them I was going to be like Ruth in the Bible; their people would become my people and I would follow them wherever  they went.  The hours are very limited and you must be there really early to get in and must be modestly dressed. Knees and elbows covered.  Security is tight and strictly enforced. We stood in line for about one and a half hours. The Temple Mount is the most important site in Jerusalem and really in the whole world. It is the placed where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac and also the site of Solomon's Temple. This is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept and was the worship center for the Jewish people. The Dome of the Rock, which is a Muslim mosque, was built over the site in the 7th century. Non- Muslims can go on the plaza surrounding the mosque but not inside the temple. From there, we walked down part of the Via Delarosa and went to Bethesda's Pool. That is the site where Jesus healed the crippled man. We walked back through the markets which are exactly like those streets you see in all the movies where the cars and motorcycles are in a chase with people, fruit, and stuff going everywhere. No car chases today but a few motorcycles we had to jump away from.  A few of us wanted some "real" food, so we headed on back and went to a pizza place right beside our hotel. It was wonderful! We had some classroom work in the afternoon and I stepped out of class for a bit and was able to FaceTime with some of family and friends who were at Sunday  School. It was good to see and talk to you guys. We leave for Galilee early in the morning and will be there for 4 days. We were told that the wifi there comes and goes, so I hope to be able to post daily as usual. Don't be alarmed, however, if I am late with a posting. Love reading your comments.

Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock)

Judah's Hill Country, Shephelah (Sampson, David & Goliath)

October 26 (10:30 p.m.)

We were off to the bus again this morning at 7:30 a.m. Ready for another busy day. We left Jerusalem and traveled out of the city into Judah's Hill Country. It is the Jewish Sabbath and there are fewer cars on the street. Everywhere families are walking to the synagogue. Almost everything closes down for the Sabbath. Outside the city there are more things open, including many public parks and hiking trails. We began our day at a park above the deep Sorek canyon in the hill country.  This Is s really beautiful place with terraced gardens and streams that come down the side of the hills. Residents of the city can rent a terraced garden to grow vegetables and fruits.  There were all kinds of vegetation, including olive, fig, and almond trees. There were beautiful vineyards that would have taken an extreme amount of patience and effort to be fruitful. When you see these vineyards that were the reference for what Jesus said in  John 15 (I are the vine, you are the branches......), it makes you see what a great amount of time and effort The Lord  puts into us to make us fruitful.  We left there and drove through the Sorek Canyon down into the Shephelah which means "humble hills". We  stopped at the site of the ruins of a Byzantine monastery. The place is Beth-Shemesh. This is the home of Sampson. It is also the town to which the Philistines returned the captured Ark of the Covenant. They decided, shall we say it was  "too hot to handle". We did some field work there and Bible study.  We had a picnic lunch provided by the program. Lunch is set up and prepared by us and usually  is pita, hummus, carrots, peanut butter and jelly (my choice), and fruit. After lunch, we went to the Elah Valley which is the site of the David and Goliath story. We hiked up a steep hill to overlook the valley at an archeological site that is being studied. The name of the place is Shaaraim. It is known David and Solomon were here. They would have entered the city by stepping over the large door stone that is still there. It is awesome to know my feet have stood exactly where King David and King Solomon's have stood.

I am having trouble with my IPad and had to post from my phone. I hope to get it working soon. I will post pictures at that time.

Wifi has reawakened from a great sleep. So here is a picture .

The stone at the threshold of Shaariam

Shiloh, Jericho, and the Wilderness of Judah

October 25 ( 10:30 pm)

Oh, no! I imported the wrong picture! Now you all know the truth. I'm really in Hawaii with Elvis.
Seriously, this is the bus we take out to our field studies and the driver is Alhadean (sounds like Paula Dean without the P). Imagine our surprise when he drove up. But for sure, he is easy to spot when we go to the really crowded places. He is also an AMAZING driver who can get us in and out of anyplace. Sometimes completely in reverse.

Our day started northwest of Jerusalem at Nebi Samwil which means Prophet Samuel. It is a site high on a hill that is the place where Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. It functions as a worship site for Jews and Muslims. Why is Samuel important to Muslims? We asked that too. The
Muslims honor Samuel because he promoted the idea that there is only one a God which is central to their faith.  They share the worship site; Muslims on Friday and Jews on Saturday.  We left there and traveled to Shiloh. To get there we had to go into Palestinian territory and through check points. They just waved the big Hawaii bus right through. Go figure. Shiloh is the site where God revealed to Joshua where the tribal allotments would be. It was amazing to realize we were standing where the
Israelites stood after they had crossed into the promised land and the ark of the covenant was with them there. We left there and descended to Jericho which is 853 feet below sea level.  It is a beautiful oasis town and green with date palm trees and other fruits and vegetables. Very different geography from where we had been. Most of you have heard the story of the walls if Jericho falling when the Israelites marched around the city seven times and gave a great shout. Also, We explored the ruins of a fortress that was built around 7500 BC. That is 5000 years before the time of Abraham.  From there we ascended to the Judean Wilderness. This is the area where Jesus was tempted for forty days and where David tended sheep and was surely his reference for the 23rd Psalm. We hiked up a steep hill and took a goat path to a quiet spot and did some  field work and Bible study. Before we left, Andy (our elected song leader) led us in some praise choruses about the greatness of protection of God. There were Bedouins there leading their goats through the hills and of course trying to sell us things. I may have bought something, Meg. Before we left, Alhadean made us some Bedouin coffee. Most of you know that don't like coffee, but I had to try it.  Whew, VERY strong. Okay, I can say I've done that and cross it off my list for good.

The site of Jericho 

Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Herodium, and Bethlehem

October 24 (10:30 p.m.)
If the title of my post sound like a lot of things to see in one day, that 's because it was!  However, all this is within a 10 mile area. Looking out from the Mount if Olives, you are able to see the route Jesus would have taken when he  made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. There is a saddle in the ridge that was the natural route and from there he descended into the Kidron Valley as people lined the road and waved palms. Palms are a symbol of victory in Israeli history.  From the vantage point of the Mt. Of Olives you can trace the entire route He took entire  during Passion Week. It is a very steep walk down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane.  I will definitely have sore legs tomorrow. From there, we went about 10 miles South (on a bus, thank goodness) to the Herodium. That was a fortress, lookout, and elaborate vacation home that Herod had built for himself. He had a big swimming pool with an island in the middle constructed. Sisters, he had the original party island.  The site is under archaeological excavation and quite impressive. From the top of the fortress you can see a glimpse of the Dead Sea to the East, the Hebron mountains South, Bethlehem is West and Jerusalem to to the North.  Next, we went into the West Bank. We had to have our passports and go through an Israeli check point. Then behind the wall and into Bethlehem which is in what the people who live there call the state of Palestine, but the Israelis do not. A disputed territory. We visited with an Arab Christian shop owner who gave us a great talk about being an Arab Christian living in the West Bank. What I would say to all of you about the things you see on the news about this disputed area is that it's a lot like home; the news tells you what they want you to hear. There are two sides to every story and the truth is usually somewhere in the middle. We visited the shepherds fields and our  group had a short "Christmas" service outside in the Shepherds  field with the Mediterranean breeze blowing across.  Pastor Rhoda from Ohio recited the Christmas story from Luke. Andy, a missionary from South America, led us in several Christmas carols, and Pastor Mike from  Michigan closed in prayer. Definitely a once in a lifetime Christmas service. After dinner, the director of the University had a reception for us at his home. He and his wife were very gracious hosts. Another big day tomorrow. Off to bed for some much needed rest.

At the Herodium. Ongoing excavation of Herod's Tomb in the foreground and Bethlehem in the far background..

City of David, Hezakiah's Tunnel & The Western Wall

October 23
I would like you all to note that the time stamps on my posts are Eastern Standard Time. I have kept my Ipad on the time at home. So add 7 hours to all time stamps.

This morning we spent in the classroom to prepare for field studies tomorrow. It is amazing how enriched your study of the scripture becomes when you add an understanding of the geography of the Promised Land.  After lunch, we went to the City of David. Quick history: David's Jerusalem was about 10 acres. Solomon enlarged the city to about 32 acres. Hezakiah expanded it to about 132 acres. The City of David is just the original 10 acres. That is where we began our walk in Jerusalem today. We visited the archeological site that contains some of the original Canaanite wall that was there when David conquered the city from the Jebusites.  From there, we went through Hezakiah's water tunnel. The water system was dug beneath the city in order to provide water for the Jewish people while under siege. It is an engineering feat of unimaginable proportion. John Gibson and Melvin, you would have loved it (but you would still be there asking questions, lol). We actually walked  through the tunnel. In places the walls were barely wide enough to pass and the ceiling was so low you had to bend down and all done while walking through a flowing stream of water knee deep in some places. Oh, and with flashlights.  No lighting or handrails. It took about 30 minutes to get through the tunnel which comes out into the Pool of Siloam. The pool of Siloam is where Jesus put clay on the eyes of the blind man and told him  to go wash in the pool  and receive his sight. I would not have missed it for the world.  From there we went to the Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall but not a term the Jews like) where we were able to pray at the wall and leave a written prayer in the cracks of the wall. Several names were placed there.  There was an Israeli army induction ceremony taking place there and we got to watch it. All Israelis must serve 2 years in the military. It was so strange to see young ladies walking around with semi-automatic (automatic for all I know about great big guns) strapped across them. From there, our Professor took us to the shop of an Orthodox  Jew who put out stools for all of us to sit on and closed his shop to  spend some time telling us all about the Jewish faith and answer any questions we had. He said the main thing we should understand is that we are not here by accident; God has called us here to His Holy Mountain to reveal Himself . He said we are a part of the fulfillment of prophecy that is rapidly taking place.  Very powerful.  A wonderful day.

                                                      City of David archeological site

Overlook technical difficulty and another picture

October 22 (cont.)

Can't figure a few blog elements out. Ignore the duplicate picture in the previous post.Caption should have read "steps of the temple". Will try to edit tomorrow.  *october 23  successfully edited!

Our group looking at the Temple Mount

Orientation and a walk through the Old City

October 22

I had a good night of sleep and woke up refreshed and ready to go! We met our Professor today, were introduced to each other, and toured the campus.  After lunch at the campus cafeteria, we began our walk through part of the Old City. It is called the City on a Hill for a reason! Steps, steps, steps, up, up, up! Amanda Kelly, I can't thank you enough for your exercise class and encouragement. I would have been struggling without this  past year of physical preparation.  We went to the archaeological site of the 1st century temple. There are some original steps there from the time if Jesus. People had to walk up those steps to get in to the temple. Jesus, the apostles, Mary, etc...would have actually walked there. Very moving experience for the group.  From there we went to the Jewish Quarter where the aristocratic Jews would have lived during Jesus' time. Most likely Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest lived in this area. Therefore, Jesus would have been brought here for the Sanhedrin trial.  We also went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There are many thing there that are said to be authentic to the crucifixion, but can not be verified. However, it is known for sure that the crucifixion took place in that general area. The highest stone on that hill has traditionally been said to be where the cross was placed because the condemned were placed on the highest spot for all to see.  We were able to kneel there a reach through an opening and touch the stone. I thought that would be a good place to lift up some names in prayer. Some of you know who you are. From there we entered the shop area and were introduced to Shaban. He is a shopkeeper that has a relationship with the college and is recommended to use for exchanging money, buying from, or recommending a shop that has an item you are looking for that he does not have.  He gave us all a cold drink and was very gracious. Building long term relationships is very important here and he is a friend of the college, therefore we are his friend now also. Pretty neat,I now have an Arab shopkeeper as a friend for life. Tomorrow will be another strenuous day so I am off to bed. I am enjoying the comments. Thanks for checking on me. I feel really safe in my group and am having a wonderful and meaningful experience. One more thing, the power was out all day at the college and class went on as usual. Just without PowerPoint.  They didn't 't miss a beat..

Steps of the Temple

Arrived!

October 21

The flight over was long but I was able to sleep quite a bit. Had 2 great seat mates. We were all the same age and traveling by ourselves. Jane was coming to Israel to attend her daughter's wedding. She is an Orthodox Jew and gave me lots of good history and directed me to customs, baggage, and the sherut  (shared taxi). Margaret is a Catholic from India. She is here for the first time and is going on a faith based tour. The Greek islands  were something to see as we flew over this morning.  Definitely want to go there sometime. No problems finding the hotel. The driver showed me exactly where to go. My room is not fancy by any means but is very clean. I'll take that and be happy. This is a very old hotel and is loaded with charm. I do have to remember not to just stand and look at the elevator door waiting for it to open. You must pull the door open. No magically opening doors here and a really tiny elevator. I ventured out just enough to find a diet coke but am waiting for the rest of the group to arrive before I go out any more than that.  I will meet the group and tour leader later today at dinner.  I am really tired and looking forward to a good night of sleep. Big day tomorrow.

View from my hotel room. 

Gloria Hotel. Jaffa Gate just inside the old city of Jerusalem. 

Departure day has arrived!

October 20

The day began very early this morning.  Melvin made sure I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare.  I Am in Newark right now waiting for departure to Tel Aviv this afternoon. Sitting in the united Club reading a good book (thanks Sandy) and watching planes take off and land. It will be a long day but well worth the wait.

Jerusalem University College Pastor & Parishoner Study Tour Itinerary

Today is October 10! 10 more days to go!

October 20 - leave Knoxville
Day 1  - arrive in Tel Aviv and travel to Jerusalem. Lodging at the Gloria Hotel in the old city of Jerusalem. The hotel is just inside the Jaffa gate.

Day2 - morning seminars followed by a walk thru the old city. Highlights include a visit to the Western Wall, Hezakiah's Tunnel, pool of Siloam.

Day 3 - field tour to the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. Highlights: Michmash, Gibeah, Jericho. Evening lecture on "The Middle East Today".

Day 4 - Old city of Jerusalem with emphasis on New Testament times. Highlights: Via Dolorasa, Temple Mount. Afternoon seminars.

Day 5 - Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, Holocaust Museum (not looking forward to this), Bethlehem.

Day 6 - Ancient hill country and the coastal plain. Highlights: Lachish (the last defense against Nebuchadnezzar), Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath.

Day7 - The Dead Sea (swim if we want to), Masada, cave at Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, and the caves where David hid from Saul.

Day 8 - Free day.

Days 9-12 Will travel to the Galilee region where we will stay at the En Gev Kibbutz on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Highlights: Mount Carmel, Megiddo (where the Battle of Armegeddon will take place), Cana, Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes (where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount).

Day 13 - free day and travel to Jordan for an extension after the regular program ends.

Days 14-15 -  Jordan. Highlights: Petra, Mt. Nebo (where Moses viewed the Promised Land).

November 5 - fly home. Arrive Knoxville on a late flight.

Below: maps, work books, etc...that I have been working with to prepare for my trip. I have learned so much!

The count down begins!

September 25
The count down has begun. 25 days until I leave for the Holy Land. I have been planning this trip since November 2011. I can't believe it is almost here. I have been making  lists of things I need to do in order to be ready,  but so far I just have a lot of lists. I need to start marking thing off my lists. Starting this blog can be marked off the list now.

October is here!

October 1
19 days before my trip begins.  I have one more lesson to finish. I have been working very hard to complete my map work.

Went shopping this past weekend and bought most of the things I will need for my trip.