Israel, the country where people such as our patriarchs, King David, Jesus, and his disciples walked according to much archeological research. You have to use your imagination when experiencing this area because this is land where a city is built upon a city, upon a city, approximately five times.
Our hotel in Jerusalem is just a block away from our new embassy. It’s the only picture you can take. Jay had to show the pictures to see which one had to be deleted. Great stonework.
Good to be close after staying in Tiberias and hearing the Israeli air force flying about 500 feet over our heads. (A few people in our group have video of them flying over.) The headlines read: “Israel Strikes Gaza Strip Targets in Response to Rocket Fire ” -“Israel struck a series of military targets in the Gaza Strip overnight Wednesday in response to rockets fired from the Palestinian enclave” the Israeli army said.
Jay and I have never been participants of a group tour. We’ve heard horror stories, however we felt this area of our world, Egypt, Jordan, and Israel were places to have a guide. We had the best group – thirty-nine of us from Canada and the US. After fifteen days with these wonderful people, it was difficult to say goodbye.
Israel, where does a person begin? This might be the toughest blog to write. I feel an enormous sense to make sure I get this all correct. So much information has been given to us over the course of this week. So, I’m asking for grace as you read.
Since the Christmas season is upon us, let’s start at the beginning – “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. – Luke 1:26-27
The Church of Anninciation is believed to be the place where Mary lived and the Angel Gabriel appeared to her.
Luke 1:39, “Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit…..Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.”
The church of St. John the Baptist where all the above scripture is said to have occurred.
In a little town of Bethlehem, Christ Jesus our Savior is born. Bethlehem is located over the border of Israel in Palestine.
Luke 2: 4-7, “And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
I wish I could say this was one of those places you could have a moment to soak in the significance this place holds in our lives. But I can’t. We were pushed and shoved and yelled at to keep moving. Ugh! This is Bethlehem! No room at the Inn! And still, there was no room in the underground to honor baby Jesus.
However, this is a fun piece of information – the Pope has ordered that a peice of the whole manger located in Rome be relocated to this church on Saturday, the day after we were there. What a celebration that will be along with Bethlehem’s Christmas tree lighting.
“There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. The angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ They went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:8-16
We were told that at night the shepherds would find caves to keep their sheep and themselves warm. This is a cave in the shepherds field. It is also the area of Boaz’s (the book of Ruth) fields.
Since we mentioned Ruth, let’s go back to the Old Testament for a moment. One of my many favorite Old Testament stories is Elijah confronting Ahab on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18. You have to get your Bible out and read this great story all the way through, you will love it.
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals….So Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel….” In verse 27, Elijah is just taunting Ahab’s prophets. However, God really shows off that day. This is the spot.
“When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, ‘Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.’ Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. He came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, ‘Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, ‘The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.’ So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.” – 1 Samuel 24:1-7
Cave #4 of 12 where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. We have an amazing story our guide told us regarding the scrolls we will be happy to share when we get home. Just ask sometime.
Speaking of Dead Sea. If you get this close you have to go float. Happy Thanksgiving!
Capernaum – a place mentioned several times in the Bible. “And leaving Nazareth he (Jesus) went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” Matthew 4:13
“When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. – Matthew 8:14-15. You can see in this picture a city on top of a city, etc. A modern church has been built on top of what is believed to be Peter’s house.
The Sea of Galilee, which is really a lake. So many stories of Jesus all over. This side is where Jesus gave his Sermon of the Mount. Looking up from the water near Tabgha, this is one of the few places I could imagine how it could have been.
The church of multiplication -where Jesus fed the 5,000. And Jesus appeared to Peter after the resurrection.
“I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
Fishing was the industry back then. We took a boat out on the Sea of Galilee. When you are out on the waters you can see how quickly weather changes here. Although we had a gorgeous morning, we had to go to the other side to have calm waters. I can see how the seas became rough. “‘Let us go across to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat,…just as he was. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. – Mark 4:35-37
A little Kate and Leo moment.
Eleven miles from the Sea of Galilee on the eastern end of the Jezreel valley sits Mount Tabor – the Mount of transfiguration. “After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.'”- Matthew 17:1-5
Jerusalem, the last city on this tour has holy sites everywhere. Kidron Valley, Via Dolorosa, judgement hall of Pilate, Stations of the Cross, Upper Room, King David’s Tomb, Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Here is the Western Wall.
Mount Moriah which is where the Dome of the Rock sits. It’s the holy site where Abraham offered his son, Issac, as a sacrifice.
At the foot of the Mount of Olives is Gethsemane.
The garden tomb was just as we had imagined. I wish I could add those pictures, however I have just run out of spaces on my blog site.
There are so many things we could share about this area of our world, I can’t help think of when John says in 21:25, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” I believe it.
Shalom, Jay and Kelly
A Year with Jay and Kelly 