Israel, Last Day

I can't really believe we've already been back almost three days...in some ways it seems like forever since we went, and on the other hand, I still feel like we're recovering from the trip. :) It's thankfully been a pretty low key couple of days. We both still feel pretty tired and not quite back to normal. 

Our last day was spent at a worship service at Yad Hashmonah where I had attended IBEX back in college. The moshav has changed quite a bit and it was good to see my old room and one of the girls I had known back then, Naomi. Also, Pastor Randy gave the message and it was good to hear him speak. From there we had lunch in Abu Gosh, and back to the hotel. We packed up and headed out to Joppa. As you can see from the first pic, tons of people go to the beach on the weekend! We couldn't believe how crowded it was. 

 

Sat was also our anniversary, 17 years, and here's a nice pic we took overlooking the Med. Sea
 

Joppa is the area that Jonah ran to when he was trying to escape the Lord's command...here's a wharf area there
 

We had dinner around sunset overlooking the sea
 

And, lastly, a sunset pic as our bus makes it's way to the airport to head back home...good end to our trip
 

It's sure nice to have normal Blogger back. :) I was posting via the tablet while we were gone so I wasn't able to format and add links like normal. Thanks for bearing with that and making your best guess as to what pictures were. :)

Israel, Day 13

We're sitting here at the airport in Tel Aviv waiting for a 12:30 am flight back to the states. It's crazy to think our time is done and that we've already been here almost 2 weeks! What a great trip...super wonderful people to spend the time with...awesome guide(s), bus driver, and schedule...more food than we could ever think of eating (I plan to do a seperate post to show you all the food).

Anyways, Friday was our last real tour type day. We began the morning over at Beit Shan which is an incredible site...lots of archeaology uncovered there. You can see the pics looking down from the high hill all the area they have discovered. The primary OT text here is that Saul's body was fastened to the walls and then removed by the men of Jabesh Gilead. There is a tremendous amount of 1st century Roman history here as well. One of the pics is of the ampitheatre where the gladiators would fight. The long trail up the hill has some Canaanite and even Egyptian levels. We joke that sites have to be at least 2 thousand years old for us to be interested around here...but, in the States we're amazed at places only 200 years old...different perspective for sure.

And, lastly, we headed over to Bethlehem. It's definitely a disappointing site to see, but it's still the place of Christ's birth. That town is under Palestinian control currently so Israeli tour guides are not welcome there. The wall with lots of graffiti on it seperates the two people groups. As expected, there is a large church on the historic site and three different sects control part of it. The present church was built by Justinian and the lovely mosiacs below the windows are from his time, I think. More interesting really than the church is just being in an area controlled by the Palestinians...it felt a bit unsettling to me and just more chaotic. Nice to get back to Jerusalem.

Today is also Dave and my 17th anniversary...nice place to celebrate!

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I wasn't able to get internet yesterday afternoon/evening so couldn't post this...we just arrived back onto American soil...good to be halfway back. :-)

Well, I thought I had internet at JFK, but was wrong...so, we got back into Wenatchee early afternoon and have been enjoying being with the kiddos, getting unpacked, and trying not to fall asleep. :) Can't wait to get to bed tonight!

Israel, Day 12 Part 2

Following Baniyas we headed up to the Golan Heights area where you can look over into Syria and Lebanon (don't tell my mom! :) ).  We went up a mountain area called Har Bental and saw where Israel had bunkers and other military fortifications to defend themselves in the war in 1967. They no longer have military involvement there so have opened it to the public to walk through. The other pics are from the sunset on the lake of Galilee following a boatride and a fish dinner.

Today was our last real day of touring...can't believe we'll be heading home tomorrow night. Looking forward to seeing the kiddos again! 

Israel, Day 12 Part 1

We had another full day yesterday in the upper Galilee area. We tried to start off the day at Hazor, but I guess the guard slept in, so it wasn't open. So, off to Dan we went which is a significant Biblical site. It was here that Jeroboam, king of Israel, set up an altar for his kingdom to come worship rather than going to Jerusalem. There is also an ancient mud brick gate which Abraham likely saw on his way to recovering his nephew, Lot, from the Mesopotamian kings.

The last four pics are from Baniyas, or Caesarea Phillippi. It is situated at the base of Mt Hermon and was a major center for idol worship, particularly Pan. It was the most northern spot of Christ's ministry. Peter made his great confession here, and it could also have been the spot of Jesus' transfiguration. The picture of the fort is a good example of how different eras build on top of the other. 

Israel, Day 11 Part 2

I must say that I'm getting to the point of over mind-saturation. Things are starting to blur...especially when we see a number of sites in one day. It's interesting to be up the the Northern part of Israel as it is so much more lovely and much greener and wetter. We visited the site called The Mount of Beatitudes. It also has a church on the spot with lovely gardens and a church. I just included a pic of the high windows in the church which each have a beatitude written. The pics with the black triangle (which was the top of a synagogue) and the seat (which is a "bema" seat where judgments would be made) are from Korazim...another of the cities Christ cursed.  

We also took a favorite hike down Mt. Arbel. The top portion only has metal loops drilled into the rock and guide wires to hold on to...super great fun, but a smidge scary. :) You can see what look like caves in the hillside where Jews hid  out from Herod.

The last pic is when we were at the Jordan River...gotta sign off now...no more internet

Israel, Day 11 Part 1

We've been continuing on in the Northern part of Israel around the Lake of Galilee. We began at Tabgha which is where Christ likely fed the disciples following His resurrection. You can see that they have errected a lovely church on the site and the rock inside is the "table" at which the disciples ate the fish with the Lord. The steps are where you'd pull up a fishing boat and climb onto the shore.

The next spot was the city of Capernaum. It is where Peter mother-in-law lived and where Christ had his headquarters. The picture of what looks like a doorway is said to be Peter's house. Jesus often preached in the synagogue here (shown in the pic with the column), and it was the scene of many miracles. Matthew also had his tax collection office here. The grinding stones are in the last picture...what would be a "mill stone" that Christ spoke about. 

Today is also Josh's 10 birthday...Happy Birthday Josh!!

Israel, Day 10 Part 2

Yesterday we also spent some time at Tel Megiddo. It is the place where Armageddon will take place. This mountain presides over a huge valley and has had many different peoples living upon it or warring against it....Egypt, Canaan, Israel, Assyria, Judah. It is a pivotal place because many routes must run through this spot due to the lay of the land. You can see in one pic the huge gate pockets that Solomon and, I think, Tiglath Pileser III, used to fortify the city. King Josiah was also killed in battle here after not heading Pharoah Neco's warning. Another pic shows the stable area with feed boxes (mangers) that would have housed Solomon's horses. If you see the large circular area in the middle of one pic, that would have been an altar of some sort to a deity. Dave is also standing in a tunnel that was hewn to create a water system bringing in water from an outside spring into the city. Lots of history at this Tel... 

Israel, Day 10 Part 1

We overnighted in the Nazareth area and first thing in the morning we visited a 1st century, life-sized, working village. A while back, a winepress was discovered in this area and they made this village around it. As with any child who runs about everywhere when there is no media, Jesus likely ran around in the winepress area and his family probably participated in the winepressing events held in their community. Dave took his shoes off and stood in the winepress as the people would have done back in the 1st century to keep from crushing the bitter pits. The pic where Dave is the "donkey" is an olive press...another very important tool in Israel. We also saw a craftsman with many early tools and a cloth maker. They showed the process from taking the wool off the sheep till it is woven on the loom. Lastly, they recreated a synagogue where Dave is holding the Torah scrolls. Our guide, Lee, always likes to remind us that these ancient places were much more beautiful than we picture now with all the plaster and mosaics fallen off.

The overlook is of the Jezreel Valley and taken near where Naboth's vineyard was possibly taken by King Ahab/Queen Jezebel. This would also be the valley where Deborah and Barak would have fought their battles.

Israel, Day 9 Part 2

The rest of the day we spent in the city of Caeserea. I had gone there back in college, but it was nothing like it was then...so much was excavated! This was another of Herod's amazing building projects...he definitely knew how to pick awesome spots. There is a huge ampitheater there that still holds concerts and plays. Pastor Randy is standing on the spot where Paul likely gave his defense before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. You can also see the amazing beauty of the place by the inlaid marble floors and the workout-type center. Dave is pointing to an ancient pipe that they used to bring water to the buildings. In the big long stretch they would hold chariot races...Herod was the first person to give a purse to both 2nd and 3rd place, before that it only went to the winner. There is also an amazing aquaduct there that Herod built and was later doubled in size by Hadrian. It was a totally incredible place. Our guide likes to say that "ancient doesn't mean primitive." That's been a good synopsis of what we've been seeing.