A Trip to the West Bank

Israel is a land of tension.   The history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is long and complex, and it is much more than I can begin to take on here.   If you're interested in trying to gain some understanding, there are good articles and timelines to be found here.  

Many of you have heard of the "west bank" and Gaza when Israel is in the news.  The "West Bank" actually refers to a geographic region that begins with the west bank of the Jordan River.  Several ancient Biblical sites lie within this region, including all of Samaria, a large part of ancient Judea, and important locations like Jericho, Bethany, Bethlehem and Nazareth.  

We passed through checkpoints going in and out of these areas, but were very privileged to get to travel within the West Bank region (we did NOT go into Gaza, which is the heart of the current conflict within the region).  

The sites and people that we encountered in this area were truly wonderful.  I think that one of the misconceptions that I had about the Holy Land was that the area is populated primarily by Christians and Jews.  This is not the case.  There is a massive Islamic Arab presence in Jerusalem and throughout Israel, and especially in the west bank regions.  

We received only the best hospitality and had a great experience.   That said, the feelings of tension and frustration were evident in many places.  We took the picture above just a couple of blocks away from the restaurant in Jericho where we ate lunch.  It was strange to have experienced the hospitality of the people, to then drive right past the local PLO office.  

I had just shared marjoram tea with some men in a little coffee shop, and the man running the store bundled up a big bunch of marjoram and gave it to me, saying, "a gift my friend, grown in Palestine."  For all I know, he's the chair of the local PLO.  It is a complicated world.  

Also in Jericho, Holly got to ride a camel.  She's a natural.  Speaking of camels, a man running a fruitstand on the street (where I bought some of the greatest dates in the world) said to me, "Is this your wife?  I give you 6,000 camels for her."    

I told him that he had mistaken me for a rich man, and that I couldn't afford to feed 6,000 camels.  He belly laughed.  

Again at Jericho, the "mount of temptation," local legend says that this is the mountain upon which Satan tested Jesus at the beginning of his ministry.  

Another sign, this time in Bethany, near Jerusalem.  A massive wall separates the West Bank from Israel, and people cannot cross back and forth.  Spouses and families have been cut off from one another.  

I want to be clear that this is NOT a Palestinian man throwing a rock in anger.  He's actually demonstrating a sling shot of the type used for many centuries in this part of the world.  They call it the "David" sling, referring to the famous battle with Goliath.  

He threw this rock an astonishing distance, over some buildings.  I have no idea where it may have landed.  The other amazing part of this story?  He's standing right in front of the tomb of Lazarus.  Yes, that Lazarus.  The one that Jesus brought back from the dead.  

I bought 3 slingshots...now I just need some wide open spaces to teach my boys how to throw with them.  

Armageddon

We're back in the USA!  It is very good to be home.  A short little 13 hour plane ride and we're back in Douglasville, GA.    My anti-jet lag strategy is to stay awake today, even though we'd just gotten nicely adjusted to Jerusalem time.  Right now it's about 6:45 there -- just finishing up dinner, but here it's not quite lunch time.  Our plane landed this morning at 6 am Atlanta time.  

So...everything is a little confused, but wow -- what a trip.  

OK -- time to catch up some pics that my connection wouldn't quite let me do while I was there...

These pics are of "Tel Megiddo," one of the oldest known civilizations in the world. Archaeologists know that there have been cities on this site, beginning about 8,000 years ago.  

Megiddo sits at a "crossroads of crossroads" in the ancient world, and it's the place that we know as "Armageddon" from Revelation 16: 

 ¹⁶Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

 ¹⁷The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 

¹⁸Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 

¹⁹The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. ²⁰Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 

²¹From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

The Hebrew, "Har Megiddo," (Mountain of Megiddo) becomes "Armageddon" as the name winds its way through New Testament Greek and into English.  

One of the many tensions of this Biblical land is the intense beauty of this place held against the story of final destruction connected to it in Revelation.  I always had images of Armageddon being fiery and ugly.  This place is green and beautiful.  It is peaceful.  It's a wonderful place to pray for peace.  

Bethlehem

Hello again everybody! We are still exhausted, but still having a wonderful time! Yesterday we went to Bethlehem, which means going through an Israeli checkpoint into Palestinian-controlled West Bank territory. The main attraction in Bethlehem, of course, is the Church of the Nativity, long venerated as the site of Jesus' birth. Above is a picture of Holly touching the "star of Bethlehem," the marker of the site, in a grotto (cave) below the sanctuary of the church.



The Church is controlled by Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian Christians. This is the Orthodox sanctuary, situated directly above the birth site. Let's just say their decorating taste isn't exactly Methodist. The chandeliers were given by Russian Czar Nicholas before the 1917 Russian revolution. This is the oldest continually operating church, founded in about the year 300 with worship taking place here ever since. Some of the original floors and structures still exist.




Above, an exterior corner of the Church of the Nativity


Rev. Jamie Jenkins talks to the group at the Shepherds' Field cave, just outside of Bethlehem. This cave is traditionally considered the site of the angelic appearance announcing Jesus' birth. We sang "Angels We Have Heard on High" here.

Just now...in this place...

Our tour guide Jimmy, speaking in the stone synagogue where Jesus grew up, and eventually proclaimed himself the messiah and was rejected.  

^{From Luke 4 (The Message)}

^16-21He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written, 

   God's Spirit is on me; 
      he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to 
       the poor, 
   Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and 
      recovery of sight to the blind, 
   To set the burdened and battered free, 
      to announce, "This is God's year to act!"
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place."

 ²²All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, "Isn't this Joseph's son, the one we've known since he was a youngster?"

One of the most amazing things from today's sites...and this just scratches the surface of the many places we've been today...

We got to sit in the exact synagogue where this scripture reading took place.  

This was truly incredible.  

Archaeologists are 100% certain that the tiny village of Nazareth (about 150 people in Jesus' day, now 150,000) only had one synagogue.  There's no way that it would have had more than one.  

The synagogue site is well-known in Nazareth, and has been well-preserved and carefully restored.  It sits at the end of a long street market, tucked discreetly (I never would have known it was there) under an over-hang.  A tiny sign says, "synagogue," and worship still takes place there today.  

The stones are the same as in Jesus' time.  It's the same floors, walls, ceiling.  All hand-hewn rough limestone.  It is the place where Jesus returned during his ministry in Galilee and read the scroll of Isaiah 61.  It is the place where he declared himself the messiah.  It is the room we sat in today, and that is incredible.  We sang a hymn there, read this scipture and could feel the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Down to the River...

We went to what is known at the "Yardenit" baptismal site.  I know it sounds impossible, but this was the only slight disappointment of the trip so far.  The site is amazingly commercial.  Several gift shops have been built, there's a full-service restaurant, any and everything is for sale and the coffee/snack shop serves Heineken in case you need a brew while you watch your loved one get baptized.  

All that said, it is still the very same river in which John baptized Jesus, and in which Naaman the leper of the Old Testament was made clean.   Probably neither of those things happened at this part of the Jordan, but it's the place that we had access to the river from the southern end of the Sea of Galilee.  Hey, I got a great picture for my office.  

A Quiet Place

Scripture makes many references to Jesus getting away from the crowds during his Galilean ministry.  While there are several caves around the lake...this one does truly stand out.  

Local legend says that this is the cave to which the Gospels refer.  

I can't say for sure that Jesus ever prayed in this cave.  But we scaled the rocky, steep trail and sat there ourselves.  The feeling is amazing, and the surroundings are surely of the sort that Jesus experienced in his times of quiet prayer.  The cave faces the Galilee, with an incredible view.  

Do You Love Me...

Inside the Church, the Rock where Christ stood is exposed before the altar.  "Mensa Christi" means, "meal of Christ," referring to the fish breakfast that Jesus and the disciples cooked on the beach at this place, recorded in John 21.  

-----------------------

One of my most favorite scripture passages has been John 21 for many, many years.  The resurrected Jesus is on the banks of the Sea of Galilee.  He calls to the disciples..."children, do you have any fish?"  They put nets in on the other side on his order, and then Peter recognizes him.  

Three times, Jesus asks him, "do you love me..." and Peter is redeemed.  What a place of redemption.  

The "Primacy of Peter" is a small Roman Catholic church built on the site where it is believed the resurrected Christ stood and called to the disciples.  Its foundation is a large rock that looks out to the water.  

Some call this the "Christian Wailing Wall," as every nook and cranny in that rock was stuffed with scribbled prayers.  It is a place of redemption, and it is very, very powerful.  

Blessed are the...

Mount of the Beatitudes, site of Sermon on the Mount

 

One of the highlights for me personally, was that I got to read the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, at the location where it's believed that Jesus first preached them.    We are taking turns doing Biblical readings at each site, and this one happened to be mine.  

It makes so much more sense now...

The setting is lush and green, and the hillside truly does form a kind of natural amphitheatre.  The Sea of Galilee (which sits basically in a hole, 600+ feet below sea level, surrounded by mountains) is the backdrop.  

Jesus had moved from Nazareth and set up "headquarters" in Capernaum, a town of about 1500 on the Sea of Galilee where Peter and other disciples lived.  I now understand when the Bible says that "news of him spread quickly throughout the countryside..."   Imagine how news spreads through our small towns today, and in that time and place, all they really had to talk about was each other.  

Our wonderful guide Jimmy introduced the Mount of the Beatitudes by saying, "Jesus didn't come to the rich or the powerful.  He came to his people.  He went down to that water, and he was among the fisherman.  He was a builder himself.  He went to the poor and those who didn't have a chance.  He cared about them.  He went to the Gentile side of this lake and ministered in the Decapolis, and no one would do that!" 

Jimmy went on to say, "Do we talk about Jesus being in Tiberias, the town we're staying in?  No!  Do you know why?  Because it was a resort town for the rich 2,000 years ago, just like it is today.  That's not where Jesus was going to spend his time."  

That being the case...from the point of Jimmy, a 60+ year old, 3rd generation Palestinian Christian living in Israel...makes this reading come alive.  

From Matthew 4 and 5 (The Message)  

When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills...

From there he went all over Galilee. He used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme—that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the "Ten Towns" across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.

^1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

 ³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 ⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

 ⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

 ⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

 ⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

 ⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 ⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

 ¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

 ^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Tiberias: Road from Cana to Capernaum

This is a view of the first place that we stopped, walked and and experienced in Israel.  

It is an old Roman road, used at the time of Jesus, that stretches from Cana to Capernaum, through the Galilee.  Jesus would have walked this very path, many times.  

Several things are striking:  1 -- The sheer rock cliffs that line this part of the route are incredible and pictures do not do them justice.  2 -  Ancient Galileans were TOUGH.  Walking being their primary transportation method.  Wow.  These are some incredible hills and distances. 3- This valley is called the "valley of doves" because it was used to raise doves for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.  They would nest in the high rocky outcroppings.   

An incredible and beautiful place --- a good symbol of the Galilean landscape, deeply beautiful and also difficult and unforgiving.  

Backstory on today --- Friday -- Galilee and Jerusalem

Alright everybody!  Day 2 of touring is over --- I know we've been gone longer than that, having left on Tuesday night, but we arrived after dark on Wednesday, Israel time.  I have now toured yesterday and today.  

Really, there aren't words to describe everything we've seen, touched and experienced.  With time, we'll be more able to take it in.  But, on the other hand, our first impressions will never be more fresh than they are right now.  

All that said --- here's my thought --- I'm going to try to somehow keep things relatively brief, and maybe post a few of the very best pics, with descriptions, from each day.   What an incredible place.  Even as I write this, I'm still coming off of the experience of walking with a few of our group through the old city of Jerusalem, right after dinner.  We did travel as a group (about 12 of us), and we walked part of the Via Dolorosa (the path that Christ walked while carrying the cross), and ended at the Wailing Wall, the western wall of the Temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D.  

Tonight is Sabbath, and so things were virtually deserted and we had easy access.  I could go on and on about that experience of prayer.  These were the foundation stones of the temple in Jesus' time, and we were able to touch them, to see the thousands of prayers that have been written and jammed into the cracks and crevices, and pray.  Even though I was by myself in that spot (Holly was on the other side of a divided area --- women and men aren't allowed to approach the wall together) it was an incredible experience of "communal" prayer.  When you pray at the wall, you definitely do not pray alone.  You do it with millions and millions of others who have poured out their hearts to God in that place.  

OK --- pics.  

Sea of Galilee

Hello from Israel!!  What beautiful words to write...

When we landed in Tel Aviv and boarded our tour bus, we met "Jimmy," who is serving as our tour guide.  He's a 40 year veteran of Holy Land tours, and he is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the life, times and places of Jesus.  

His first words to us were beautiful..."welcome home."  He said, "this is your home because it is the home of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  It is your home."  

And, above is the view from the terrace of our hotel room.  Not kidding.  It really is.  

We are staying in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee in the norther part of Israel.  We open the glass door to our terrace and can sit and look at the Sea of Galilee.  This pic was taken early this morning just after sunrise.  

We have had an incredible day.  We've been to the Cana-to-Capernaum Roman road that Jesus would have walked in his time.  We've been on a boat in the Sea of Galilee.  We've been to the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount and I got to read the Beatitudes for the group.  We've seen an ancient fishing boat from Jesus' time, discovered 20 years ago in Galilee.  We've eaten "St. Peter's fish" at a local restaurant.  We sat in the cave that is traditionally considered the place where Jesus would go by himself to pray and rest from the crowds that followed him.  We have been to the site of John 21, where the resurrected Jesus forgave Peter 3 times and told him to, "feed my sheep."  We've put out hands in the Jordan River and remembered our baptism.  

Wow.  What a day.  

I'm going to try to post some more pics, though it's very slow going and not sure how the internet connection will hold from one moment to the next.  It should get better once we get to Jerusalem tomorrow.  

We are very happy.  We are exhausted.  Thanks so much for your prayers, we feel them.  Talk to you soon!  Adam and Holly 

Leaving Home

Hello SOTHbloggers --- and thanks again for your keeping tabs of Holly and me, and following along on our holy land excursion.  

This is departure day --- and anytime you get ready to leave home and take a big trip, it can make you a little reflective on the great blessings that we enjoy and take for granted everyday.  

Listening to some music early this morning I heard Neil Young's, "I am a Child," and of course it put me in mind of my 3 boys.    Without a doubt, leaving them to go on the trip is the hardest part for us.  

But, they are in wonderful hands with loving grandparents who will care for them and the support of a couple hundred of our closest SOTH friends and family.  

So...a little devotional moment through pop music this morning:  for all of you who are parents...or who have a role in the life of a child --- some good stuff from Neil Young, back in the Buffalo Springfield days.  

Wish I could play the song for you, but you know...copyrights, etc.  Go look it up and listen if you have time...Neil is an acquired taste, perhaps, but I love his stuff.  

Next post, from Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee!  

"I am a Child," Neil Young

I am a child, I'll last a while.
You can't conceive
of the pleasure in my smile.

You hold my hand,
rough up my hair,
It's lots of fun
to have you there.

God gave to you,
now, you give to me,
I'd like to know
what you learned.

The sky is blue
and so is the sea.
What is the color,
when black is burned?
What is the color?

You are a man, you understand.
You pick me up
and you lay me down again.

You make the rules,
you say what's fair,
It's lots of fun
to have you there.

God gave to you,
now, you give to me,
I'd like to know
what you learned.

The sky is blue
and so is the sea.
What is the color,
when black is burned?
What is the color?

I am a child, I'll last a while.
You can't conceive
of the pleasure in my smile.

Holy Land 2009

Welcome back to the SOTHBLOG everybody!

Holly and I are so excited and deep into preparations for our Holy Land trip next week. Thanks to each of you who had the vision and who decided to give to make this trip possible for us. Shepherd of the Hills, you are an incredible church, and we want to learn all that we can while we're there and share this trip with you in every way possible.

To that end, I'm posting our itinerary, and my goal is to post each day, sharing pics and experiences of all the Biblical sites that we'll be visiting.

Thanks again to all of you for being the church that you are. "Wheels up" from Atlanta on Tuesday night, direct to Tel Aviv!

Grace & Peace --- Adam and Holly

1. Day 1 - Depart the USA

   Your spiritual pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight.

2. Day 2 - Arrive in the Holy Land

   You will be welcomed to the Holy Land by our airport representative and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy dinner before you rest.

3. Day 3 - The Galilee

   View map

   With Bible in hand, cross the waters of the Sea of Galilee aboard a Kinnereth Sailing Company boat. Along the way, participate in a special on board worship service. Travel to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee. Visit the synagogue which stands on the site where Jesus taught. Recall his teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matt.4: 13, 23). At Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar, you’ll learn about the “Ancient Boat”, a rare example of the kind of boat in which Jesus would have sailed. Travel to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached to the people (Matt. 5-7). At Tabgha, the traditional location for the calling of the disciples and the feeding of the 5000, you’ll visit the Church of the Fish and the Loaves (Luke 9:10-17). You’ll also visit the Chapel of the Primacy where three times Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). At the River Jordan you can remember your baptism in the Yardenit Baptismal Site. With Bible in hand, cross the waters of the Sea of Galilee aboard a Kinnereth Sailing Company boat. Along the way, participate in a special on board worship service. Travel to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee. Visit the synagogue which stands on the site where Jesus taught. Recall his teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matt.4: 13, 23). At Kibbutz Nof Ginnosar, you’ll learn about the “Ancient Boat”, a rare example of the kind of boat in which Jesus would have sailed. Travel to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached to the people (Matt. 5-7). At Tabgha, the traditional location for the calling of the disciples and the feeding of the 5000, you’ll visit the Church of the Fish and the Loaves (Luke 9:10-17). You’ll also visit the Chapel of the Primacy where three times Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). At the River Jordan you can remember your baptism in the Yardenit Baptismal Site.

4. Day 4 - Beit Shean, Nazareth, Megiddo and Caesarea

   Visit the ruins of Beit Shean which was continuously inhabited for 5000 years and was one of the Roman cities Jesus passed on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem. Visit Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2: 23). Travel the ancient caravan route to Tel Megiddo where 20 different cities lie superimposed upon each other. Visit the Roman Aqueduct and Theatre at Caesarea, a center of the early Christians. Here, Cornelius became the first Gentile convert to the new religion (Acts 10) and Paul was imprisoned before being taken to Rome for Trial.

5. Day 5 - Jericho, Qumran, and Bethlehem

   View map

   Travel to Jericho and visit the ruins of the ancient city, which was conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6: 1, 2, 20). From Jericho, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4: 1-11). Even today, the road from Jericho to Jerusalem twists for miles as it climbs from below sea level into the Judean mountains. Jesus traveled the nearby Roman road, the setting of His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-36). Travel to Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery, to discuss the mysterious community of Essenes who once lived on the shores of the Dead Sea. In Bethlehem, you’ll visit the cave revered as the place where Jesus was born (Matt. 1: 18 - 25; Luke 2: 1- 7). The church, which was constructed on the site, is the world’s oldest functioning church. Nearby you’ll view Shepherds’ Field where the Good News was first heard.Travel to Jericho and visit the ruins of the ancient city, which was conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6: 1, 2, 20). From Jericho, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4: 1-11). Even today, the road from Jericho to Jerusalem twists for miles as it climbs from below sea level into the Judean mountains. Jesus traveled the nearby Roman road, the setting of His parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-36). Travel to Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scroll discovery, to discuss the mysterious community of Essenes who once lived on the shores of the Dead Sea. In Bethlehem, you’ll visit the cave revered as the place where Jesus was born (Matt. 1: 18 - 25; Luke 2: 1- 7). The church, which was constructed on the site, is the world’s oldest functioning church. Nearby you’ll view Shepherds’ Field where the Good News was first heard.

6. Day 6 - Jerusalem

   View map

   Visit the Haas Promenade and enjoy a panoramic view from the south of Jerusalem, the Old City walls and the hill called Mount Moriah where Abraham was commanded by God to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen. 22: 2, 4). View the Kidron Valley and the Valley of Gehenna. Stand atop the Mount of Olives as Jesus did and enjoy a remarkable view of the “Golden City” of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock. Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1: 9 - 12). Visit the Chapel of the Ascension. Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus prayed (Matt. 26: 36 - 44). Continue to Mount Zion to visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas where Jesus was imprisoned for a night (Matt. 26: 57 - 65). Stand in the Upper Room, revered as the place of the Last Supper (Mark 14: 12 - 26). View the site of King David’s Tomb.

7. Day 7 - Jerusalem and the Old City

   View map

   Visit the Southern Wall Excavations of the ancient Temple including the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. Walk the Cardo, the ancient main street of the Old City once lined with shops, now partially restored. View the Pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-31) where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle, and sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23: 1-11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross,” and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle, and sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress where Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23: 1-11). Walk the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of the Cross,” and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

8. Day 8 - Leisure Day with Optional Masada and Dead Sea Tour

   View map

   Explore on-your-own or visit Masada (additional charge), Herod’s mountaintop fortress which became the last stronghold of the Jewish Rebellion against the Romans. Ride the cable car to the top to explore. Peer down upon the remains of the Roman camps and siege ramp below. Time permitting, you’ll stop briefly at the Shores of the Dead Sea for a quick dip in the salt and mineral laden waters.siege ramp below. Time permitting, you’ll stop briefly at the Shores of the Dead Sea for a quick dip in the salt and mineral laden waters.

9. Day 9 - Jerusalem

   View map

   Travel to Ein Karem, known as the birthplace of John the Baptist and the place where the Virgin Mary visited Elisabeth (Luke 1: 26-40). Time permitting, you will visit Yad Vashem. Visit and worship at the Garden Tomb, possible site of the garden of Joseph of Arimathea and experience the reality of the Resurrection. Your afternoon is free for exploring.

10. Day 10 - Extension or Return

    Depart on an exciting extension or return to USA. (We'll be heading back to Atlanta!)