This is the second part of the Jordan/Israel trip post covering Israel. And yes it is way overdue. Life keeps interfering. Before I start with Israel, I (Kimber) will just mention a few other things from our life.
I ran a 5K, or 3.1 mile, race on Thanksgiving Day, called the Turkey Dash to benefit the YMCA. I placed 9th of 157 women in my age group, 109th of 1592 females and 371st of 2854 participants overall including men. I had a time of 25:21 which wasn't within my goal time but I could not have pushed harder and travel has limited my ability to train. After returning from Israel I made a week long trip over to Aberdeen for work. The weather there was too icy for me to get out and run as I have not been on the ice in a while, plus it was dark before and after work. After the Turkey Dash, we went up to New Braunfels to eat Thanksgiving dinner and spend the night. We had a nice relaxing time staying on the river and chilling out. The rest of the weekend was spent doing the pre-Christmas dash of decorating, letters, calendars, etc.
 |
| Salt Pans on the Dead Sea |
So now on to Israel. On October 20, we transferred into Israel at the southern most point which means we at least got to see Saudi Arabia and Egypt along the coast of the Red Sea. After everyone made it across, we took off through Israel headed north on Highway 90 towards the Dead Sea. We stopped at a road side Kibbutz for lunch. A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that is traditionally based on agriculture and/or manufacturing where sharing is the center of the culture. It is a voluntary socialistic lifestyle. The kibbutz we stopped at for lunch is based on dairy and as such they had fabulous ice cream. We had seen no such thing as ice cream in Jordan so many of us partook of the fine stuff. There was a buffet for lunch at a Buckey's-type place which included chicken schnitzel, green beans, and french fries. I also think almost everyone had french fries. They weren't the best fries ever but they were a great break from hummus, grilled meats, and the other standard fare from the previous week. On the way to lunch we passed many date palm fields and several wild life preserves with African animals.
 |
| Remnants of Roman Camp at Masada |
After lunch we continued north to Masada. We drove along the southern portion of the Dead Sea, the Salt Pans. Along the salt pans are mineral processing plants including a magnesium plant. I am of course fascinated by such technology and had my face glued to the window.
There are two ways to get to the fortress of Masada. Climb the stairs or take the aerial cars. We opted for the cars. By the way, much of the time spent in Israel will be below sea level by quite a long ways. The Dead Sea is the deepest place on land on earth. The aerial cars started 237 meters below sea level and took us 40 meters above sea level.
 |
| Model of Herod's Fortress at Masada |
 |
| Room where lots were drawn at Masada |
 |
| Remnants of Roman ramp used to breach Masada |
Masada was I think the most heart breaking places to me that we visited. I apologize to my Jewish friends for not knowing of this place before I visited. Masada started at a palace built by Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BCE. Groups of Jewish rebels settled on the mountaintop starting in 66 CE. . In 73 CE, the Romans laid siege to Masada after building camps all around the fortress. The Romans built a ramp against the western wall of Masada and breached the wall with battering rams after three months of siege. When the Romans entered, they found that all but 2 women and 5 children, over 960 inhabitants were dead. The Jewish leaders decided that mass suicide and murder were a better alternative than slavery. Lots were drawn for the final 10 men who would kill all who remained and the last one who would kill himself. The archaeologic remains here are as interesting as those anywhere else. You have combined what was a palace and fortress as well as a stronghold of zealots. There are cisterns, an armory, a synagogue, a palace, bath houses residences, and storage areas. And the view is, of course, amazing. From the top you can see where a laser show is held against the back of the cliff and where there is a large military colosseum. You can also see the remains of Roman camps that were built during the siege.
We finished the day with a swim in the Dead Sea and a stay at the beautiful kibbutz of Ein Gedi. Now that I have swam in the Dead Sea once, I am not sure I need to do it again. You certainly won't sink but if you have any rubbed spot or scratch it hurts plus the water feels very oily and must be rinsed off before you go very far. But it was an experience to remember.Ein Gedi is a kibbutz of a beautiful botanical grade near the shore of the Dead Sea. There are many residents of the kibbutz and a variety of guest houses all of which are surrounded by gardens and birds. It is an oasis. As we were eating at a kibbutz, dinner had a variety of meats, fruits and vegetables but no dairy products. Breakfast the following morning was a smorgasbord of cheese, breads, eggs, sweets and dairy with a selection of fish and no meat.
October 21 - After the breakfast I mentioned in the last paragraph, we headed north along the Dead Sea passing through the West Bank. Along the way, we saw wild ibis beside the road and also a line placed by the PLO in 1908 where the height of the Dead Sea was then. The line was over the height of the bus indicating the Dead Sea has dropped more then 30 feet in depth since 1908.
 |
| Cave where some Dead Sea Scrolls found |
We stopped in Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Nearly 900 scrolls have been discovered here which were likely written and preserved by a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. This was s sect consisting of primarily males who lived a strict monastic life. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain every book of the Old Testament except Ester and Ester is the only book that does not use the word God. There are many copies of the most common books including the Psalms, Isaiah, Genesis and Deuteronomy.
  |
| Sycamore Tree in Jericho |
 |
| Remnants of oldest known constructed building 7000 BC |
We detoured off of highway 90 to go to Jericho. We saw "The Sycamore Tree", unlikely to be the actually sycamore tree where that Zacheus climbed, but a fun stop none the less. We also saw the likely road of the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Mount of Temptations. Our bus driver stopped and bought the first of many treats he would provide for us, a whole bunch of bananas. I don't care for bananas so I passed on my share but every appreciated the gesture and many people ate several. We saw Herods winter palace and a monastery where 2 monks still live near a Hasmonean fortress that has been rebuilt. A sign at the entrance to Palestinian territory states that Israelis are risking their life to enter the territory. This was the first of many of these signs I saw and something that I don't yet understand. Old Jericho has the oldest discovered inhabited building in the world, dating to 7000 BC. I also learned what a "balk" is, which is a trench cut in an area to determine the layers and aid in future archeology. This "balk" had 27 or more layers which means 27 different eras of habitation. Many layers contained mud bricks among other building materials. Also, because Jericho is Palestinian, the level of trash was similar to Jordan as Israel was closer to what you would find in the US.
 |
| Ruins of Beit She'an |
We continued North along the Jordan river, opposite to its flow toward the Sea of Galilee. Along the way there were many mine fields between Israel and Jordan. I would see mine fields almost every day on the rest of the trip. I am not sure I have seen any before. We stopped at the ruins of Beit She'an which was a major city in Old and New Testament times. Under the name Scythopolis, the city was one of the Decapolis cities. The Philistines carried Saul and Jonathan's bodies there after their deaths on nearby Mount Gilboa in 1st Samuel 31 and hung the bodies on the city walls. The city remains are beautiful with a theater, Roman baths, columns, sewers, and one of the most fun stops, the latrines. The latrine was a public room. One would sit with a cheek against two stones protruding from the wall. There is room for over 50 people to visit the facility at one time. It was at least a little entertaining to see a "public restroom" of the past.
 |
| Latrine at Beit She'an |
We ended the long drive north on the western side of the Sea of Galilee at the Scot's Hotel in Tiberias. The Scot's hotel was a very fine hotel owned and managed by the Church of Scotland in buildings dating back to 1894 which at the time were hospitals. Other buildings were added and make up the several buildings of the Scot's Hotel, each with its own unique history and feel. The food was first class at the hotel along with everything else. Everyone would be hard pressed to leave in a few days and it was a great place to have as a jumping off point for exploring around the Sea of Galilee.
 |
| Area of Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes |
 |
| Monument to Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes |
October 22 was the first of two days spent around the Sea of Galilee. We started at the Tabgha, on the north west shore which is the traditional site of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in Mark 6 and the fourth resurrection appearance of Jesus in John 21. We also went to the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum. You could see how Jesus could speak to a large crowd at the location of the loaves and the fishes. The land forms a natural bowl leading down to the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is the fishing village which was Peter's home. There is now a church built over the house. There were many happenings in Capernaum including teachings and healing and is where the paralytic was lowered through the roof to be healed by Jesus. There are also remains here of a 4th century synagogue. We also passed by Magdala on the way to the Mount of Beatitudes. Magdala is where it is though Mary Magdala is from.
 |
| St. Peter's House |
 |
| Kimber in Synagogue at Capernaum |
 |
| Lentil of Ark of the Covenant |
 |
| Painting of Peter Failing to Walk on Water in Greek Orthodox Church |
All of the areas we visit this morning are a 1 or a 1.5. This means that the actual event happened either right where the monument is or very near by, with in few hundred yards. A 2 would mean the event happened still near by but within maybe a mile or two or somewhere similar. A 3 means the event happened but unlikely here or even near here but it is where the event is celebrated. This area was rich with the history of Jesus. Also there is beautiful wild bougainvillea everywhere.
We went into many Greek Orthodox churches at many sites, and I learned that they always have a cruciform and Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on each inner corner. They are always the shape of the cross. There is always Jesus with a book that is either with the bible or book of life. Divider to the sacristy is called the iconostasis. The bishops chair always has the same rendition of Jesus. The churches are very decorated and ornate. We crossed over the river Jordan on the way to lunch where it leaves the Sea of Galilee.
 |
| St. Peter's Fish |
We ate lunch by the Sea of Galilee and it was St. Peter's Fish. St. Peter's fish is a whole small fish which is fried and served head and all. This one was very good, moist and tasty. This lunch was also at a Kibbutz. On the way I tried to get some pictures of the mine field signs.
 |
| Replica of Roman Basket used to Remove Jews at Mount Arbel |
After lunch, we went out on the Sea of Galilee on a small boat. They played the American national anthem and raised a US flag. We had a beautiful devotional out in the sea and it was amazing and touching to think of the things Jesus did on the sea. The fishing and walking on water. For me it was one if the most impactful stops.
 |
| View of Galilee from Mount Arbel |
Last stop was the Valley if the Doves which is thought to be the route Jesus traveled between Nazareth and Cana. Jesus cursed 3 villages near here, Bethsaida, Capernum, and Korazin, all Jewish cities in Matthew 11 and Luke 10, because of their lack of faith. All of these cities were main cities in Jesus' ministry where miracles happened and lessons taught and yet they did not recognize Jesus. We went up onto Mount Arbel. You can see all of the Galilee region from here. Mount Arbel has many caves where besieged Jews fled and again were conquered by the Romans who used large baskets to lower to the caves and throw people to their deaths. This is another important site in Jewish history.
October 23 was the second day around the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Hazor on the mountains of upper Galilee. Tel Hazor is an archeological site of one of the largest fortified city in the middle Bronze Age, 1750 BCE. It is mentioned in Joshua and Judges. It was destroyed by Joshua (Joshua 11). When Joshua destroyed Hazor he hamstrung the horses, making them lame so that they could not be used in warfare. Hazor has 21 layers of settlement and vital to its survival was an elaborate water system.
 |
| Olive Press at Hazor |
 |
| Temple to Pan at Hermon River |
 |
| Hermon River |
 |
| High Pressure Water Line at Hermon River |
 |
| Mosaic Floor of Zodiac |
Our next stop was Manias (Ceseria Philippi). This is an ancient Roman city at the base of Mount Herman and has shrines to the pagan god Pan (hence the name Banias) and many other gods. It is located at the beautiful Herman Springs. I also saw stone high pressure water pipes on display. Each section was carved to fit with the next section under pressure and not leak. Jesus came near the city and it is close to where Peter made his confession that Jesus was the son of the living God.
 |
| Border Crossing to Syria |
Then we drove through a Druze society. Men have big bushy mustaches and skull caps. They burn firewood for heat. They were originally Muslim and left the faith and are a closed society. The Druze are a religious and political sect but not ethnic. We passed Marom Golan which was destroyed in the 6 Days War. We stopped at an area near the Syrian border with Israel. There were mines all along this area as well as abandoned structures following the 6 Days War.
 |
| Jordan River Baptism Site |
We ate lunch and then visited a Hammat Teverya Synagogue with a mosaic of the seasons and signs of the zodiac. This is the oldest known replica of the signs of the zodiac and one would not expect it in a synagogue. However it is accepted that when the synagogue was built, paganism was no longer a threat.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at a sight where most of our group reaffirmed their baptism by either submersion or sprinkling in the Jordan River. If you decided to be submersed, it was with some very large catfish.
On October 24 we leave the wonderful shore of the Sea of Galilee for Jerusalem. We start by going north to Cana to buy wine which we will use later for a group communion on our last day of the trip. The area is famous for wine which is used primarily to celebrate weddings.
 |
| Gift from USA at Basilica of Annunciation |
 |
| Remnant of Village of Nazareth |
 |
| Water System at Megiddo |
 |
| Entrance to Silo at Megiddon |
After that we head to Nazareth and to the Basilica of the Annunciation which is purportedly located over the home of Mary and Joseph. There are beautiful murals and paintings of Mary which have been given from all over the world. This is another area where there have been civilization over civilizations for thousands of years. Nazareth is primarily Arab and until the British Mandate (1922 to 1948) was mainly Christian. Now it is majority Muslim.
We ate lunch on the coast of the Mediterranean at Caesarea Maritima. First, lunch was probably the best we had any day. The grilled meats, including lamb, were flavorful and delicious. And the roasted potatoes were amazing. We all ate our fill plus. We stopped to look the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct located basically on the beach on our way to lunch.
 |
| Aquaduct on Mediterranean Sea |
 |
| Remnants of Caesarea |
Caesarea Maritima was a port city and harbor build by Herod the Great in about 25 to 13 BCE. One of his many amazing and challenging building projects. There are now only ruins and even those are very small compared to the thriving city and harbor that were built here. The Apostle Paul was tried in Caesarea before being sent as a prisoner to Rome. Caesarea became the center of Christian learning in the late 3rd century. The Nicene Creed may have originated here as well. Very little of the harbor is visible now with the sea and seismic activity having take over but the theatre is still there and used, and there are other ruins. The location is beautiful. If you are a diver, you can go to the underwater museum with 36 points of interest on four marked underwater trails through the ancient harbor.
After leaving beautiful Caesarea, we headed to the Jezreel Valley and the site of Megiddo. Megiddo had the Greek name Armageddon. There are 26 layers of ruins here indication it was settled for a long time, from 7000 BC to 586 BC. You will also find here the gates constructed under King Solomon. Many of the remains for habitation are at the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. There is a water tunnel which would have been an engineering marvel when it was built in 875 BC before dynamite. There are also remnants of stables located here.
 |
| Remnants of Pool at Caesarea |
We also saw Mount Tabor which is mentioned in Judges 4. It is also another site of Jewish rebel versus Roman forces fighting. It is thought that this is also the mountain where the transfiguration of Jesus occurred although there is also though it occurred on Mount Hermon. You can find the Church of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.
We end the day in Jerusalem. Psalm 122 is a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem. We will spend the remainder of our nights at the Landmark St. George Hotel within a few blocks of one of the gates to the old city.
 |
| Water Tunnel at Herodium |
 |
| Pool at Herodium |
On October 25 we started at the Herodium, a cone shaped hill on which Herod the Great built a fortress and palace between 23 and 15 BCE. It is also believed that Herod is buried here. It has all the necessities of a palace at that time including bath houses, courtyards, and theaters. The bath houses would have consisted of three sections, the caladium, the tepidarium, and the frigidarium which would have been used in that order and would have varying temperatures of water from hot, to warm to cool. You have to enter the West Bank in order to get to this and many of the sites outside of but near to Jerusalem that we will visit in the coming days. Besides a military vehicle, the only vehicle that can travel fairly freely between Israeli and Palestinian controlled territory is a Palestinian registered tour bus. If we had been on an Israeli registered tour bus, we would have travelled to a check point, crossed on foot a the checkpoint and gotten onto another bus. Also, when entering a Palestinian area, you will see signs warning Israelis not to enter the area. Both our tour guide and driver were Palestinian. If a Palestinian wants to got to, say, Jerusalem, they must travel on designated routes in order to get there. Again, as long as our guide and driver were on the bus, they have more freedom to move around. These are concepts that I struggle with along with so many walls.
 |
| Church of the Nativity |
Our first stop in Bethlehem was the Church of the Nativity and is considered to be located over the birthplace of Jesus. There are several churches here including the Basilica of the Nativity with beautiful mosaic floors and where you can enter the Grotto of the Nativity. There is also the Church of St. Catherine where our tour guide attends and is the church where you will see televised Midnight Catholic Mass Catholics every Christmas Eve. We also learned some about Saint Jerome, a Latin Christian priest and theologian. He is best know for his translation of the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate).
 |
| View to Jerusalem from Mount of Olives |
 |
| Garden of Gethsemane |
We then moved on to the Mount of Olives. This is just east of the the old city and is home to the Greek Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene. At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane. From the Mount of Olives, you overlook Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock, the shrine located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The area is significant to Jews, Christians and Muslims because of the rock known as the Foundation Stone. We were unable to get any closer to the Dome of the Rock than below it as it is tightly controlled. The large stones under the walls on this section of the city are from Herod's time. There is a small Catholic church on the Mount of Olives called Dominus Flevit. It is shaped like a tear drop to symbolizes the tears of Jesus that he wept here. You can also see the oldest gate to Jerusalem, the Golden Gate from this location. It is the gate where Jesus entered the city on Palm Sunday and is now sealed.
 |
| Dome of the Rock |
 |
| Painting in Basilica of Agony |
We walked down the Mount of Olives ending up in Gethsemane, following the route similar to what Jesus would have followed. The Church of All Nations or Church of the Basilica of the Agony is located by the Garden. It enshrines the bedrock where it is thought Jesus prayed before his arrest (Mark 14).
 |
| Church in Bethany |
 |
| Entrance to Lazarus's Tomb |
On October 26 we started in Bethany and Lazarus's tomb. Bethany is the home of the siblings Mary, Martha and Lazarus as well as Simon the Leper. Bethany is mentioned several times in the Bible in each of the Gospels. We then went into the city through St. Stephens gate on the eastern wall and to the crusader church St. Anne's Church. This is the start of the Via Dolorosa and located near the churches of Flagellation and Condemnation in the Muslim quarter of the city. The church is located over what is though to be the birthplace of Mary, Jesus's mother. The Via Dolorosa is thought to be the path Jesus walked, carrying his cross on the way to his crucifixion. It the route now of a celebrated Christian pilgrimage. It is marked by nine Stations of the Cross with the last 5 being in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The route takes you but the Pools of Bethesda (John 5) and the Fortress of Antonia (built by Herod in 169 BCE) up to the Church of the Sepulchre, or Golgotha where Jesus was crucified and where it is said to contain the place where he was buried. You can also find here the Rock of Calvary, with a large crack.
 |
| Along Via Dolorosa |
 |
| Pools at Bethesda |
 |
| Shrine of the Book |
 |
| Rock of Calvary |
 |
| Column in Upper Room |
We then went to Mount Zion and the Upper Room where Jesus held The Last Supper and reappears after his resurection. There is a column in the upper room with a pelican that commemorates Holy Eucharist. This is also where the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu is located. Gallicantu means cock's crow in Latin and commemorates Peter's triple rejection of Jesus. It is also where High Priest Caiaphas' palace was located. Caiaphas is the Jewish High Priest who organized the plot to kill Jesus.
 |
| Church of St. Peter |
 |
| Garden Tomb Golgotha |
We then went to a place called "The Garden Tomb", a private garden to rest and take communion together on the second to last day of our trip. It was a beautiful garden and a special treat to share communion with our group. After dinner, many of us returned to a shop inside Jerusalem to purchase antiquities. I bought a small glass vase which would have been used by a woman at the time of Jesus to collect her tears as she was grieving. I also bought a small Herodian oil lamp for Kirk. Again, this is a lamp that would have been used during the time of Jesus.
 |
| Wailing Wall |
 |
| Scale Model of Jerusalem |
October 27 was our last day in Israel. We took a tour under the Western Wall to look at the huge stones Herod had laid to be the foundation of the Temple Mount. We also visited the Wailing Wall. Men must have their head covered to visit the wall and women must have their knees covered. This was, of course, a moving place. We spent more time in the city, visited the Jerusalem Archeological Park and ended the day at the Israeli Jerusalem Museum that had an amazing model of the city. This museum also has the Shrine of the Book which houses some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Our last meal together was in Bethlehem and it was touching and also saddening knowing we would all soon part ways.
 |
| Western Wall Tunnel |
 |
| Jerusalem Wall |
The travel home would take 36 hours and be exhausting. But it was a trip well worth taking and I will definitely return. What we read in the Bible is so much more real to me now. Say we read a story about Zacheus. Well now I have a live image of a sycamore tree, and so many more images. I also learned so much history, culture and about peace and conflict. Andy Dearmon is an amazing teacher, historian, and leader. I could hear everything he had to say again and learn more.
We finished the day with a swim in the Dead Sea and a stay at the beautiful kibbutz of Ein Gedi. Now that I have swam in the Dead Sea once, I am not sure I need to do it again. You certainly won't sink but if you have any rubbed spot or scratch it hurts plus the water feels very oily and must be rinsed off before you go very far. But it was an experience to remember.Ein Gedi is a kibbutz of a beautiful botanical grade near the shore of the Dead Sea. There are many residents of the kibbutz and a variety of guest houses all of which are surrounded by gardens and birds. It is an oasis. As we were eating at a kibbutz, dinner had a variety of meats, fruits and vegetables but no dairy products. Breakfast the following morning was a smorgasbord of cheese, breads, eggs, sweets and dairy with a selection of fish and no meat. 
No comments:
Post a Comment