Monday, June 13, 1994, The Dead Sea

Today we traveled to En . It was a great trip. There are numerous biblical references to this oasis in the middle of the desert across from the Dead Sea.

It is most note able for the fact that David and his mighty men hid there while being hunted down by Saul.

What a beautiful place! Waterfalls, ferns, birds, wildlife, cool gentle breezes and all sorts of vegetation.

Solomon includes En Gedi in the Song of Solomon (1.14) "My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En-Gedi." Ezekiel, speaking of the millennium reign of Jesus Christ, speaks of a river running from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, obviously making the Dead Sea alive, fresh, and full of fish. "Fisherman will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets."

Zwi Gafni, Tour Guide Extroidinaire

In 1988 I went to Israel for the first time. I was part of the Valley Stream Church of the Nazarene tour group. My good friend, Art Alexander, invited me to join him. It was life changing!

Our tour guide was a Zwi Gafni. He had grown up on a Kibbutz, been a farmer and was a retired Israeli Colonel. The man was in love with his country. He would keep us out on the daily jaunts until the sun set. We came back to the hotel each night after dark.

When I was in Israel for this unusual trip of which I have been blogging about in recent posts I contacted him.

Sunday Evening, June 12, 1994, we reconnected. He was leading a tour and was in Jerusalem. He came by our hotel and had dinner with us. It was real good to see him again!

After dinner he took us up to the top of Mount Scopus, which sits next to the Mount of Olives. The view and the sounds of Jerusalem at night are incredible! That scene and the sounds are in my mind today, 18 years later.

He fought in the 1948 Wsr of Independence, the1956, 1967 (Six Day War), the 1973 Yom Kippur War and

the 1982 War.

After we came down from Mount Scopus he dropped us off at this Middle East Restaurant. He said it was his favorite in all of Israel. The food was the best we had on the whole trip.

Across from us was this party of six people talking about the peace process. It turned out to be the ambassadors for Syria and Jordan along with a dignitary from Israel and their wives. It was quite a day.

To the Wall and Beyond

On our way to the Wall, we stopped by Ophel where ruins from the Byzantine and Crusader period are. Some, including the stairs which led up to the temple of Jesus' time. Again we walked up those stairs, which Jesus himself probably walked on!

Some observations from the Wall:
1. There was a young man blowing a shofar real loud.
2. There was a guy dressed up depicting King David.
3. A person calling from the Minnerett.
4. A bunch of Orthodox young men dancing around in a circle shouting, "mesheach!" (Messiah) With the death if Rabbi Schnersen the Jerusalem Post had as its secondary headline: No Obvious Successor In Sight"
, "!

To The Gate called Beautiful

When we got to the Golden Gate we read from the Gospel concerning The Triumphal Entry accounts and then from Ezekiel where he prophesies concerning the Millennium and Jesus coming through this gate.

The view from here is spectacular! You can look right over the Mount of Olives. I got right up the Golden Gate and put my hand on it. I had to climb to get to it. As we looked over to the Tombs of the Prophets we saw an Orthodox Jewish Funeral. The men were climbing all around the tombs, looking in them. We walked around the southeastern corner of the wall where Satan tempted Jesus to cast Himself off. We looked over the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemene.

From there we went to Wall to pray. Now approaching evening, it was time for the service back home to begin. I prayed for the church.

Continuing Our trek Around The City of Jerusalem

From Solomon's Quarries we continued to the Golden Gate and the Pinnacle of the Temple. Stopping on the way at St. Stephen's Gate, where we each got a bottle of cold water (1.5 liters). It was thirst quenching! I never have experienced thirst like this before. It is more of an inner thirst than just my mouth being dry. In John7.37-39, we read these words:"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,"If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not yet been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." Being in Israel helps you experience the background of things that are written in the Word of God.

The Lord's Day (continued)

Heading over to Solomon's Quarries we came to Zedekiah's Cave.  On the way to the Damascus Gate there was a lot of commotion. Like no other city I have ever been to, Jerusalem casts a mood or a sense within of great emotions .  It would if it was uninhabitted today just because of its history! Conquered 40 times, destroyed 21 times, it is a city of peace and war. Add to it the religious mix, the fact that Jesus Himself entered it, died there, was buried and rose from the dead there and went back into heaven on a mountain which sits across from it and suddenly great emotions well up when it is seen, even from a distance.

Then add to the current religious mix and prophecy yet to be fulfilled and there is even more emotion. Think of all the other men of the Bible who are associated with it.

Back to the commotion we felt. Everything was suddenly tense. We came to this spot where a load of fruit was knocked down and laying on the ground. It was all over the street. We looked up and there were soldiers with their guns out pointing as they scanned the the area. When we got out the Damascus Gate there was even more tension in the air. The  Israeli soldiers had arrested an Arab man as all the Arab people just stared and sort of froze. Some shouted at the soldiers. It was a little unnerving. Unlike an arrest in New York City, the majority of the people who watched were angry with arrest.

 From there we turned right out of the Damascus Gate and went right into the caves and quarries. Every time we thought we were coming to the end of the quarry, it would open wide again. It is believed that this was where Solomon had the stone quarried (I Kings 6.1-7) and where Zedekiah's hid when the Babylonians were conquering the city.

August Observations

I watered the gardens extensively this morning. With temperatures moderating it is easy to forget about this basic need. Gardeners tend to do well at the beginning, then slack off when the need is not as apparent. Don't let this happen in your backyard!

In fact I loaded the tomatoes with another dose of horse manure tea today. There is all kinds of new groth taking place and I want to maximize the moment, which will be over soon enough.

Soon

Just got back from vacation. I will get back to posting my journal soon. It is amazing how once you place your feet on the soil of the Holyland, you have it in your heart forever. This is expressed by David in the Psalms of Ascents... "Our feet are standing in your gates o Jerusalem."

More posts coming soon. I will finish my trip journal and share other interesting things about the land the Lord gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The LORD's Day, June 12, 1994, Jerusalem, Israel

For Christmas my Dad and Mom gave me The Odyssey of the Third Temple. The video we watched in the Temple Mount Institute was very moving and ended with another statement of the Return to the Land following the Diaspora along with the necessity of rebuilding the Temple. Words continue to fall short.

Throughout the day we stopped at the Western Wall. We went to an exhibit specifically about the Temple and in it was a model of the Third Temple. it is by a window that overlooks the Temple Mount. This is near a Yeshiva.

We made an appointment for a tour of the Rabbi's Tunnel for noon on Tuesday. When I was here 6 years ago it was not open to the public.

Onto Solomon Quarries in our next post and seeing the tension that makes up Jerusalem today.

The Temple Mount Institute

Since all the tours were full at the Western Wall Heritage Foundation (The Rabbi's Tunnel) we headed over to the Temple Mount Institute. What a wonderful experience!

We met a young lady working there who was 19 years of age, and moved to Israel 8 years ago from Long Beach, New York. Instead of doing the required 2 years of military service she is working here in the Temple Mount Institute. Israel recognizes this as a national project and Orthodox Jews can opt for national service since they do not serve in the armed forces.

She was born in Long Beach. Her grandparents migrated from Poland. They went through the Holucaust. Her father was actually born in a concentration camp! They moved to Israel because they believe all Jews ought to be part of the Jewish State- Israel. I asked her if she liked working in the Institute and she exclaimed, "I love it!"

As we viewed the vessels and garments of the priest on display I could not help but wonder if these were models or genuine vessels. The answer to this question about these things being used should a new Temple be built was, "Of course!!!" We are living in such momentous times!

More about the Temple Mount Institute in my next post. If you want to delve into this wonder there is a website the Institute has with pictures and all.

The LORD's Day, June 12, 1994, Jerusalem

I am at the point in the trip where the familiar surroundings for the time being are here in Jerusalem rather than New York. Jerusalem is so intense- difficult to describe on paper or words. It must be experienced. I will attempt to describe.

Micha Ashkenazi had breakfast with us this morning. He is an Archaeologist turned tour guide. What a description he gave us of the Temple Mount, where the Holy of Holies was located and how the new Temple could be built on the present site.

After breakfast we had a trouble getting going- trying to meet times of the English showing of the Temple Institute's video at 11:40am, the tour through the Rabbi's Tunnel at noon and the Models of the Temple (along with the Third Temple), as well as getting up on the Temple Mount.

The Temple Institute is beyond description. They have vessels on display there which are exactly to the specifications in Exodus and Leviticus. It is like a dream being in it. More about this and more in my next post.

Sabbath Evening

We got back on the walls again and walked around to the place of King David's Tomb and the Upper Room. We met two young Jewish men who are Yeshiva students, we talked for over an hour on the wall. It was interesting to hear their views on different things. They believe that the Messiah will be a man and the correct all of Israel's spiritual and other problems, that the territories belong to Israel, that Israel is making a mistake to be involved in a peace negotiation with PLO.

Paul's words to the Romans in action: Romans 11.25 I don't want you- to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited; Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in."

What an opportunity, in learn about God's people in the land He has given them! (Click on the picture to get the full view)

After we came off the walls we went to the Western Wall. I knew Rabbi Koslvsky had a dinner on Shabbath for the needy. I waited for him to arrive. The dinner was held in the first floor of the Temple Mount Police Station. He spoke with me and told me a little of his story. He went to Rabbi Getz, who is the Rabbi of the Kotel (The Western Wall) to see what he thought about him beginning Abraham's Tent. He was in favor of it. Rabbi Kosvolsky then invited me to dinner. More about the dinner and the Messiah and what happened after the dinner in my next post.

Around Jerusalem

Saturday, June 11, 1994
Jerusalem

There is no way I can describe today's events in words that would do justice to them.

Following breakfast in the YMCA dining room we left for the Garden Tomb.
Breakfast in Israel is incredible as I wrote when we were in Tel Aviv. It is like a smorgasbord of sorts. Fish, salads, fresh fruit, fresh yogurts, vegetables, cheeses, eggs, humus and more.

We took a cab to the Garden Tomb. Our driver was Elias. He is a Palestinian Christian who is a member of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He dropped us off and today's adventure began. We walked through the Garden to the Tomb. A few of the workers there named Daphne and Jean told us it would be perfectly safe to walk through the Damascus Gate to get back into the Old City. The Damascus Gate is the one Jesus walked out of to be crucified on Golgotha. Jean is a member of Overseas Missionary Fellowship which originally was the China Inland Mission.

I had heard that there is a way to walk on the walls of Jerusalem, This would be too strenuous for older people who are many times on a tour so I had not done it on previous trips. You can walk all the way from the Damascus Gate to the Dung Gate on the other side of the city. What a view from above!!!

We walked to the Jaffa Gate and came down to visit the Armenian Quarter of the city. In between those gates we saw all kinds of sights. Women feeding chickens, clothes on lines, vegetable gardens, fruit trees. In the Armenian Quarter is Christ's Church, the oldest Protestant Church in the Middle East.

The second half of our walk on the walls in the next post.

Sabbath Peace in Jerusalem

My friend John and I were coming down the stairs to go to the Wall when Rabbi Yechiel Koslovsky, Director of Abraham's Hospitality Tent, 7 Western Wall Road, asked us to help in carrying up food in boxes from his car. He said, "Young men, could you help carry these above? It is food for the needy." His story is so interesting. He gave us his card. Right next to his building is a sign which in Hebrew says, "Get Ready! Messiah is coming!" His dear wife gave us a cold drink after we finished helping him.

We wandered around waiting for the Sabbath to officially begin (sundown on the Western Wall. That is me in the picture as the shadows come upon the wall. We saw the Temple Institute, Treasure of the Temple then we went back to the Wall. As the Sabbath began we saw the Yeshiva students lining up. Dressed in white shirts and black pants they came down the hill singing and dancing all the way to the Wall. The sight and sound was so moving. I will never forget it.

In Jerusalem!

Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

We were 2 1/2 hours late in returning the car. We would have been much later if we did not have Yarom with us! El Dan Rentals was already closed when we got there. They were getting ready to close for the Sabbath. We would have had to turn it in on the third day since it was due back by 1pm, Friday. Saturday they are closed and then they would have opened on Sunday. We knocked on the windows and they opened the doors. They made an exception and did not charge us for being late. As we left they wished us a "Shabbath Shalom", which means, Sabbath Peace.

The "Y" was right next door.

We went got into our room, unpacked (we will be here for a week) and went down to the outside courtyard in the front for an early dinner. We wanted to be at the Western Wall as the sun went down and the Sabbath began.

We walked to the Jaffa Gate down David Street to the Wall. What an awesome view of the only remaining wall around the temple from Jesus' time. They had to rebuild because as He said, "Not one stone would be left standing on another."

It is impossible for me to convey the emotions that run through your heart and mind when arriving in Jerusalem. Even though I had been here before it happened all over again. This city holds the key to ancient prophecy. This is where Jesus died, rose again and ascended back into heaven. This city is where He will return to and rule from one day. Here David and Solomon ruled. Here Abraham offered up Issac. Here Melchizedek lived. The tensions with the three largest religions of the world based here, all with their holy places make the feelings even more intense if that is possible.

Next post- The Sabbath begins!

Continuing Up To Jerusalem

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill,

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you,

if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. Psalm 137.5-6

We spoke about the Old Testament with Yarom. His favorite character was the same as mine, David. We spoke of David's life and work.

We spoke of the peace process. He said that there are too many factions to forge a lasting peace. Yarom has been involved in serving his country in the Golan, against the Lebanese, in Gaza and in Hebron following the massacre there a few months ago.

I asked him if a person came and was able to forge a peace would people look to him as Messiah. He said, "Yes." I also asked if a person came and worked it out for the Jews to rebuild their temple- his response was the same. I then asked him if he were able to do both- would they look to Him as the Messiah. He said, "Of course! But this is impossible." I said, "Everything is possible with God." He said, "That's true."

We came to the outskirts of Jericho. There was a roadblock with soldiers. There have been a number of these on this road and would also be on the road to Jerusalem. He spoke Hebrew to the other soldier at the roadblock/checkpoint. He said, "We must go around. They have closed the city. Obviously they had problems. He didn't it advisable for you as tourists to go in (even with him in the car)." The by-pass made us really late. We rode right up against the Israeli-Jordanian border. All long the way there were Jeeps with guns ready. It was an awesome sight. It was really a "God-send" to have Yarom with us. What a fine young man!

Once again the ascent to Jerusalem was wonderful! He showed us the way to our hotel- the Jerusalem International YMCA Hotel. It was a little confusing and would have been very difficult without Yarom.

Up To Jerusalem

Last time we left off we were rushing to get to Jerusalem. We picked up an Israeli soldier. When he got in the car we told him we were going to Jerusalem.. He said, "You should have turned there!" pointing 500 feet away. "This isn't the way to Jerusalem!" We thanked him and turned around and headed to the to the turn for the road that leads to Jerusalem. When we made our turn there was a group of about 20 soldiers (all waiting for a ride to get home for the Sabbath). We picked up a young man of 20 named Yarom who lives in Jerusalem. On the way we went. More about the ride there with Yarom in our next post.

Onto Jerusalem!

Friday, June 10, 1994
(written at 6:45pm at the YMCA Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the House of the LORD."

Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together.

That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to praise the Name of the LORD, according to the statue given to Israel.

There the thrones for judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May those who love you be secure.

May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.

For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, "Peace be within you."

For the sake of the House of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.

As we rode into Jerusalem yesterday afternoon we read this Psalm. What a day it was! From the moment we departed from Tiberias at 9am things seemed much "busier" than they had previously. Of course! It is Preparation Day for the Sabbath! Lots of traffic and people shopping almost in a frantic pace.

Leaving we rode tot he highest point in the Galilee Region. It is called Arbel. What an incredible view. You can see the Sea of Galilee and the roads that go to Cana and Nazareth that Jesus traveled. We didn't know that we could drive the little Renault up to the point so we walked. This took much more time than we had planned. What seemed like being late according to our schedule was actually right on time according to the LORD's.

We needed the to turn in the rental car by 2pm in Jerusalem. It is about 80 miles from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, of course it was longer for us because we had to avoid the West Bank. It is not advisable for Americans to anyone else to go through it.

We came down along the Sea of Galilee and were supposed to make a right hand turn at one point but since we were flying to get to Jerusalem we missed it. As hospitality dictates we picked up an Israeli soldier who was looking for a ride. What he told us saved us a lot of money and time and aggravation. More in the next post.

End of the Fifth Day

Leaving Tagbha we walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee towards Capernaum. This gave such a feel for what it would have been like to walk with Jesus when He was here on earth in this very place. We passed several groves of fruit trees which went from the shore to the road. Remember the Sea of Galilee is a fresh water body. It is really a large lake. Some of the trees were lime trees.

We walked right into Capernaum. From the synagoyue you could see clear over to Kursi (Gaderenes). Somewhere between Capernaum and Gadarenes, out there on the Sea, Jesus calmed the squall. I remember being there in 1988 and seeing how quickly the Sea of Galilee could go from calm and placid to extremely choppy and rough in a very short time. "What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him?!!!" (Mark 4.41)

After about an hour in Capernaum we left and began to walk back to where we had parked the car hours before. We approached the hillside where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. As we came up on it the whole hill was full of sheep- 300 of them! We sat down on a bale of hay and read the Sermon on the Mount while the sheep grazed. As we got up to leave we spotted the shepherd. He was sitting in the shade of a tree. We went over to him. His name was "Mohamed". He is an Israeli Arab. His father owns the sheep and the entire mountainside. I asked him how he gets the sheep to come to him. He said, "I call them." I asked, "They know your voice?" He said, "Of course!" We talked for a few minutes and then he said, "I've go to go to my sheep." Incredible!

Tomorrow- Jerusalem!

The Fifth Day of the Trip

Thursday, June 9, 1994
Tiberias, Israel

We spent a full day in the Galilee today. We began the day with a multimedia presentation called "The Galilee Experience". It is on the 4,000 year history of this region. Terri Morey is the owner. What a dear lady.

We left there and drove around the Sea of Galilee to Gadarenes. Here Jesus cast the demons out of a man who lived among the tombs and sent them into the swine. We read the accounts in all three Gospels. Mark 5.1-17 gives us the greatest detail. There was a Byzantine Monastery there which was uncovered in 1970 while road construction was taking place. After the accidental discovery the moved the road closer to the shore. Then the archaeologists came in. They have named the place, Kursi. There is a church as well as a chapel. The chapel is above the church which lines up with the scripture about the swine going off a cliff. The ruins indicate the event took place there. Amazing!

We then drove to the Mount of Beatitudes where it is believed Jesus gave Th Sermon on the Mount. We parked the car and back-packed down to Tagbha, the traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000and the place where Jesus called to the disciples to cast their nets on the other side after He rose from the dead and met them on the beach.

When we arrived at the Sea I went in and put my feet right in the water. It was so refreshing. Somewhere out there the disciples were coming in from a night of catching no fish when Jesus called to them.

On the wall of the church that sits next to the place where I am standing in this picture are these words:

"At Thy Word I will let down the nets..."

"The deeds and miracles of Jesus are not (just) actions of the past. Jesus is waiting for those who are still prepared to take risks at His Word because they trust His power utterly." (parenthesis mine)

More of the Fourth Day

On a trail in the park at Caeserea Philippi we came to a mill with a bakery on the roof. They made the most delicious pita bread I have ever tasted. It was long like a tortilla and rolled up like a wrap and it had a mixture of fresh cheese and herbs in the middle. For one dollar I had a lunch that more than satisfied.

We got back to the car (a little 3 cylinder Renault) about five o'clock. We drove up towards Mount Hermon. On a road that come close to the border with Lebanon there were military installations complete with artilllery aimed towards the border. Israel has always been on 24 hour alert. The landscape of the Golan Heights are strewn with the wreckage of jeeps and homes and former lookout towers left by the Syrians in the 1967 war.

Another thing left are mine fields of which Syria still holds the maps to. All along the path at a certain place on the path in the park at Banias was barbed wire fences with signs warning that on the other side were mine fields. It was a close to as you would want to come to these deadly things. It was very illustrative of what life is like there in the territories and also what it once was. This was one of many things you have to go  to Israel to see. You cannot depend on the media to give a true picture of life there.

We gave rides to 4 more soldiers today. One of them was a sargeant in the Israeli Air Force. I asked him as well as the others about the current peace process. This young man firmly opposed it as the others did, calling it "dangerous."

Arriving back in Galilee we ate falafel from a street vendor (much like you see in New York with hot pretzels and frankfuters). They were delicious!

Tiberias is a beautiful bustling city.

Fourth Day Continued

Wednesday, June 8, 1994

Tiberias

We are at Banias originally called Paneas, in honor of the Greek god, Pan whose shrine is located here. Rebuilt by Herod's son Phillip and called Caesera Philippi after Caesar Tiberias and himself, this is where Peter made the great confession about Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

William Barclay writes, "The area was scattered with temples of ancient Syrian Baal worship. Here was an area where the breath of ancient religion was in the very atmosphere. Here was the place beneath the shadow of the ancient gods.

Not only the Syrian gods had their worship here... by Caesera Phillipi there rose a great hill, in which was a deep cavern; and that cavern was said to be the birthplace of the god, Pan, the god of nature. So much was Caesera Philippi identified with that god that its original name was Panias, and to this day the place is known as Banias. The legends of the Greek gods gathered around Caesera Philippi.

Further, that cave was said to be the place where the sources of the Jordan River sprang to life. Josephus writes, 'This is a very fine cave in a mountain, under which there is a great cavity in the earth; and the cavern is abrupt, and prodigiously deep and still full of water. Over it hangs a vast mountain, and the under the cavern arises the springs of the River Jordan.' The very idea that this was the place which the Jordan River took its rise would make it redolent of all the memories of Jewish history. The ancient faith of Judaism would be in the air for anyone who was a devout and pious Jew.

But there was something more. In Caeserea Philippi there was a great temple of white Marble built to the godhead of Caesar. It had been built by Herod the Great. Later (as mentioned earlier) it was Philip, Herod's son, who further beautified and enriched the temple, changed the name of Panias to Caeserea- Caesar's town- added his own name to distinguish it from the Caeserea on the coasts of the Mediterranean. No one could look at Caeserea Philippi, even from a distance, without seeing that pile of glistening marble, and thinking of the might and of the divinity of Rome.

Here is a dramatic picture. Here a homeless, penniless Galilean carpenter, with twelve very ordinary men around Him, at the moment the orthodox are plotting to kill Him, stands and asks the question, 'Who do men say that I am?' He stands there in an area littered with the temples of the Syrian gods; in a place where the ancient Greek gods looked down; in a place where the history of Israel crowded in upon the minds of men; where the white marble splendor of the home of Caesar-worship dominated the landscape and compelled the eye. And there- of all paces this amazing carpenter stands and asks men Who they believe Him to be and expects an answer, 'the Son of God.' It is as if Jesus deliberately set Himself against the background of the world's religions in all their history and splendor, and demanded to be compared with them and to have the verdict given in His favor. There are few scenes where Jesus' consciousness of His Own Divinity shines out with a more dazzling light."

We hiked over three miles back into this preserve, very possibly in the places where Jesus and the disciples walked. What beautiful sights we saw. The waterfalls were spectacular. It was hot and the cool mist in the shade felt so refreshing.

Fourth Day of the Journey

Wednesday, June 8, 1994 6:42pm
Tiberias, Yospeh Meyouhaus Youth Hostel

What a wonderful day! We left around 9am for Capernaum (Kfar-Nahum). On the way we stopped at the place where tradition says Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. It fits the Biblical description as many traditional sites do.

Then we drove to Capernaum. We stayed there for about an hour and a half reading sections of the Gospels that record what took place in this town. Here Jesus ministered. Here He walked. It is interesting that His words in Matthew 11.20-24 have been fulfilled. Capernaum is now in ruins while Tiberias remains a thriving city on the Sea of Galilee. It is fascinating to see the ancient buildings along side of recent structures. Tiberias is a a great example of this.

Leaving Capernaum we headed up to the Golan Heights toward Mount Hermon. We drove through a Druze village where a Palestinian flag was flying. In the middle of the street was a statue of this man with a large mustache and a large drawn sword. We left in a hurry. We were being stared at and I got the feeling this village did not see many Americans. Three Arab boys when we asked for directions pointed us towards the Syrian border. We ended up turning around before we had gone too far.

We passed Nimrod's fortress and then drove by an archaeological dig. It turned out to be Banias. Paneas is what Matthew calls Caesera Philippi! More on my next post.

Third Day of the Journey (Part Two)

We left Tel Aviv and headed toward Galilee. On the way we went through the Valley of Armageddon. Revelation 16.16 "And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue: 'Armageddon'" Man's final battle before the Messiah comes to redeem the world will be fought in this Valley. Here are the crossroads of the world. A very fertile valley, it is also called the "Breadbasket of Israel". We stopped the car and got out. There has always been an eery sensation as I have gone through this valley, realizing that human history, as we know it, will end there. On the way there we picked up our first soldier, Zach. We dropped him off before we got there. It is common courtesy to pick up Israeli soldiers and give them a ride. I learned this the first time I was there.

Continuing on the way to Galilee we went by Mount Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan were slain. We came to Bet'Shean. Here the Philistines hung the bodies of Saul and Jonathan.

We walked around the ruins of Bet'Shean. Biblical Archeology Review had an extensive article on the work which has been taken place here. So much has been done in the past 6 years. Distances are something that come into focus while in Israel. Time and time again I realized how close things were. Mount Gilboa is not far from Bet'Shean.

Climbing the Tel at Bet'Shean I experienced thirst like I ahd never had before. I had begun to dehydrate. I got a little dizzy. When we got down to the bottom I drank 2 liters of water. The thrist was in my belly not my throat. I understood how significant Jesus's words to the Samaritan woman were and how when He spoke of the Spirit as a stream of living water coming out of the depths of man what that must have meant to the people living here.

Leaving Bet'Shean we made our way up the Jordan Valley. On the bottom of the Sea of Galilee we picked up another solider named, "Nissi" In Exodus 17.15 we are told that Nissi means, "My Banner". I asked him about the peace process. This would be a question I posed to all the soldiers we came in contact with while there. He was straight forward. He was opposed to it.

Arriving at the youth hostel we unloaded our car. Then we got into bathing suits and headed to the Sea of Galilee for a swim. We got in where a bus was parked. There was a boys school from Ashkelon there. These young Israelis were very friendly and came over and began to talk to us. We met a boy named Shi who had just arrived from Russia. There was another boy named Shamon who spke very seriously about the peace process. They were in favor of peace but in their words, "Not the way we are doing it."

We arrived back at the youth hostel and then went out for fish on the Sea of Galilee.

Third Day Of the Journey

Tuesday, June 7, 1994

Tiberias, Israel- Yospeh Meyouhaus Youth Hostel

This morning in Tel Aviv we had the traditional huge Israeli breakfast. Fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, fish, eggs, salads, olives, yogurts. It is so filling.

We left the hotel and made our way to the Tel Aviv University to see the Diaspora Museum. It was still a little strange driving in a country I had never been behind the wheel of a car in before. We had to ask directions several times.

The Diaspora Museum was ought to be included on tours, just to grasp an understanding of the history of the Jewish people and Israel, their land. It covered the history of the Jews from the time of the Babylonian Exile, 2,500 years ago. Here is what happened to the Jewish people and what they accomplished between the time they were driven from Israel and when they returned. Among the things that impressed me was the inscription on a single wall, "'Not by Might, nor by power but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."

Also included in this museum is a display on the Messiah. This was the final exhibit. This was a foretaste of a theme we would encounter throughout the trip.

That evening we arrived in Galilee. More about that and the rest of this day in the next post.

Second Day of the Journey to Israel

Monday, June 6, 1994 11:45am
Paris, France

We are currently waiting for our connecting flight to Tel Aviv. On the seat next to me is a lady named Nancy. Three years ago, following a divorce, she moved to Israel. She tells me that there are a lot of women in Israel in her situation.

11:30pm Tel Aviv, Israel
We arrived at Ben Gurion Airport at 6:30pm. After picking up our car we managed to get lost a few times on the way to our hotel. It is on Ben-Yehuda Street. We went out for dinner and had falafalas. Then we walked down to the beach. Many people are sitting and enjoying the beautiful late spring summerlike weather. There is lots of life here. As we sit Air Force helicopters and low flying planes comb the coast, flood lights are shone upon the waters of the Mediterranean. It is hard to believe that just a few years ago Saddam Hussein launched Scud Missiles into this city.

Israel is such a beautiful country. Thank you LORD for allowing me to see what You are doing in the land you swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants.

Nancy told me some interesting things on the flight:
1. The country for the most part does not care for the current government's policy towards the territories.
2. Every Jew in the world automatically becomes a citizen when they come to Israel. They want every Jew to come home.
3. There is no constitution.

Journal of A Holyland Pilgrim

A number of years ago it was my high privilege to journey to Israel for 2 weeks of travel off the beaten path. I had been several times before on a tour. This time the LORD would guide us. My friend John Foster and I rented a little 3 cylinder Renault and off we went from Tel Aviv to Galilee and then onto Jerusalem.

"I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God.

Over the course of the next posts I will transcribe my journey into this wonderful country. Shalom!

Sunday, June 5, 1994 9:25am

Kennedy International Airport

Queens, New York

We are aboard a Delta Flight bound for Tel Aviv, Israel. We will stay one night in Tel Aviv, several in Galilee and a week in Jerusalem. We plan on visiting some unique places, not seen on a regular tour. At 9:30pm we flew out of Gate 7 into the sky on our way to the most incredible land on the earth.

O LORD I pray You will direct our paths! Today is Dad and Mom's 40th wedding anniversary. They are in the White Mountains of New Hampshire celebrating.

There is a real sense of peace about this trip. The LORD's Hand is upon it.

Pray

Praying for the peace of Jerusalem and the safety of Israel at this current time.