Israel Day 7

Our final day in the Holyland began with a visit to the nearby Israel Museum. It is impossible to encapsulate all of Israel’s history in one museum, but two exhibits were particularly helpful to us.

The first is an outdoor model of Jerusalem in the first century. The model is based on archaeological evidence collected up to the 1960′s. While some details are dated, the model was generally helpful to orient us to the layout of the sites we visited.

The museum also includes a Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit featuring pottery, tools, and copies of the scrolls found in the Qumran community. We were not permitted to take photos of the Dead Sea exhibit, but our time in this exhibit added additional realism to our experience in Qumran.

Our bus then headed to another magnificent fortress built by Herod the Great just prior to the time of Jesus, the Herodian. The Herodion sits atop a man-made mountain a few miles south of Jerusalem. It included a palace, Roman baths, cisterns, storehouses, and even a personal theater for Herod and his closest friends.

Interestingly, the Herodion is visible from the south side of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. This mountain fortress stands in stark contrast to the humble manger in which the baby Jesus was laid. Both were called the King of the Jews but one lived in luxury while the other in humility.

We traveled back to the Temple area of Old City Jerusalem to visit the famous Western Wall and Southern Steps of the Temple Mount. When we arrived, we saw crowds of mostly Hasidic Jews praying at the wall, and many of our pilgrims placed written prayers into the cracks of the wall, as visitors are invited to do.

The Southern Steps of the Temple Mount marked the spot where King David climbed Mount Moriah (the site of the Temple Mount) and placed the Ark of the Covenant there. This is where all Jews, including Jesus, entered the Temple to offer sacrifice. In addition, it was probably on the Southern Steps that Peter preached his sermon on the Day of Pentecost that resulted in 3,000 persons coming to faith in Christ.

After a week of life-changing experiences, we ended our pilgrimage this afternoon with what was the highlight for many, a visit to the Garden Tomb. The exact location of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is not known. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is one possibility, and the Garden Tomb is another.

While the Church of the Holy Sepulchre encases the possible sites of the crucifixion and resurrection inside of a large church building, the Garden Tomb is just that, an empty tomb within a small garden just outside of the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem. It was discovered in the 1800′s by a man who purchased the property and invited an archaeologist to explore the site after finding the ancient tomb.

There are several reasons why the Garden Tomb may be the historical site of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

First, it matches the New Testament description of the site in that it is outside the city gate, is in a garden area, is near a hill that has the appearance of a skull (Golgotha). The “mouth” of the skull is now underneath the surface of the ground, but the “eyes” are still visible, as seen below.

The Romans normally crucified victims on the edge of a road, so all who passed by would see the price of defying Roman law. A road runs just in front of the hill, just outside of the Damascus Gate.

Second, Byzantine Christians erected a small church building at the opening of the tomb, and Christian art was found inside from that period. The tomb is indeed ancient, from the time of Jesus, and the site was used as a garden, more specifically a vineyard, as witnessed by a Roman winepress excavated at the site. In front of the tomb is a groove that would allow a large stone to be rolled in front of the small entrance.

Here is the Garden Tomb.

Inside the opening to the tomb, there is space both on the right and the left, matching the New Testament description of the burial place of Jesus, as an angel appeared on the right. According to the description, the place where Jesus was layed to rest would be visible from the entrance, making it the left side of the tomb.

It is not possible to know with certainty whether or not Jesus was buried here, but the evidence is compelling and awe-inspiring.

After visiting the empty tomb, our group shared Communion together, led by Rev. Horak, and we slowly exited the Garden Tomb, stopping to take one last glance at what may be the place in which the angel said, “He is not here. He is risen.”

Thank you for traveling along with us through our Holyland trip blog. We hope that this pilgrimage has blessed your life as it has ours.

Tomorrow morning, we travel back home, and we can’t wait to see our families and friends!

Israel Day 6

We began the morning by visiting one of the holiest sites on earth, a site venerated by the three monotheistic religions of the world, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It has served as the center of Israel’s worship for the past 3,000 years.

The Muslim Dome of the Rock now sits where the Jewish Temple stood until it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. This place marks the spot on which Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac, where God told David the Temple would sit, where Jesus taught in Jerusalem, and, according to Muslim belief, where Mohammed ascended to heaven. Just to give you an idea of the size of the Temple Mount, Cleveland Stadium could fit on top of the Temple Mount 2 1/2 times!

We then drove east over the hills of the Judean desert and down below sea level to Qumran. It was here that the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. A young Bedouin boy was throwing stones into a cave for fun when he heard what sounded like a pottery jar breaking.

The scrolls had been stored inside nearly 2,000 years before and these Dead Sea scrolls became one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century with biblical manuscripts 1,000 years older than existing ones.

The scrolls had been created and hidden by a Jewish communal group called the Essenes, a sort of Jewish monastic community during the time of Christ. One of the reasons that the Essenes are important to Christians is that it is possible that John the Baptist either was an Essene or was influenced by them.

Even more importantly to our faith, Essene thinking seems to have influenced early Christianity with a stress on baptism, the dualism of good versus evil, and apocalyptic literature like the book of The Revelation, the last book of the New Testament.

Could it be that John the Baptist was immersed in these ritual baths seen above? It is thought that Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River near Qumran, adding to the potentially close connection between John, Jesus, and the Essenes.

After about a 45 minute drive, we arrived at one of the most spectacular sites that any of us had seen, the desert mountain fortress of Masada. Masada was constructed by Herod the Great who reigned as the King of Judea during the birth of Jesus.

The luxurious fortress atop a mountain 1,500 feet above the Dead Sea was complete with both cold and hot baths, water and food supplies, a palace and a palatial guest home. Views from the top of the mountain were truly spectacular, the summit being reached by cable car.

Even though we experienced cool temperatures, high winds and rain on the mountain, a rarity for this desert area, the site was well worth the visit.The photos simply do not do the view justice. One person remarked that the view from Masada is more striking than the Grand Canyon.

After the Romans sacked Jerusalem in 70 AD, Masada was written into the history of the Jewish people for a much more sobering reason. As Jewish rebels fled Jerusalem, they took shelter in the safest place of which they were aware, Masada.

Not to be thwarted, 50,000 Roman soldiers, led by the future emperor, Titus, built camps at the base of Masada for three years. There was no route of escape for the Jewish rebels. To increase the level of pressure, the Romans constructed a ramp of unbelievable size, the ruins of which still exist, to lay siege to Masada.

Trapped on the mountain with no way of defeating the Roman legions, the nearly 1,000 Jews were forced to make a grave decision, to either be enslaved by the Romans or to end their own lives. Ten Jewish men drew lots for who would be the last survivor and fall on his own sword. The men then killed all of the women and children and each other, until only one man was left, who then took his own life. When the Romans finally broke through to Masada, they found a people who would rather die than be enslaved by them. Only a few women and children were spared who lived to tell the story.

This sad saga remains in the consciousness of Israelis to this day who bolster their courage in conflict with the refrain, “Masada, never again.”

On a much lighter note, we traveled back in the direction of Jerusalem along the Dead Sea and stopped at a beach near Jericho. A rainbow had formed over the Dead Sea as the rain passed and we felt the desert sun again.

The salt content of the Dead Sea is 35%, enabling a person to float even with both arms and legs out of the water. About 25 of us swam in the Dead Sea in 56 degree weather! The water temperature was probably in the high 60′s and felt comfortable.

It was a unique sensation to float to the extent that we could sit up and still float on the surface of the water. Several of the ladies covered themselves in Dead Sea mud for free (instead of paying $20 for a small packet of it). We made sure that those not going in took photos of our cold weather swimming experience, purely for bragging rights.:)

We then headed back to our Jerusalem hotel for dinner.

Visiting the Temple Mount, Qumran, Masada, and the Dead Sea, all in the space of a few hours, made for a remarkable day!

Israel Day 5

Day 5 was an awe-inspiring experience.

For the first time, we saw the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock sitting where the Jewish Temple once stood, the hallmark image of Jerusalem. Our first stop this morning was the Mount of Olives where Jesus often prayed during his visits to Jerusalem. It was there that he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before his betrayal and arrest. We stopped at the top of the Mount of Olives for this view of the Temple Mount and the City of David to its left.

The Temple Mount behind the Kidron Valley. The Temple Mount is a vital location for the three monotheistic religions of the world- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Temple Mount, the Valley of Ben Hinnom (Gehenna), and the City of David to the left.

The East Gate through which Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This gate faces the East toward the Mount of Olives.

The room believed to be the Upper Room where Jesus and His disciples ate the Last Supper during the Feast of Passover. After His final meal with His disciples before the resurrection, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

The Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, beginning with the Church of All Nations, marking the place believed to be where sweat like drops of blood fell from Jesus’ face.

The rock believed to be the one on which Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Olive trees over 1,000 years old in the Garden of Gethsemane. Trees much like these would have existed as Jesus prayed. While praying, Judas entered the garden with Roman centurions and betrayed Christ with a kiss on the cheek. Jesus was arrested and led to a dungeon near the Temple Mount.

The steps Christ walked to the dungeon where he was held, followed by the entrance to the pit.

The dungeon/pit in which Jesus was held over night before His crucifixion.

We then entered the Old City of Jerusalem and began walking the Via Dolorosa, the possible route that Christ walked on the way to His crucifixion after his arrest and trial at the hands of Pontius Pilate.

The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed by Catholics and Orthodox Christians to be the site of the crucifixion and empty tomb.

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at the spot believed by Catholics and Orthodox Christians to be the site of the crucifixion. Some worshipers knelt and kissed the stone. There was a dramatic feeling of awe and reverence that one would expect in the very place venerated as the site of the crucifixion of Christ.

Photos were not allowed inside the empty tomb. Entering the empty tomb and touching the slab of stone on which many believe Jesus was laid was a moving experience, to say the least. We are reminded that the tomb is empty, and Jesus has risen!

Israel Day 4

Today was a busy day. We visited several sites on our journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. Much of the route is located in the West Bank, in the Palestinian territory of Israel.

We stopped at an ancient and strategic Roman city overlooking the Jezreel Valley called Bet- Shean. The ruins are magnificent, including a theater, columns, a massive hill with the foundation of a temple to Zeus, and, of all things a latrine.

After leaving Bet Shen, we traveled south on Route 90, the major highway along the border of Israel and Jordan. The climate changed from semi-arid to desert as we approached Jericho near the Dead Sea. We saw shepherds with herds of goats and sheep, bedouin communities, the Samaritan Hills (John chapter 4), and we could also see the country of Jordan across the Jordan River border.

Oh, and many of our pilgrims rode a camel at a gas station.:)

We then began our ascent to Jerusalem. The difference in altitude during the short drive between Jericho and Jerusalem is 3300 feet. When climbing the Judean Hills into Jerusalem, one has the feeling of going “up, up, up.” You notice the clouds getting closer and closer as you climb toward the Holy City. It’s no wonder that the Temple was placed in a city on top of the mountain.

Our tour of the Old City including the Temple Mount will be tomorrow. For today, we crossed from Jerusalem back into Palestinian territory to visit the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem.

Our only site was The Church of the Nativity on Manger Square. It is a church building constructed over 1,000 years ago and was standing during the time of the Crusades. After entering the church, pilgrims descend a flight of stairs to a star on the right marking the place where Jesus is believed to have been born. Many kneel and either touch or kiss the star.

After leaving the Church of the Nativity, our tour bus passed through the military checkpoint back into Israel and went to our hotel for the evening. The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is sad, especially when one considers that the Prince of Peace was born near the security wall that divides the two.

It appears that many Israelis and Palestinians do desire peace. We hope that a time of peace will come soon.

Tomorrow events include the Mount of Olives, Old City of Jerusalem and walking the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus took on his way to the cross.

Israel Day 3 (Part 2)

After a hour long drive back from Caesarea Philippi, we ate lunch at a kibbutz on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The main dish was St. Peter’s fish, talapia. It is called St. Peter’s fish because Jesus instructed Peter to find a coin with which to pay his taxes in the mouth of a fish (Matthew 17). Here’s the fish pre-tax and after tax. Do you think the IRS would ever accept this?

After lunch, we took a 10-15 minute drive to the north end of the lake to the ruins of Capernaum, the “headquarters” of Jesus ministry. According to the Gospels, Jesus lived in the home of His disciple Simon Peter in Capernaum, and many of Jesus’ teachings and miracles take place here.

A shrine is built over what some believe is the house of Peter, next to an ancient synagogue. Even if this is not the exact home of Peter, it is still likely that Jesus called this small village home for 2-3 years of His life.

Here is the foundation of the ancient synagogue.

We celebrated Communion together on the shore  just outside of Capernaum.

Then our third day itinerary ended with the Church of the Heptagon built over the rock upon which, it is believed, Jesus placed the five loaves and two fish before the feeding of the 5,000. The rock sits under the altar.

Tomorrow, we head south to Bethlehem and Jerusalem for Shabbat, the Sabbath.

Israel Day 3 (Part 1)

(The wifi in our hotel was too weak to even upload the blog. Here are yesterday’s activities.)

Our day began with a visit to the museum at the Genosar kibbutz featuring the 2,000 year old boat that was uncovered in the Sea of Galilee in the late 1980′s. It is a small wooden boat perhaps similar to the one used by Jesus and His disciples.

We then set sail in a working boat on the Sea of Galilee called the Worship Boat. It is operated by a Jewish Christian worship leader who led our group in singing three worship songs while we sailed in front of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus lived during his ministry. It was a beautiful boat ride.

Here is the view from the boat. The Mount of Beatitudes is on the far right.

After sailing, we drove to the Mount of Beatitudes where it is believed that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (The Gospel of Matthew 5-7).

And this is a partial view of the Sea of Galilee from the Mount of Beatitudes. Jesus chose a beautiful and inspiring place in which to minister.

We then took an hour’s drive north to Caesarea Philippi, a city built by Herod the Great’s son, Herod Philippi as his capital and a very important site to the Christian faith. The city sits near the borders of Syria and Lebanon and was the site of a dramatic temple complex dedicated to the god Pan, a half-man/half goat god of shepherds and agriculture. At the base of a large rock formation is a natural grotto in which sacrifices to Pan were offered. Beside it stood a temple dedicated to Augustus Caesar.

It is in Caesarea Philippi, in front of these pagan tombs that Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13, 16 TNIV).

Coming up on Day 3, Part 2- A fishy lunch, Capernaum, and the feeding of the 5,000…

Israel Day 2 (Part 2)

After leaving Megiddo, we drove a short distance across the Jezreel Valley to an extremely important place in the Christian faith, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. While we approached it in our tour bus, our guide rhetorically asked, “How did growing up in this area affect Jesus? How did it influence him? What about this area is important to the development of a new religion?”

Modern Nazareth looks nothing like it did in the time of Jesus. It is now a city of over 100,000 people. In Jesus’ time, it was a village of a few hundred people in which everyone knew everyone else. Small town politics would have ruled. It was a simple, rural upbringing, far from the religious intensity in Jerusalem.

We visited the Basilica of Annunciation in the center of the city. In the following photo, you are looking at a stone house underneath the surface of modern Nazareth with an enormous shrine built around it. Since the 4th century AD, many Christians believe that Mary lived here with her family as a young girl. Whether or not this is the exact house, it’s part of the small village of Nazareth in Jesus’ time that has only been partly excavated. Jesus grew up somewhere within a few hundred yards of here.

Here is another photo of the excavation of ancient Nazareth.

From Nazareth, we drove through the Cana where John writes that Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. In Jesus’ time, Nazareth was a small village and the nearby Cana was the “big city.” They are just a few minutes drive from each other, and Cana now resembles what you might imagine when you think of a MIddle East city. Both Nazareth and Cana have a high population of Muslim Arab Israelis, and the concrete buildings are very close to one another.

After driving through Cana, within 30 minutes or so, we arrived in the region of the Sea of Galilee, a magnificently beautiful area, actually below sea level. The area reminded some of our travelers of Southern California. This region is where Jesus lived for most of his ministry. This is the southern end of the Sea of Galilee where it flows into the Jordan River.

We stopped at the Jordan for several of our fellow travelers to reaffirm their baptisms, and two persons were baptized for the first time. One was one of our travelers and the other was a young man with a group from Nigeria. He saw the baptisms being performed and spontaneously asked to be baptized. It was a moving experience for our group.

We then drove north for just a few minutes to the small town of Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Just being at the Sea of Galilee is a powerful experience. Most of what we know of Jesus’ teaching and ministry happened in this very place. It is overwhelming to think that Jesus viewed the very same hills that we now see. This is the northern end of the Sea of Galilee including towns in which Jesus spent a great deal of time, Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida. It feels a bit surreal to realize that what we know as Christianity began on this small coast that you see in the distance.

Across the Sea of Galilee is the area now known as the Golan Heights. While standing in this spot, you can open the Gospels and literally point to the locations in which many of the events of Jesus’ life took place. Peter, Andrew, James, John, and the rest of Jesus’ disciples called the towns around this very lake home. The experience is difficult to put into words. It is enough to say that Jesus Christ lived here, and it is understandably a very powerful experience to be present in this place.

Tomorrow, we will explore various sites in this region of Galilee. Until then, may God bless you as you view the very places that Jesus lived and ministered on earth.