We woke in Amman, Jordan, to another clear day as we headed to the 4 checkpoints necessary to return to Israel. This would be about an hour drive. We could see Mt. Nebo, the highest peak across from Jericho, at Pisnah. We waited a LONG time to clear the border on a hot bus with no air going. However, my new "sister" and I talked the whole time so I barely noticed. We became deep friends in that little time; I felt so blessed by her friendship as Gary & I both did with a small group of people we had interacted with and prayed with throughout the trip. We left the border around 11:45 am with another 40-min. drive ahead to Jerusalem.
We ate lunch at a Lebanese restaurant. The food was authentic and delicious. Their eggplant was in some sweet red sauce, different from all the other eggplant dishes we had enjoyed. Then we returned to The Olive Tree, out hotel. It was the Sabbath for all of the Jews, so all of their shops and restaurants were closed.
The rest of the day was incredible and these words won't begin to explain what we were taught and saw for ourselves. Robert, the NTS president, asked if anyone wanted to go back to the Mt. of Olives before leaving. Everyone needed to pack, but we were not going to miss the chance. Just a small group went. That made things even nicer! So, at 1:30pm we boarded the bus and returned to the overlook of the whole city. There Robert gave us an amazing teaching. Altogether he gave us 4 teachings in 4 places on the Mt. of Olives. He showed us how Jerusalem is probably the Garden of Eden and where the Tree of Life and the Tree of Good and Evil were probably located; about how Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac there; about Jesus dying there; and about how Jesus is returning there. Completion. He also mentioned something about the red heifer there, which I am not familiar with. Of course, he gave facts about the FOUR rivers that define the Garden of Eden. One of the rivers, I think it is the Araba River, was discovered 30 years ago. It is underground.. And, he gave the scriptures supporting all of his points. I want to get this teaching again. I think he has it posted online.
A friend of his, Zeb, and his wife Linn (who are missionaries to Jerusalem) joined us. They took us to the spot that probably is the real Golgatha, the place of the Skull. He gave the explanations. Nothing has ever been built on this spot. People have tried but had no success. It is just an empty paved parking lot now, littered with trash. However, they said it is the most expensive piece of land in Jerusalem. They felt that it was being protected. Zeb had been given a word of knowledge from God about the true site of the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. We went there. It was only about 200 meters from where the family would have stayed overnight. It was a MUCH more appropriate distance for Mary to cross and then run back to the other disciples. She ran back and forth and back again. The traditional spots that are claimed would have her running well over a mile down into a deep valley and back up over and over. The time element wouldn't even work with scripture, if that were true. Anyway, inside Joseph of Arimathea's tomb, we were all given another message & then we had the opportunity to go right into the spot where Jesus lay. I put my hands upon the rock where he would have lain, and I prayed in that spot. Only a few of us were there at a time. Eventually, someone came and told others they could not go there. Today, the stone is no longer there, but Zeb said he talked to a man who verified it was removed from the spot only about 8 years ago. This place is now called Pater Nostrum, the name of a church built there to commemorate the Lord giving the disciples the Lord's Prayer. There must have been close to 100 different languages displayed with the Lord's Prayer. They took us to some back steps for another message. Imagine what we got to see and do before we left Israel: we stood in the spot of the cruxifiction and put our hands right on Jesus' grave.
As we left, two Palestinian men blocked the door to the bus. They were pick pockets. Gary had to shove them in order for him to get on the bus. They left me alone as I had not brought anything with me at all on this final trip. A man named Bill realized they had taken his phone and turned and demanded it back. They denied it at first, but Bill was firm (and he was a tall guy). Dale and Robert both had phones stolen. These phones had all of the business contacts for each of them. A spirit of alarm was rising when everyone on the bus began to pray. We were all leaving the country within 3 hrs. and it looked impossible. But, we knew that we have a God of the impossible. A man outside who knew Robert from his many trips there saw the whole thing. He ran after them. A man in a Palestinian shop nearby said he knew these thugs were Palestinian. So, the acquaintance knew a man who knew a man who knew a man. Several hours later, when we were finishing dinner back at the hotel, getting ready to board the bus to leave, the "friend" returned the phones. He had had to pay $1000 to get them! He didn't want to be reimbursed; eventually he alowed it. Dale gave him $300, the last of his money.It was an amazing answer to prayer that was prayed right there in tomb area.
We had a wonderful goodbye time with people who we had developed great friendships with. We actually hated to leave these fellow Christians whom we had come to love and respect! We had learned so much from them.
We left for the airport to get Flight 797, a 12 hr 34 min flight. The airport had about 5 places where our passports were checked. Our carry ons got checked as we got on board. Several of our group were all seated together on the plane. We realized how God had touched our hearts and minds. We had gotten to walk where Jesus had walked. We were very thankful for God's presence being so incredibly strong in so many places. Gary reviewed Psalm 120-129, how the Jewish pilgrims praised God as they ascended into Jerusalem. Now we see and understand their joy.
We landed in Philly at 4:45 am. Customs didn't even open until 5am, so we had to wait. By the time we cleared customs/immigration and were ready for our next flight, it was 6:15am. We tried to get on an earlier flight out of Phillly but it would have cost $150. So, we waited until 11:50 to go to Chicago.
We got to Chicago ahead of schedule, but it only made our wait longer. We didn't leave until 6:03pm. At boarding time, we had been traveling for 30 hrs--with still more to go.
We arrived in Ft. Wayne at 8 pm. to an awesome greeting from Joe, Heather, and three little angels. What a nice way to be welcomed home!
It took us a LONG time to adjust when we returned. Our minds were pretty much overwhelmed to the point we could not express thoughts about our experience in just a few words. I actually hoped no one would ask how the trip was for a few days. A week or two later, I was a bit better, but I still had a lot of processing to do.
This blog expressed only a fraction of our experience in the Holy Land. It was an absolutely wonderful trip, a trip of a lifetime. If you get the chance to go, look at it as an amazing blessing and prepare for it spiritually. It has changed the way we see and read the Bible. Many things are so much clearer now. It is exciting to read about all the Old Testament places and realize how close they are together and how things really took place. We praise God for that opportunity1
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Nov. 30 Petra--absolutely amazing!
Our group gathered at 8am to walk through the Siq into the ancient city of Petra. The guide exclaimed that it was quite unusual how few groups were there. We had complete access with no crowding as we walked and tried to see everything. We were walking into a deep ravine with colorful, vertical rock walls which narrowed the walking space for long distances. The walk in was continually downhill. It had rained two days before, so the rocks of Petra had all their color. Additionally, the dust was down and we could see clearly. The guide said that that was not typical. We saw God's favor again on this trip.
Petra itself is beautiful and incredible. Only 9% of this city is excavated and that is 27 sq. miles. After walking for over an hour, the path was made of stones placed there by the Romans. They were discovered only 18 yrs. ago. Another 45 min. later, we emerged from the Siq to an amazing sight, an open area with a huge Treasury building (it is featured in an Indiana Jones movie). This not a bank, but a two-story tomb where they believed treasure had been placed with an important person's burial. It was carved out of sandstone and was very elaborate in design. The valley was wider now and there were many more buildings cut out of the rock, one after another, all beautiful and elaborate. We continued to walk another mile through the city. We saw ancient carvings of humans and camels in the rock walls, and we witnessed their elaborate system for collecting water for the city using ceramic in water channels along the walls, just another demonstration of their talent and intellect.
We climbed steps cut out of rock to high trails leading to places of sacrifice to their gods. We didn't go that far, but Gary sat on a high precipice and looked out over the whole canyon. He saw more amazing carved tombs everywhere. Along the way, there was an amphitheatre large enough to seat thousands. And, there were caves all over, some of which still housed some Bedouin who worked in Petra. (There were Bedouin all over Jordan and many, many worked inside here. Young children were peddling their wares. We were encouraged to not buy from them, but rather to tell them to go to school where they should have been. People sold everything from camel rides to jewelry, to books, to food, to chariot rides, to tapestry, to horse rides. Men were everywhere with their donkeys and horses, and continually rode back and forth to drum up trade. Often it created a circus-like atmosphere. At least twice, we saw men arguing to the point of fighting. Once a group which included one woman was seated discussing a topic heatedly. The woman apparently offered her opinion and she was ordered out of their midst instantly! Later, men with horses were competing for business, I think. They got loud and angry. Because there were few tourists that day, they were very eager to make deals and were ready to bargain with us. Tourists tended to buy those chariot & horse rides on the long walk back out--all uphill.)
Robert, the president of our touring company, gave us a wonderful biblical message at a spot along the way. He showed where it was prophesied that this thriving city would be no more because it went against Israel and rejoiced at their misfortune. I had read about this very prophecy in Obadiah before leaving on the trip. His message was mostly from Ezekiel. Within 500 yrs. the city of Sela (Petra) was gone. Now it is just a desolate tourist place. This is a strong warning to us to remember to pray for Israel and to support God's chosen people.
We walked perhaps 3 miles into Petra or more, going to the end of the ruins, climbing up into a latter era temple before we returned. That made for a long uphill journey in the heat of the day. But the light had changed and the day was much hotter and dustier. Naturally, the rocks were all different colors than before and showed new angles and edges. Needless to say, we took way too many pictures. (For me, it was important that I was touching 3000 yr old rock formations and carvings.)
We were back at our hotel by 12:45 pm for another fabulous lunch. We had some interesting interactions with the Jordanian servers and then we left for Amman, a 3 1/2 hr drive to the north.
Amman is a very modern city of 2 1/2 million people. We stayed the night in the Intercontinental. Amazing again! Everything was so authentically Jordanian and lavish. We had robes here and bath scales!!! And, there were two stools in the bathroom, not a bidet..The rooms had wonderful cups available with a heatable water pot. The tea tasted wonderful!
The next day we were headed back to Jerusalem and then on home. We thought it would be a nondescript day. However, it was probably the best day of the whole trip.
Petra itself is beautiful and incredible. Only 9% of this city is excavated and that is 27 sq. miles. After walking for over an hour, the path was made of stones placed there by the Romans. They were discovered only 18 yrs. ago. Another 45 min. later, we emerged from the Siq to an amazing sight, an open area with a huge Treasury building (it is featured in an Indiana Jones movie). This not a bank, but a two-story tomb where they believed treasure had been placed with an important person's burial. It was carved out of sandstone and was very elaborate in design. The valley was wider now and there were many more buildings cut out of the rock, one after another, all beautiful and elaborate. We continued to walk another mile through the city. We saw ancient carvings of humans and camels in the rock walls, and we witnessed their elaborate system for collecting water for the city using ceramic in water channels along the walls, just another demonstration of their talent and intellect.
We climbed steps cut out of rock to high trails leading to places of sacrifice to their gods. We didn't go that far, but Gary sat on a high precipice and looked out over the whole canyon. He saw more amazing carved tombs everywhere. Along the way, there was an amphitheatre large enough to seat thousands. And, there were caves all over, some of which still housed some Bedouin who worked in Petra. (There were Bedouin all over Jordan and many, many worked inside here. Young children were peddling their wares. We were encouraged to not buy from them, but rather to tell them to go to school where they should have been. People sold everything from camel rides to jewelry, to books, to food, to chariot rides, to tapestry, to horse rides. Men were everywhere with their donkeys and horses, and continually rode back and forth to drum up trade. Often it created a circus-like atmosphere. At least twice, we saw men arguing to the point of fighting. Once a group which included one woman was seated discussing a topic heatedly. The woman apparently offered her opinion and she was ordered out of their midst instantly! Later, men with horses were competing for business, I think. They got loud and angry. Because there were few tourists that day, they were very eager to make deals and were ready to bargain with us. Tourists tended to buy those chariot & horse rides on the long walk back out--all uphill.)
Robert, the president of our touring company, gave us a wonderful biblical message at a spot along the way. He showed where it was prophesied that this thriving city would be no more because it went against Israel and rejoiced at their misfortune. I had read about this very prophecy in Obadiah before leaving on the trip. His message was mostly from Ezekiel. Within 500 yrs. the city of Sela (Petra) was gone. Now it is just a desolate tourist place. This is a strong warning to us to remember to pray for Israel and to support God's chosen people.
We walked perhaps 3 miles into Petra or more, going to the end of the ruins, climbing up into a latter era temple before we returned. That made for a long uphill journey in the heat of the day. But the light had changed and the day was much hotter and dustier. Naturally, the rocks were all different colors than before and showed new angles and edges. Needless to say, we took way too many pictures. (For me, it was important that I was touching 3000 yr old rock formations and carvings.)
We were back at our hotel by 12:45 pm for another fabulous lunch. We had some interesting interactions with the Jordanian servers and then we left for Amman, a 3 1/2 hr drive to the north.
Amman is a very modern city of 2 1/2 million people. We stayed the night in the Intercontinental. Amazing again! Everything was so authentically Jordanian and lavish. We had robes here and bath scales!!! And, there were two stools in the bathroom, not a bidet..The rooms had wonderful cups available with a heatable water pot. The tea tasted wonderful!
The next day we were headed back to Jerusalem and then on home. We thought it would be a nondescript day. However, it was probably the best day of the whole trip.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Nov. 29 Off to Jordan, Mt. Nebo, and Petra
We took off for Jordan on this sunny, clear morning. As we headed to the border, it was all downhill driving to 500 ft. below sea level. Yosef was our new guide. The desert here was not green or growing anything.
Once we hit the Israeli checkpoint, the waiting began. We arrived at 7:40 a.m., but the Allenby Bridge (the crossing) didn't open until 8 am. We sat there for 30 minutes or more, observing workers waiting to cross. The traffic got crazy here with trucks parked all around, buses in line, and cars pulling in and forging to the front. Workers stood in the roadway, smoking and talking. Soon, two men started to argue. Then later, the "foreman" argued with the security leader. Others had to kindly grab him and walk him away. It was interesting to watch men from this culture and how they interacted.
Then we went to the Jordanian border. Here, we got our boarding passes then went to security then to the new bus. Each stage required checking of passports. I asked the Jordanian men guarding there to unlock the restrooms on the outside of the building. They had to get a "head" man who did. They were very friendly. Then we sat and waited some more. We then proceeded over the Allenby Bridge (named for Gen. Allenby of Britain who fought off the Ottoman Turks here in WWI). The bridge is now re-named King Hussein Bridge. On the way to the checkpoint, we went through a military zone. Everything was set for war. We saw many bunkers along the way. Pulling into the checkpoint, we saw many trucks with 50 caliber guns mounted on them. This small town had many rent-a-car shops, one after another, after another. A guard came on board the bus to count us and take passports. Some luggage was removed from the bus; it turned out to be ours and two of our new friends. They were opened and returned, once all of the passports were eventually returned again. We got a new guide, a Christian Jordanian named Michele. The women tried to go to the restroom here. It was a hoot!! The lady inside asked which type of toilet we wanted. One type turned out to be a hole in the floor. There was no toilet tissue, but the lady was handing out 1 small square. It was quite an ordeal as the ladies squatted over this hole, because they had on slacks--no skirts--which would not get out of the way. Then there was a hose available. We didn't know what it was for, for sure. Was it for flushing? We later decided it was also for Muslim ladies to clean and air dry!! When we returned, I just HAD to take a picture of this toilet! At 10:30 am, we were finally finished and on our way.
We drove to Mt. Nebo, where God showed Moses the Promised Land. The road winds back and forth again and again in tight "S" curves to reach the top of the mountain. On top was an awesome view of the Land of Milk and Honey. We were blessed with an especially clear view that day and could see Jerusalem afar off at the top of a mountain, Jericho at the base in the Jordan River valley, the Dead Sea, Amman to the north, etc. Robert of NTS gave us scripture to read aloud and he talked about Moses, Jacob, and Joshua. We discovered that Jacob was 97 when he wrestled the angel! This spot was the end of the road for Moses. He was not allowed to go into the Promised Land. He died close to Mt. Nebo. No one knows where. The River Jordan, which we were looking at in the distance, stopped flowing from the mouth of the Dead Sea, in the south, to Dan, 15 miles to the north! The valley, which was at flood stage, dried up and 2 million Jews crossed into the Promised Land with no problems.
On Mt. Nebo, they are working on an ancient church built there in honor of Moses. A large tent made of coarse goat hair was set up for people to enter and see many ancient mosaic tiles. They came from a church floor in Madaba. The stories in the pictures on the tiles indicated blessing from God and provision. These tiles pieced together to make a very large floor.
Lunch was in Madaba . They wouldn't give us water for lunch--only soda! The dessert was milk pudding with honey. This lunch didn't measure up to all the fantastic meals we had been served again and again, but it was an interesting spot along a narrow road with nearly nothing around it for miles. A truck nearby was delivering water to a business next to this. Water is very precious here.
We drove 3 hours south to Petra. We had left the mountains and were drving though a flat, open landscape.
We arrived in Petra and stayed at The Movenpick. Two weeks prior, we weren't supposed to stay at this super luxurious place. However, the owner had had enough cancellations that he offered this hotel to us. Everything was expensive--the furniture was inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the fabrics were beautiful and fine, everywhere was quartz and marble. Our room on the 3rd floor (with a mezzanine floor below us added in) had a window that opened onto the inner court of marble tiles, gorgeous furnishings, the bustle of people walking through to the restaurant. The food there was artistic and beautiful, but they wouldn't serve hot drinks (coffee) with dinner! They had lots of chocolate desserts. The date chocolate roll was delish! All of the servers were Muslim men who interacted in a friendly way, for the most part. The food was beyond outstanding with dishes of every kind.
After dinner, we shopped on the streets of Petra. The shop keepers were very friendly, not pushy. We visited with a young man making sand bottles with designs and names in them. His English was perfect. He said he just picked it up from tourists. His brother is presently in London and his parents are in the States! We had to pass back through guards to return to the hotel. We did and then looked through the luxurious shops inside the hotel. This is a place where the elite of the world would stay. Our room had bathrobes and slippers, body gels and Dead Sea toiletries, and a refrigerator stocked with free food and drinks. We got a good night's sleep and were looking forward to going into Petra in the morning.
Once we hit the Israeli checkpoint, the waiting began. We arrived at 7:40 a.m., but the Allenby Bridge (the crossing) didn't open until 8 am. We sat there for 30 minutes or more, observing workers waiting to cross. The traffic got crazy here with trucks parked all around, buses in line, and cars pulling in and forging to the front. Workers stood in the roadway, smoking and talking. Soon, two men started to argue. Then later, the "foreman" argued with the security leader. Others had to kindly grab him and walk him away. It was interesting to watch men from this culture and how they interacted.
Then we went to the Jordanian border. Here, we got our boarding passes then went to security then to the new bus. Each stage required checking of passports. I asked the Jordanian men guarding there to unlock the restrooms on the outside of the building. They had to get a "head" man who did. They were very friendly. Then we sat and waited some more. We then proceeded over the Allenby Bridge (named for Gen. Allenby of Britain who fought off the Ottoman Turks here in WWI). The bridge is now re-named King Hussein Bridge. On the way to the checkpoint, we went through a military zone. Everything was set for war. We saw many bunkers along the way. Pulling into the checkpoint, we saw many trucks with 50 caliber guns mounted on them. This small town had many rent-a-car shops, one after another, after another. A guard came on board the bus to count us and take passports. Some luggage was removed from the bus; it turned out to be ours and two of our new friends. They were opened and returned, once all of the passports were eventually returned again. We got a new guide, a Christian Jordanian named Michele. The women tried to go to the restroom here. It was a hoot!! The lady inside asked which type of toilet we wanted. One type turned out to be a hole in the floor. There was no toilet tissue, but the lady was handing out 1 small square. It was quite an ordeal as the ladies squatted over this hole, because they had on slacks--no skirts--which would not get out of the way. Then there was a hose available. We didn't know what it was for, for sure. Was it for flushing? We later decided it was also for Muslim ladies to clean and air dry!! When we returned, I just HAD to take a picture of this toilet! At 10:30 am, we were finally finished and on our way.
We drove to Mt. Nebo, where God showed Moses the Promised Land. The road winds back and forth again and again in tight "S" curves to reach the top of the mountain. On top was an awesome view of the Land of Milk and Honey. We were blessed with an especially clear view that day and could see Jerusalem afar off at the top of a mountain, Jericho at the base in the Jordan River valley, the Dead Sea, Amman to the north, etc. Robert of NTS gave us scripture to read aloud and he talked about Moses, Jacob, and Joshua. We discovered that Jacob was 97 when he wrestled the angel! This spot was the end of the road for Moses. He was not allowed to go into the Promised Land. He died close to Mt. Nebo. No one knows where. The River Jordan, which we were looking at in the distance, stopped flowing from the mouth of the Dead Sea, in the south, to Dan, 15 miles to the north! The valley, which was at flood stage, dried up and 2 million Jews crossed into the Promised Land with no problems.
On Mt. Nebo, they are working on an ancient church built there in honor of Moses. A large tent made of coarse goat hair was set up for people to enter and see many ancient mosaic tiles. They came from a church floor in Madaba. The stories in the pictures on the tiles indicated blessing from God and provision. These tiles pieced together to make a very large floor.
Lunch was in Madaba . They wouldn't give us water for lunch--only soda! The dessert was milk pudding with honey. This lunch didn't measure up to all the fantastic meals we had been served again and again, but it was an interesting spot along a narrow road with nearly nothing around it for miles. A truck nearby was delivering water to a business next to this. Water is very precious here.
We drove 3 hours south to Petra. We had left the mountains and were drving though a flat, open landscape.
We arrived in Petra and stayed at The Movenpick. Two weeks prior, we weren't supposed to stay at this super luxurious place. However, the owner had had enough cancellations that he offered this hotel to us. Everything was expensive--the furniture was inlaid with mother-of-pearl, the fabrics were beautiful and fine, everywhere was quartz and marble. Our room on the 3rd floor (with a mezzanine floor below us added in) had a window that opened onto the inner court of marble tiles, gorgeous furnishings, the bustle of people walking through to the restaurant. The food there was artistic and beautiful, but they wouldn't serve hot drinks (coffee) with dinner! They had lots of chocolate desserts. The date chocolate roll was delish! All of the servers were Muslim men who interacted in a friendly way, for the most part. The food was beyond outstanding with dishes of every kind.
After dinner, we shopped on the streets of Petra. The shop keepers were very friendly, not pushy. We visited with a young man making sand bottles with designs and names in them. His English was perfect. He said he just picked it up from tourists. His brother is presently in London and his parents are in the States! We had to pass back through guards to return to the hotel. We did and then looked through the luxurious shops inside the hotel. This is a place where the elite of the world would stay. Our room had bathrobes and slippers, body gels and Dead Sea toiletries, and a refrigerator stocked with free food and drinks. We got a good night's sleep and were looking forward to going into Petra in the morning.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
November 28 Check out this amazing day!!!
We had another beautiful sunrise, and we couldn't wait to smell, taste & soak in all the experiences we would have in the old city that day. Gary & I were definitely thanking God for bringing us here. We were already understanding so much more. God's Spirit was right with us in His city-on-a-hill. Our group was considered by all the people in Israel to be a blessing because the cease fire was signed as our group landed in the country and because our group brought lots of needed rain.
First, we went to the Kidron Valley, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Jerusalem's city wall is on one side of the valley and the Mount of Olives is on the other side. We walked down through it and observed how they are landscaping parts of the area and making a park. We took a path where we saw Absalom's Tomb, which was carved out of bedrock, not built with new stones. There were other tombs for the wealthy here. Absalom rebelled against his father King David. He built this HUGE mausoleum. Righteous Jews still walk past it and throw stones at it to show their disgust. Modern fathers still stop to lecture their sons about rebellion against authority, fathers, & God. (Absalom was killed.) Perry Stone taped 1 program here and Amir (one of the tour guides -- really good!) taped another, with us sitting and standing among the rocks on the hillside. From there, we had a view of the Temple Mount.
From there, we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was used for making olive oil. Today it is much larger than it was in Jesus' day. The trees there are very old, 2000 yrs. plus! Jesus came here from the Upper Room after the Passover Feast. He traveled from the SW corner of the city to the east side across the Kidron Valley. Next to the paths in the garden is the Church of All Nations. This church has the rock that is believed to be where Jesus prayed to His Father. He poured out His heart here and suffered so much that He sweat drops of blood. I was able to kneel at this smooth, broad, flat rock and place my hand on it and pray. (This is all so hard to wrap our brains around.) From there Judas brought the soldiers and high priests to arrest Jesus. All of the disciples left Him.
Then we drove to the city wall and entered by the Lions Gate (east side). The city is full of narrow streets with lots of tall buildings. We stopped to see St. Anne's Church, run by the Catholic French Church. It was built by the Crusaders. Three bus loads of us sat in the sanctuary and sang 3 songs. It was a beautiful sound unto the Lord -- and unto us! The acoustics were such that when we stopped at the end of a line, the sound would continue to go throughout the church. Once again, people were moved as we worshipped God together.
This church was beside the Pool of Bethsaida. Here, Jesus healed the man crippled since birth (38 yrs.) He was trying to get into the "healing" pools before others once the water started to stir. Jesus healed him & he picked up his mat and walked on the Sabbath. There were lots of cats in the courtyard around the church.
We continued walking until we came to the Via Dolorosa. This street is full of life. And sounds. And smells. And treachery! Many vendors have small shops, one right next to the other, while others have their items right out in the street. Here they sell sports clothes, digital items, coats, shoes, wallpaper, fresh lettuce, fruits, spices, meat drinks, bread --- everything. Many trained pick pockets moved throughout the crowded street, and one of our teens had her cell phone stolen. They worked in groups of two, one trying to distract while the other grabbed purses, phones, etc. Two boys about 8 and 9 yrs old checked out my bag and saw they would get nothing, so they left me quite abruptly. The street is filled with yelling, selling, buying, bustle, and people of different races, sexes, religions, and levels. We recognized that these are all God's children and we must pray for Jerusalem and its people.
We stopped at one of the Stations of the Cross, the only one that is authentic for sure. This was Anthony's Fortress. We descended three levels below the street to the original street level. We could see a game etched in the flat plaza stone there, a game commonly played among the Jews of the time. It involved throwing dice. This is where the soldiers threw dice for Jesus' clothes. Jesus would have stopped here as he carried the cross on his way to Golgotha. We were walking in His footsteps.
We continued down the street through the open air stores until we exited through the Damascus Gate. The last smell was strawberries. This entire area was within the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.
We ate lunch at Alhambra Plaza in a Muslim area outside of the city.
After lunch, we went to the south side of the city and entered through the Dung Gate. We walked to the Wailing Wall, the Western Wall. We were able to experience the most holy place for Jews, the only part of the Temple that was not destroyed in 70 A.D. It is 2000 yrs. old! The Jews never intended that anyone would ever face this wall to pray to God. However, when the Temple was destroyed, there was no place for the Jews to make their pilgrimage. And for years, Jerusalem was controlled by other countries. So, when Jews were allowed to return to the city, it was the only piece of the temple for Jews to visit. This became the place where they prayed. It is a holy area, and thus, it is quiet. The men must cover their heads to approach the wall.We were allowed to visit and pray there. The men & women had separate places along the relatively small portion of remaining wall to pray. The space directly in front of the wall is packed with people, some sitting in plastic chairs. It was difficult to get to the wall to touch it. We were told to walk backwards as we left the wall in respect. This is the spot where God told King David to build the temple. It is the center of this city, this country, this world. Here, Gary & I prayed earnestly for our family, friends, my Bible Study sisters, and the Jewish people and nation. It felt as if there was a special portal to God here.
We returned to the hotel to pack a carry on bag for Jordan. Most of our group would be returning to the States. We thought this would be the end of our travels in Israel, but not so! Check out the day we return to fly out. The best was yet to come!
First, we went to the Kidron Valley, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Jerusalem's city wall is on one side of the valley and the Mount of Olives is on the other side. We walked down through it and observed how they are landscaping parts of the area and making a park. We took a path where we saw Absalom's Tomb, which was carved out of bedrock, not built with new stones. There were other tombs for the wealthy here. Absalom rebelled against his father King David. He built this HUGE mausoleum. Righteous Jews still walk past it and throw stones at it to show their disgust. Modern fathers still stop to lecture their sons about rebellion against authority, fathers, & God. (Absalom was killed.) Perry Stone taped 1 program here and Amir (one of the tour guides -- really good!) taped another, with us sitting and standing among the rocks on the hillside. From there, we had a view of the Temple Mount.
From there, we went to the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was used for making olive oil. Today it is much larger than it was in Jesus' day. The trees there are very old, 2000 yrs. plus! Jesus came here from the Upper Room after the Passover Feast. He traveled from the SW corner of the city to the east side across the Kidron Valley. Next to the paths in the garden is the Church of All Nations. This church has the rock that is believed to be where Jesus prayed to His Father. He poured out His heart here and suffered so much that He sweat drops of blood. I was able to kneel at this smooth, broad, flat rock and place my hand on it and pray. (This is all so hard to wrap our brains around.) From there Judas brought the soldiers and high priests to arrest Jesus. All of the disciples left Him.
Then we drove to the city wall and entered by the Lions Gate (east side). The city is full of narrow streets with lots of tall buildings. We stopped to see St. Anne's Church, run by the Catholic French Church. It was built by the Crusaders. Three bus loads of us sat in the sanctuary and sang 3 songs. It was a beautiful sound unto the Lord -- and unto us! The acoustics were such that when we stopped at the end of a line, the sound would continue to go throughout the church. Once again, people were moved as we worshipped God together.
This church was beside the Pool of Bethsaida. Here, Jesus healed the man crippled since birth (38 yrs.) He was trying to get into the "healing" pools before others once the water started to stir. Jesus healed him & he picked up his mat and walked on the Sabbath. There were lots of cats in the courtyard around the church.
We continued walking until we came to the Via Dolorosa. This street is full of life. And sounds. And smells. And treachery! Many vendors have small shops, one right next to the other, while others have their items right out in the street. Here they sell sports clothes, digital items, coats, shoes, wallpaper, fresh lettuce, fruits, spices, meat drinks, bread --- everything. Many trained pick pockets moved throughout the crowded street, and one of our teens had her cell phone stolen. They worked in groups of two, one trying to distract while the other grabbed purses, phones, etc. Two boys about 8 and 9 yrs old checked out my bag and saw they would get nothing, so they left me quite abruptly. The street is filled with yelling, selling, buying, bustle, and people of different races, sexes, religions, and levels. We recognized that these are all God's children and we must pray for Jerusalem and its people.
We stopped at one of the Stations of the Cross, the only one that is authentic for sure. This was Anthony's Fortress. We descended three levels below the street to the original street level. We could see a game etched in the flat plaza stone there, a game commonly played among the Jews of the time. It involved throwing dice. This is where the soldiers threw dice for Jesus' clothes. Jesus would have stopped here as he carried the cross on his way to Golgotha. We were walking in His footsteps.
We continued down the street through the open air stores until we exited through the Damascus Gate. The last smell was strawberries. This entire area was within the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem.
We ate lunch at Alhambra Plaza in a Muslim area outside of the city.
After lunch, we went to the south side of the city and entered through the Dung Gate. We walked to the Wailing Wall, the Western Wall. We were able to experience the most holy place for Jews, the only part of the Temple that was not destroyed in 70 A.D. It is 2000 yrs. old! The Jews never intended that anyone would ever face this wall to pray to God. However, when the Temple was destroyed, there was no place for the Jews to make their pilgrimage. And for years, Jerusalem was controlled by other countries. So, when Jews were allowed to return to the city, it was the only piece of the temple for Jews to visit. This became the place where they prayed. It is a holy area, and thus, it is quiet. The men must cover their heads to approach the wall.We were allowed to visit and pray there. The men & women had separate places along the relatively small portion of remaining wall to pray. The space directly in front of the wall is packed with people, some sitting in plastic chairs. It was difficult to get to the wall to touch it. We were told to walk backwards as we left the wall in respect. This is the spot where God told King David to build the temple. It is the center of this city, this country, this world. Here, Gary & I prayed earnestly for our family, friends, my Bible Study sisters, and the Jewish people and nation. It felt as if there was a special portal to God here.
We returned to the hotel to pack a carry on bag for Jordan. Most of our group would be returning to the States. We thought this would be the end of our travels in Israel, but not so! Check out the day we return to fly out. The best was yet to come!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Tuesday Nov. 27 Communion at the Garden Tomb
This was the most incredible day overall. Tisha decided that we had an early start so we could all go to a coffee shop first. The Starbucks in the area had failed and this place was very popular. They sold "Aroma," which has melted chocolate inside the coffee. It was for sale in a large bag and Gary brought some home.
We were greeted at the traditional Garden Tomb by Victor Jack, a volunteer from England. He said that England bought this land in 1892 & has owned it since. We visited the tomb of a wealthy Jewish family, one like where Jesus was laid. We could walk inside and see just how things were arranged. We strolled through the garden right beside it and saw what is believed by many to be Golgotha, the Skull. The face of this cliff does look like a skull, with hollowed caves for the facial features. At the base of this is a paved parking lot and bus station, built by the Muslims. Victor gave us lots of good info which I recorded. This is a very special place. Perry Stone preached and then communion was shared by all. We were given the grape juice in small olive wood cups, shaped like chalices, and told we could keep them. This prepared our hearts for what was yet to come that day.
A point of extreme interest is that the Muslims are crowding into this area. Above the garden wall, we could see cement blocks and then a wire fence. Victor told us that there is a Muslim cemetery on the other side that is very prestigious. It is very expensive and all the wealthy want to be there. They have been adding dirt behind the garden wall, which is illegal, but they continue to do as they please. They have added 20 extra feet. Those who operate the Garden Tomb say there is danger the wall will fall in and the foundation will crack. The whole thing is in court. What caught our attention were big ,white Arabic letters facing into the Garden Tomb area from above. It had gone up just the previous week. It faces into the garden area and expresses their usual saying, "There is only one god. Allah is his name," or something like that. It is rumored that Yassar Arafat is being exhumed (which is totally against their religion) and is going to be moved here. They SAY they are going to do an autopsy on him to see if he was poisoned. Is this a cover for moving him here? It would cause MUCH Muslim tourism to the Garden site.
The bus station at the base of the hill is on the site where Solomon quarried his stones for his buildings. That land had not been used for 2000 years. They are trying, but they will never refute the truth of Jesus' life. Jesus is alive! He is not here in a tomb. Other religions do not have a god who LIVES!
We passed Herod's palace and his burial site. Then we stopped at a shop of antiquities. Gary got a ring with a Hebrew inscription. I bought shawls for all the gals from a vendor outside.
We went to lunch in a crowded tent-type place with buffet style food. There was a man who played awesome piano music, all types of American styles. There was a small program where the Muslims told us they think we brought the cease fire to the country and rain to Israel. They showed much appreciation to us for coming.
Next we went to the St. Peter's Church, which was built over Caiaphas' house. Jesus was brought to this house for trial. The courtyard here is where Peter denied Christ 3 times. Under the house is the jail, 1 level down. It is all chiseled out of rock. Holes had been made through the rock for chains, and holes were dug in the base of this solid rock--it looked like for toilets. There was a ramp-like area next to the jail cells where Jesus was probably judged with Barabbas. The next level down took us to a pit, possibly the exact one Jesus was in the night before he was crucified. That was probably the only night Jesus spent in Jerusalem. The pit was solid rock. We could see scratching on the wall of a man praying. Three Byzantine crosses (3rd, 4th, & 5th cent.) were painted on a rock grotto above the steps coming down to the pit.When we were all in this pit, we prayed there and sang "Amazing Grace." Tisha read from the Psalms. Once again, the Spirit of the Lord came over all of us. It was emotional. Outside, we could see a grove of trees in the distance where they had Jesus walk from--down the Kidron Valley (Jehoshaphat Valley), across it to the Old City, and up steep rock steps (up a hillside) to Caiaphas' house where we stood. He was brought here for judgment. Jesus was probably judged there in the jail.
Next, we visited the Pool of Shiloam, one of 40 pools that stored water for the Old City and the City of David. This is in the area of the City of David at the bottom of the Kidron Valley. As we drove into the area, we saw it is filed with trash just flung off of people's balconies. Houses are crowded together everywhere. A large number of young boys had found a small area of a sloped street to play soccer. One side of their "field" was probably at least a 100 ft. drop. So much for the ball if it goes over there! There were cars and houses all around them, and they had to stop often to allow a car to go in or out. It is filthy everywhere.
The Pool of Shiloam was just recently discovered in the 1990's. We went down precarious steps to a short hillside under an over-hanging rock. The hillside was all cut-rock places for seating. The Pool lay just in front of these ledges and several feet below the walkway beside it. The cripple who came for 35 years, trying to get into the water when it stirred, would have had to drop off a 3-4 ft ledge to get in. The pool now is ugly, filthy mud.
From here, we walked just a few yards to ascend the original steps to the Temple Mount. We only walked partway up this tunnel of steps. There were two tunnels there that Hezekiah dug to prepare for an Assyrian attack. He diverted a river to dig them. Today, a school group is wading through water and emerging from one of the tunnels. Everything is original stone. We are touching walls thousands of years old.
Finally, we went to the Upper Room. Wow!! This is an old Crusader building on the spot where it was believed the Last Supper took place. There are cats all over Jerusalem, and there was a cat in the Upper Room. All around the room are the Muslim symbols from when they came in after the Christians and ruled. We had our most powerful experience of the trip in this room. The Spirit of the Living God descended on us. We (the green bus) prayed and sang as a group and specifically prayed over Tisha as a missionary to the world. We were people from all over the world, including Australia, worshipping in unity. The room got very warm. Other groups came in and stood behind us. I think it was a Muslim group who tried to shout over us and disrupt us--but to no avail! Other groups came in and sang with us before leaving. We were mostly unaware. It was an amazing time. Needless to say, we got back to the hotel later than usual.
AWESOME DAY!!!!
We were greeted at the traditional Garden Tomb by Victor Jack, a volunteer from England. He said that England bought this land in 1892 & has owned it since. We visited the tomb of a wealthy Jewish family, one like where Jesus was laid. We could walk inside and see just how things were arranged. We strolled through the garden right beside it and saw what is believed by many to be Golgotha, the Skull. The face of this cliff does look like a skull, with hollowed caves for the facial features. At the base of this is a paved parking lot and bus station, built by the Muslims. Victor gave us lots of good info which I recorded. This is a very special place. Perry Stone preached and then communion was shared by all. We were given the grape juice in small olive wood cups, shaped like chalices, and told we could keep them. This prepared our hearts for what was yet to come that day.
A point of extreme interest is that the Muslims are crowding into this area. Above the garden wall, we could see cement blocks and then a wire fence. Victor told us that there is a Muslim cemetery on the other side that is very prestigious. It is very expensive and all the wealthy want to be there. They have been adding dirt behind the garden wall, which is illegal, but they continue to do as they please. They have added 20 extra feet. Those who operate the Garden Tomb say there is danger the wall will fall in and the foundation will crack. The whole thing is in court. What caught our attention were big ,white Arabic letters facing into the Garden Tomb area from above. It had gone up just the previous week. It faces into the garden area and expresses their usual saying, "There is only one god. Allah is his name," or something like that. It is rumored that Yassar Arafat is being exhumed (which is totally against their religion) and is going to be moved here. They SAY they are going to do an autopsy on him to see if he was poisoned. Is this a cover for moving him here? It would cause MUCH Muslim tourism to the Garden site.
The bus station at the base of the hill is on the site where Solomon quarried his stones for his buildings. That land had not been used for 2000 years. They are trying, but they will never refute the truth of Jesus' life. Jesus is alive! He is not here in a tomb. Other religions do not have a god who LIVES!
We passed Herod's palace and his burial site. Then we stopped at a shop of antiquities. Gary got a ring with a Hebrew inscription. I bought shawls for all the gals from a vendor outside.
We went to lunch in a crowded tent-type place with buffet style food. There was a man who played awesome piano music, all types of American styles. There was a small program where the Muslims told us they think we brought the cease fire to the country and rain to Israel. They showed much appreciation to us for coming.
Next we went to the St. Peter's Church, which was built over Caiaphas' house. Jesus was brought to this house for trial. The courtyard here is where Peter denied Christ 3 times. Under the house is the jail, 1 level down. It is all chiseled out of rock. Holes had been made through the rock for chains, and holes were dug in the base of this solid rock--it looked like for toilets. There was a ramp-like area next to the jail cells where Jesus was probably judged with Barabbas. The next level down took us to a pit, possibly the exact one Jesus was in the night before he was crucified. That was probably the only night Jesus spent in Jerusalem. The pit was solid rock. We could see scratching on the wall of a man praying. Three Byzantine crosses (3rd, 4th, & 5th cent.) were painted on a rock grotto above the steps coming down to the pit.When we were all in this pit, we prayed there and sang "Amazing Grace." Tisha read from the Psalms. Once again, the Spirit of the Lord came over all of us. It was emotional. Outside, we could see a grove of trees in the distance where they had Jesus walk from--down the Kidron Valley (Jehoshaphat Valley), across it to the Old City, and up steep rock steps (up a hillside) to Caiaphas' house where we stood. He was brought here for judgment. Jesus was probably judged there in the jail.
Next, we visited the Pool of Shiloam, one of 40 pools that stored water for the Old City and the City of David. This is in the area of the City of David at the bottom of the Kidron Valley. As we drove into the area, we saw it is filed with trash just flung off of people's balconies. Houses are crowded together everywhere. A large number of young boys had found a small area of a sloped street to play soccer. One side of their "field" was probably at least a 100 ft. drop. So much for the ball if it goes over there! There were cars and houses all around them, and they had to stop often to allow a car to go in or out. It is filthy everywhere.
The Pool of Shiloam was just recently discovered in the 1990's. We went down precarious steps to a short hillside under an over-hanging rock. The hillside was all cut-rock places for seating. The Pool lay just in front of these ledges and several feet below the walkway beside it. The cripple who came for 35 years, trying to get into the water when it stirred, would have had to drop off a 3-4 ft ledge to get in. The pool now is ugly, filthy mud.
From here, we walked just a few yards to ascend the original steps to the Temple Mount. We only walked partway up this tunnel of steps. There were two tunnels there that Hezekiah dug to prepare for an Assyrian attack. He diverted a river to dig them. Today, a school group is wading through water and emerging from one of the tunnels. Everything is original stone. We are touching walls thousands of years old.
Finally, we went to the Upper Room. Wow!! This is an old Crusader building on the spot where it was believed the Last Supper took place. There are cats all over Jerusalem, and there was a cat in the Upper Room. All around the room are the Muslim symbols from when they came in after the Christians and ruled. We had our most powerful experience of the trip in this room. The Spirit of the Living God descended on us. We (the green bus) prayed and sang as a group and specifically prayed over Tisha as a missionary to the world. We were people from all over the world, including Australia, worshipping in unity. The room got very warm. Other groups came in and stood behind us. I think it was a Muslim group who tried to shout over us and disrupt us--but to no avail! Other groups came in and sang with us before leaving. We were mostly unaware. It was an amazing time. Needless to say, we got back to the hotel later than usual.
AWESOME DAY!!!!
Monday Nov. 26 A Glorious Day in Jerusalem!
Our first breakfast in Jerusalem! I guess we wanted to eat in the dining room with the famous Olive Tree because we mistakenly ate with the EO tour there (they had green badges, too). When we only saw four other people we recognized, we knew we were supposed to be elsewhere! Oh, well. It turned out to be our only opportunity to eat in that famed spot. Gary especially enjoyed the various cheeses at this hotel.
We went to look over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives first. It was a beautiful start to the day, the city bright with the morning sun. There, we had a panoramic view of the city: the Dome of the Rock, Kidron Valley, the Dung Gate, David's Village, etc. Perry taped two shows with us there, the best yet! One message was on Jerusalem, starting with the fact that this was the center of the Garden of Eden & continuing through other important Biblical events to the fact that this is where Jesus will return. Awesome info! The second program was on dealing with trouble and divine reversal. He based the message on Job and his tithe and offering, etc. When Job found the source of his trouble, he was blessed with twice what he lost. We left the Mount of Olives and its incredible sites and sounds for the day. (We would return there several more times.) By the way, the side of the Mount of Olives is a vast cemetery. The Jews all want to be buried there. The wealthier they are, the higher the spot on the Mount. They are buried with their faces to the east & their feet on the east so that when the Messiah "comes," they can just rise up on their feet out of the grave. The other side of the valley, the Kidron Valley, is covered with Muslim graves.
Next was a wild trip through the city. Our driver was amazing. He did a U turn on a two-lane street with a tour bus! These streets wind around and climb up and down. Nothing is flat except perhaps a modern highway that goes in and out of the city. We arrived in Bethlehem, which is controlled by the Palestinians. Our tour guide had to get off and be replaced there. This is the birthplace of Jesus and David. It is only 10 miles south and feels like a part of Jerusalem. However, there is an armed wall around the region. The new guide took us to a shepherd's field, which had a beautiful chapel celebrating the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in this place. The artwork in this chapel particularly blessed me. Three murals depicted the whole experience. However, I noticed a young boy was included as one of the shepherds in each scene. His reactions to the angels and then to the Christ child were totally different than the adults. Children's hearts are so precious.
Then we went to the excavations of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th cent. Byzantines, which included the ruins of a church. We descended cut out steps into a cave which opened up into many rooms. It had a "skylight," a kitchen, and several other rock rooms. There was no earth or soil in the cave.
We spent some time shopping at a store run by Christians. We had saved our shopping for this spot. But, it was very expensive. Two ladies bought some cool necklaces made of silver & gems for $2100 apiece. The store also had many hand-carved olive wood nativities, from small to massive sizes. Most of these were beautiful creations. This was where we found t-shirts for the girls and other small souvenirs.
We had lunch at the City Center restaurant, built overtop a parking garage. The man who runs all of the TBN fundraisers was there with our group, along with the Christian man who owns the gift shop where we shopped in Bethlehem, Perry Sone, & crew. We ate family style around the tables here and were served by Palestinians. Outside the eating area were vendors selling things. As I looked around, a man selling a type of flat bread cooked over a curved stone called me over. He had winked at me! Ha! Later, after browsing around, he brought me a bag with many freshly cooked "tortillas"--all wrapped. He signed to his heart and to me. Awwww. (I really think they want Americans to go back and tell others that the Palestinians aren't really so bad, not what we hear in the news.) Then two men, who turned out to be Christian Palestinians (God bless them) sold us 2 leather bags, but we didn't have any cash. After much discussion about credit cards (they didn't take them), we found there was an ATM downstairs, which turned out to be all in Arabic! After trying, I called an Arabic-speaking man over who"helped" me get "55" dinar. Ha! After 5 tries, I got cash & ran back up the escalator to the men. By now, our group was out of the area. Our salesmen told us we had $250 worth of dinars. Feeling a bit helpless about probably getting cheated, one man asked if we were Christians. Then he showed me his Christian tattoo on his wrist, concealed under his garments. It turned out they were both Christians and promised they wouldn't cheat us. On their own, they went around to all the vendors & got American money to exchange all the dinars for us. We ended up with all dinars in American cash, which we desperately needed and couldn't have gotten any other way. The guy had me keep the dinars, while he had Gary hold the counted out exchange. When I had all the American money, he had me pay him. They made sure we were set for the rest of the trip. God used these Palestinian Christians to bless us in this land that one week ago just agreed to a cease fire. That extra cash was what we needed to bless our guides with tips.
As we left the Bethlehem area, I bought 3 nativities carved from olive wood from a man standing at the gate. I knew right away how I would use these at Christmas with our special family time.
Next, we went to the Israeli Museum of Jerusalem. Transferred to this spot is a layout of the entire city of Jerusalem in the early days to scale, all made from Israeli limestone. The whole city must be built from this and must maintain the same, consistent color. Then we went inside and saw remnants of the Aleppo Codex and saw pictures of where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, along with some nails, tools, pottery, fabric, etc. Nathan, one of the young 20 somethings on our bus, left the group right away and got around to many other buildings in the museum where he saw some really great stuff we missed!
This completed an interesting day in Jerusalem.
We went to look over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives first. It was a beautiful start to the day, the city bright with the morning sun. There, we had a panoramic view of the city: the Dome of the Rock, Kidron Valley, the Dung Gate, David's Village, etc. Perry taped two shows with us there, the best yet! One message was on Jerusalem, starting with the fact that this was the center of the Garden of Eden & continuing through other important Biblical events to the fact that this is where Jesus will return. Awesome info! The second program was on dealing with trouble and divine reversal. He based the message on Job and his tithe and offering, etc. When Job found the source of his trouble, he was blessed with twice what he lost. We left the Mount of Olives and its incredible sites and sounds for the day. (We would return there several more times.) By the way, the side of the Mount of Olives is a vast cemetery. The Jews all want to be buried there. The wealthier they are, the higher the spot on the Mount. They are buried with their faces to the east & their feet on the east so that when the Messiah "comes," they can just rise up on their feet out of the grave. The other side of the valley, the Kidron Valley, is covered with Muslim graves.
Next was a wild trip through the city. Our driver was amazing. He did a U turn on a two-lane street with a tour bus! These streets wind around and climb up and down. Nothing is flat except perhaps a modern highway that goes in and out of the city. We arrived in Bethlehem, which is controlled by the Palestinians. Our tour guide had to get off and be replaced there. This is the birthplace of Jesus and David. It is only 10 miles south and feels like a part of Jerusalem. However, there is an armed wall around the region. The new guide took us to a shepherd's field, which had a beautiful chapel celebrating the angels' announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds in this place. The artwork in this chapel particularly blessed me. Three murals depicted the whole experience. However, I noticed a young boy was included as one of the shepherds in each scene. His reactions to the angels and then to the Christ child were totally different than the adults. Children's hearts are so precious.
Then we went to the excavations of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th cent. Byzantines, which included the ruins of a church. We descended cut out steps into a cave which opened up into many rooms. It had a "skylight," a kitchen, and several other rock rooms. There was no earth or soil in the cave.
We spent some time shopping at a store run by Christians. We had saved our shopping for this spot. But, it was very expensive. Two ladies bought some cool necklaces made of silver & gems for $2100 apiece. The store also had many hand-carved olive wood nativities, from small to massive sizes. Most of these were beautiful creations. This was where we found t-shirts for the girls and other small souvenirs.
We had lunch at the City Center restaurant, built overtop a parking garage. The man who runs all of the TBN fundraisers was there with our group, along with the Christian man who owns the gift shop where we shopped in Bethlehem, Perry Sone, & crew. We ate family style around the tables here and were served by Palestinians. Outside the eating area were vendors selling things. As I looked around, a man selling a type of flat bread cooked over a curved stone called me over. He had winked at me! Ha! Later, after browsing around, he brought me a bag with many freshly cooked "tortillas"--all wrapped. He signed to his heart and to me. Awwww. (I really think they want Americans to go back and tell others that the Palestinians aren't really so bad, not what we hear in the news.) Then two men, who turned out to be Christian Palestinians (God bless them) sold us 2 leather bags, but we didn't have any cash. After much discussion about credit cards (they didn't take them), we found there was an ATM downstairs, which turned out to be all in Arabic! After trying, I called an Arabic-speaking man over who"helped" me get "55" dinar. Ha! After 5 tries, I got cash & ran back up the escalator to the men. By now, our group was out of the area. Our salesmen told us we had $250 worth of dinars. Feeling a bit helpless about probably getting cheated, one man asked if we were Christians. Then he showed me his Christian tattoo on his wrist, concealed under his garments. It turned out they were both Christians and promised they wouldn't cheat us. On their own, they went around to all the vendors & got American money to exchange all the dinars for us. We ended up with all dinars in American cash, which we desperately needed and couldn't have gotten any other way. The guy had me keep the dinars, while he had Gary hold the counted out exchange. When I had all the American money, he had me pay him. They made sure we were set for the rest of the trip. God used these Palestinian Christians to bless us in this land that one week ago just agreed to a cease fire. That extra cash was what we needed to bless our guides with tips.
As we left the Bethlehem area, I bought 3 nativities carved from olive wood from a man standing at the gate. I knew right away how I would use these at Christmas with our special family time.
Next, we went to the Israeli Museum of Jerusalem. Transferred to this spot is a layout of the entire city of Jerusalem in the early days to scale, all made from Israeli limestone. The whole city must be built from this and must maintain the same, consistent color. Then we went inside and saw remnants of the Aleppo Codex and saw pictures of where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, along with some nails, tools, pottery, fabric, etc. Nathan, one of the young 20 somethings on our bus, left the group right away and got around to many other buildings in the museum where he saw some really great stuff we missed!
This completed an interesting day in Jerusalem.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday Nov. 25 Leaving Galilee, entering Jerusalem
We loved Galilee, but today we are driving south along the Jordan border to Jerusalem. After checking out of our room and having our last meal here, we boarded our green bus to leave Tiberius, one of four holy cities. We heard the story of Rachel, the righteous woman, who is honored still today for encouraging her illiterate rabbi husband to learn to read so he could read the Bible. He did and became a great rabbi who was eventually tortured to death by the Romans.
Beth Shean -- an amazing place!! This is a Roman/Byzantine town which has been preserved. It is one of the 10 Decapolis, all pagan cities. The others are all in Jordan. We took lots of pictures here. We had a taping with Perry Stone on prophecy when cosmos, prophecy, and politics come together. The area is being excavated. We walked through the huge, but ancient bath house and through the cardo-shopping area lined with columns. We saw toilets lined up in a room next to the baths, one after another, side by side, hewn out of stone. It doesn't look like they got much privacy there! We stood in the temple where sacrifices were made to Dionysus. There was lots of marble everywhere and huge columns. We could see where a great earthquake had destroyed the city because the columns were still lying in the positions they fell in centuries ago!!
After leaving there, we drove past the Gilboa Mountains where Saul's sons died in battle. Jonathan did not return. David cursed the Gilboas. One part is still called Mt. Saul; it is still bald. The rest of Gilboa has been planted. We continued driving into the desert, going south and on through the West Bank, near Jericho which is under Palestinian control.
We stopped at a Jordan River baptismal area that was just outside Jericho. This was probably the area where Jesus came out of the wilderness and was baptised by John. Then he went into the wilderness. This area is completely different from Galilee. Gary & I both put our hands into the water here. It is Sunday and we are where Jesus was baptised! Wow! The country of Jordan was about 100 feet away. Israeli soldiers are on our side of the Jordan River, and Jordanian soldiers are on the other. It is very peaceful here.
Qumran was next. Wow!!! This is the site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls. It overlooks the Dead Sea close to the north shore. This area is well below sea level. We saw and walked through the community of excavated buildings: houses, baths, ritual baths, cisterns, and the whole mountain rage at the Dead Sea where the caves are located. We saw the fourth cave discovered. It was an amazingly beautiful place. Bedouins were the first to discover a scroll. Thousands have been discovered since and are yet to be found.
Then we drove to the Dead Sea. Gary & I both swan/floated in it! It was a hoot! Such fun! The shore was full of salty chunks and sand, but the sea floor was slimy mud. They suggested that people crawl out to swim so that we wouldn't fall and get salt water in our eyes, noses, and mouths. However, we tried to walk out anyway, only to slip, slide, and sink every other step. We covered our skin with mud, supposedly great for the skin, and washed it off just in time to slither our way out and back to the showers (which I didn't get to take because the bus was to leave right away). I had worn Gary's shorts and my t-shirt. Quite a site, I am sure. These items and Gary's trunks were the only items I needed to wash while on this whole trip.
Last, we drove on to Jerusalem along the Jericho Road. The mountains we went through were high and harsh. Many, many Bedouin were squatting in these mountains. They have been here for centuries. They came from Saudi Arabia for grazing land. Their houses are just tents, made of plastic tarps or any kind of covering they can find. They often allow their animals to sleep in their tents if the weather is cold. We saw people with their herds of goats or sheep.
Then we saw Jerusalem! There were lots of mountains with buildings all over them, literally hanging off the sides. As we continued up into the city, the song "Jerusalem" was playing, preparing us for what was coming. The Spirit of the Lord filled our bus. A beautiful sunset shone as we gathered at the Hebrew University. We shared bread and salt for safe passage. This was communion, just as the ancient Jews celebrated it when they traveled here to Jerusalem for the three feasts. We had an awesome view of the city with beautiful clouds and the sun in the west. We thanked God for allowing us to be here in the heart of the country and city that He smiles upon.
We headed to our new hotel, the Olive Tree. There is a 2000-year-old Olive Tree in one of the dining rooms. This hotel is lovely. Again, we ate wonderful food which was beautifully prepared and presented.
Beth Shean -- an amazing place!! This is a Roman/Byzantine town which has been preserved. It is one of the 10 Decapolis, all pagan cities. The others are all in Jordan. We took lots of pictures here. We had a taping with Perry Stone on prophecy when cosmos, prophecy, and politics come together. The area is being excavated. We walked through the huge, but ancient bath house and through the cardo-shopping area lined with columns. We saw toilets lined up in a room next to the baths, one after another, side by side, hewn out of stone. It doesn't look like they got much privacy there! We stood in the temple where sacrifices were made to Dionysus. There was lots of marble everywhere and huge columns. We could see where a great earthquake had destroyed the city because the columns were still lying in the positions they fell in centuries ago!!
After leaving there, we drove past the Gilboa Mountains where Saul's sons died in battle. Jonathan did not return. David cursed the Gilboas. One part is still called Mt. Saul; it is still bald. The rest of Gilboa has been planted. We continued driving into the desert, going south and on through the West Bank, near Jericho which is under Palestinian control.
We stopped at a Jordan River baptismal area that was just outside Jericho. This was probably the area where Jesus came out of the wilderness and was baptised by John. Then he went into the wilderness. This area is completely different from Galilee. Gary & I both put our hands into the water here. It is Sunday and we are where Jesus was baptised! Wow! The country of Jordan was about 100 feet away. Israeli soldiers are on our side of the Jordan River, and Jordanian soldiers are on the other. It is very peaceful here.
Qumran was next. Wow!!! This is the site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls. It overlooks the Dead Sea close to the north shore. This area is well below sea level. We saw and walked through the community of excavated buildings: houses, baths, ritual baths, cisterns, and the whole mountain rage at the Dead Sea where the caves are located. We saw the fourth cave discovered. It was an amazingly beautiful place. Bedouins were the first to discover a scroll. Thousands have been discovered since and are yet to be found.
Then we drove to the Dead Sea. Gary & I both swan/floated in it! It was a hoot! Such fun! The shore was full of salty chunks and sand, but the sea floor was slimy mud. They suggested that people crawl out to swim so that we wouldn't fall and get salt water in our eyes, noses, and mouths. However, we tried to walk out anyway, only to slip, slide, and sink every other step. We covered our skin with mud, supposedly great for the skin, and washed it off just in time to slither our way out and back to the showers (which I didn't get to take because the bus was to leave right away). I had worn Gary's shorts and my t-shirt. Quite a site, I am sure. These items and Gary's trunks were the only items I needed to wash while on this whole trip.
Last, we drove on to Jerusalem along the Jericho Road. The mountains we went through were high and harsh. Many, many Bedouin were squatting in these mountains. They have been here for centuries. They came from Saudi Arabia for grazing land. Their houses are just tents, made of plastic tarps or any kind of covering they can find. They often allow their animals to sleep in their tents if the weather is cold. We saw people with their herds of goats or sheep.
Then we saw Jerusalem! There were lots of mountains with buildings all over them, literally hanging off the sides. As we continued up into the city, the song "Jerusalem" was playing, preparing us for what was coming. The Spirit of the Lord filled our bus. A beautiful sunset shone as we gathered at the Hebrew University. We shared bread and salt for safe passage. This was communion, just as the ancient Jews celebrated it when they traveled here to Jerusalem for the three feasts. We had an awesome view of the city with beautiful clouds and the sun in the west. We thanked God for allowing us to be here in the heart of the country and city that He smiles upon.
We headed to our new hotel, the Olive Tree. There is a 2000-year-old Olive Tree in one of the dining rooms. This hotel is lovely. Again, we ate wonderful food which was beautifully prepared and presented.
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