After going to the Garden Tomb we drove around and saw a few of the sights, we went to the Garden of Gethsemene. It was located opposite the temple, across the Kidron Valley on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives. After the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus engaged in fervent prayer in the Garden of Gehtsemene. He underwent a great inner struggle, knowing that the hour of his betrayal was coming soon. It was here that Judas betrayed Jesus to temple authorities who place Jesus under arrest (Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32-50, Luke 22:39-53, Juhn 18:2-12) The name Gethsemane is used only in Matthew 26:36 ande Mar5kr 1:32. It means ‘oil press,’ also suggesting the presence of an olive grove. More than anything else Jesus realized that he must say yes to the Father and bare the weight of the sins of all mankind. He prayed three times and was pressed to the extent that he was sweating great drops of blood. It is interesting to note that olives are pressed three times. I got a couple of olive leaves off a tree here. ☺
We saw the Mount of Olives.
On Sunday of the last week of Jesus’ life, He descended from the Mount of Olives to cries of ‘Hosanna’. On Tuesday of the same week, after answering questions from the religious authorities He taught his disciples about the end times while seated on the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3, Acts 1:12 There is now a huge cemetery located here.
From here we also saw Stephen’s gate, also known as Lion’s gate.
We then drove back to the hotel. We went into Tel Aviv to eat and had a hard time finding anyplace that was open because of Shabot. We found an Italian place that we had eaten at last Shabot, but they had changed their menu and so we decided not to eat there. We then found a Mexican food place, yes I said Mexican food. ☺ It was actually pretty good for Israeli Mexican food. The salsa tasted like picante, which I am sure it was. A young guy and girl sat next to us. He was here on the Birth Right tour and she was here visiting family. They head meet on one of the sights and had hooked up for the night. (sad) He was an interesting guy, personality reminded me of my nephew Jeremy. But was lost. He went on and on about not being able to eat any meat that he had not killed himself but when we finished eating he asked if he could have our leftovers! It was weird and funny. We wanted to get a taxi back to the hotel (because the dark streets did not feel safe) but when we finally found one, he wanted 40 shekels which was at least double what we should pay so we got out and said no thank you.
Darrel stayed up rather late working for work from his computer.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Day Seven part Two En Gedi, Masada, Dead Sea
It was very hot here being in the dessert. Today’s temperature was 109. All the places we went today were along the Dead Sea or in the Dead Sea area. The Jordan River is the only major stream flowing into the Dead Sea. There are no outlet streams but because of it’s dehydration rate it is receding 80cm per year, this is alarming both the Israelis and the Jordanians and they are now looking into what they can do about it. Ezekiel 47:7-10, 18 tells us of Ezekiel’s’ prophecy regarding this body of water and the Israeli and Jordanian desire to build a channel from the Red Sea, gulf of Aqaba in order to bring it back to past levels…..
In Numbers 34:3 and Numbers 34:12it is called the Salt Sea.
Deuteronomy 3:17 and Deuteronomy 4:49 call it the Sea of the Plains.
Joel 2:20 call it the East Sea and Zech 14:8 call it the Former Sea.
We then went on to En Gedi. It was quiet a hike up to the upper springs, but on the lower part we enjoyed some of the flora and fauna of the oasis. We saw the ‘Christ-thorn jujube’ it is believed that this is what was used to make the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ. Its Latin name is Z. spina-christi. We also saw many Ibex; these animals live in herds and are famed for their ability to climb steep hills that provide them with refuge form predators. They look similar to a deer. We also saw a lot of Rock Hyrax. They are also called conies; they live in rock crannies or in thickets. They live in groups and are remarkable climbers. They feed on plants some of which are poisonous. Despite the fact that they are mammals, their body temperature is not constant, changing according to the temperature. Therefore on cold mornings it is possible to see them sunbathing on top of rocks before resuming activity. They are pregnant for 7 ½ months. They are small like a big rabbit but look somewhat like a badger. We saw lots of dragonflies and beautiful birds and a little mouse. Thankfully we saw no black vipers or leopards both of which also live there.
This vital oasis was allotted to Judah’s tribe for an inheritance (Joshua 15:62). The area became known for its palms, vineyards, and balsam (Song of Solomon 1:14) In 2 Chronicles 20:2, En Gedi was called Hazazon-tamar and was involved in several Old Testament events. Kedorlaomer conquered the Amorites here (Gen 14:7); when David fled form Saul he found refuge in the many caves of the region (1 Samuel 23:29, 1 Samuel 26); and in Ezekiel’s vision of Israel’s restoration, fishermen would catch fish from the Dead Sea from En Gedi to En Eglaim (Ez 47:10).
The springs were beautiful though filled with people. One group from Birth Right Israel was here at the same time we were. This is a program where the Jews in Israel pay host Jews (ages 18-26) from other countries to come here and have a ten-day visit in the holy land. Sadly, these young people use the trip as a party trip instead of a learning trip. Although I am sure they learn a few things as they visit all the wonderful places, they also dress inappropriately (g-strings and Speedos being normal attire), party and drink (legal drinking age here is 18). We have encountered many while in Israel..
After a big bottle of water to cool us down we got in the car to drive up to Masada.
The heroic though tragic stand of the zealots of Masada in 73 AD is probably the most well known story in the long history of Israel. Herod’s stronghold is set on a wide plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. A few coins minted during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus were found during excavations and are all that remain from this king’s reign. In 40 BC Herod fled from Jerusalem, taking refuge with his wife and family at Masada. Leaving them there he continued on his journey to Egypt, finally reaching Rom. Chosen to be king of Judea in 37 BC Herod returned to Masada together with two Roman legions. He built himself huge palaces with wonderful mosaic floors and magnificently decorated walls. Enormous storehouses and massive fortifications were also added to the complex. When Herod in 4 BC Masada passed to his son, Archelaus, but soon it was taken over by Roman rule. Masada became an armed Jewish encampment when it was take over by zealots in 66AD. Many survivors fled from Jerusalem after its fall in 70 AD Taking refuge atop Masada they banded together holding out against Rome until 72 AD when the Tenth Roman Legion with roman governor of Judea, Lucius Flavius Silva stared to attack this final Jewish stronghold. They laid siege to the fortress. After failed attempts to breach the wall, they built a circumvallation wall and then a rampart against the western face of the plateau, using thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth. The zealots held out for another year until 73AD when they (1,000 men, women and children) chose to commit mass suicide rather than be captured by their enemy. (This part I think was a bad decision, a wrong decision.) But one woman and five children did survive the mass suicide/murder by hiding in the southern cistern. They have found the pieces of pottery that were used to cast lots to see who would be the last ones standing. First the men were to kill their wives and children, then the men drew lots to see who the last ten would be and then of the ten the one who would be last. Each making sure the ones before him did what they had promised to do. Then when the Romans broke in all they found were burning buildings and the dead bodies. They did not destroy the mass storehouses of food because they wanted the Romans to see that they were not starving, they chose dead over slavery. (This they found out from the woman and children who hiding in the cistern.)
We opted to take the cable car to the top of the fortress and spent hours climbing around on top in the 109 heat exploring all the ruins (we also had an audio tour and loved it.)
We enjoyed joking about the dovecotes which is where they kept and trained pigeons, this being their pigeon building. (Only Real Family readers will understand this joke) They did have the high place here at Masada and they also had their pigeon building. ☺
We were all pretty tired when we left here, but we were set on going to the Dead Sea and floating in the refreshing water. The first beach we found was closed. The second beach was opened, but the changing rooms were closed and unlike many others on the beach we were unwilling to change out in the open…. Debbie and I did however get into the water. It was very warm and the beach was all white salt, the rocks near the edge were rock salt rocks and we could see pillars of sand out in the water, they looked like ice bergs. I guess you could call them salt bergs. I got in to above my knees and it felt wonderful. The sand under the water was soft. But the guys were VERY hot being on the beach and not in the water so we did not stay very long (109 degrees on a snow white beach near the water). I didn’t dry off my legs, just got into the back of the car. The salt dried on my legs, my legs felt very…. Oily. 1 ½ hours later when we got to the hotel and I wiped off the dried salt my legs were so very soft and even the next day they looked oily soft. It was a great feeling.
We were really tired when we got back so we opted to shower and then have room service. Everyone’s was good except mine and the meat was raw, but I didn’t mind the potatoes were enough after a full day of hiking and walking in the heat. It was a GREAT day!
In Numbers 34:3 and Numbers 34:12it is called the Salt Sea.
Deuteronomy 3:17 and Deuteronomy 4:49 call it the Sea of the Plains.
Joel 2:20 call it the East Sea and Zech 14:8 call it the Former Sea.
We then went on to En Gedi. It was quiet a hike up to the upper springs, but on the lower part we enjoyed some of the flora and fauna of the oasis. We saw the ‘Christ-thorn jujube’ it is believed that this is what was used to make the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ. Its Latin name is Z. spina-christi. We also saw many Ibex; these animals live in herds and are famed for their ability to climb steep hills that provide them with refuge form predators. They look similar to a deer. We also saw a lot of Rock Hyrax. They are also called conies; they live in rock crannies or in thickets. They live in groups and are remarkable climbers. They feed on plants some of which are poisonous. Despite the fact that they are mammals, their body temperature is not constant, changing according to the temperature. Therefore on cold mornings it is possible to see them sunbathing on top of rocks before resuming activity. They are pregnant for 7 ½ months. They are small like a big rabbit but look somewhat like a badger. We saw lots of dragonflies and beautiful birds and a little mouse. Thankfully we saw no black vipers or leopards both of which also live there.
This vital oasis was allotted to Judah’s tribe for an inheritance (Joshua 15:62). The area became known for its palms, vineyards, and balsam (Song of Solomon 1:14) In 2 Chronicles 20:2, En Gedi was called Hazazon-tamar and was involved in several Old Testament events. Kedorlaomer conquered the Amorites here (Gen 14:7); when David fled form Saul he found refuge in the many caves of the region (1 Samuel 23:29, 1 Samuel 26); and in Ezekiel’s vision of Israel’s restoration, fishermen would catch fish from the Dead Sea from En Gedi to En Eglaim (Ez 47:10).
The springs were beautiful though filled with people. One group from Birth Right Israel was here at the same time we were. This is a program where the Jews in Israel pay host Jews (ages 18-26) from other countries to come here and have a ten-day visit in the holy land. Sadly, these young people use the trip as a party trip instead of a learning trip. Although I am sure they learn a few things as they visit all the wonderful places, they also dress inappropriately (g-strings and Speedos being normal attire), party and drink (legal drinking age here is 18). We have encountered many while in Israel..
After a big bottle of water to cool us down we got in the car to drive up to Masada.
The heroic though tragic stand of the zealots of Masada in 73 AD is probably the most well known story in the long history of Israel. Herod’s stronghold is set on a wide plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. A few coins minted during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus were found during excavations and are all that remain from this king’s reign. In 40 BC Herod fled from Jerusalem, taking refuge with his wife and family at Masada. Leaving them there he continued on his journey to Egypt, finally reaching Rom. Chosen to be king of Judea in 37 BC Herod returned to Masada together with two Roman legions. He built himself huge palaces with wonderful mosaic floors and magnificently decorated walls. Enormous storehouses and massive fortifications were also added to the complex. When Herod in 4 BC Masada passed to his son, Archelaus, but soon it was taken over by Roman rule. Masada became an armed Jewish encampment when it was take over by zealots in 66AD. Many survivors fled from Jerusalem after its fall in 70 AD Taking refuge atop Masada they banded together holding out against Rome until 72 AD when the Tenth Roman Legion with roman governor of Judea, Lucius Flavius Silva stared to attack this final Jewish stronghold. They laid siege to the fortress. After failed attempts to breach the wall, they built a circumvallation wall and then a rampart against the western face of the plateau, using thousands of tons of stones and beaten earth. The zealots held out for another year until 73AD when they (1,000 men, women and children) chose to commit mass suicide rather than be captured by their enemy. (This part I think was a bad decision, a wrong decision.) But one woman and five children did survive the mass suicide/murder by hiding in the southern cistern. They have found the pieces of pottery that were used to cast lots to see who would be the last ones standing. First the men were to kill their wives and children, then the men drew lots to see who the last ten would be and then of the ten the one who would be last. Each making sure the ones before him did what they had promised to do. Then when the Romans broke in all they found were burning buildings and the dead bodies. They did not destroy the mass storehouses of food because they wanted the Romans to see that they were not starving, they chose dead over slavery. (This they found out from the woman and children who hiding in the cistern.)
We opted to take the cable car to the top of the fortress and spent hours climbing around on top in the 109 heat exploring all the ruins (we also had an audio tour and loved it.)
We enjoyed joking about the dovecotes which is where they kept and trained pigeons, this being their pigeon building. (Only Real Family readers will understand this joke) They did have the high place here at Masada and they also had their pigeon building. ☺
We were all pretty tired when we left here, but we were set on going to the Dead Sea and floating in the refreshing water. The first beach we found was closed. The second beach was opened, but the changing rooms were closed and unlike many others on the beach we were unwilling to change out in the open…. Debbie and I did however get into the water. It was very warm and the beach was all white salt, the rocks near the edge were rock salt rocks and we could see pillars of sand out in the water, they looked like ice bergs. I guess you could call them salt bergs. I got in to above my knees and it felt wonderful. The sand under the water was soft. But the guys were VERY hot being on the beach and not in the water so we did not stay very long (109 degrees on a snow white beach near the water). I didn’t dry off my legs, just got into the back of the car. The salt dried on my legs, my legs felt very…. Oily. 1 ½ hours later when we got to the hotel and I wiped off the dried salt my legs were so very soft and even the next day they looked oily soft. It was a great feeling.
We were really tired when we got back so we opted to shower and then have room service. Everyone’s was good except mine and the meat was raw, but I didn’t mind the potatoes were enough after a full day of hiking and walking in the heat. It was a GREAT day!
Day eight Tel Aviv off day
Today was sort of an off day we walked around Tel Aviv for a few hours we ate at Darrel’s favorite falafel stand and for the first time we spent a little time in the hotel. I read, Darrel worked and took a short nap. Then we went to the boardwalk and ate while watching the sunset on the beach. Tonight was Debbie’s last night here.
The sales men here are very aggressive. You think door to door sales men are persistent in America, you have seen nothing. They will not let you walk away, it is a fine art or holding you captive while you are begging to get away. You say no thank you they say, yes I understand, I give it to you for 10 shekels, I get it to sell to you. You like it, no? Here I show you a nice necklace, you like it, yes. And it goes on and on. The secret is don’t make eye contact in the first place, once they see the white of your eyes, you are trapped!
One interesting store/place we went into was the Israeli Bible Society. They sell bibles in all the different languages and they provide Bibles and other Christian materials free to Jewish people. We got a booklet that is the book Matthew for Darrel to give to one of the guys here. We are praying that it will be as the Bible said and be a seed planted, it is the word of God and thus it is living and active.
Israeli money. They have copper coins and they are the less than a shekel and they have silver coins and they are 1, 2, 5 and 10 shekels. Their smallest paper bill is a 20. One shekel is equal to 0.289746 US dollars. Though at the hotel where we exchange money we are getting a lot less for our dollar. The copper coins are called ‘agorot’. They are 10, ½, 1, 2 and 5, though they stopped minting the 1 agoro so they are not possible to find.
The sales men here are very aggressive. You think door to door sales men are persistent in America, you have seen nothing. They will not let you walk away, it is a fine art or holding you captive while you are begging to get away. You say no thank you they say, yes I understand, I give it to you for 10 shekels, I get it to sell to you. You like it, no? Here I show you a nice necklace, you like it, yes. And it goes on and on. The secret is don’t make eye contact in the first place, once they see the white of your eyes, you are trapped!
One interesting store/place we went into was the Israeli Bible Society. They sell bibles in all the different languages and they provide Bibles and other Christian materials free to Jewish people. We got a booklet that is the book Matthew for Darrel to give to one of the guys here. We are praying that it will be as the Bible said and be a seed planted, it is the word of God and thus it is living and active.
Israeli money. They have copper coins and they are the less than a shekel and they have silver coins and they are 1, 2, 5 and 10 shekels. Their smallest paper bill is a 20. One shekel is equal to 0.289746 US dollars. Though at the hotel where we exchange money we are getting a lot less for our dollar. The copper coins are called ‘agorot’. They are 10, ½, 1, 2 and 5, though they stopped minting the 1 agoro so they are not possible to find.
Day 10 Dead Sea
We went back to the Dead Sea today. Since we were not able to get in and actually float last time, we decided to go back again. This time we went to Kalya beach or Qalia as they spell it. It was really quiet different from the on the other day. The sand looked like regular sand instead of salt and there were not salt rocks or salt pillars in the water. There was however lots of people and lots of good dark Dead Sea mud! It was amazing how hard it was not to float. Actually you couldn’t help but float, but the water seemed to want to push you into a laying/floating position. But even when you were with your feet below you, you floated when staying completely still in the water. The water is 8 times as salty as the ocean. And believe me it was salty. They say the mud can cure arthritis and aching muscles (I hoped it would help my blisters ☺) but it did feel like acid aftershave. Any cut or rashed area burned. But it was well worth it! We loved it. I of course covered myself in mud…. Twice. I let the first batch stay on for probably an hour and it dried hard as a rock. Darrel of course did not want anything to do with putting the mud on him. I did get him to feel of it. It was incredibly soft and pliable and warm. I thought it felt great in my hands and on me. I did run into a few difficulties though. While looking for some mud I hit a soft spot and immediately sunk down to mid thigh it was like quick sand, I had a hard time getting out and Darrel not daring to get in the mud just laughed at me. Then another time I had put on my shoes and one leg went in about 8-10 inches and came out without my shoe! I found it but the mud did not want to give it up, I had quiet a fight to retrieve it. Again Darrel just giving me this… you got yourself into this mess, you can get out sort of smirk. My skin does feel good and tight and soft now…. Except for the sunburn and it feels good and tight and soft and burned.
It was neat to go down below sea level and go around the curve in the road and see mountaintops that were below sea level. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. It was interesting to see the landscape change so quickly. Jerusalem is pretty, lots of trees and then you go another 15 minutes and it looks much like New Mexico, rocky mountains and fur trees and then it becomes just rocky mountains near Jericho and then dessert. And all of that within 25 minutes of Jerusalem. We saw lots of camels, sheep and shepherds, goats and goat’s herds men. Lots of Bedouins, they are Muslim nomads. They live in the dessert or near dessert areas in makeshift shacks and they move around to graze their sheep, goats or camels.
Since we were very close to Palestinian areas on the highway to the Dead Sea we went through military checkpoints, but as soon as they heard our accents they waved us through. Though some of the young soldiers (18-21 years old, mandatory service for all Israelis), carrying M-16 type rifles were friendly. One came up to the car and the first thing he said when he heard our voice was… “I’ll trade you my gun for your car! It’s very nice, yes.” He was cute. Wanted to know how much it cost and how fast it was. (Darrel’s rental car is a Mercedes Benz C-120 sports car) I’m glad it is not red, I wouldn’t be able to contain him.
We walked down to the pier to have dinner and the waves and sunset were beautiful. There was a guy down there entertaining people by juggling and telling jokes and walking on his hands, reminded us of Pastor Joe ☺ and Jonny wrapped up in one guy. He loved it when the audience participated. He was really good though we could not understand a word he was saying…. Actually we did understand two words: Las Vegas and Obama. Who knows what he was talking about, but he was entertaining to watch.
Have I mentioned that Obama is in the newspaper every single day. On the front page everyday there is his smiling face. Tel Aviv is a very liberal city so I am sure the articles are positive though I wouldn’t know since they are all written in Hebrew. Tel Aviv is the gay/lesbian capital of Israel, so we have seen a little too much of that. I could tell you stories, but…. I think I will pass writing them down on here. Tel Aviv is a big city much like New York. I think it is dirty and such … diversity. On one corner you have two nearly naked girls holding hands, on another is a rather large guy in a Speedo, on yet another corner are hesetic Jews covered from head to toe with clothing, girls wearing head coverings and guys sporting lots of hair, draidles (little locks of hair hanging down in front of the ears) and black suits with white shirts and black hats and on the last corner are Arabs with the women only showing their eyes or their faces the rest of them covered in mostly black and the men with their robes and heads covered. Darrel and I are in the middle gawking at them all. ☺☺☺
Back to Obama, he was in Jerusalem yesterday, the same day that we were there. Though he was their earlier in the morning. I have the newspaper article that tells of his visit. They have a picture of him at the Western Wall. They say he put a piece of paper in the wall, onlookers tried to find the one he put in, but the one they pulled out thinking it was his was written in Spanish. Sadly, I have no doubt it was a curse and not a prayer as it was not offered to God.
It was neat to go down below sea level and go around the curve in the road and see mountaintops that were below sea level. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. It was interesting to see the landscape change so quickly. Jerusalem is pretty, lots of trees and then you go another 15 minutes and it looks much like New Mexico, rocky mountains and fur trees and then it becomes just rocky mountains near Jericho and then dessert. And all of that within 25 minutes of Jerusalem. We saw lots of camels, sheep and shepherds, goats and goat’s herds men. Lots of Bedouins, they are Muslim nomads. They live in the dessert or near dessert areas in makeshift shacks and they move around to graze their sheep, goats or camels.
Since we were very close to Palestinian areas on the highway to the Dead Sea we went through military checkpoints, but as soon as they heard our accents they waved us through. Though some of the young soldiers (18-21 years old, mandatory service for all Israelis), carrying M-16 type rifles were friendly. One came up to the car and the first thing he said when he heard our voice was… “I’ll trade you my gun for your car! It’s very nice, yes.” He was cute. Wanted to know how much it cost and how fast it was. (Darrel’s rental car is a Mercedes Benz C-120 sports car) I’m glad it is not red, I wouldn’t be able to contain him.
We walked down to the pier to have dinner and the waves and sunset were beautiful. There was a guy down there entertaining people by juggling and telling jokes and walking on his hands, reminded us of Pastor Joe ☺ and Jonny wrapped up in one guy. He loved it when the audience participated. He was really good though we could not understand a word he was saying…. Actually we did understand two words: Las Vegas and Obama. Who knows what he was talking about, but he was entertaining to watch.
Have I mentioned that Obama is in the newspaper every single day. On the front page everyday there is his smiling face. Tel Aviv is a very liberal city so I am sure the articles are positive though I wouldn’t know since they are all written in Hebrew. Tel Aviv is the gay/lesbian capital of Israel, so we have seen a little too much of that. I could tell you stories, but…. I think I will pass writing them down on here. Tel Aviv is a big city much like New York. I think it is dirty and such … diversity. On one corner you have two nearly naked girls holding hands, on another is a rather large guy in a Speedo, on yet another corner are hesetic Jews covered from head to toe with clothing, girls wearing head coverings and guys sporting lots of hair, draidles (little locks of hair hanging down in front of the ears) and black suits with white shirts and black hats and on the last corner are Arabs with the women only showing their eyes or their faces the rest of them covered in mostly black and the men with their robes and heads covered. Darrel and I are in the middle gawking at them all. ☺☺☺
Back to Obama, he was in Jerusalem yesterday, the same day that we were there. Though he was their earlier in the morning. I have the newspaper article that tells of his visit. They have a picture of him at the Western Wall. They say he put a piece of paper in the wall, onlookers tried to find the one he put in, but the one they pulled out thinking it was his was written in Spanish. Sadly, I have no doubt it was a curse and not a prayer as it was not offered to God.
Psalms 122 Our prayer while we have been here
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There the thrones for judgment stand,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
8 For the sake of my brothers and friends,
I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Day Nine Jerusalem
We are going to Jerusalem today. I started out reading Psalms 122 but ended up reading several before and several afterward. It is so beautiful. 133 talks about brotherly unity, and I think about how the Jews and Muslims both live within the city walls right now.. 129 says to me let go of your past and let the blessing of the Lord be upon you. 128 Every time you sit down to eat there are olives; I have seen dozens of varieties. It is as frequently seen on the tables at restaurants as catsup in America.
I wrote the above before we went to Jerusalem this morning. We meet an Israeli that Darrel works with named Ariel, his wife Matal and their baby girl, Tohar (purity). Tohar is adorable she is one month younger than Daniel, made me really miss my baby. They are observant Jews. Matal wears a head covering and she makes them and sells them in some of the higher end stores in Israel. They are really very pretty. We went to the Jerusalem market. I bought some wheat so when I get home, I can make some bread with wheat from Israel. I probably drove them crazy asking them questions about their faith, their culture, their country, etc. It is fun to relate with them since they speak English as a second language. Sometimes Ariel had to look in his i-touch on a dictionary to find the right word for one of my questions. It is really quite amazing how well they speak our language. I wish I knew theirs even half as well. They are such gentile and gracious hosts. It was such a pleasure to get to know them and spend some of the day with them.
After navigating through Jerusalem, we found our way to a parking area near the old city and went to the Garden Tomb. On the way to the tomb we had to pass through some of the Muslim quarter, not a real safe feeling for Christian Americans, but Darrel and I agreed that this was one of the best places that we have gone while here. It is not incredibly impressive like Masada or as beautiful as En Gedi or the Mediterranean Sea but it was a wonderful place. It was full of scripture. They do not say that it is for certain the place where Jesus was crucified and buried, but they show how it fits the descriptions we have in the Bible. I’m not sure if I can express what I feel about our experience there. We walked around and saw the sites, Golgotha (the hill that looks like a skull) where they believe He was crucified, the tomb where they believe He was buried and rose again. Then we walked around and watched as people from different countries came and they had a church service, took communion, prayed over each other, sang worship songs and read the Bible all in their native tongues. You couldn’t help but think…. This is what heaven will be like with every tongue praising the Lord. But as we witnessed speaking in tongues sounds the same in every language. ☺ We then found a quiet place and worshipped our risen savior. We prayed for those we love, for the peace of Jerusalem and for each of our children by name. We sat and we or maybe it was just me, cried. We spoke promises over our children and gave them back to the Lord again. It’s hard to explain how powerful the presence of God was in that place. We enjoyed a nice visit with a lady who volunteers there for a month three to four times a year (she and her husband who is a guide live in England), she told us of when Collin Powell came to the garden and when he came out of the tomb he was weeping and he went to a bench and got on his knees and stayed there for a while weeping and praying.
I am tired, so I may post more at a later date on this one.
I wrote the above before we went to Jerusalem this morning. We meet an Israeli that Darrel works with named Ariel, his wife Matal and their baby girl, Tohar (purity). Tohar is adorable she is one month younger than Daniel, made me really miss my baby. They are observant Jews. Matal wears a head covering and she makes them and sells them in some of the higher end stores in Israel. They are really very pretty. We went to the Jerusalem market. I bought some wheat so when I get home, I can make some bread with wheat from Israel. I probably drove them crazy asking them questions about their faith, their culture, their country, etc. It is fun to relate with them since they speak English as a second language. Sometimes Ariel had to look in his i-touch on a dictionary to find the right word for one of my questions. It is really quite amazing how well they speak our language. I wish I knew theirs even half as well. They are such gentile and gracious hosts. It was such a pleasure to get to know them and spend some of the day with them.
After navigating through Jerusalem, we found our way to a parking area near the old city and went to the Garden Tomb. On the way to the tomb we had to pass through some of the Muslim quarter, not a real safe feeling for Christian Americans, but Darrel and I agreed that this was one of the best places that we have gone while here. It is not incredibly impressive like Masada or as beautiful as En Gedi or the Mediterranean Sea but it was a wonderful place. It was full of scripture. They do not say that it is for certain the place where Jesus was crucified and buried, but they show how it fits the descriptions we have in the Bible. I’m not sure if I can express what I feel about our experience there. We walked around and saw the sites, Golgotha (the hill that looks like a skull) where they believe He was crucified, the tomb where they believe He was buried and rose again. Then we walked around and watched as people from different countries came and they had a church service, took communion, prayed over each other, sang worship songs and read the Bible all in their native tongues. You couldn’t help but think…. This is what heaven will be like with every tongue praising the Lord. But as we witnessed speaking in tongues sounds the same in every language. ☺ We then found a quiet place and worshipped our risen savior. We prayed for those we love, for the peace of Jerusalem and for each of our children by name. We sat and we or maybe it was just me, cried. We spoke promises over our children and gave them back to the Lord again. It’s hard to explain how powerful the presence of God was in that place. We enjoyed a nice visit with a lady who volunteers there for a month three to four times a year (she and her husband who is a guide live in England), she told us of when Collin Powell came to the garden and when he came out of the tomb he was weeping and he went to a bench and got on his knees and stayed there for a while weeping and praying.
I am tired, so I may post more at a later date on this one.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Day Seven Part One Qumran
Today was a very full day… full of lots of walking and hiking and climbing. It felt like all uphill… both ways… but I know it wasn’t. But it was a great day of exploring this wonderful land it’s rich history.
We drove as close as the highway would take us to Jericho, but it is in Palestinian territory so we were not able to see it, but I did take a picture of the area it was in out through the car window. It was fun seeing all the camels in the dessert on the trip to Qumran. We looked for one that we could hire to take us for a ride, but I don’t think the guys were much into the idea.
Our first stop was at Qumran; my children would know this as the place that Jathom was taken by the monk who rescued him by acting like a fool. It is most widely known for being the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered.
Let’s see if I can put the story in a nutshell for you. It all began in the spring of 1947 (my dad had just turned 11 but that is another story). It was the beginning of another ordinary day for Muhammad Adh-Dhib and his tribe of Bedouin. Little did he know what the day would have in store for him. A group of Bedouin from the Ta’amireh tribe were on their way from Transjordan to the black market in Bethlehem. The purpose of the journey was to sell a herd of ‘contraband’ goats. Normally such a route would not have been used but due to the political scene in Palestine at the time, they needed a route that would avoid them getting caught. Muhammad noticed that one of his goats had wandered off up the steep rocky cliffs while he was seeking fresh water and tending the other goats. He immediately set off to retrieve the stray goat. Bedouin are renowned for their ability to track down stray animals through the hills and deserts of the wilderness. While searching he came across a small opening in the rocks and became curious and proceeded to throw rocks into the cave. When he did he heard a sound of breaking pottery. Thinking he may have discovered hidden treasure, he returned to get some help from a friend. They both returned to the cave excited and hopeful of what they might find. Inside they found fragments of broken pottery littering the floor and large earthenware jars all along one side. They removed one of the lard bowl like lids and found some dusty old parchments with strange writings on them, all of which were wrapped up in linen cloth. Muhammad nor his friend knew how to read so the writings had no meaning to them. They took their findings into Bethlehem and someone there recognized them as an important find. After a few years of haggling and maneuvering to gain control of the scrolls they announced their find. The actual scrolls are now in the Israeli museum in Jerusalem. Knowing that there must be some type of community close to the caves that held the scrolls, archeologist started looking for signs of life and found Qumran. Qumran was a monastery once occupied by the Jewish Sect known as the Essenes. We walked up on the Qumran Watch tower over looking the Dead Sea and enjoyed learning about the water system.
It was very hot here being in the dessert.
We then went on to En Gedi.
We drove as close as the highway would take us to Jericho, but it is in Palestinian territory so we were not able to see it, but I did take a picture of the area it was in out through the car window. It was fun seeing all the camels in the dessert on the trip to Qumran. We looked for one that we could hire to take us for a ride, but I don’t think the guys were much into the idea.
Our first stop was at Qumran; my children would know this as the place that Jathom was taken by the monk who rescued him by acting like a fool. It is most widely known for being the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered.
Let’s see if I can put the story in a nutshell for you. It all began in the spring of 1947 (my dad had just turned 11 but that is another story). It was the beginning of another ordinary day for Muhammad Adh-Dhib and his tribe of Bedouin. Little did he know what the day would have in store for him. A group of Bedouin from the Ta’amireh tribe were on their way from Transjordan to the black market in Bethlehem. The purpose of the journey was to sell a herd of ‘contraband’ goats. Normally such a route would not have been used but due to the political scene in Palestine at the time, they needed a route that would avoid them getting caught. Muhammad noticed that one of his goats had wandered off up the steep rocky cliffs while he was seeking fresh water and tending the other goats. He immediately set off to retrieve the stray goat. Bedouin are renowned for their ability to track down stray animals through the hills and deserts of the wilderness. While searching he came across a small opening in the rocks and became curious and proceeded to throw rocks into the cave. When he did he heard a sound of breaking pottery. Thinking he may have discovered hidden treasure, he returned to get some help from a friend. They both returned to the cave excited and hopeful of what they might find. Inside they found fragments of broken pottery littering the floor and large earthenware jars all along one side. They removed one of the lard bowl like lids and found some dusty old parchments with strange writings on them, all of which were wrapped up in linen cloth. Muhammad nor his friend knew how to read so the writings had no meaning to them. They took their findings into Bethlehem and someone there recognized them as an important find. After a few years of haggling and maneuvering to gain control of the scrolls they announced their find. The actual scrolls are now in the Israeli museum in Jerusalem. Knowing that there must be some type of community close to the caves that held the scrolls, archeologist started looking for signs of life and found Qumran. Qumran was a monastery once occupied by the Jewish Sect known as the Essenes. We walked up on the Qumran Watch tower over looking the Dead Sea and enjoyed learning about the water system.
It was very hot here being in the dessert.
We then went on to En Gedi.
Day five Acre/Akko (I know they are out of order!)
Today we drove up North to Acre or Akko as it is sometimes called.
Standing on the hill which still bears his name, a little over a mile east of the present day Acre, Napoleon hand his eyes fixed on History as he directed his army’s siege of the walled city in 1799. Unknown to him, history was curled up beneath his feet, some 4,000 years waiting to be exposed. Archaeologists have now stripped back layers of the past and have exposed one of the oldest settlements in this part of the world. It was first mentioned in writings of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. Acre/Akko appears in the Bible. The city was part of the territory designated to the tribe of Asher, but as Judges 1:31-32 tells us “Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or…… So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.” 200 years later, Akko is mentioned as part of King David’s empire along with a strip of coast extending to Tyre. David’s son, Solomon, handed this territory back to Hiram. A major landmark in Acre’s history was Alexander the Great’s unopposed conquest in 332 B.C. Julius Caesar visited it in 47 B.C.
The city is now inhabited mostly by muslims, Israeli Muslims. We toured a Turkish bath and were … I don’t know if entertained is the right word, Darrel says ripped off by a cheesy video production of the bath done very much in a revisionist history of the bath and the area done from a muslim point of view with Al Jazzar being the just ruler (looping off of ears, noses and heads is afterall a very just way to deal with someone you do not like, at least their history believes it is just) and jews being sneaky and not to be trusted. We had some good falaful and chips (French fries) and enjoyed some ice cold fresh squeezed orange juice.
We also went and saw an old templer’s tunnel, built to take water to the city by the templer knights.
Standing on the hill which still bears his name, a little over a mile east of the present day Acre, Napoleon hand his eyes fixed on History as he directed his army’s siege of the walled city in 1799. Unknown to him, history was curled up beneath his feet, some 4,000 years waiting to be exposed. Archaeologists have now stripped back layers of the past and have exposed one of the oldest settlements in this part of the world. It was first mentioned in writings of the Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. Acre/Akko appears in the Bible. The city was part of the territory designated to the tribe of Asher, but as Judges 1:31-32 tells us “Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or…… So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.” 200 years later, Akko is mentioned as part of King David’s empire along with a strip of coast extending to Tyre. David’s son, Solomon, handed this territory back to Hiram. A major landmark in Acre’s history was Alexander the Great’s unopposed conquest in 332 B.C. Julius Caesar visited it in 47 B.C.
The city is now inhabited mostly by muslims, Israeli Muslims. We toured a Turkish bath and were … I don’t know if entertained is the right word, Darrel says ripped off by a cheesy video production of the bath done very much in a revisionist history of the bath and the area done from a muslim point of view with Al Jazzar being the just ruler (looping off of ears, noses and heads is afterall a very just way to deal with someone you do not like, at least their history believes it is just) and jews being sneaky and not to be trusted. We had some good falaful and chips (French fries) and enjoyed some ice cold fresh squeezed orange juice.
We also went and saw an old templer’s tunnel, built to take water to the city by the templer knights.
Day six Sea of Galilee and Baptism in the Jordan
Today was a day of both disappointments and blessed revelation. Today we went to the area between us and the Sea of Galilee and to the Sea of Galilee, which is now called Lake Kenneret.
The first place we went was to Megiddo or actually Tel Megiddo. This is also known as the battlefield of Armageddon. It is a beautiful valley full of bountiful crops of citrus fruits, pomegranates, melons, cotton, olive trees and others. We went up the hill (Tel means hill) to the ruins of Megiddo. From on top of the hill you can easily see the whole Jezreel valley which is Armageddon. You could see how the armies from Russia and China will come in from the North East and move down the valley on their way to Jerusalem. I really don’t know how to describe how I felt up there looking out over the valley. I could imagine, though I know my imagination is not vivid enough to even begin to explain what it will be like when the ‘blood runs as deep as the bridle of a horse’. On top of that hill, I prayed again for the salvation of the Jews, specifically the ones that we have come to know and love and the ones in strategic places of influence to other Jews, I prayed for those I love, my family and my friends and their families that no one in their realm of influence would be in that valley or on this earth for that matter during that time. I prayed that we and they would take and hold the high places (like Megiddo) both physically and spiritually. Then I looked over and I saw a single palm tree sitting there in the baking hot sun being an oasis of shade in this dry hot place and I saw Darrel and I there being that oasis. Over 10 years ago the Lord gave Darrel a very clear vision of his/our future and it involved an oasis. I think that is why He chose to show me how we are to be and we are an oasis. I cried like I have not cried in a long long time. I can’t go into it in depth here, it is too deep, but I can tell you God was on that hill in the high places and He reigns supreme over Israel and the world.
They were doing a lot of excavations on Tel Megiddo and we stopped and talked to a couple of kids that were working. One from Connecticut and one from Louisiana. They were college students and they came there for seven weeks to work in the excavations. What an opportunity, I would have loved to have been allowed to get in there and get my hands into the dirt looking for buried treasures that tell the story of the history or that place. The bible was the inspiration for excavators to turn over the first spade of earth at Megiddo in 1322. Megiddo is mentioned eleven times in the Bible including its conquest by Joshua (Joshua 12:21), its reconstruction by Solomon (I Kings 9:15), and as the location of the death of the two kings of Judah: Ahazia at the hands of Jehu’s soldiers (2 Kings 9:27), and Josiah after his confrontation with Pharaoh Necho II (2 Chron. 35:22). (This of course was a heart tug for us as we named our seventh child Josiah, after the Child King who sought the ways of the Lord.)
We enjoyed going to the granary at Megiddo which was a 7-8+ deep granary that was built during a rebuilding of the city around 721-705 BC. It was fun to imagine the Red Hen Sisters going there to get their grain to make their bread. (hee hee ☺) the granary could hold approximately 12,800 bushels. We also saw Solomon’s stables and thought of how Danene could bring her horses here and stable them so we could all go riding around the area. We went into one of their water systems that they dug out and filled with water (rain) and used to provide water to their city on the hill.
We had considered getting a tour guide to drive and take us on this day, but were very glad that we did not. At Megiddo we were passing a group and stopped to listen to the guide for a few minutes and it made us very angry. He was saying how many people including himself believed that Josiah had not really found the scrolls of the torah, but he had instead written them himself to serve his purpose and the same was true for others in the Bible.
We went through Nazareth; it is a far cry form the Christmas card pictures of a land with grazing sheep. Though it is the setting of Jesus’s younger years and the home of Mary and Joseph, it is now a gritty town. It is 1/3 Christian 2/3 Muslim and only a handful of Jews. We passed by Mount Tabor the site of Christ’s Transfiguration. (Luke 9:28-36) We went through Tiberius.
We then went to Tabghe. This is in the area where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes on the hillside to feed the 5,000. (Matthew 14:13-21) We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, but they were closed for the afternoon hours and we had a full schedule and could not wait. (Matthew 5) I did get out and get a few pictures including some looking down the mountain to the Sea of Galilee.
We went to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter which commemorates the of the catching of fish on the other side of the boat, (John) but the other guys had on shorts that showed their knees so they were not allowed to go in, so I went in looked around and saw the rock that was supposedly where they had the meal after this big catch, went to the beach and put my feet into the sea and went back up where they were waiting.
We went to Capernaum but again their knees were showing and so they would not let us in. I did not leave them and go myself; it would have taken too long for them to be waiting in the heat. And Darrel had been here on a previous trip so I knew I cold look through his pictures.
We ate lunch right on the beach at the Fish Restaurant Kfar Nahum. Darrel and Jerry had Saint Peter’s fish. They simply gut the fish and cook them whole. Though not my favorite, I did look the little fellow in the eye and taste of him. He was not bad, though I looked in his mouth and found no coins to pay the bill. Debbie and I had chicken k-bobs. We went down and put our feet into the sea.
We went to Yardenit. The gospels say that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. So I took my own John (Darrel John) and he baptized me in the Jordan and I did the same for him. We both had to make ourselves go ahead and do it. It was hot and getting dressed for the baptism and then redressed and messing with all of it made us hesitate. We went and looked in the river and the catfish were huge, some were easily 18 – 24 inches….. But I knew I wanted to do it, so we forged ahead. When we got into the water, the mood changed, it was all about what was happening. I loved that there was no one else around except the people who were with us (Jerry and Debbie). Darrel talked to me about what we were doing and then prayed over me and then dunked me under. When I came out from under the water, I felt so refreshed and clean and renewed. The sun seemed to shine brighter and yet it was much cooler. Like the breeze of the Holy Spirit rushed through there and descended upon us. Although we had both been baptized before we talked about how it was an outward expression of an inward decision and being obedient and doing it in front of those who are not Christians could be a witness to them. But honestly, when I came up from the water, I knew it was for me and my relationship with Christ and truly a part of that is me being a witness to others of the greatness of my savoir. I felt cool and refreshed all the way home. And it was a long drive home. A funny thing that happened was when we were in the river there were lots of little bitty minnows. When I went into the place to change I felt something tickling me in my shirt, when I took it off a little fishy fell into my shoe. I named her Jordan and let her go free. Also on our way to Yardenit we were the closest we would probably ever be to Jordan the country. It was just maybe two miles away. We could see it through the windows of the car.
Today I read Deut 8:1-20. I was actually going there to read verse 8 where it talks about the different fruits and foods of the area, but ended up wanting to read the chapter. Just the first verse alone is beautiful… “All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers.” Do you see the promise in there? If we do what He commands, we will live and multiply and possess the land! Do you just want to yell “How Great Is Our God?” I do! Then the second verse comes and it is equally as deep. “An you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Ouch, am I ready to be humbled, to be tested? Do I want God to know what is in my heart? That is where I want to be, but am I there. Verse 3 and 4 go on in that same manner tell us to remember the time of testing and to know that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord, not just bread alone. Then verse five tells us “ thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” Then again a reminder to keep his commands in verse six. Verse 7 “For the Lord your God is brining you into a good land, a land of brroks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills a land of wheat and barleyu, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you shall eat food without scarcity, in which you shall not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. Oh it just keeps getting better and better it goes on to give a warning for me to beware that after I eat good and multiply and am satisfied that I don’t become proud and forget the Lord my God who brought me out from my land of Egypt where I was a slave. He brought me out of that and kept me in the wilderness and brought me into the land of milk of honey. I love this verse 16:”In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know that he might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. (Things don’t always look good or feel good when we are in a wilderness but that doesn’t mean they are not good for us!) Otherwise, you may say in your heart, My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.” Then there is a reminder to keep his command and not to go after or worship or serve any other gods because if we do we will surely perish. We need to never forget that it does not have to be a guy with a fat belly to be another god, TV can be a god, stuff can be a god, money can be, anything that we put before God can be a god. Makes me meditate on my priorities and where I spend my time and my energy. Sometimes you can get so busy doing for god that you are not doing for God. Anyway, I loved that passage today, I am going to go and read it again and maybe have some figs or pomegranates or honey and wheat….. Deuteronomy 8 1-20.
The first place we went was to Megiddo or actually Tel Megiddo. This is also known as the battlefield of Armageddon. It is a beautiful valley full of bountiful crops of citrus fruits, pomegranates, melons, cotton, olive trees and others. We went up the hill (Tel means hill) to the ruins of Megiddo. From on top of the hill you can easily see the whole Jezreel valley which is Armageddon. You could see how the armies from Russia and China will come in from the North East and move down the valley on their way to Jerusalem. I really don’t know how to describe how I felt up there looking out over the valley. I could imagine, though I know my imagination is not vivid enough to even begin to explain what it will be like when the ‘blood runs as deep as the bridle of a horse’. On top of that hill, I prayed again for the salvation of the Jews, specifically the ones that we have come to know and love and the ones in strategic places of influence to other Jews, I prayed for those I love, my family and my friends and their families that no one in their realm of influence would be in that valley or on this earth for that matter during that time. I prayed that we and they would take and hold the high places (like Megiddo) both physically and spiritually. Then I looked over and I saw a single palm tree sitting there in the baking hot sun being an oasis of shade in this dry hot place and I saw Darrel and I there being that oasis. Over 10 years ago the Lord gave Darrel a very clear vision of his/our future and it involved an oasis. I think that is why He chose to show me how we are to be and we are an oasis. I cried like I have not cried in a long long time. I can’t go into it in depth here, it is too deep, but I can tell you God was on that hill in the high places and He reigns supreme over Israel and the world.
They were doing a lot of excavations on Tel Megiddo and we stopped and talked to a couple of kids that were working. One from Connecticut and one from Louisiana. They were college students and they came there for seven weeks to work in the excavations. What an opportunity, I would have loved to have been allowed to get in there and get my hands into the dirt looking for buried treasures that tell the story of the history or that place. The bible was the inspiration for excavators to turn over the first spade of earth at Megiddo in 1322. Megiddo is mentioned eleven times in the Bible including its conquest by Joshua (Joshua 12:21), its reconstruction by Solomon (I Kings 9:15), and as the location of the death of the two kings of Judah: Ahazia at the hands of Jehu’s soldiers (2 Kings 9:27), and Josiah after his confrontation with Pharaoh Necho II (2 Chron. 35:22). (This of course was a heart tug for us as we named our seventh child Josiah, after the Child King who sought the ways of the Lord.)
We enjoyed going to the granary at Megiddo which was a 7-8+ deep granary that was built during a rebuilding of the city around 721-705 BC. It was fun to imagine the Red Hen Sisters going there to get their grain to make their bread. (hee hee ☺) the granary could hold approximately 12,800 bushels. We also saw Solomon’s stables and thought of how Danene could bring her horses here and stable them so we could all go riding around the area. We went into one of their water systems that they dug out and filled with water (rain) and used to provide water to their city on the hill.
We had considered getting a tour guide to drive and take us on this day, but were very glad that we did not. At Megiddo we were passing a group and stopped to listen to the guide for a few minutes and it made us very angry. He was saying how many people including himself believed that Josiah had not really found the scrolls of the torah, but he had instead written them himself to serve his purpose and the same was true for others in the Bible.
We went through Nazareth; it is a far cry form the Christmas card pictures of a land with grazing sheep. Though it is the setting of Jesus’s younger years and the home of Mary and Joseph, it is now a gritty town. It is 1/3 Christian 2/3 Muslim and only a handful of Jews. We passed by Mount Tabor the site of Christ’s Transfiguration. (Luke 9:28-36) We went through Tiberius.
We then went to Tabghe. This is in the area where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes on the hillside to feed the 5,000. (Matthew 14:13-21) We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, but they were closed for the afternoon hours and we had a full schedule and could not wait. (Matthew 5) I did get out and get a few pictures including some looking down the mountain to the Sea of Galilee.
We went to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter which commemorates the of the catching of fish on the other side of the boat, (John) but the other guys had on shorts that showed their knees so they were not allowed to go in, so I went in looked around and saw the rock that was supposedly where they had the meal after this big catch, went to the beach and put my feet into the sea and went back up where they were waiting.
We went to Capernaum but again their knees were showing and so they would not let us in. I did not leave them and go myself; it would have taken too long for them to be waiting in the heat. And Darrel had been here on a previous trip so I knew I cold look through his pictures.
We ate lunch right on the beach at the Fish Restaurant Kfar Nahum. Darrel and Jerry had Saint Peter’s fish. They simply gut the fish and cook them whole. Though not my favorite, I did look the little fellow in the eye and taste of him. He was not bad, though I looked in his mouth and found no coins to pay the bill. Debbie and I had chicken k-bobs. We went down and put our feet into the sea.
We went to Yardenit. The gospels say that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. So I took my own John (Darrel John) and he baptized me in the Jordan and I did the same for him. We both had to make ourselves go ahead and do it. It was hot and getting dressed for the baptism and then redressed and messing with all of it made us hesitate. We went and looked in the river and the catfish were huge, some were easily 18 – 24 inches….. But I knew I wanted to do it, so we forged ahead. When we got into the water, the mood changed, it was all about what was happening. I loved that there was no one else around except the people who were with us (Jerry and Debbie). Darrel talked to me about what we were doing and then prayed over me and then dunked me under. When I came out from under the water, I felt so refreshed and clean and renewed. The sun seemed to shine brighter and yet it was much cooler. Like the breeze of the Holy Spirit rushed through there and descended upon us. Although we had both been baptized before we talked about how it was an outward expression of an inward decision and being obedient and doing it in front of those who are not Christians could be a witness to them. But honestly, when I came up from the water, I knew it was for me and my relationship with Christ and truly a part of that is me being a witness to others of the greatness of my savoir. I felt cool and refreshed all the way home. And it was a long drive home. A funny thing that happened was when we were in the river there were lots of little bitty minnows. When I went into the place to change I felt something tickling me in my shirt, when I took it off a little fishy fell into my shoe. I named her Jordan and let her go free. Also on our way to Yardenit we were the closest we would probably ever be to Jordan the country. It was just maybe two miles away. We could see it through the windows of the car.
Today I read Deut 8:1-20. I was actually going there to read verse 8 where it talks about the different fruits and foods of the area, but ended up wanting to read the chapter. Just the first verse alone is beautiful… “All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers.” Do you see the promise in there? If we do what He commands, we will live and multiply and possess the land! Do you just want to yell “How Great Is Our God?” I do! Then the second verse comes and it is equally as deep. “An you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.” Ouch, am I ready to be humbled, to be tested? Do I want God to know what is in my heart? That is where I want to be, but am I there. Verse 3 and 4 go on in that same manner tell us to remember the time of testing and to know that man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord, not just bread alone. Then verse five tells us “ thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.” Then again a reminder to keep his commands in verse six. Verse 7 “For the Lord your God is brining you into a good land, a land of brroks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills a land of wheat and barleyu, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you shall eat food without scarcity, in which you shall not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. Oh it just keeps getting better and better it goes on to give a warning for me to beware that after I eat good and multiply and am satisfied that I don’t become proud and forget the Lord my God who brought me out from my land of Egypt where I was a slave. He brought me out of that and kept me in the wilderness and brought me into the land of milk of honey. I love this verse 16:”In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know that he might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. (Things don’t always look good or feel good when we are in a wilderness but that doesn’t mean they are not good for us!) Otherwise, you may say in your heart, My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.” Then there is a reminder to keep his command and not to go after or worship or serve any other gods because if we do we will surely perish. We need to never forget that it does not have to be a guy with a fat belly to be another god, TV can be a god, stuff can be a god, money can be, anything that we put before God can be a god. Makes me meditate on my priorities and where I spend my time and my energy. Sometimes you can get so busy doing for god that you are not doing for God. Anyway, I loved that passage today, I am going to go and read it again and maybe have some figs or pomegranates or honey and wheat….. Deuteronomy 8 1-20.
view out of our window
I don't think I have blogged about the view out our hotel room window. We are on the tenth floor, though we are suppose to be on the 12-16, they were full so we are here. It is a nice room so we do not mind (I'm thinking I would stay at a motel 6 as long as I got to come and be here.) OUr windo faces the coast of the mederteranian Sea. It is beautiful. There are beaches all along the coast. Just to the north is the Hasidic beach. It has walls around it so they can have separation from the world around them. The men and women swim on alternating days. The boys must swim with the men and girls with the women. On their way to the beach they must get really really hot as they are covered from head to toe to hand. Beside that and closer to us is a public beach, for the hotel. They have a surf school down there so you can usually see people learning to surf. It is a lot of fun to watch. I know Jonny would just have a blast surfing and probably be really good at it quickly. Today it is a little hazy but some days are very clear. The water is a beautiful blue green and goes on beyond the horizon. The Sunsets are very pretty over the water adn can be seen from our window/balcony. When you go out on the balcony and look down you can see the hotel pool. It is usually full of people from as early as 6:30 am it has a hand full of swimmers swimming in the lanes (exercise). They also have a nice big pool for the children. At night they light it with blue lights, though it is closed it is beautiful from the balcony.
Right now I can see a couple of sail bots and a couple of kayaks out on the sea and lots of swimmers and the surf students up closer to the shoreline. The water is really very warm.
Right now I can see a couple of sail bots and a couple of kayaks out on the sea and lots of swimmers and the surf students up closer to the shoreline. The water is really very warm.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Israel Day four
There is another guy from Lockheed working here in Israel, last night his wife came in to visit him for a week. Today they went sightseeing with us. We went to Jerusalem. It is about an hour drive East/South East of our hotel. You drive uphill much of the time as it is on the top of Mount Moriah. I took things to read so I did not have to enjoy the wonderful driving, last time I had a hard time pulling my fingernails out of the leather seats of the Jaguar that we were riding/driving in. ☺ Some of my reading material included: "After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him." (Genesis 22:1-3)
"Then Solomon began to build the house of The Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where The Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 3:1-2)
Mount Moriah means "chosen by Jehovah". It is an elongated ridge with the southern end of the ridge at the intersection of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. The northeastern ridge is the present Damascus Gate of the Old City. The Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the Dome of the Rock, a Moslem shrine, are located on top of Mount Moriah. The Mount of Olives is just east of Mount Moriah.
The angel of the LORD commanded David to set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, after the destruction of Jerusalem was halted. King David bought the threshing floor from Ornan the Jebusite, an inhabitant of Jebus (early name for Jerusalem) and the descendants of the 3rd son of Caanan, and paid full price for the land with six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 1 Chronicles 21:18-30 )
King Solomon built the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is where the LORD appeared unto David the father of Solomon, in the place David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2 Chronicles 3:1)
We went to the Western Wall. The Western Wall (Hebrew Ha-Kotel Ha-Ma'aravi), also popularly known as the Wailing Wall, is all that visibly remains of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by Roman Legions in 70 A.D. Measuring some 160 feet long and 60 feet high, it forms part of a larger retaining wall of the Temple Mount.
The Western Wall is constructed of limestone blocks, one of which measures more than 13 feet in length, and has an estimated weight of 628 tons. It is the greatest stone ever quarried by man - nothing of its size exists anywhere else, including in the great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Just beside it is a stone weighing 407 tons, and there are others over 100 tons. Modern engineers express amazement at how such massive stones could have been placed as they are.
For nearly two thousand years, since the destruction of the Temple, the Western Wall has been the focal point for prayer of Jews in Israel and throughout the world.
We had to wash our hands before entering the women’s side of the wall, Darrel and Jerry did the same to enter the men’s side, plus they had to cover their heads. Although I truly know that God is not anymore at the wall than He is anywhere else I go, I prayed for those I loved while at the wall. I also prayed for the Jews that they would open their eyes and see that Jesus was and is the messiah. I prayed for the muslins that are being lead away by a horrible cult. When you leave the wall you walk backwards out of respect not to turn your back on the wall. It is sad to think that day after day Jews go there to pray to God though they are not really praying because they do not believe that God can hear them until the temple is rebuilt. It is wonderful to know that God does hear us because of His son and our savior.
We wanted to go in the tunnels behind the wall and see the cisterns, etc. But they do it by reservation only and are booked. They do the tours even at midnight so we figure our chances of getting in were null.
We went through Damascus gate, Jaffa gate and Zion gate. We passed the Dung gate and the New Gate. We walked through the Muslim quarters and through the market streets, they were vendors on the sides of the streets and the streets are very narrow with walls on each side that go straight up and so with the vendors it was were two people could barely fit through. They had everything for sale in there. Trinkets, toys, whole lambs, goat heads, intestines, etc…. clothes, menorahs, things made out of olive wood, anointing oil, you name it they probably had it. We were glad to get out of there. Plus we sort of got lost in there and so we were glad to find our way out.
We explored all though the tower of David. Several groups of Jewish school children were there. They were so cute. Darrel and I loved the history and enjoyed reading all about it; the couple with us were tired of it after just a short while.
For lunch we ate in Jerusalem. They had schwarma and I had falafel. Both were really good. It was a very HOT day! The hottest day so far. We walked miles and miles.
We went to Christ Church. That was very neat. They had a service going since it was Sunday and they were so gracious to us. We listened in on the beautiful choral singing of the congregation for a few minutes. Then the hostess told us about the church and their ministry in Israel. They are praying for and working toward the salvation of both the Jews and the Muslims there. They also found a tunnel under their church that leads to the temple mount. They are only allowed to go so far in it, so they are not sure if it is in good structural shape the whole way, but it was neat. They are located on part of the land where King Herod’s palace use to stand. I would say if you are going to Jerusalem you should to go Christ Church and talk to the people there. They have a wonderful grasp on the Lord’s work in Israel and it was a joy to visit with them.
We went to where David is supposedly buried and they have put a little prayer room there. (men and women divided of course and you must pay to go?) We went to the upper room though who knows if it was the actual upper room that Jesus was in for the last supper. But it was an upper room in Jerusalem.
We were very hot and very tired when we left the city. We drove home, took showers and ate in the lobby of the hotel, though they did not have any real choices for a main dish, we loved the watermelon. We talked to the kids and went to bed. We are starting our day by leaving our hotel rooms at 7am. I want to get to see and do as much as I can while I am here.
God bless you,
Shalom
"Then Solomon began to build the house of The Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where The Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign." (2 Chronicles 3:1-2)
Mount Moriah means "chosen by Jehovah". It is an elongated ridge with the southern end of the ridge at the intersection of the Kidron and Hinnom valleys. The northeastern ridge is the present Damascus Gate of the Old City. The Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem as well as the Dome of the Rock, a Moslem shrine, are located on top of Mount Moriah. The Mount of Olives is just east of Mount Moriah.
The angel of the LORD commanded David to set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, after the destruction of Jerusalem was halted. King David bought the threshing floor from Ornan the Jebusite, an inhabitant of Jebus (early name for Jerusalem) and the descendants of the 3rd son of Caanan, and paid full price for the land with six hundred shekels of gold by weight. 1 Chronicles 21:18-30 )
King Solomon built the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is where the LORD appeared unto David the father of Solomon, in the place David had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (2 Chronicles 3:1)
We went to the Western Wall. The Western Wall (Hebrew Ha-Kotel Ha-Ma'aravi), also popularly known as the Wailing Wall, is all that visibly remains of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by Roman Legions in 70 A.D. Measuring some 160 feet long and 60 feet high, it forms part of a larger retaining wall of the Temple Mount.
The Western Wall is constructed of limestone blocks, one of which measures more than 13 feet in length, and has an estimated weight of 628 tons. It is the greatest stone ever quarried by man - nothing of its size exists anywhere else, including in the great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt. Just beside it is a stone weighing 407 tons, and there are others over 100 tons. Modern engineers express amazement at how such massive stones could have been placed as they are.
For nearly two thousand years, since the destruction of the Temple, the Western Wall has been the focal point for prayer of Jews in Israel and throughout the world.
We had to wash our hands before entering the women’s side of the wall, Darrel and Jerry did the same to enter the men’s side, plus they had to cover their heads. Although I truly know that God is not anymore at the wall than He is anywhere else I go, I prayed for those I loved while at the wall. I also prayed for the Jews that they would open their eyes and see that Jesus was and is the messiah. I prayed for the muslins that are being lead away by a horrible cult. When you leave the wall you walk backwards out of respect not to turn your back on the wall. It is sad to think that day after day Jews go there to pray to God though they are not really praying because they do not believe that God can hear them until the temple is rebuilt. It is wonderful to know that God does hear us because of His son and our savior.
We wanted to go in the tunnels behind the wall and see the cisterns, etc. But they do it by reservation only and are booked. They do the tours even at midnight so we figure our chances of getting in were null.
We went through Damascus gate, Jaffa gate and Zion gate. We passed the Dung gate and the New Gate. We walked through the Muslim quarters and through the market streets, they were vendors on the sides of the streets and the streets are very narrow with walls on each side that go straight up and so with the vendors it was were two people could barely fit through. They had everything for sale in there. Trinkets, toys, whole lambs, goat heads, intestines, etc…. clothes, menorahs, things made out of olive wood, anointing oil, you name it they probably had it. We were glad to get out of there. Plus we sort of got lost in there and so we were glad to find our way out.
We explored all though the tower of David. Several groups of Jewish school children were there. They were so cute. Darrel and I loved the history and enjoyed reading all about it; the couple with us were tired of it after just a short while.
For lunch we ate in Jerusalem. They had schwarma and I had falafel. Both were really good. It was a very HOT day! The hottest day so far. We walked miles and miles.
We went to Christ Church. That was very neat. They had a service going since it was Sunday and they were so gracious to us. We listened in on the beautiful choral singing of the congregation for a few minutes. Then the hostess told us about the church and their ministry in Israel. They are praying for and working toward the salvation of both the Jews and the Muslims there. They also found a tunnel under their church that leads to the temple mount. They are only allowed to go so far in it, so they are not sure if it is in good structural shape the whole way, but it was neat. They are located on part of the land where King Herod’s palace use to stand. I would say if you are going to Jerusalem you should to go Christ Church and talk to the people there. They have a wonderful grasp on the Lord’s work in Israel and it was a joy to visit with them.
We went to where David is supposedly buried and they have put a little prayer room there. (men and women divided of course and you must pay to go?) We went to the upper room though who knows if it was the actual upper room that Jesus was in for the last supper. But it was an upper room in Jerusalem.
We were very hot and very tired when we left the city. We drove home, took showers and ate in the lobby of the hotel, though they did not have any real choices for a main dish, we loved the watermelon. We talked to the kids and went to bed. We are starting our day by leaving our hotel rooms at 7am. I want to get to see and do as much as I can while I am here.
God bless you,
Shalom
Day Three Caesarea
We drove up to Caesarea today. I do not like riding in a car in Israel, all the drivers are CRAZY including the one driving our car…. Oh, that is Darrel. Oops, I will be ready for my big van and Springtown traffic when I get home. Although the people here are very friendly, they all honk to tell you hello and in case you didn’t hear it the first five times they will honk again. Very Friendly.
During Jesus’ lifetime and well into the New Testament stage of Bible History, Caesarea was a major Roman political center in occupied Israel. It is located on the shore of The Mediterranean Sea, on the road from Egypt to Tyre, about 75 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was built between 25 to 13 B.C. by Herod The Great, who named it after Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor most famous for ordering the census (Luke 2:1) that resulted in Joseph and Mary traveling down from Nazareth to Bethlehem where The Savior was born.
It was originally established as an anchorage by Sidonian king Abdashtart in the 4th century B.C., when it became known as "Strato's Tower." The Hasmoneans took possession of it in 96 B.C., however Pompey brought it under Roman rule in 63 B.C.
Mark Antony presented the city to Cleopatra, however when Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) defeated Antony at Actium, it was put under the control of Herod who built it up and renamed it after the Caesar. It then became the capital of the Roman province of Judea, the headquarters for the procurators (governors) and the Roman troops.
Caesarea is mentioned frequently in New Testament events:
* Peter first took the message of the Gospel to Gentiles at Caesarea, while in the house of Cornelius, the centurion in what was known as the "Italian Regiment" (Acts 10:1-48). While there, as Cornelius was about to bow down to Peter, the apostle made it clear than he was merely a servant of The Lord, like the rest. (Acts 10:26)
* Philip the evangelist lived in Caesarea with his four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9).
Not long after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul sailed from Caesarea to his native Tarsus (Acts 9:30). He passed through the city during his second and third missionary journeys. Later, he was held prisoner in the city for two years (Acts 24:1,27), where he was put on trial (Acts 23:31-26:32) before his voyage to Rome.
It was at Caesarea that Herod Agrippa I was struck down by God for his idolatrous blasphemy (Acts 12:19-23) Neat story, you should read it.
Today, the site of Caesarea is still known by its ancient name, Kaiseriyeh, but there are only ruins remaining.
It is a beautiful port city or should I say it was as you can tell from the ruins. It was…thought provoking to walk into and around the hippodrome, the place where many Christians were tortured and killed as part of the ‘games’. We went to King Herods Palace, to the governors palace where Pontius Pilot would have lived when he ‘washed his hands’ of the crime against Jesus of Nazareth. We chased a huge lizard through some of the ruins, walked on top of some of the walls. Wanted to get our feet into Herod’s pool but they had it chained off, though locals were on the other side fishing and swimming and having a good time. I did however go down to the seaside and get my feet wet in the tide at the foot of where the pool was and picked up some seashells for the kids. For lunch we had lamb chops, grilled chicken, hummus and mint lemonade. It was wonderful. The day was extremely hot and we walked several miles climbing up and down on the ruins, we had a great time together, learning history and walking where those who penned the Bible walked. We went through the amphitheater and were amazed by the incredible marble and granite work in the columns and buildings.
During Jesus’ lifetime and well into the New Testament stage of Bible History, Caesarea was a major Roman political center in occupied Israel. It is located on the shore of The Mediterranean Sea, on the road from Egypt to Tyre, about 75 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was built between 25 to 13 B.C. by Herod The Great, who named it after Caesar Augustus, the Roman emperor most famous for ordering the census (Luke 2:1) that resulted in Joseph and Mary traveling down from Nazareth to Bethlehem where The Savior was born.
It was originally established as an anchorage by Sidonian king Abdashtart in the 4th century B.C., when it became known as "Strato's Tower." The Hasmoneans took possession of it in 96 B.C., however Pompey brought it under Roman rule in 63 B.C.
Mark Antony presented the city to Cleopatra, however when Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) defeated Antony at Actium, it was put under the control of Herod who built it up and renamed it after the Caesar. It then became the capital of the Roman province of Judea, the headquarters for the procurators (governors) and the Roman troops.
Caesarea is mentioned frequently in New Testament events:
* Peter first took the message of the Gospel to Gentiles at Caesarea, while in the house of Cornelius, the centurion in what was known as the "Italian Regiment" (Acts 10:1-48). While there, as Cornelius was about to bow down to Peter, the apostle made it clear than he was merely a servant of The Lord, like the rest. (Acts 10:26)
* Philip the evangelist lived in Caesarea with his four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9).
Not long after his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul sailed from Caesarea to his native Tarsus (Acts 9:30). He passed through the city during his second and third missionary journeys. Later, he was held prisoner in the city for two years (Acts 24:1,27), where he was put on trial (Acts 23:31-26:32) before his voyage to Rome.
It was at Caesarea that Herod Agrippa I was struck down by God for his idolatrous blasphemy (Acts 12:19-23) Neat story, you should read it.
Today, the site of Caesarea is still known by its ancient name, Kaiseriyeh, but there are only ruins remaining.
It is a beautiful port city or should I say it was as you can tell from the ruins. It was…thought provoking to walk into and around the hippodrome, the place where many Christians were tortured and killed as part of the ‘games’. We went to King Herods Palace, to the governors palace where Pontius Pilot would have lived when he ‘washed his hands’ of the crime against Jesus of Nazareth. We chased a huge lizard through some of the ruins, walked on top of some of the walls. Wanted to get our feet into Herod’s pool but they had it chained off, though locals were on the other side fishing and swimming and having a good time. I did however go down to the seaside and get my feet wet in the tide at the foot of where the pool was and picked up some seashells for the kids. For lunch we had lamb chops, grilled chicken, hummus and mint lemonade. It was wonderful. The day was extremely hot and we walked several miles climbing up and down on the ruins, we had a great time together, learning history and walking where those who penned the Bible walked. We went through the amphitheater and were amazed by the incredible marble and granite work in the columns and buildings.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Jaffa
This morning after Darrel went downstairs to work out and we had breakfast (free with our room) we walked about 3 miles to the Bezalel open-air market and to Jaffa. Bezalel market reminded me of the mercado (market) in Mexico and the open market days in the Netherlands. Sort of a very crowded flea market/farmers market. They set them up only one or two days a week and you go there to get most of your fresh produce and fresh baked breads. They also have a variety of things like hats, t-shirts, souvenirs, etc. It was fun to listen to them do their sells bit in Hebrew. They would compete with each other and do ‘yells’ together; you could tell they were having fun while working. It was also interesting to watch the people haggle for the prices.
We then walked over to Jaffa. According to historians, Jaffa was named after Noah’s son, Japheth, who built it after the flood. In Hebrew it drives from the Hebrew word ‘yofi’ which means beauty. Archaeological discoveries and ancient documents support that it existed as a port city some 4,000 years ago, serving Egyptian and Phoenician sailors in their sea voyages. Historians believe that Jaffa is the only port in the world which can boast uninterrupted inhabitation throughout it’s entire existence The earliest known written reference to Jaffa is found in inscriptions on the wall of the temple of Karnak at Thebes. In it, Thutmose II, who ruled from 1490 to 1436 B.C., boasts of capturing a number of cities of Israel, including Jaffa. It is told of how Thutmose’s minister of war went to Jaffa and took with him 200 human sized jars; in them they hid soldiers and slaves with ropes. He told the governor of Jaffa that he had run away from Thutmose and brought all these riches with him in the jars, so they brought them into the city. Once inside the minister killed the governor and all the soldiers came out of the jars and they took the city. Through Bible History, the city was in turn taken by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans in which it was included in the kingdom of Herod The Great. The Bible mentions Jaffa several times. Although in some of it’s translations it is called Jaffa, Joppa, Japho, Jaffe, or Yafo.
The biblical account mentions that the cedars from Lebanon for the construction of King Solomon’s Temple came in via Jaffa’s shore (2 Chronicles 2:11,16). Remember Jonah running from God’s calling, he took a boat out of the Jaffa port and soon was swallowed by the big fish! Simon the Tanner lived in Jaffa, and it was here that the Apostle Peter performed a miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43) In Jaffa Peter was divinely led to 'think out of the box.' The story in Acts 10:5-23, finds Peter on the rooftop of the House of Simon the Tanner, where he had his famous vision (Acts 10:12-13), that led him to preach the Gospel to the gentiles at Caesarea.
After the Israelites entered the Promised land under Joshua, the tribe of Dan received Jaffa but it was later lost to the Philistines. King David re-took Jaffa in his time, and when Solomon succeeded his father as king, he developed it into Israel's major seaport.
After learning about Jaffa and walking through the old city we enjoyed some beautiful views of the beach and the port. We watched surfers, swimmers and fishermen. We then went back to the hotel, cooled off and had a little rest. We then went for a walk in Tel Aviv to find a falafel stand, but it was shabat and we did not make it there before it closed down. On the way back to the hotel we did find an Italian restaurant and had some of the best alfredo we have ever had! Back to the hotel to talk to the kids, Darrel did a little work and we went to bed. My clock is still a little off so I slept until 3 am and then could not go back to sleep. Shabat Shalom!
We then walked over to Jaffa. According to historians, Jaffa was named after Noah’s son, Japheth, who built it after the flood. In Hebrew it drives from the Hebrew word ‘yofi’ which means beauty. Archaeological discoveries and ancient documents support that it existed as a port city some 4,000 years ago, serving Egyptian and Phoenician sailors in their sea voyages. Historians believe that Jaffa is the only port in the world which can boast uninterrupted inhabitation throughout it’s entire existence The earliest known written reference to Jaffa is found in inscriptions on the wall of the temple of Karnak at Thebes. In it, Thutmose II, who ruled from 1490 to 1436 B.C., boasts of capturing a number of cities of Israel, including Jaffa. It is told of how Thutmose’s minister of war went to Jaffa and took with him 200 human sized jars; in them they hid soldiers and slaves with ropes. He told the governor of Jaffa that he had run away from Thutmose and brought all these riches with him in the jars, so they brought them into the city. Once inside the minister killed the governor and all the soldiers came out of the jars and they took the city. Through Bible History, the city was in turn taken by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans in which it was included in the kingdom of Herod The Great. The Bible mentions Jaffa several times. Although in some of it’s translations it is called Jaffa, Joppa, Japho, Jaffe, or Yafo.
The biblical account mentions that the cedars from Lebanon for the construction of King Solomon’s Temple came in via Jaffa’s shore (2 Chronicles 2:11,16). Remember Jonah running from God’s calling, he took a boat out of the Jaffa port and soon was swallowed by the big fish! Simon the Tanner lived in Jaffa, and it was here that the Apostle Peter performed a miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43) In Jaffa Peter was divinely led to 'think out of the box.' The story in Acts 10:5-23, finds Peter on the rooftop of the House of Simon the Tanner, where he had his famous vision (Acts 10:12-13), that led him to preach the Gospel to the gentiles at Caesarea.
After the Israelites entered the Promised land under Joshua, the tribe of Dan received Jaffa but it was later lost to the Philistines. King David re-took Jaffa in his time, and when Solomon succeeded his father as king, he developed it into Israel's major seaport.
After learning about Jaffa and walking through the old city we enjoyed some beautiful views of the beach and the port. We watched surfers, swimmers and fishermen. We then went back to the hotel, cooled off and had a little rest. We then went for a walk in Tel Aviv to find a falafel stand, but it was shabat and we did not make it there before it closed down. On the way back to the hotel we did find an Italian restaurant and had some of the best alfredo we have ever had! Back to the hotel to talk to the kids, Darrel did a little work and we went to bed. My clock is still a little off so I slept until 3 am and then could not go back to sleep. Shabat Shalom!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Trip to Israel
The flight over made me feel a little more than selfish. I flew first class from DFW to Chicago. They give you your own little ‘area’ with a chair that reclines to a complete bed position, a little seat area where a friend can come and sit and visit, a tv screen and a large selection of movies, games, flight info at your fingertips. They offer you warm cashews and almonds, any drink you could want, and a nice meal if you want it. The transfer in the airport was pretty easy as I only had to move down 4 gates. During the flight from Chicago to London, I had a business class seat. I had a lady beside me. She was very nice, her two children were in coach. They were taking her son to Cambridge to do a summer program there for high school students. She said her son did not want her to ride with him as all the other students would be on the same flight so she sat where she normally sat (business class), but then at the last moment she decided to take her 7 year old with her. So she had to get him a ticket in coach. They were from Santa Barbara, CA. The flight was nice, though her getting out many times (she was near the window) to check on the boys, take the 7 year old back, go to the bathroom from 5 cups of wine, not only reminded me that my children were at home and not with me but also made it a little hard to rest. But, it was not uncomfortable and the food was excellent especially the chocolate ice cream with chocolate graham cracker crust at the bottom and fudge sauce and raspberry cheese cake chunks on top. As you can tell, I suffered through it. Our plane was a little late taking off and getting to London and the London airport is not real user friendly. No one tells you where to go, you just follow people and hope you are going to the right place. I went from terminal 2 to terminal 4 via stairs, long halls, long tunnels and a bus. Then when I got to terminal 4 I had quiet a time finding and being sure I had found the right place. As I had 2 minutes until posted departure time and no one was there to man the gate or answer my questions. I called Darrel and he assured me all was well. When they opened my doors to go down the tunnel to get on the plane it was actually a tunnel to go get on a bus. We took the bus to the airplane out on the tarmac and climbed up the stairs to the plane. When they saw my ticket was first class, they took my bags, took me to my seat, offered me a drink and slippers and asked if I wanted a sleep suit? I must have looked puzzled because she then explained they were pajamas. I noticed her asking others if they wanted sleep suits and they said yes, but no one changed into them. So I asked her, she said you can take them with you. So I said sure I will take them (so now Sarah has a new sleep suit) They come over to your private little cubby hole and unwrap your pillow and blanket and show you how to use the recliner/bed chair. This airlines was not American Airlines, it was British Airways and though their plane was not as nice as the American plane the staff were so much nicer. They catered to your every whim. I was able to sleep for maybe two hours on this flight. They had a very fancy meal, but it was a little too… fufu for me, I asked for just a plate of fruit, they kept asking if I wanted more.
Flying over the Mediterranean Sea just before landing in Tel Aviv was beautiful, you could see yachts and sailboats floating through the incredibly blue water. Landing at Tel Aviv I tried to follow Darrel’s instructions, but called him for clarification when I ran into a snag. I was blessed at each point, when I got to the passport check a line opened up so I didn’t have to wait, for luggage I took a potty break and then waited only about 5 minutes (usually at least an hour) and I simply walked through customs no one stopped me or checked anything. It was wonderful to see Darrel’s smiling face.
We came to the hotel put up my luggage, Darrel worked for 30-60 minutes and then we went upstairs to the lounge for free dinner and then went for a walk in Tel Aviv. Came back and had some watermelon and went to bed. We are open the 10th floor and can see the sea and hear the waves. It is beautiful. After not having but maybe 3 hours sleep on the planes, I slept pretty good. Though I miss my babies, Darrel is so glad to have me here.
Flying over the Mediterranean Sea just before landing in Tel Aviv was beautiful, you could see yachts and sailboats floating through the incredibly blue water. Landing at Tel Aviv I tried to follow Darrel’s instructions, but called him for clarification when I ran into a snag. I was blessed at each point, when I got to the passport check a line opened up so I didn’t have to wait, for luggage I took a potty break and then waited only about 5 minutes (usually at least an hour) and I simply walked through customs no one stopped me or checked anything. It was wonderful to see Darrel’s smiling face.
We came to the hotel put up my luggage, Darrel worked for 30-60 minutes and then we went upstairs to the lounge for free dinner and then went for a walk in Tel Aviv. Came back and had some watermelon and went to bed. We are open the 10th floor and can see the sea and hear the waves. It is beautiful. After not having but maybe 3 hours sleep on the planes, I slept pretty good. Though I miss my babies, Darrel is so glad to have me here.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
A Learning Experience for the Russell Family.
Though we were just alternates this year and were only seated to vote a few times, we still feel that not only did we take a stand for what we believe we also were influential at the convention. No we are not anywhere near the big dogs, but we did have some influence over some of them, or at least God did and were just the vessel that the Lord used to influence them.
Happy Birthday Angie. It was really fun to be involved in our friend Angie Huse’s birthday. She had her birthday on the last day of the convention. Someone, I shall mention no names but someone was able to get them to announce Angie’s birthday from the caucus floor and the whole deligate/alternate caucus sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Then at lunch we walked to mall and had lunch, someone secretly ordered her a birthday cake and when it was ready, we surprised her and sang happy birthday there in the food court. Then for dinner we went to Benihana’s and though it was an interesting experience with 23 people squeezed into seating for 16. And after the dinner there was another cookie cake, this time with a book of matches as the candles and another rendition of Happy Birthday.
Also on the last day of the convention we took all the kids up to see what it was like at the convention. They had been at the hotel during all our meetings and were glad to get out.
Jonny worked as a page during the whole convention and on the last day was even moved to a lead position.
While in Houston at the convention, a reporter from the Weatherford Democrat asked us a few questions.
She asked us and several others to send her photos of the convention. I sent her about 8 photos and they printed four of them along with her article about the convention.
Her article was a pretty good representation of the facts about the convention. Though she was a democrat and not a republican. I was impressed to see that she wrote without a negative bias.
I would say that during the convention our favorite speakers were first and foremost, Mike Huckabee, but also included David Barton (Wall Builders), Tim Lambert (THSC), Newt Gingridge, Michael Williams (Railroad Commissioner) and even Paul Perry (running for National Chairman).
Well worth the wait. We and the Sorahs had planned to attend the Texas Eagle Forum Banquet. But it filled up before we called for reservations. Sadly the Sorahs had about 100 people in front of them on the list. We were however the 2nd ones on the waiting list. We were able to get in, but not until close to 8pm. It had started at 7pm. Basically all we missed were some songs and some of the eating time. The dinner was eloquent or fu fu as Darrel would call it. Each course looked like a work of art. We sat at a table for 8 and enjoyed getting to meet some of the other guests. But the best part far and away were the speakers. Not even mentioning the ones who gave short speeches when introducing the main speakers, we throughly enjoyed the featured speakers: Phyllis Schaffly and David Barton. Phyllis looked and spoke as if she were the queen of England, so refined and well spoken, yet beautifully Christian and graceful. She spoke on........ Next was David Barton, president of Wall Builders. He did an historical presentation on the War on Terror. He is very well spoken and an incredibly knowledgeable historian. He is also a delegate from our County (Parker) and is now a delegate to the National Convention. We also had the honor of meeting a man who was in the pentagon on 911, his office was completely destroyed by the plane and explosion and everyone in it was killed, but he was down in the hall at the water cooler and he lived though he was burned over a large part of his body and spent much time in the hospital.
Excerpts from Speech given by Michael Williams at the Texas Republican Convention.
..."I know the liberals think Americans are finally coming their way… that suddenly working families are for higher taxes and bigger government. But the election of a Democrat Congress is not an endorsement of Democrat ideas. The fact is Democrats campaign as conservatives so they can govern as liberals. The problem is Republicans started doing the same thing, so the people chose the real thing."..
..."As an African-American from the South, I am proud of the fact that someone who looks like me will be a major party presidential nominee for the first time in our nation’s history.
What Senator Obama has done is extraordinary. His nomination speaks well, not only of his own personal political skills, but of the America that exists today.
But Americans will not fall for identity politics over good ideas or slogans in the absence of substance or for promises and platitudes that are the wrong policy prescriptions."...
..."Change is just a slogan when the ideas are the Democrat leftovers of the last 50 years. When it is the same menu as McGovern, Carter and Mondale: higher taxes, bigger government and a steady diet of class warfare and expanded welfare."...
To read the rest of the speech go to:http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3877
A full week for the family The convention actually started on Thursday, but on Wednesday they had grassroots training from 8am - 6pm and Darrel went to it and Jonny also had a meeting because he was a page at the convention. We drove from Springtown to Houston on Monday, Tuesday was the Battleship and monument. Wednesday was the training. Thursday the convention started at 12, but the exhibit hall opened at 8am.
Be Careful of your influence At one point early on Thursday they were debating whether the GOP was following it’s own rules. We had heard rumors about those we respect supporting opposing views. So we went out to find them and ask them. We found Tim Lambert of THSC and asked him to clarify his point of view. He did. But he was perhaps supporting some one we did not support and so we told him we did not support him. He said he did not support him either. I felt that I was suppose to say something to him about making sure others who respected him knew that he did not support this person. So about 30 minutes later it was Tim’s turn to speak from the convention floor. He spoke for a while then he said, someone questioned me today about my stance and they said..... and he quoted exactly what I said. At that point, I knew that 1) I needed to be careful of my words, because people might repeat them to over 7,000 people like they did that day and 2) I had an incredible amount of influence and needed to make sure I was consistently pointing toward the Lord Jesus Christ with my words and actions.
Happy Birthday Angie. It was really fun to be involved in our friend Angie Huse’s birthday. She had her birthday on the last day of the convention. Someone, I shall mention no names but someone was able to get them to announce Angie’s birthday from the caucus floor and the whole deligate/alternate caucus sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Then at lunch we walked to mall and had lunch, someone secretly ordered her a birthday cake and when it was ready, we surprised her and sang happy birthday there in the food court. Then for dinner we went to Benihana’s and though it was an interesting experience with 23 people squeezed into seating for 16. And after the dinner there was another cookie cake, this time with a book of matches as the candles and another rendition of Happy Birthday.
Also on the last day of the convention we took all the kids up to see what it was like at the convention. They had been at the hotel during all our meetings and were glad to get out.
Jonny worked as a page during the whole convention and on the last day was even moved to a lead position.
While in Houston at the convention, a reporter from the Weatherford Democrat asked us a few questions.
She asked us and several others to send her photos of the convention. I sent her about 8 photos and they printed four of them along with her article about the convention.
Her article was a pretty good representation of the facts about the convention. Though she was a democrat and not a republican. I was impressed to see that she wrote without a negative bias.
I would say that during the convention our favorite speakers were first and foremost, Mike Huckabee, but also included David Barton (Wall Builders), Tim Lambert (THSC), Newt Gingridge, Michael Williams (Railroad Commissioner) and even Paul Perry (running for National Chairman).Well worth the wait. We and the Sorahs had planned to attend the Texas Eagle Forum Banquet. But it filled up before we called for reservations. Sadly the Sorahs had about 100 people in front of them on the list. We were however the 2nd ones on the waiting list. We were able to get in, but not until close to 8pm. It had started at 7pm. Basically all we missed were some songs and some of the eating time. The dinner was eloquent or fu fu as Darrel would call it. Each course looked like a work of art. We sat at a table for 8 and enjoyed getting to meet some of the other guests. But the best part far and away were the speakers. Not even mentioning the ones who gave short speeches when introducing the main speakers, we throughly enjoyed the featured speakers: Phyllis Schaffly and David Barton. Phyllis looked and spoke as if she were the queen of England, so refined and well spoken, yet beautifully Christian and graceful. She spoke on........ Next was David Barton, president of Wall Builders. He did an historical presentation on the War on Terror. He is very well spoken and an incredibly knowledgeable historian. He is also a delegate from our County (Parker) and is now a delegate to the National Convention. We also had the honor of meeting a man who was in the pentagon on 911, his office was completely destroyed by the plane and explosion and everyone in it was killed, but he was down in the hall at the water cooler and he lived though he was burned over a large part of his body and spent much time in the hospital.
Excerpts from Speech given by Michael Williams at the Texas Republican Convention.
..."I know the liberals think Americans are finally coming their way… that suddenly working families are for higher taxes and bigger government. But the election of a Democrat Congress is not an endorsement of Democrat ideas. The fact is Democrats campaign as conservatives so they can govern as liberals. The problem is Republicans started doing the same thing, so the people chose the real thing."..
..."As an African-American from the South, I am proud of the fact that someone who looks like me will be a major party presidential nominee for the first time in our nation’s history.
What Senator Obama has done is extraordinary. His nomination speaks well, not only of his own personal political skills, but of the America that exists today.
But Americans will not fall for identity politics over good ideas or slogans in the absence of substance or for promises and platitudes that are the wrong policy prescriptions."...
..."Change is just a slogan when the ideas are the Democrat leftovers of the last 50 years. When it is the same menu as McGovern, Carter and Mondale: higher taxes, bigger government and a steady diet of class warfare and expanded welfare."...
To read the rest of the speech go to:http://www.texasinsider.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3877
A full week for the family The convention actually started on Thursday, but on Wednesday they had grassroots training from 8am - 6pm and Darrel went to it and Jonny also had a meeting because he was a page at the convention. We drove from Springtown to Houston on Monday, Tuesday was the Battleship and monument. Wednesday was the training. Thursday the convention started at 12, but the exhibit hall opened at 8am.
Be Careful of your influence At one point early on Thursday they were debating whether the GOP was following it’s own rules. We had heard rumors about those we respect supporting opposing views. So we went out to find them and ask them. We found Tim Lambert of THSC and asked him to clarify his point of view. He did. But he was perhaps supporting some one we did not support and so we told him we did not support him. He said he did not support him either. I felt that I was suppose to say something to him about making sure others who respected him knew that he did not support this person. So about 30 minutes later it was Tim’s turn to speak from the convention floor. He spoke for a while then he said, someone questioned me today about my stance and they said..... and he quoted exactly what I said. At that point, I knew that 1) I needed to be careful of my words, because people might repeat them to over 7,000 people like they did that day and 2) I had an incredible amount of influence and needed to make sure I was consistently pointing toward the Lord Jesus Christ with my words and actions.
Sarah goes on business trip.
Darrel had to take a short trip to Los Cruses, New Mexico so we decided sort of as a thank you for helping with the children while in Houston, we would let her go with him. She has a friend there, Chaylene Downing that we meet several years ago when we went there for 6 weeks. We also went on another trip there for 4 or 5 weeks. And once when we went to the cabin we drove half way and met them in Alamogordo for an afternoon. The girls have kept in touch via letters and phone since before Hannah was born.
First Class Because the flight was full, Darrel was able to use points and move them up to first class.
First Class Because the flight was full, Darrel was able to use points and move them up to first class.
Surprise! The Downing parents knew that Sarah was coming, but they did not tell their kids. So Wednesday night they told their kids they were meeting grandparents at Cracker Barrel for dinner. Darrel and Sarah got their early and got a table, so when they walked in, the kids were totally surprised! The trip was extended to Saturday morning, so Sarah got two full days plus the dinner Wednesday night with her friend. They went swimming at the hotel pool and just had a great time visiting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)