Friday, January 6

Friday, January 13, 2012

Today is our last day of “classroom study.” Last night we learned that we would have a late start and to plan on leaving at 8 am. In light of that a few brave members of the group decided to take a dip in the Sea of Galilee. I am not sure one could call it dip or not but they did go in. Along with getting wet from the Sea they also were getting wet from the rain. Today we had rain most of the day with a few special times where the clouds parted briefly and gave us a glimpse of what we were hoping to see.

Early morning it rained pretty hard. But by the time breakfast was over it was down to a light sprinkle. We drove over to the Cliffs of Arbel and it began to rain. As we walked to the entrance I though someone took a picture behind me – and then there was a loud crack of thunder. I guess it wasn’t a camera flash I saw! We stood under a shelter and Emily talked to us about the 3 regions around the Sea of Galilee. The Cliffs of Arbel are kind of a lookout for this region. This region was much more diverse than the area of Nazareth. Nazareth was a bit more off the trade routes while Capernaum and this region was on the route. This was the training ground for the disciples which would prepare them to carry the good news out to the world. Thus began the theme for the day of the good news spreading and being challenged to be part of spreading that good news. We were reminded that Jesus told his disciples to meet him in Galilee after his resurrection. We also read the Great Commission from Matthew 28. Emily noted there is one main verb in that passage and the rest are participles. The main verb is baptize. The idea is as you go, baptize. And then you will be making disciples, you will be teaching, you will be doing these things. The assumption is you will be going and not staying in Galilee.

From on top of the Cliff one can see the whole upper part of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area. But given the weather part of the group felt it would be wiser to head back to the bus. The rest of the group headed up to the Cliff to see what they could see. They were able to see some of the area below us. Together we also imagined that Jesus may have come up to this area perhaps even with his disciples to look over the area and think about the lives he would touch.

Next we had a little bus time as we headed over to Mount Carmel. Some of the clouds began to dissipate as we traveled west. We had high hopes that by the time we arrived the sun would be shining. Such was not the case. As we traveled west and north (we leaded in class that the north and west gets more rain) we found our classroom lesson to be true – it was raining. We drove up Mount Carmel. When we got to the top it was only sprinkling a little. So we got off the bus and hiked over to “the view.” The trail was a bit slippery with both rocks and mud to walk on. When we got to the view all we could see was cloud. Nevertheless Emily described what we would be able to see on a clear day and we imagined it. Then she read the story from 1 Kings 18 & 19 of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. As she read there were breaks in the clouds and we were able to see some of the sights. Shortly there after it began to rain a little so we began to walk back to the bus. When we got back to the bus we learned that it had been pouring there while we were only a few yards away – relatively dry. The Lord blessed us! We again were amazed at how close things are and how different they can be and also how quickly the weather can change. Part of the group then went into the Monistary and out on the roof for another look around.

After that we headed down the mount to Caesarea. This is a city that Herod the Great developed on the Mediterranean Sea and built a harbor with it. Once again we noted that Herod tried to “defy” God by building a harbor with new technology by using cement that would harden under water. He built it in honor of and named after Caesar.

Emily began to share a few biblical stories there at the shore when it began to sprinkle. “It’s just a little grey cloud. It’s okay,” Emily said. A moment later it began to rain pretty hard. We decided the better part of wisdom would be to look for cover. By the time we found some the shower had past and a few of us, who didn’t take our rain gear, were wet. As long as the rain stopped we decided to listen to some of the events recorded in scripture. She began by reading from Acts 1:7 with the commission to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Then we took note of Saul’s conversion. Next she read from Acts 9 where the church was growing and spreading. Then we heard of Peter going to Joppa (just a little south on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea) who is then called by Cornelius to come up to Caesarea. He goes and shares the good news with him, his family and others who had gathered there. Then we noted that Paul (Saul) was at Caesarea under trial and he appealed to Caesar. In that way he brought the gospel to Rome. Now the challenge is for us to continue to bring the gospel out to others. Since the rain was holding off some members of the group were hoping to get a couple of pictures of the sea and what is left of the harbor. However they seemed to be closing the park down. As we left we learned the close early on Friday because Shabbot (the Sabbath) begins at dark on Friday and goes until dark on Saturday. A little different than our idea of a day running from midnight to midnight.

Our last stop was to see some of the remains of the aqueduct system that Herod build from Mount Carmel to Caesarea to bring in fresh water – over a distance of about 7 miles. We drove just north of the city on the coast and got out to take a few pictures and walk around a little. Herod certainly had an ability to build things.

After that we loaded up on the bus and headed to get our rooms at the hotel in Jerusalem. Our time of formal study is over. It has been a fast two weeks. The first couple of days included a lot of walking. That decreased as we began making trips on the bus. The time has gone by quickly. We were kept busy and appreciate the driving by Johnny. We are most grateful for Emily’s teaching ability. She plans to conclude her studies here this spring and return to the States in the summer. She will be looking for a job teaching religion or Bible in either a high school or college setting. Our group would highly recommend her so if you hear of any opportunities, be sure to let me know.

After supper we thought we might do a little shopping in Old City. We sent a couple “scouts” out to check it out. They came back with a bad report: one shop was open and about to close. Most shops closed because of the rain which resulted in a lack of customers. Tomorrow is a “free day” but most of us have a number of plans. Some of us plan to attend church with Emily (I know – church on Saturday just doesn’t seem right but they do that because of the context with most stores and shops and public transportation closed on Saturday). We are hoping to see a site or two before church or maybe find a shop open around 9 am. We need to meet at 10:20 am to walk over to the church – about a 20 minute walk. That has become a new normal for many of us – walking where we need to go. I am sure it won’t take long after we return home to revert to using the automobile to get from one place to another. After worship (estimated to last between 1 ½ to 2 hours – similar to last Sunday) we have a bit of free time for lunch. Then we have an option to hear an archeologist, whom Emily studied under, give a presentation at JUC from 2-4. After that we have the president’s reception followed by the departure meeting. At the departure meeting we will learn what to anticipate as we get to the airport. The Israelis are experts in safe air travel which can mean the process can be a bit of a pain for travelers but we can be confident it will be safe.

Wow, in two days we should be heading home. We have filled up a number of “file drawers” as they say at JUC. They pack it in so that when we get home we can spend lots of time unpacking it and using it. It truly has been a blessing to be able to travel the land where Jesus walked and taught.

Again, thank you for your prayers.

Pastor Dave

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Today was a rain day. We began with breakfast at 6:30 am and got on the bus at 7:15. During the night we could hear it rain and it kept it up through out the day. Some times it rained like a good shower at home and other times it was just a sprinkle. Occasionally it stopped raining all together. At times we thought it would clear off but it would fill in again. Nevertheless we had a good day.

We began our studies by getting on a boat and going out on the Sea of Galilee. It was raining and a little wavy but it was a large boat that wasn’t affected by the waves. They also dropped the canvas sides on part of the boat so that we were protected from the rain if we wanted to be or we could stand near the open areas and look out. After we got out a bit they shut off the engine and Emily taught us. One of the things she pointed out is that the Hebrews only have one word for the sea – Yam. That is also the word for the god of the water. The water was seen as a dangerous place and so it is likely that when Jesus and his disciples would cross over to the other side they would not go straight across but go along the shore. She reminded us of creation and the Spirit hovering over the chaos of the water, of Jonah and some of the stories of Jesus calming the storm that can blow into the Sea of Galilee.

Our next stop was Kursi, just a little north of where we are staying on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. It was part of the Decapolis (10 Cities); this is the place where we remember Jesus healing the man who was possessed by the legions of demons. They pleaded with Jesus not to torture them but allow them to go into the herd of pigs. Jesus gave them permission and the herd ran over the cliff and into the Sea. The people of the city came out and pleaded with Jesus to leave. As he was getting into the boat the man who had been healed asked to go along. Jesus did not allow him to come but instructed him to go and tell his family and others what God had done for him. The next time Jesus comes the crowd welcomes him. The man must have done a great job letting others know.

After that we went to Bethsaida. There is some discussion on whether this is the site or if it is down closer to the water. Beth (or in Hebrew Bet) means “house.” Saida means “fisherman.” So the name of the town is house of fishermen. We found a little shelter from the rain and reviewed the 12 disciples that Jesus called to follow him. Emily noted that Jesus seems to have broken the normal pattern of that day in calling disciples. Normally the boys would seek to become disciples of a rabbi and he would either agree or not to take them. We noted Mark 3 which points out that 5 of the 12 disciples of Jesus were fishermen. We also noted that as fishermen they were maybe a little more open to risk-taking. Remember the water was seen as a dangerous place of Yam. We also noted that Simeon was a Zealot, Matthew a tax collector (seen as selling out to the Romans) and that Philip had a Hellenistic name. The main point there is that there was a variety within the 12 disciples. It was also interesting to note that Jesus gave James son of Zebedee and his brother John the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder. We wondered why Jesus might have given them that name. We also noted that we have a couple Sons of Thunder among us. We thought Pete and Loren fit that description.

Next we stopped at place along the Sea of Galilee for lunch. I think it was a closed down restaurant. The rain stopped and we were able to sit outside and enjoy our “bus lunch” once again. The group is beginning to get accustomed to pita for lunch and there is some talk about trying to learn how to make it like they do here.

Then we headed to Capernaum to which Jesus moved from Nazareth according to Matthew 4. Here there is a synagogue from the Byzantine era. Not far from that is a church which is possibly the home of Peter who was from Capernaum. Over top of that site is a church structure which is designed in such a way so as to preserve the excavated area underneath and allow for viewing of it. Also in this area is basalt – a hard dark rock. A number of olive presses have been found in this town leading people to believe that they manufactured them here and people bought them and took them elsewhere.

After that we went to the Mount of Beatitudes and looked inside the church that has been built to commemorate that event. Then we sat outside and read the entire Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. After that we took time for quite reflection as we looked out over the Sea of Galilee. Not far from there is a place that recalls the multiplication of the loaves and fish call Tabga. Then we quickly walked over to the site that remembers Jesus reinstating Peter. This structure is located right on the Sea of Galilee as well. We were loosing our sunlight and had only a few minutes before they closed. But we took time to read the story from John 21.

The sun was setting as we headed back to the hotel. We could see the clouds breaking up over the western shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. Hopefully tomorrow will be a dry and sunny day for us. But we also recognize that the people here are thankful for the rain. As we started out our day getting on the boat the workers thanked us for bringing the rain. We are glad they were blessed with rain today. We hope they are blessed with more next week but not tomorrow. Tomorrow we head west from here and then back to Jerusalem.

Thanks for praying! Shalom.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

This morning we were able to sleep in an extra 15 minutes! We didn’t need to leave until 7:15 am. Wow, was that nice. After breakfast at the hotel which began at 6:30 am, at which we noticed how a tour group from Korea swarmed the buffet, (they must not have gotten the extra 15 minutes like us) we hoped on the bus and headed north to Tel Hazor (in the Rift Valley a little north of the Sea of Galilee). This has historically been a significant city because it guarded some of the main trade routes. There is evidence of a Canaanite city being here during the time of the patriarchs. Emily pointed out that it is mentioned in Joshua 11 as a leading city against the Israelites trying to take the land. She also pointed out that it is mentioned in 1 Kings 9 as one of the cities that King Solomon fortified. The city has gone between the rule of Israeli and non-Israeli leaders throughout it’s history.

It is a very large Tel with an upper and lower level. There has been a lot of work done on the upper level but no work done on the lower level. In fact we were surprised to see that the lower level is being farmed and wheat has been planted on it.

Next we went a little further north to Tel Dan. This Tel has plenty of fresh water. A spring provides about 1/3 of the water that forms the Jordan River. Israel and Syria divert a lot of that water so that today the Jordan River is not as big as it once was. As you might imagine, water is a very precious item in this region. There are many groves and farms in this northern part of Israel. We hiked along the trail in the greenery along the stream up to the Tel. There was a gate system that we took note of. Also we went further up to a high place where there was a scale model of an altar. We were reminded of when the kingdom of Israel was divided into the north and south, King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan so that the people didn’t need to go to Jerusalem to worship. Dan was another city on a major trade route.

From there we went to Caesarea Philippi, the city furthest north that we have record of Jesus bringing his disciples. While there, Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was. Then he asked them who he was. You may remember that Peter answered that he was the Christ the Son of the Living God. At Caesarea Philippi there was a temple to the god Pan. Jesus could have been making a contrast between himself and the “dead” god that was being worshiped there. Here there is another spring that is part of the head waters of the Jordan River. The city received it’s name from King Herod Philip – he named it after Caesar and also after himself.

The weather has been cloudy today. At Caesarea Philippi the rain finally started coming down. It is also much cooler up here. I expect (and hope) this will be the coldest day of the trip and the rain will be over for a few more days (may it come again after we return home – apparently Israel has been in a bit of a drought for the past several years).

Our final stop was up to the Golan Heights. Johnny, our driver, did a great job of getting us up there. By the time we got to the top of the mount it was raining and we were in the clouds. Nevertheless Emily marched us up to the lookout and in the rain called us to use our imaginations as she pointed out the various geographic locations. We were reminded of the Damascus Road experience of Saul (Paul) following the road to Damascus which we imagined we could see. We were also reminded of when Jesus took three disciples and went up the mountain. There he met with Moses and Elijah and a cloud enveloped them. Emily was sure that God sent the cloud to give us that same kind of feeling.

Most of us were feeling a little cold and damp. So as soon as Emily was done we hustled over to the coffee and gift shop located up there. They did a rousing business from our group mostly in terms of hot drinks but the gift shop made a few sales as well. The gal working there encouraged us to come in and shop because the forecast was for snow and fog tomorrow – or so she said. She didn’t expect any customers tomorrow. Some members of our group were willing to help her out. We just have such giving people in this group.

After that we returned to our hotel and got back a little earlier than expected. We tried to keep things moving to get ahead of the rain so we finished a little early. That gave us time to meet at 6 pm for group devotions and we had our evening meal at 7. Another good day. Thank you Lord. And thank you for your continued prayers. We hope and pray all is well on the home front. It is hard to believe that we have 2 more days of learning, then a free day and after that we head home.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The other day was the day of the animals. Today begins as the day of the machine. We began at Tell Beth Shean. Emily had to compete with a back hoe, a crop duster airplane and a scooter when she was talking. Later she had to compete with some kind of hammer (jack-hammer?) and a scooter. One of the things we plan to focus on today is the entrances and exits to the Jezreel Valley.

We left the hotel around 7 am. Our first stop was into town to buy pita bread for lunch. We discovered that it must be market day because there were many vehicles lined up with produce waiting to turn down a particular street. The produce looked amazing. We saw heads of cauliflower, tomatoes and corn. We also have been enjoying many fresh vegetables. After picking up the pita bread we headed up the Rift Valley (north of the Dead Sea along the Jordan River toward the Sea of Galilee). There was a lot of farming being done. We were often trying to figure out what was growing in the fields. Not far away we noticed the barrenness of the land. How different it looks without water. There was also a mist coming up off the Jordan River that gave the valley a unique look.

Our first stop was at Beth Shean which is about ¾ of the way north of the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee. It is just west of the Rift Valley along the Harod Valley. Thus it has been a significant location for watching over the trade routes. The Egyptians had a presence here and we were able to see where the governor’s palace used to be. We don’t often hear of the Egyptians being this far north but that has happened more often. Beth Shean was located on top of a hill. This Tell also reminds us of the story of King’s Saul’s final battle. 1 Samuel 27 tells us that the night before the battle Saul went up to En Dor (a little north and past the camp of the Philistines) and found a witch there. He had her contact Samuel who informed Saul that he would lose the battle. The next day that is what happened. The Philistines took Saul’s body and Jonathon, his son, and hung them from the city wall. At night some of the men from Jabesh-Gilead came and took the bodies down and gave them the proper care.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Israel was recorded here – 129 degrees! There is also a good amount of rainfall annually – about 12 inches. So it is a good location for a city. Thankfully there were no records being set today. The weather was beautiful. It is slightly cool which makes for great walking. We did need to walk up a number of steps to get to the top of the Tell but nothing terribly difficult. Some of the members of the group seem to be feeling it from walking down the Masada yesterday.

After spending way too little time at Beth-Shean we hopped on the bus and headed off to Megiddo. As we drove along we saw “Nazareth Ridge” but the ancient core where Jesus grew up is just to the other side.

Our next stop was at the Tell of Megiddo. 26 levels have been found at this Tell which indicates it was a very important city that was often fought over. A group from Chicago did a “trench dig” to discover the various levels. This was a very important Ttell because it guards one of the passes into the Jezreel Valley as part of the Inter-Coastal Highway. The first gate system we saw was one with stairs indicating it was before the time of chariots. Next we saw both a 4 chamber gate as well as a 6 chamber gate. The 6 chamber is believed to be from the time of Solomon.

It is a little cooler at Tell Megiddo. It is a little closer to the Mediterranean Sea and higher. We also walked down 183 steps into the water system (It is dry and no longer in use.) and 80 steps back up after going through a tunnel. This was similar to Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem. There is a spring just outside the city and it is believed that during the time of King Omri or Ahab this was dug to bring water from the stream into the Tell.

Our next stop was at Sephoris, a town near Nazareth. There were some remains from the time of Jesus there. But also around the time of his birth, following the death of King Herod the Great, the town rebelled against Rome. Rome sent a strong force to deal with the rebels. Not long after that, Herod’s son decided to make this his capital city. So there is some speculation that Jesus may have worked in this town. It is about a 45 minute walk from Nazareth. Emily noted that we often speak of Jesus as a carpenter. However the Hebrew term can better be translated “craftsman” which could include working with wood. But Emily called us to think about the basic building material used in the country. We agreed that it isn’t wood. Most of the buildings are made out of stone.

Our last site to visit for the day was Nazareth. We went to a high place on the ridge where we could look down on the city. Nazareth has grown and expanded. It is no little town like in Jesus’ day. Then it may have had about 300 or so members. Today it has spread out over the hillside. Just to the south, over the ridge, is the Jezreel Valley where many historically significant events happened in Israel’s history. Jesus no doubt heard those stories. We ended the day with a reading from Luke 4 where Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah and tells the people that prophesy is being fulfilled in their day by himself. They try to throw Jesus off a high cliff but he walks through the crowd. We were on a high cliff and that made the story even more real.

Following that, we loaded up on the bus as the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping. We had about an hour and a half bus ride to our new hotel – JUC north as Emily calls it. It is a beautiful resort right on the Sea of Galilee. We are anxious to see it in the light since we arrived in the dark. We gathered for supper which provided us with some new choices and opportunities to try foods we are not as familiar with or to stay with choices we know. It was a little bit later than normal due to the time we arrived so there wasn’t much time after supper. Most of us are planning to do a couple of things in the room and then hop into bed for some much anticipated sleep.

Tomorrow morning breakfast is at 6 and we need to be on the bus at 7:15. Emily graciously has given us an extra 15 minutes to sleep in!! We plan to enjoy every one of those minutes. The plan for tomorrow is to head north of the Sea of Galilee.

Monday, Jan 9

Stan fought the Sea and the Sea won. Stan got a little scrapped up but is doing fine. The salt water didn't feel too good or taste all that great. But all in all we had a great day!

Monday, Jan 9

We began the day with an early start once again. We needed to be on the bus by 6:30 am with our bags packed. We packed some bags to take along and other bags with stuff we would not need we were able to leave at the hotel in a locked room. The earliest we were able to get breakfast was 6 am so it was a quick meal and then on the road.

The reason we wanted to leave so early was so that we would be at Masada by 8 am, hopefully before most of the other tour busses. Our driver did a great job of getting us there on time. As we traveled we noticed what a dry and barren land we were going through. We went east to Jericho and then headed south toward the Dead Sea. As we traveled Nelly lead us in a devotion focused on Psalm 23 with the image of the shepherd.

We arrived at Masada, a fortress built by Herod the Great on a hill with steep sides all the way around. We took a tram to the top and then spent a bit of time walking around the top. Emily talked about the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes. The Sadducees tended to accept the Hellenistic worldview which held that this world is all there is so make the best of it. There is no life after death. The other three groups opposed the rule of the Romans to various degrees. While Masada doesn’t have any direct biblical connection it does reflect King Herod’s building abilities. Also during the Jewish revolt of AD 70 around 900 Zealots were in Masada. The 9,000 soldiers of Rome had a difficult time getting into the fortress but eventually they did.

After walking around the top of Masada and seeing some of what is left of the beauty and imagining what it might have looked like, many of us took the snake path down, walking about 700 steps down. Some of that was with a railing and some without. Some of it was steps but much of it was simply a foot path with some loose gravel. The trip down definitely called us to use some muscles that we had not used too much in the recent past. However we also had the choice of going down the tram. So it was our choice to experience the walk down or not.

The first couple of days we did a lot of walking around Jerusalem. But since we have been making bus trips our walking has decreased greatly. I assume they do that intentionally to get us familiar with Jerusalem and then work our way out. I also think they do it to help with “jet lag” so that we are really tired the first couple of nights.

After Masada we headed north just a little before En Gedi to swim in the Dead Sea and have lunch. Many of the group felt it was warm enough to take a dip – so we could at least say we were in the Dead Sea. However, the wind was a bit strong (not like NW Iowa) but enough to give us some waves which made getting into the water a little challenging. The salt formed a layer on the rocks on the shoreline that was very sharp and dangerous. One person put it like this when asked about the experience of swimming in the Dead Sea: “I felt like I fought the Sea.” Stan De Weerd found out how sharp that salt can be when he scraped up both arms. Sadly, for him, the Sea won! The Dead Sea is much more salty that the ocean seas and a number of the group found out how difficult it is to see once you get it in your eyes. Most of the folks that went in also discovered what a terrible taste it has. But hey, we were in the Dead Sea!

Following our dip in the Dead Sea we prepared our picnic lunch of peta bread with turkey and cheese, olives, pickles, carrots, hummus, and apples. It was a great idea to have that after our swim so that we could get the salt water taste out of our mouths.

Next we boarded the bus and headed a little further north to the site of En Gev. This is a wadi (dry stream that often floods when it rains) where one can see three different water falls. It is also a stream that continues to run throughout the dry season. As you can imagine, water is extremely important in such a dry area of land. As we looked up the wadi canyon the story of David cutting off the edge of Saul’s garment came to mind. You may remember when King Saul was chasing David and David and his men were hiding in a cave. Saul came in to relieve himself and David rather than killing him simply cut off a piece of the robe. After Saul left David yelled across the canyon to him and Saul recognized the error of his ways. It would have been hard to cross back across the canyon and get to David. Yet it would have been easy to hear each other calling across the canyon. We did take a walk up to a couple of the waterfalls and noticed a number of folks enjoying the fresh water pools at the base of the falls.

Our next site was Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We took note of the communal living conditions and the dedication of the group to copy and store scripture. That find enabled scholars to compare what we have to a much earlier time. It was reaffirming to discover that there were very few differences. We ended the day by Emily reading from Ezekiel 47 which talks about the water flowing from the Temple under the threshold toward the east (the Temple faces east). The water then flows south and it would follow the Kidron wadi to the Dead Sea. There it will make the water fresh but not change the marshy land (with the salt deposits which were significant in olden days). On both sides of the river there will be green trees growing. Instead of a dead sea there will be swarms of living creatures. Fishermen will stand along the shores from En Gedi to En Eglaim.

What a great picture to imagine, especially now that we have seen what that land looks like. Someone made the comment that they just didn’t imagine the land like this – dry with large hills or cliffs and so much of the land looking like that. And then close by seeing beautiful green areas with trees and cropland. There is a vast variety of “land” in this place.

Finally we traveled north to Jericho where we are planning to spend the night. The rooms are wonderful with both a bathtub and shower, large king-sized beds, a desk, large closet and cushioned chair. We went down for supper around 6 pm. There was a new variety of foods for us to try. Tonight we have the evening free. Tomorrow breakfast is at 6 with the intention of heading north and west toward Beth-Shean, Megiddo, Sephoria and Nazareth. We plan to spend the next three nights in Galilee.

Once again, thanks for remembering us in your prayers.