Today, our last day, began with a look out the windows that nearly blinded us.  The sun coming up over the Jordanian mountains was brilliant as we looked out over the Dead Sea.  Our day started more slowly so we had time to read and reflect which is, on this trip, space much needed.  Our hotel room had a deck and we spent time thinking, praying and mentally walking through the past two weeks while enjoying the sun.

Our first stop of the morning was Masada, one of Israel’s most famous emblems.  Just as the early church was getting started in the first century an attempted revolution broke out across Israel.  Zealots sought to overthrow the Roman oppressors.  The Romans of course won this war but the final battle was played out on the shores of the Dead Sea on a mountain top called Masada.  One thousand Jewish zealots held off ten thousand Roman soldiers for three long years.  In the end the Romans built a siege ramp that climbed well over one thousand feet to reach the walls of the mountain top fortress. In the face of conquest the zealots committed suicide rather than face slavery or worse.  An amazing array of artifacts and buildings have been found here: Herod’s onetime palace complete with a private library, pool and an amazing view; pot shards with Jewish zealots names that comprised the lottery by which it was decided the order of death among the zealots; and an ancient system for delivering water to this desert location.  Masada is truly an amazing place to visit with a sense of profound emotion.  Today Jews come here to make a vow because it is so significant in the national mindset.  It is thought that the location of a vow strengthens its value.  The view from the top provides perspective to the region with the historic eight camps of Rome’s Tenth legion still visible after almost 2 millenniums.

Our next stop was unplanned since international relations can often alter agendas in this region.  Jordan and Israel have just re-opened the site along the Jordan River where Jesus was most likely baptized.  We were able to enter the demilitarized zone and literally dip our feet into the swollen River.  Imagining John leading Israel in a national repentance along these banks and then Jesus beginning his ministry here caused many of us to sit quietly in prayer.  The setting was peaceful with swaying reeds and palm trees but there were signs of the always tense border situation.  Two Israeli soldiers armed with machine guns sat in the shade.  The monasteries which have been built here over the centuries are riddled with bullets.  And we were warned to stay close since walking any distance off of the trail could result in the detonation of a land mine.

We then traveled across the country to the coastal plane.  This is the area between Jerusalem and Joppa where David would have fought Goliath and Napoleon the Great marched on Jerusalem.  It was great to see yet another region within the country where so many Bible stories occurred.  We ended our day at a wonderful restaurant in Joppa for what our tour host calls the final supper.  And now, we are literally writing from the Ben-Gurion airport awaiting our flight.  It has been the adventure of a lifetime… literally.  We have walked where Jesus walked, visited sites straight from the books of Genesis, Exodus, Samuel and the Gospels, and felt the pulse of the complicated social situation of the Middle East.  We will be happy to see our families but sad to leave this beautiful land.  Thank you to all who have followed along with our journey.  We hope that there is a sense of God’s Spirit and his remarkable work across history that accompanies this blog as it has us as we have traveled over the past twelve days.

Today dawned bright and sunny which is a real change after the last week.  There were ups and downs to the weather during this time but it was nice to see Jerusalem in the sun.

We began the day on the Mount of Olives for one last panoramic view of the city.  The Dome of the Rock sparkled on the Temple Mount.  The Eastern Gate, blocked up by Muslim conquerors attempting to prevent the return of the Messiah, stood tall and a bit foreboding.  We were able to see many of the sites we had visited and get a better perspective.  After five days of exploration, learning and walking in the footsteps of Jesus we are moving on and there is a deep sadness in leaving this great city behind.

Our next stop was to the town of Bethany just over the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem.  However, because Bethany is in the Palestinian West Bank an enormous fence separates it from Jerusalem causing travelers to go far out of their way to get to this town; it may have taken us as long to drive there as Jesus would have taken to walk.  This is the town where He spent the nights during the week leading up to his death and resurrection.  He probably stayed with his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus—Lazarus is the one whom He raised from the dead.  We visited the church which has been built on this site and climbed down into a cave traditionally associated with this miracle.  But possibly the most poignant thing about this town was the state of its inhabitants.  We found out that when the wall went up that separates it from Jerusalem the city lost much of its livelihood as tourists are much less likely to visit now.  Our guide, a very compassionate man, was obviously heartbroken for the community and we found ourselves buying things at the shops and offering full price—an unheard of practice in Israel.  One shop owner exhibited to great effect his sling shooting rocks far into the air and claiming he was aiming for his mother-in-law across town.  This was quite an effective sales technique.

Next we stopped at Qumran, the community where the Dead Sea Scrolls were created.  We explored the layout of the community and their remarkable water transport system.  Qumran is on the edge of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, and its surroundings are desert.  But the people who lived there found an ingenious way to dam up a mountain valley miles away and have the water channeled to their community.  They believed in ritual purification resulting in three baths a day so water was in high demand and their remarkable technology provided it.

We then traveled along the Dead Sea through the desert for quite some time.  Ibex’s and rock badgers were plentiful and the sky was pure blue over the sparkling sea.  In between were the red mountains that rise high above the water.  It was remarkable in its beauty and our bus grew quiet as people gazed at the gorgeous surroundings.  We stopped briefly at En Gedi, a spring that King David fled to in a great moment of trouble.  “En” means spring and the water pouring from the mountain spring here was testimony to the fact that it was named correctly.  We learned that this was one of the richest places on earth in the time of Jesus as the people who lived here exported salt, a pricy commodity in the ancient world, as well as a variety of perfume highly prized by the likes of Cleopatra.

Tonight we stay for just this evening at the Dead Sea.  What an experience to fall back into water and not to sink!  It’s beyond explanation.  The water was much warmer than expected and so we swam far out into the sea and watched the sun set on the Jordanian mountains.  It was easy to think of the Israelites traveling through this land looking for their new home over three millenniums ago.  Far to the north of us now, Mount Nebo, the place of Moses’ burial, stands.  As we bobbed effortlessly on the surface the time of reflection grew profound thinking of all that surrounds us.  This land has worked its way inside us and we sense that its grip will last as long as we do.  We sleep tonight for the final time in Israel as tomorrow we will be on the flight back to the United States.  It will be good to be home as we miss our families but there will be a loss in leaving this place behind us as well.

We began the morning at the City of David, a newer museum and archaeological park south of the city walls.  The city that David, Israel’s greatest king, first conquered in 1000 BC is not even in the city of Jerusalem anymore as after the temple was built Jerusalem’s inhabitants tended to move up the hill around it and to the West.  Walls and towers from David’s lifetime are now visible after being excavated in the recent past so it was exciting to see this Old Testament area come alive.

Another Old Testament site outside of Jerusalem is a tunnel, once lost, that King Hezekiah had built in the 8^th century to import water inside the city from the Gihon spring.  It runs for over 1,500 meters winding its way through solid rock and is filled with knee high water even today.  Josh and some of the others in our group decided to walk through it to the pool of Siloam where it ends in the city.  Dark and very close, this tunnel is at times uncomfortable but the water was surprisingly warm and the experience was one never to be forgotten.

Our next stop was to the Davidson center at the edge of the Temple Mount.  Built in honor of a famous explorer and archaeologist, this center walks visitors through what it would have been like to experience the temple as an ancient worshiper.  It contains a piece of the ancient arch that supported one of the entrances to the temple.  And we were able to climb the southern steps to the now blocked Huldah gate through which ancient temple goers would have entered through subterranean passages.  A ritual cleansing site sits outside and in the rain it was even filled with water seemingly beckoning newcomers to get cleansed before entering the site.

Lunch was back at Ruth’s Field Restaurant in Bethlehem.  We have eaten their twice.  The prices are good and the food excellent.  And Ruth is a wonderful hostess who introduces herself to everyone personally as we come in like family.

Our group had the afternoon off but we spent the time going into the old city with our tour host Galen to a place called Baidun’s.  Khader Baidun is an antiquities dealer whose shop is filled with costly treasures dating as far back as Abraham’s day.  We sat drinking tea and listening to Khader’s amazing connections in the United States.  He showed us emails and letters from biblical scholars and pastors who had all traveled to his store including Chuck Swindoll.  Various lamps and oil supply jars were laid out before us.  It was an extraordinary feeling seeing artifacts that dated from almost every era of biblical history.

After Baidun’s we traveled through the market.  Dave got some excellent photos including one of spices, some of which would have been used in tombs such as Jesus’.  We made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher for the second time.  Earlier in the week the site was so busy we were unable to enter the chamber where the resurrection site is housed.  But this afternoon we were able to enter after a short wait.  What an experience to sit in this place and think of the power that emanates from this one moment of history when the Son of God rose victorious over sin and death.  It was an extraordinary afternoon all around.

The last event of this day only built on what had already been an exceptional set of experiences.  The Western Wall, Judaism’s most holy site, is revered because it is a part of the temple mount that authentically dates back to the last temple in existence—the very temple Jesus visited.  But the Western Wall where people gather to pray is really not very large compared to the historic temple.  That’s because most of the wall is covered by the Muslim quarter of the city and is now underground.  We were able to travel through underground passageways that have been opened up to take visitors and pilgrims down the length of the Western Wall as it extends underground for hundreds of yards.  Herod the Great built this temple to earn the favor of the Jews and his remarkable building plan included rocks as long as 40 feet and weighing up to 600 tons as well as lopping off the top of Mount Moriah, the mountain on which Jerusalem was built.  Intermittently, we came upon people in this narrow tunnel who had come to pray and read the Scriptures.  One of Jerusalem’s historic synagogues was literally down in this area underground.  And even today there is a synagogue that actively meets in this area as it is the closest to the ancient Holy of Holies.

As we are leaving Jerusalem in the morning, this day was a bittersweet time filled with experiences we will long remember.  Our Scripture readings will forever be shaped by images we have been able to see during this time.  Tomorrow we make our way to the Dead Sea for the last leg of our journey.

Today, day nine, is Sabbath for the residence of Jerusalem.  So, because Sabbath begins at sundown on the night previous, last night at dinner we were surrounded by families with small children reading the Sabbath’s traditional passages and dressed in their Sabbath best.  It was a heartwarming sight to see families together like this so far from home.  However, things got slightly out of hand when Josh went for some salad and was confronted by a young girl standing right on the salad bar!  Her mother quickly removed her but it reminded us of the very different environment we are in.

Today, the roads were free of traffic as the city’s inhabitants remembered the Sabbath.  Many shops were closed and we were forced to end our site visiting prematurely as even the Tower of David museum closed early.  We were not quite sure how much of this was normal Sabbath behavior or whether the weather had something to do with it.  (It was our coldest day yet, though we had less rain and no snow.)

Our day began at the Mount of Olives.  A sometimes thick but sometimes patchy fog covered the city.  We watched sites such as the Dome of the Rock, the Eastern Gate, and various historic churches appear then disappear as the fog came and went.

Next we went to the Garden of Gethsemane.  An extraordinary church has been built on the site.  It is called the Basilica of the Agony commemorating Christ’s night of prayer as He waited for Judas’ betraying kiss.  This church looks and feels just as a church on this site should… a darkened interior with deep purple stained glass windows allowing in just enough light to remind us that this night ended in triumph not hopelessness.  A rock, preserved through the centuries, sits at the center where Jesus was said to have maintained his prayer vigil.  The church is a place of silence and, even with the crowds moving through, prayer was possible and welcomed.  We found ourselves sitting off to the side silently observing and meditating on the meaning of such a place.

From the Mount of Olives we traveled through the Kidron valley and around the ancient City of David which sits at the southern end of Jerusalem.  Josh, of course, wished he could have been let off the bus to explore the historic site but we’re coming back tomorrow for that.  We turned North up the western side of Jerusalem and traveled through Ben Hinnom or as Jesus referred to it, Gahenna.  This was the site of ancient idol worship and in Jesus’ day trash was burned here continuously making it a perfect metaphor for Jesus’ teachings on the dark side of the afterlife.

An enormous treat awaited us at the Israel museum where we were able to view an extremely large model of the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day.  We walked around the model in the falling rain locating sites of historic events.  Herod’s palace, the Temple, the pools of Bethesda and Siloam, and all of the various walls were visible for us to see at one site.  We also were able to enter the Shrine of the Book, the location where Israel keeps some of its greatest literary treasures such as the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Learning about the Essenes, an ultra conservative religious group from the first century, was fascinating.  The scrolls were obtained after events that sounds like they come straight from an Indiana Jones movie.  This museum was definitely a highlight for both of us.

Our day ended early at the Tower of David Museum built on the site of Herod the Great’s onetime palace right on the western walls of the city.  This museum walks the visitor through every layer of history providing us with a timeline and details we had never heard before.  Jerusalem sits in the crossroads of the world’s cultures and the wars and conquests that it has undergone are staggering.

With our minds loaded with facts and photos and notes to organize, we got back to the hotel early for our own Sabbath.  Tomorrow will be our last day in the city; time seems to fly so fast here with all that we are experiencing.  It is truly a privilege to sense this city’s many offerings even in the wild weather we are experiencing.

Today will go down as one of the more interesting days, not just for us, but for our tour guide, bus driver and hosts as well as for all in the city of Jerusalem.  Some precipitation had been predicted but a significant amount of snow fell this morning–enough to cause our driver to park the bus for the day after just an hour or two.  But there is something beautiful about this weather in the Holy Land.  It’s so unexpected.  We saw numbers of children out from school having snow ball fights and experiencing snow for possibly the first time with expressions of wonder obvious on their faces.  It felt like a holiday with places closing unexpectedly and a general sense of celebration in the air.

Our first stop of the morning was truly moving.  Caiaphas, the high priest during Jesus trial, had his house in the old City of David and it has been found.  We were able to sit in the very area where the Jewish ruling council met to hear false testimonies concerning Jesus.  A statue of Peter denying Christ sits above the area as a reminder of how many betrayals truly went on that evening.  And possibly most moving, the prison or pit where Jesus probably spent the night waiting for Pilate to see him sits just a small walk from Caiaphas’ house.  To think of the God who created everything sitting ensconced in this small hole in the rock awaiting one of his own created beings whimsical availability was a bit much for our imaginations.  Outside is a Roman stairway from the era that Jesus very likely walked with his captors on the night He was betrayed.

After Caiaphas’ house, our bus driver felt it was unsafe to operate any further and so we were blessed to be able to walk our way West to East across the Old City of Jerusalem.  Beginning at the Jaffa Gate, we made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  This is very likely the most hallowed place of worship across all Christianity’s different groups.  This is the traditional location for Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and so we pressed our way through the masses to see the sites.  The anointing stone was first where Jesus’ body was said to have lain after being taken down from the cross.  Then we visited the Rotunda, newly refurbished, where the surviving parts of the tomb sit.  We experienced Golgotha, the area where Christ was crucified.  And we were able to walk inside a more intact tomb from the 1st century to get a sense of what Jesus’ tomb would have looked like before the Romans defaced it a century later.  We then began to travel the Via Dolorosa walking the stations of the cross–14 traditional sites where Jesus walked on the way to his death.

A sense of somberness was over our group to some extent as we traveled this way, continuously made aware at each station of the pain that accompanied Jesus’ walk.  But at the end we were greeted by St Anne’s Cathedral and the “white father” in charge of it.  St Anne is the mother of Mary and the church was built almost 1,000 years ago to honor her. But, in contrast to many of the better known churches we have visited, St Anne’s is in beautiful shape and the priest in charge, one of the French white fathers, had a wonderful sense of humor.  The cathedral is an acoustic wonder and we sang a variety of songs a capella our voices echoing beautifully around the rocky walls and ceiling.  The priest came and shared a laugh with some of us, knocked one of our hats off, and genuinely asked us to sing more.  A surprise waited for us outback as the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years is right next door to St Anne’s. Layers of ancient ruins including a Byzantine church and a Crusader church had covered it up but it was found in the last century.  It was a fitting and gracious end to our day being in the presence of such a warm and gracious priest at the beautiful cathedral and then visiting the site of one of Jesus’ gracious miracles.

The snow was beginning again and so we walked up the East side of the city outside the gates to our hotel.  The experience of Jerusalem is much different than other parts of this land.  It is bustling and noisy as street vendors clamor for attention.  We were constantly cautious about pick pockets which are numerous.  We saw a scuffle break out among some young men.  But this city sits at the crossroads of three continents and three different world-class religions.  Intermittently, our time was broken up by the Muslim muzims calling for prayers to be offered over noisy loudspeakers.  And it seemed quite ironic to be waiting in line with hurried strangers to see the site of Christ’s resurrection.  And yet, maybe that is the nature of God’s entry into our lives.  He is peaceful but our reception of Him is not.  Like people everywhere, this city has received Him with great celebration, obstinate avoidance and even violent anger.  Very different than one of our worship services, we walked all day through a noisy mixture of cultures and yet these are the people Christ loves.  There are ways in which Jerusalem will forever reshape the way we imagine Christ and the way we should worship Him.

Our first morning in Jerusalem was accented with gusty winds and rain.  Some forecasts predicted snow in Jerusalem, but none was observed.  (That may be saved for tomorrow.)  Snow would have been appropriate, as Bethlehem was included on our itinerary today, even though Christmas in the Holy Land does not usually include solid precipitation.

After a two-minute bus ride, our first stop was the Garden Tomb.  Operated by the British, it is a multi-nationally sponsored site that is one of two possible locations for Calvary and Jesus’ tomb.  Archaeological evidence suggests that the tomb dates earlier than Jesus’ time, to the time of the first Temple.  In addition, the “place of the skull” that we were shown is actually in an area that has been excavated and was not visible at the time of Christ.  Nevertheless, the garden is beautiful and the tomb serves as an excellent example of what Jesus’ tomb would have been like.  During our visit we held a Communion service, performed by several of the eleven ministers in our group.  Partaking of the bread, representing Christ’s body; and the cup, representing his shed blood, so close to the actual place where they were offered on our behalf was an experience none of us will ever forget.  We closed the bread and cup communion by singing He Lives!

Our next destination was the Herodium, Herod the Great’s amazing hilltop fortress and palace as well as the site of his tomb.  By the time our bus reached the visitors’ parking lot, it was raining and gusting impressively.  Only a few brave souls, including Josh, ventured to the top.  They returned to the bus completely drenched, but convinced that the climb and braving the elements had been worth it.

As we made our way to Bethlehem, we were reminded of the divided nature of this country.  Palestinian control of a portion of Bethlehem caused us to cross through a walled portion of the city as well as a border checkpoint.  Our first stop in David’s City, was at a Christian dealer in olive wood and mother of pearl carvings.  Carved representations of the Nativity ranged from $3.95 to $18,000.  Our guide, Raed, knew some of the families who operate the shop and we benefited with a 20% discount.

Another short bus ride took us to Ruth’s Field, a restaurant in Bethlehem, also operated by Christians.  We could choose from a vegetarian lunch of pitas, hummus, and salad; or a shwarma of chicken.  We both opted for the meat, and it reminded us of Israel’s answer to a chicken steak hoagie.

Within walking distance of the restaurant was The Shepherd’s Field, another Franciscan holy site and chapel.  We were impressed to view the hillsides of Bethlehem with their deep-dipping valleys and exposed tops.  The wind and rain prompted us to think how necessary it would have been for the shepherds to protect their flocks from the elements.  A chapel on this particular hillside was made from a shepherd’s cave.  Tradition says it was used by those who were greeted by the angel on the night of Christ’s birth.  We were glad to take refuge while we listened to Josh read Micah 5:2, as well as the shepherd’s story in Luke 2.  Adjacent to the chapel is a Catholic church with three murals depicting the shepherd’s experience on the night of Christ’s birth.

We next traveled to the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of Christ’s birth.  The church, owned by three different denominations is the oldest Christian church in the Holy Land.  Influences from Russian Orthodoxy fill the church, including a dividing wall and chandeliers given by Nicholas, the last czar of Russia.  After traveling down a few steps, we entered the Grotto of the Nativity, the place where tradition says Jesus was born.  The spot is marked with a metal star encircled with ornate candle holders.  A short distance from the place of birth is the manger where the baby Jesus was laid.  While the design and decorations of this church are a far cry from the actual conditions when Jesus was born, we didn’t have to look very far to observe the walls and ceiling of the original cave where animals would have been stabled.

We returned to our hotel to change clothes, but only for a brief minute.  We had an opportunity to take a walking trip into Jerusalem’s Old City.  The rain had mostly subsided, and we were game.  We walked with our host, Galen Hackman and his son, Nathan.  It was a remarkable three-mile hike past the Damascus gate, the Joppa Gate and into the city through marketplace shops and then to an old hotel where for five shekels we were allowed to go to the rooftop and look out over Old City Jerusalem.  We were able to spot the Dome of the Rock and the two-domed Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  The rain had begun to pick up, but we continued our trek, culminating at the Western Wall, the portion of Jerusalem’s Second Temple that has survived.  This holy site for all Jews is a location where they pray for the restoration of the Temple.  Their prayers are stuck in cracks and crevices in the wall.

A long soaking journey back to our hotel brought us full circle for the day, as we passed the Garden Tomb on our return trek.  It had been another remarkable day and the cold, rainy weather had not managed to dampen our spirits.  More rain is predicted for tomorrow, and our guide is revising our itinerary to include indoor museum visits.  We appreciate the prayers being offered on our behalf by many of you.

So even before we were able to sleep last night we had one last surprise for us in Galilee.  As in the Gospels, a storm suddenly arose upon the Sea with wind whipping into our room and rain lashing our windows.  It was truly exciting to observe as we have found a way onto the roof of our 10 story hotel and enjoyed the view from there.  It felt like we were a part of one of the stories in the New Testament although we certainly felt good about being on land instead of a boat.

Today we got up with the anticipation that we are reaching the more focused part of our trip—Jerusalem and the surrounding area.  The road we would travel would be similar, possibly even exactly the same, as the one Jesus took on his final journey that ended in the cross and resurrection.

In a cold rain, we left for a baptism site at the Jordan River’s beginnings coming out of the Sea of Galilee.  As we sang hymns and prayed five brave people were baptized in the Jordan.  It was beautiful to see, even in the rain, as each baptism resulted in a remarkable joy expressed openly along with gasps at how cold the water was.  White birds, much like doves, flew down through the trees above the Jordan reminding us of Jesus’ baptism here.  It was a great way to begin the day.

We then went to Bet She’en, a major research project for archaeologists that continues to be excavated year by year.  We were able to see ruins that dated from as early as Kings David and Solomon to 749 AD when a terrible earthquake destroyed the town.  Gigantic columns lay strewn across the formerly busy roads and unoccupied gathering places.  It was a marvel to see.  The whole community, thousands of people, literally left in a single moment when this event occurred.

From there, we traveled to Jericho.  This journey took us from the green, fertile Northern area to progressively browning desert and from Israeli territory to Palestinian as Muslim minarets accompanied each new town.  We also had the good fortune of seeing a whole flock of sheep with a Bedouin shepherd alongside the road and another two Palestinian boys climbing the hills on their own donkeys.  It seemed time has stood still for some of the inhabitants in this area.

Jericho is literally an oasis of date palms in the midst of a brown wilderness—the same wilderness where Jesus was tempted by Satan.  We worked our way through town, eating lunch at an authentic Palestinian Christian’s restaurant, seeing a sycamore tree like the one Zacchaeus climbed, and going to the site of the ancient Jericho.  Interestingly, Jericho is the lowest city in the world and also quite possibly the oldest.  There is a tower partially still visible that dates to 8,500 years before Christ came.  This was the oldest historical site we have seen yet.

From there we journeyed through the Judean hills, literally a desert, to see what is most on our hearts and minds—Jerusalem.  In the rain, we came through the Mount of Olives, just as Jesus would have, and for the first time saw the city who’s history stands at the center of our faith.  What a change from the Northern countryside we have experienced for the past five days; Jerusalem is busy and energetic with people from around the world brushing up against each other.  Again, this must have been how Jesus and the disciples felt as they traveled to that last Passover where so many people gathered from the world of their day.  We begin first thing tomorrow with a much anticipated communion service at the Garden of Gethsemane.  Though, our personal trip to Jerusalem has arrived, there are so many sights to see that we will spend five days here learning, experiencing, worshiping and searching to know our God better.

Today was our last day in the Northern area of Galilee.  Tomorrow we leave for Jerusalem.  We spent the day on one of the most historic pieces of land in the Scriptures—the Jezreel valley.  Battles have been fought here since the time of the book of Judges.  Solomon fortified a city here.  Jesus was raised here.  And the oft quoted passage of Revelation about Armageddon is geographically located here.  So it was a day with much to discover.

Our first stop was Mount Tabor.  This is the traditional site for the Transfiguration of Christ.  We traveled in vans up a road constantly curving its way up the mountain.  The church at the top is beautiful with an incredible mosaic of the Transfiguration in the Nave.  A mass was occurring as we walked through the building and the Scripture was Matthew 17—the story of the Transfiguration.  So we were able to listen to a priest read out the story as we stood gazing at the beauty of this place of worship.  We could see miles of the Jezreel valley when outside and in the distance sites such as Nazareth were clearly visible.  A Franciscan Monastery has continuously led worship on this site through the centuries and remnants of the historic monastery were everywhere with a flourishing flower garden planted in the ruins.  What a site—the ancient monastery filled with the new life as monks grow beauty out of the ancient.

Next we traveled to one of the most ancient cities in the history of the world—Megiddo.  People have inhabited this site for 7,000 years and archaeologists tell us that they have discovered up to 30 different layers of ruins one on top of the next.  The gate dates to the Canaanite era before Moses, and a second gate was probably built by King Solomon.  A large stone lined pit in the ground turned out to be an ancient granary and possibly the most interesting find was a 183 step tunnel that allowed the ancient people to access a spring of water outside the cities walls.  King Solomon once had a horse stable here and a palace as well and the outlines for both buildings are still visible.  This was again a reminder of the ancient history both of the land of Israel and the faith that we are a part of.

We then traveled across the fertile Jezreel valley to Mount Gilboa, the location of many Old Testament events.  King Saul and his son Jonathon died in battle here over 3,000 years ago.  We were able to see the spring where Gideon chose his 300 warriors to fight the Mideonites.  Our guide had a tremendous meditation at this site reminding us that people who follow God must be without fear and expectant at all times.  Gideon was a great faith builder as our group pondered his story alongside the beautiful creek flowing from Gilboa’s spring.

Our day ended at Bet Alpha, a fifth century Jewish synagogue.  It has a complete mosaic that is truly extraordinary.  We gathered to watch a presentation about Judaism and how the mosaic may have come into existence.  The Jews were exiled after the synagogue’s creation so this site sat unnoticed for 1,300 years until it accidentally discovered in 1928 by Jews returning to the Holy Land.

As we rode back to our hotel we came to the Jordan River valley and for the first time got a good view of this historic river.  Across the valley, guard posts in the country Jordan proudly displayed the Jordanian flag.  The boundaries of this land seem so much closer than we are accustomed to with only a few hours to drive before we come across some other nation.  Back at the hotel, we again shared our amazement at God’s blessing in allowing us to be here and see all of the beauty and history.

[Pictures have now been added to Day Three.]

Today was a jam-packed day taking in the sites of Jesus’ early childhood.  There is something incredible about walking in the footsteps, not of the Jesus who ministered and taught, but the Jesus who grew and learned.  These were the places that formed his youth and it was a treasure to be able to see them.

We started out at Siphori, a town within walking distance of Nazareth.  This site was under construction during Jesus’ childhood.  As most of us know, Joseph was a carpenter and it’s likely that Siphori was the site at which he worked, possibly alongside Jesus himself.  It is marked by incredibly beautiful artwork in the form of tile mosaics that are being restored by archaeologists.  It was amazing to think of Jesus learning a trade and working as all of us do.

We then traveled to Nazareth itself for a tour of historic churches.  The first was St Gabriel’s Orthodox Church.  It is built on the only well in Nazareth where, according to tradition, Mary was met by the angel Gabriel while getting water.  Whether it is actually the site of this extraordinary moment or not, this was certainly the well that would have served Jesus’ family.  The art in the church was beautiful but the sound of trickling water from the water coming from the earth continued to remind us of the humanity of our Savior.  As we gazed down into the well there could be no doubt that this journey we are on is truly a spiritual pilgrimage.

The next stop was maybe the least beautiful and yet poignant in its own way.  Synagogues were the Jewish meeting houses of Jesus’ day and the synagogue of Nazareth has a church built on its original site.  We met there and listened to words that Jesus spoke from Luke’s Gospel, remembering that on this site 2 millenniums ago, Jesus came and was rejected by the people whom He had lived with.  The church itself is plain made of stone all the way around but when we sang amazing grace the acoustics transformed our voices into an extraordinary choir.  What a privilege to worship in this place!

We then traveled to St Joseph’s Church, built on the site that Joseph’s house traditionally stood.  Houses of Jesus’ day were more like caves maintaining the cool in the hot summers and warmth when it got cold.  So we descended the steps to a basement crypt where the people of Nazareth once lived. The early church built a baptismal on this site with a mosaic floor and again we were struck by the amazing timeless church we are a part of with brothers and sisters going through the waters of baptism since the very beginning centuries ago.  We could see the ancient remains of early Nazareth.  As we exited we had to walk through the middle of a service being held in the church above capping the moment with worship.

Our next stop was to the largest church in the Middle East…the Basilica of the Annunciation.  Newly built it stands at the traditional location of Mary’s home.  It is a remarkable site with artwork from most of the world’s nations around the courtyard and on the main level.  With two stories connected by a skylight, two services can be held at once with thousands of worshipers being present.  We had the upper hall to ourselves and spent time taking in the moment surrounded by truly remarkable amounts of art and beauty.

Lunch was a cultural experience again as Nazareth is a mostly Palestinian town.  So we enjoyed a traditional meal of shawarma and falafel at a local restaurant.  When we got back in the bus our tour guide surprised us with backliva, a dessert we had had before but was much better in Nazareth.

After lunch we went to Nazareth Village where the ancient city of Jesus is recreated with live actors.  We enjoyed a tour that illustrated a carpenter’s shop, a kitchen, wool making and Jewish worship.  A goat chewed on Josh unexpectedly providing a moment of hilarious laughter.

Last stop of the day was Cana where Jesus turned water into wine.  A beautiful little church is built on the site with a synagogue in the crypt underneath.  The name of the donor who contributed the funds for the synagogue’s construction were literally written on the floor.

Again, a great day experiencing the church of yesterday built on the sites where Jesus once walked.

So today was far different than our two previous days.  For Josh it was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as we got to two extremely ancient Old Testament sites—things he has only read about were coming to life right before him.  But it was also a sobering day as we traveled to two sites where people failed god worshiping falsely.

We began the day at Hazor.  This city was the largest city in Israel when Joshua and the Israelites first crossed into the land over 3,000 years ago.  And the stones that Joshua would have seen were literally visible with the burn marks from the battle fought there.  Later Solomon fortified the city as a protective gateway to Syria and the North.  The entrance he had built was still visible.  Maybe the highlight of this site, was going over hundreds of feet into the earth to see how the ancient people in King Ahab’s day dug a way to get water right through the rock on which Hazor was built.

After Hazor, we traveled North to Dan, one of the most Northerly cities in Israel.  Dan was the site of one of the worst idol worshiping cults and the city, found just a few decades ago in the 1970’s, still has the high place where ancient people worshiped.  A Christian group from Korea was holding a prayer service and our spirits moved as we observed brothers and sisters from across the world asking God’s forgiveness for the ways in which we have failed Him.  It was both incredible to see this site, long forgotten, and deeply saddening to see where God’s people had turned away from following him.  But the joy of seeing brothers and sisters in Christ engaged in moving and emotional prayer on such a site will be one we hold for a long time.

Within walking distance of Dan, the most historic site we have seen so far awaited us.  A gate has been found from one of the ancient Caananite cities from the time of Abraham.  This very well may have been an entrance that Abraham himself walked through 4,000 years ago as he traveled North to set his nephew Lot free from being kidnapped.  To see something as ancient as Abraham in a place where the Scriptures tell us he walked was again a reminder of the reality of our faith and the characters we read about who too easily seem removed from our modern lives.

Next we traveled to Caesaria Philippi where Jesus promised Peter that He would build his church and even the gates of Hell would not stand against God’s amazing Kingdom.  It’s an incredibly beautiful site with the Banias river which feeds the Jordan flowing in front of a gigantic cliff and a grotto where the god Pan was worshiped during the time of Christ.  Jesus’ words about his Kingdom and its power took on new meaning as we saw the religious sites dedicated to Pan and other gods.  We met for a time of worship and prayer asking ourselves if we truly loved God more than the competing alternatives in our lives.  Joy and sorrow mixed as some of us broke into tears thinking of the renewal we need in our lives.  But humorously, as the Spirit truly moved, we sang and an older gentleman from Europe came by to clap and encourage us.

A real treat was traveling to a Druze village and getting to eat lunch at a Druze restaurant.  Druze are a people group that split from the Muslim faith around 1,000 years ago.  Their food was delicious and it was exciting to see yet another variety of people—so far I think we’ve seen people from every continent on earth touring with us along with the native Israelis and Palestinians.  But the Druze are a culture unto themselves with only very few in the world today.  So this chance to visit one of their locations was a rare opportunity.

We closed out the day on the Golan Heights, the area that Syria and Israel have both claimed through the last 50 years.  Our bus driver took us right to the border and we were able to see the United Nations compound and into Syria beyond.  We found ourselves asking God to bring peace to this land where conflict has been too often familiar.  As we traveled down the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, the sun broke through the clouds in this amazing display lighting up the body of water and locations where Jesus spent so much of his time on earth.  And at the same time, we could view through the other side of our bus windows the military installations and fortifications from Syria’s one time occupation of this territory.  Truly it was amazing to feel the presence of the Lord and all the peace He offers in the midst of such obvious signs of historic danger.

All-in-all, this day was truly a change of pace.  Instead of Jesus’ ministry and life, we were looking into more ancient and less positive locations.  But it was a great reminder of the real consequences to the choices we make and the reality of the incredible God we serve.  He has been faithful in this land from a time so far past that it defies our imaginations until we are confronted with the very bricks and mortar that the city walls were made of.  And He has been faithful to us.