Day 1 – Monday

Woke up 3:15a for big travel day.  We met at the church and took a shuttle to LAX.  Left at 6:45a with ~50 new friends.  Thankfully our terminal had a Starbucks!  Departed LA to New York early afternoon.  Arrived New York 5 hrs later, lost 3 hrs, quick dinner and rushed to connecting gate.   Non-stop flight to Tel Aviv was a little over 10 hr flight.  On plane met a young Russian couple (Max and Gloria) from Oregon on their first trip to Israel as well.  Their church was going on the same tour for 2 weeks as we were.  Very nice talking with them.

Day 2 – Tuesday

Flying east we lose time, very interesting looking at the flight map and seeing the day/night boundary across the globe.  Sometime in late morning I look out the window (thankfully I had a window seat) as we are flying over Athens, Greece.  I can see the whole city right on the Mediterranean.  I’m not certain, but I believe we also flew directly over the island of Crete.  I recently read the book of Acts and looked up the map in my Bible.  Thinking of Paul’s adventure sailing along the southern coast of this island.

We finally reach the coast of Israel and I can see the whole coastline along the Medeterranian.  Tel Aviv is a very large metropolitan city, looks like any large US city but with lots of undeveloped areas scattered around for farms or trees.  Nice not to see a strip mall on every piece of available land.  This city is modern day “Joppa”.  We land around 3:50p, that’s 5:50a pacific.  We all congregate at baggage claim, I exchange my cash for sheckels and head out to our tour bus.  Our bus driver is Joeshi (Joseph) and our guide is David.  He is touted as the best guide in all Israel.

We head out north along the Meditation coast highway (not called that actually) and already I’m amazed at how lush and fertile everything is.  The landscape is beautiful and manicured; I don’t see any trash along the road.  This area is called the Sharon Valley.  Over 240 million trees have been planted across Israel since 1948.   This area was once infested with swamps and malaria.  But countless Eucalyptus trees were planted (this tree being a very thirsty tree) which drained the swamps and cured the malaria.

Our bus arrives at our first hotel, the Dan Caesarea, a beautiful hotel only a mile or so from the Mediterranean Sea.   While checking in, I spot a famous person in the lobby.  Our first dinner was unbelievable, pictures say it best.

Day 3 – Wednesday

Of course woke up around 1a and couldn’t get back to sleep, so spent sometime on my balcony thinking, praying.  Noticed how quiet this place is.  Around 4a I decide I will not be able to get back asleep so I go down to the hotel lobby and have a morning devo.  No ‘Grand-Slam’ breakfast here - eggs, bacon, pancakes, instead there are about 7 varieties of cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables.  Had freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice, in fact, I squeezed it!

For our first stop, we head to Caesarea, the former thriving coastal city, now in ruins.   This city was made the capitol after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  We enter the theater, which faces the ocean, and had a morning Bible study and time of worship.  Another tour group had a guy go down to the floor level and sing “How Great Thou Art”.  We were up maybe 20 rows and could hear him perfectly.  The acoustics were amazing.  This city was built by Herod and served as the Roman capitol of Israel.  Three things marked a city in the Roman Empire – a theater, a hippodrome, and an amphitheater, Caesarea had all three.

Outside were statues of Roman emperors; all were beheaded which the Jews did in defiance to Roman occupation and emperor claims of deity.  Next we visit the ruins of Herod the Great’s palace.  It literally was built out on the ocean, and it contained a fresh (not salt) water pool.  The hippodrome, “circus” in Latin, was where Roman chariot racing events occurred.  Visited a crusader (Byzantine) city just north of the hippodrome.  It has a moat all around it complete with a draw bridge.  Smooth corners along the walls indicated the flow of traffic into this city.  This time in history brought the offenses of Europe with it.

Next we stop to view the once active aqueduct, which ran from Mt. Carmel all the way to this coastal city of Caesarea.  Next stop is Mt. Carmel to the place of Elijah’s great victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Ki 18).  Had Bible study up there (Horizon’s name was inspired here).  Visited a monastery there dedicated to that victory.  From this mountain you get a view of the entire Valley of Megiddo.  Nazareth is to the east of Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley.  Had lunch at place know for their falafel.  It was incredible, had two!  Saw my friend Max  (from the plane) at the same stop.  From here we head down to the ancient city of Megiddo.

Megiddo holds a very significant location on the trade routes for the 3 continents.  It lies on 3 strategic roads to the south, east and north and whoever controlled this city controlled this road.  King Ahab set this city as a major seat of his government.  It was conquered by the Assyrians then the Persians.  This city is set on a high hill and still contains remnants of its “high-places” - alters given over to idolatrous worship.  See 4 people doing that very thing on former alter site.  Also, from this city you can see the Damascus road.  Water was brought into this city via a tunnel hewn out of rock that tunneled down to the valley below.  Cultures built cities on mountains because it was not good for anything else and allowed the valleys to be used for farming.  Also provided protection from attack.

We travel up toward modern day Nazareth.  It is set on many hills and is very modern, was similar to San Francisco.  There is an ancient and modern Nazareth today.  The ‘Church of the Enunciation’ was built at the supposed site of Joseph’s carpenter shop.  Nazareth is the capitol of the Galilee, ~200,000 residents, many Arab Christians here – 40% of the Galilee is Israeli Arab.  The name “Galilee” means “region”.   Drove through Cana in the valley down from Nazareth.

From here we travel to the western city of Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee.  Hotel is the Gai Beach, right on the Sea.  The view from this hotel is absolutely stunning!  Dinner was about 15 varieties of vegetables, humus, deserts, delicious!  We have a time of meet and greet after dinner.  Met 2 hotel workers - Alanli and Morena, who are students and also in the military.  It is mandatory for every resident to serve 2 years in the military.

Day 4 – Thursday

I woke up early again and went down to the sea for early morning devo.  Birds were singing, I imagined giving glory to their Creator.  The Galilee is 600 ft below sea level (the 2^nd lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea being the 1st).  It is made up of 3 regions:  Haifa, lower, upper regions.  We depart up to the northern region of Dan, which is the northern most point along the Lebanese border.  It was rainy and chilly.  This region was settled by Jewish immigrants beginning in 1882, Rosh Pina was the first city inhabited in the Galilee.  Name comes from Psalm 118 - “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone”.  Area is called the “Hula Valley” and used to be a lake but now is a beautiful valley with groves everywhere.  The Golan Heights mountain range lies on the NE border with Syria.  This area was once under Syrian control but now is part of Israel.

Dan was the first capitol of the kingdom of Israel.  Up here we visit the source springs for the Jordan.  There are 3 springs – Dan, Banas, Tel Hade.  Everything up here is natural except the Eucalyptus.  We walk along the path to the spring sources, the water is very fast moving and pure.  We travel to the ancient city of Dan where the alter to the golden calf was erected.   The idolatrous alter location still stands.  Jeroboam setup 2 locations - one here at Dan, the other at Bethel (1Ki 12).  Had Bible study and worship time here.  Wonderful to reclaim this place and worship the true God in this once pagan high-place.

Visited “Abraham’s gate”, the oldest gate in the world, approximately 3900 yrs old at ancient Canaanite city of Laish (Gen 14:14), later conquered under Joshua and renamed Dan (Jud 18:29) .  Archaeology has uncovered the main gate into the city.  Abraham would have traveled through this in his pursuit of Lot.  Left Dan and drove NE, through former border of Lebanon, signs along road warn of “buried mines”.  Border changed in 1967.  Visited Caesarea Philippi – the place of idolatrous worship, founded by the Greeks to their pantheon of gods.  Matt 16:16 – “You are the Christ” – Peter’s great confession made here.  Places hewn into mountain reveal locations where statues of gods once stood.  Following the death of Herod the Great, his kingdom was split between his 3 sons (Antipas – Galilee; Philip – Caesarea Philippi; Archeleous – Judea/Jerusalem).  This location is another source of the Jordan river.  Visit a kibbutz for lunch.  This is a live/work community where people share everything and live by communion rules, essentially socialism.  The lunch was ridiculous.

Next travel up to the Golan heights in the north east border region with Syria.  See former abandoned Syrian bunkers and military camps.  This land is not inhabited but serves as a buffer zone, for security.  No attack from Syria since 1974.  “Cows of Bashan” (Amos 4:1) reference from here.  Cows very healthy and fat up here.  Reached the border of Israel/Syria, had we continued on this road we would have been in Damascus in 1 hour.  Damascus, Syria is the oldest capitol in the world.  The Golan Heights is the highest point in Israel.  Tasted fresh honey from a man selling it at top.  Came back to Tiberius, visited a big diamond center there.  61% of the world’s diamonds are exported to the USA. Israeli economics:  $4B – diamonds, $3B tourism,  $1B export fruits/vegetables, $3.5B – ITEX (technology).

Day 5 – Friday

Region of the Galilee, early Christianity.  "Migdol" = watchtower, ancient city of Magdala was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene.  Visit museum nearby that features a 2000 year-old boat found recently buried in the mud at the Sea of Galilee.  Take an excursion out on the sea.  Beautiful sunny day on a boat viewing cities along shore of the lake.  Had a Bible study on the lake (Mt 14) when Jesus walks on the water.  Worship, Jewish dancing, even our guide David sang us a song – “I saw the light”.  From here we head up the hill to the Mount of Beatitudes – the  8 great “Blessed are…” statements of Jesus (Mt 5).  The word for “blessed” (makarios) means “what you already have", not "please do this" but "already in possession of”.  During study, a beautiful choir of a German group were singing in background.  “Pray” in Greek means “meek”.  Who may ascend to the hill of the Lord? – Ps 24:3.  My thought was may the “be-attitudes”, “be our attitudes.”

Had lunch at fish place right on the sea, had whole fish, head included!  Next over to Gadera, Bible study at former monastery.  See possible home of demoniac, caves on side of the mountain.  Also note cliff where pigs may have jumped to their death.  Gadera was conquered in 638 AD by Byzantine empire.  Gad, along with Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh, stopped short and never entered the promised land (Num 32).

Visit Capernaum next, very close on northeast part of lake.  Ruins of former synagogue here where Jesus once taught is open to the public.  Very sobering to walk on the very stones Jesus once taught on (Isa 61).  The site where Peter’s mother-in-law was healed was adjacent to the synagogue, has a very modern 1970’s spaceship kind of structure over it now.

Day 6 – Saturday

Woke up early after my first good night’s sleep!  Had a morning devo out on the sea and watched a glorious sunrise over the eastern mountains bordering the Sea of Galilee.  After breakfast we traveled south.  Visit Bet She’an along the Jordan River which is the Jordanian border.  This city was 1 of the Decapolis cities (9 were east of the Jordan, this was the only 1 west).  Ancient name was “Skitopolis”, its Hellenistic name.  The base of this city is at Mt. Gilboa where Saul and his sons were defeated and killed by the Philistines.  Ruins of this city are amazing, planned architecture same for all Roman cities.  In 769 AD an earthquake leveled this city.  Had worship in it’s theater.  Dan sang on ground level and some from other tour groups joined in worship.  Pastor Bob runs down and puts a dollar in front of Dan.  This was very funny.  Then another guy does the same thing.  Turns out, it was Max again, my neighbor from the plane.

From here we head through the Jezreel Valley to the base of Mt Gilboa, at the Gideon Springs.  A very beautiful oasis with crystal blue water spring.  This location was where Gideon’s army was reduced from 32,000 -> 10,000 -> 300 (Jud 7).  We have a baptism there.  I thought earlier about renewing my baptism, and once there, decided I wanted to do that.  So about 10 of us were baptized (my first was at 13).   Have about 20 minutes to swim at this beautiful park on the Sabbath, many families there.  Even our guide Joeshi came and watched the celebration.

Next we head south and within an hour or so, the terrain grows increasingly barren.  Pass through Sheckham (Mt. Gerezim).  Along west bank (west of the Jordan River), Jordan directly to the east.  Jordan has no natural resources; the only green is this very narrow region between the Jordan river and the mountains of Moab.  They are totally dependant on foreign aid.  Ruth from Moab.  Pass along ancient city of Jericho (now under Palestinian control, need dual citizinship).  It is an oasis in the middle of the desert.  Reach the Dead Sea and had lunch at Qumran, very busy tourist spot, great food however.  Had magnum bar (recommended by David) which is an incredibly delicious ice cream bar.  We travel another 30 miles or so to the southern most area of the Dead Sea where our hotel, Le Meridian David, was located.  Pete, my new friend, who also was baptized, and I head off for a dip in the sea, well more like a float.  You can’t sink in this water.  The Dead Sea is beautiful and clear but the texture feels like oil.  When you get out, the water evaporates and you are covered in salt.  This was amazing to experience.  Great buffet dinner at the hotel.

Day 7 – Sunday

Visit ancient city of Masada, our guide leads us up to this ancient city on top of a mountain.  Our guide says we are taking the cable car, so we don’t get to hike it like I was hoping to do.  He says “If God wanted me to walk up this mountain He wouldn’t have invented cable cars.”  Masada, which means “the fort” was built by Herod.  His son Archeleous was given control over Judea/Jerusalem/Masada and he gave it to Tiberius Caesar.  So he turns it over to his army to establish it as an army post to control the trade route between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.  In 66 AD the uprising of the Jews against Roman occupation begins, four years later 967 people flee Jerusalem and siege this desert community of Masada seeking refuge from the Romans (70 yrs after Masada was built by Herod).  They attacked Masada and drove out the Romans and these Jewish refugees settle here.  Vespasian appoints Silva to break this Jewish resistance and he assembles an army of 10,000 men and 5,000 slaves to attack this city in 71 AD.  Two years later, they breach the wall but on the eve of this event the resisters committed suicide to keep the Romans from the pleasure of torturing and killing them.  The Romans honored this act of their enemies.

Flavius Josephus was one of 10 men, still alive from this event.  He was a Jewish trader, hired by the Romans, adopted by Rome to detail Jewish history.  Only because of his writings do we know about Masada today.

Saw original frescos over plastered walls inside homes here.  There is a black line marking the original structure from what has been recently reconstructed on the walls here.  Hundreds of date pits found here, beef jerky was also a common food for residents of Masada.  On the northern end, was Herod’s palace, it contained 3 terraces on the 3 cliffs which mark this mountain.  The oldest synagogue  (house of gathering, assembly) in the world is here.  Scrolls detailing this history were found inside this synagogue.

Leaving Masada, we see one adventurous guy start his jog down the mountain.  He gets about a 10 min head start and we take the cable car back.  He arrives just as we do.  Get a magnum bar at gift shop.  Met a worker from LA there.  He made a comment that “Israel is perfect except...", he couldn’t put his finger on it, but that it was missing something.  I said the only thing missing here is Jesus.  Following our trek up Masada, many of us head back to the sea for a float.  Had a blast lounging at the Dead Sea with several new friends.