Travelling with My Visitors
Mom, Stephanie, and Brad left for home early this morning. I had a great time showing them around Israel, and I’m pretty confident they enjoyed themselves. By the time they left, Mom was discussing the logistics of bringing a group to visit the Holy Land another time. I won’t write much about their visit with me – instead, I’ll let them share with everyone at home how their trip went, the sites they saw, and their impressions of Israel.
I will, though, share a few details about some of the new things I did with the three while they were in town. Friday we had the chance to visit Hezekiah’s Tunnel, written about in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chron. 32:30. The tunnel, which dates back thousands of years, “blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David” (2 Chron. 32:30), ending in the Pool of Siloam. The tunnel, which we reached through a maze of stairs and halls, began deep in the earth. With our sandals and water socks securely fastened, we began wading through the stream that has supplied the City of David with water since ancient times. There was no light in the tunnel except for the flashlights and camera lights that we brought with us. The bottom of the tunnel was often uneven and, because of the poor lighting, we nearly fell into the stream several times. The tunnel winds along for 1750 feet, and some areas forced us to duck and squeeze our way through. It was a wet, fun, and claustrophobic adventure that took us some 45 minutes to complete. For me, the tunnel was a great testament to the historical veracity of Scripture.
Saturday we had the chance to visit Bethlehem and the West Bank. For once, we were not screwed out of money on a tourist trip. We met our cab drivers after the checkpoint and agreed that we would pay 150 shekels (about $32) to see Mar Saba, Herodian (Herod’s ancient palace), and the Church of the Nativity. Four hours later, we were dropped off at the border by our Pakistani driver, who was very unhappy at the amount of time our trip had taken. He demanded more money, but we shrugged our shoulders, told him a deal is a deal, and slipped through the security wall.
Sunday we had the chance to visit the Northern Galilee, the area in which Christ grew up and where the majority of his ministry took place. I was apprehensive about going, since I had never traveled there by myself. We left on a bus very early in the morning and arrived in Tiberias (located midway on the Western shore of the Galilee) around 10:30, after traveling on a road that went straight through the Megiddo Valley (Armageddon!). The day was a bit overcast, but the hilly fields seemed as green as if the sun had been continually shining on them since the beginning of time. After visiting a tourist center, we took a cab to the Mount of Beatitudes, an area traditionally associated with the Sermon on the Mount. The view was beautiful from the top of the mountain with an amazing panorama of the Judean countryside and the Sea of Galilee. Rows of blooming hibiscus plants and meticulously cared-for gardens made the experience even better, lending an exceedingly sweet spring aroma to the already idyllic atmosphere. It was easy to imagine Christ here, teaching his disciples on the ideals of the Kingdom of Heaven amidst the natural beauty and serenity of the hills.
We descended the mount and, after a quick wrong turn and the aid of a kind driver, arrived to Tagbha, the traditional sight where Christ multiplied the loaves and the fishes. There is a church and a monastery there today, built on the foundations (with original mosaics) of an ancient church. From Tagbha we walked on a path that followed the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Along the way, we stopped at The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, a Catholic basilica dedicated to Peter’s authority as the pope (described in Matt. 16:18). I thought it was nice to visit. While I don’t believe in the Catholic interpretation of Matt. 16:18 (or a papacy at all), the church was a good reminder of the Gospel story. I had to smile at Brad, though, who seemed to be theologically cringing the entire time we were there.
After paying homage to the first pope, we walked a mile and half to Capernaum where, before we entered the ancient city, we were greeted by a restaurant with chairs right next to the Galilean beach. Incredibly hungry and tired, we sat down to a great view of the lake and ordered our lunch. Come to find out, the restaurant served authentic fish from the Sea of Galilee, cooked ancient-style with the heads, fins, and tails still attached. We smiled at the fact they we were eating fish like Jesus probably did in the exact spot where he carried out his ministry. It was a tasty meal that, along with our Pepsis and Diet Sprites, made us feel like authentic biblical travelers.
Lunch ended and we entered Capernaum, an ancient city excavated in the last century. At the site are the remains of two important ancient buildings: a synagogue, built after the time of Christ, and the excavated foundations of a Byzantine octagonal church, built on the traditional site of Peter’s house. The former structure had been constructed on top of an even older synagogue dating from the period of Christ. It is likely that Christ was well-acquainted with this synagogue during the time of his ministry, which was the center of Jewish life for the Capernaum area during Roman rule.
We left Capernaum and walked back for what seemed like hours toward the road that leads to Tiberias. Most folks visit the aforementioned sites on a tour bus, so there were no taxi cabs anywhere to relieve our tired legs. Thankfully, once we reached the highway to Tiberias, a kind old Israeli man (who strangely resembled David Ben-Gurion, crazy hair and all) took us back. Along the way, he descbribed how Israelis are creating better and better bananas through cloning. From Tiberias, it was a straight shot back to Jerusalem.
The entire past week was great. I ate so well, walked around so much, and was so glad to have visitors come all the way from the U.S. Today I’m sleepy, but thankfully we have the day off because of the Israeli elections. I’ll update you all tomorrow on the results of the elections. For now, I predict a weak showing for Kadima and a stronger-than-expected turnout for the conservative, anti-withdrawal parties.
Also, enjoy these pictures from the past week.
I will, though, share a few details about some of the new things I did with the three while they were in town. Friday we had the chance to visit Hezekiah’s Tunnel, written about in 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chron. 32:30. The tunnel, which dates back thousands of years, “blocked the upper outlet of the Gihon spring and channeled the water down to the west side of the City of David” (2 Chron. 32:30), ending in the Pool of Siloam. The tunnel, which we reached through a maze of stairs and halls, began deep in the earth. With our sandals and water socks securely fastened, we began wading through the stream that has supplied the City of David with water since ancient times. There was no light in the tunnel except for the flashlights and camera lights that we brought with us. The bottom of the tunnel was often uneven and, because of the poor lighting, we nearly fell into the stream several times. The tunnel winds along for 1750 feet, and some areas forced us to duck and squeeze our way through. It was a wet, fun, and claustrophobic adventure that took us some 45 minutes to complete. For me, the tunnel was a great testament to the historical veracity of Scripture.
Saturday we had the chance to visit Bethlehem and the West Bank. For once, we were not screwed out of money on a tourist trip. We met our cab drivers after the checkpoint and agreed that we would pay 150 shekels (about $32) to see Mar Saba, Herodian (Herod’s ancient palace), and the Church of the Nativity. Four hours later, we were dropped off at the border by our Pakistani driver, who was very unhappy at the amount of time our trip had taken. He demanded more money, but we shrugged our shoulders, told him a deal is a deal, and slipped through the security wall.
Sunday we had the chance to visit the Northern Galilee, the area in which Christ grew up and where the majority of his ministry took place. I was apprehensive about going, since I had never traveled there by myself. We left on a bus very early in the morning and arrived in Tiberias (located midway on the Western shore of the Galilee) around 10:30, after traveling on a road that went straight through the Megiddo Valley (Armageddon!). The day was a bit overcast, but the hilly fields seemed as green as if the sun had been continually shining on them since the beginning of time. After visiting a tourist center, we took a cab to the Mount of Beatitudes, an area traditionally associated with the Sermon on the Mount. The view was beautiful from the top of the mountain with an amazing panorama of the Judean countryside and the Sea of Galilee. Rows of blooming hibiscus plants and meticulously cared-for gardens made the experience even better, lending an exceedingly sweet spring aroma to the already idyllic atmosphere. It was easy to imagine Christ here, teaching his disciples on the ideals of the Kingdom of Heaven amidst the natural beauty and serenity of the hills.
We descended the mount and, after a quick wrong turn and the aid of a kind driver, arrived to Tagbha, the traditional sight where Christ multiplied the loaves and the fishes. There is a church and a monastery there today, built on the foundations (with original mosaics) of an ancient church. From Tagbha we walked on a path that followed the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. Along the way, we stopped at The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, a Catholic basilica dedicated to Peter’s authority as the pope (described in Matt. 16:18). I thought it was nice to visit. While I don’t believe in the Catholic interpretation of Matt. 16:18 (or a papacy at all), the church was a good reminder of the Gospel story. I had to smile at Brad, though, who seemed to be theologically cringing the entire time we were there.
After paying homage to the first pope, we walked a mile and half to Capernaum where, before we entered the ancient city, we were greeted by a restaurant with chairs right next to the Galilean beach. Incredibly hungry and tired, we sat down to a great view of the lake and ordered our lunch. Come to find out, the restaurant served authentic fish from the Sea of Galilee, cooked ancient-style with the heads, fins, and tails still attached. We smiled at the fact they we were eating fish like Jesus probably did in the exact spot where he carried out his ministry. It was a tasty meal that, along with our Pepsis and Diet Sprites, made us feel like authentic biblical travelers.
Lunch ended and we entered Capernaum, an ancient city excavated in the last century. At the site are the remains of two important ancient buildings: a synagogue, built after the time of Christ, and the excavated foundations of a Byzantine octagonal church, built on the traditional site of Peter’s house. The former structure had been constructed on top of an even older synagogue dating from the period of Christ. It is likely that Christ was well-acquainted with this synagogue during the time of his ministry, which was the center of Jewish life for the Capernaum area during Roman rule.
We left Capernaum and walked back for what seemed like hours toward the road that leads to Tiberias. Most folks visit the aforementioned sites on a tour bus, so there were no taxi cabs anywhere to relieve our tired legs. Thankfully, once we reached the highway to Tiberias, a kind old Israeli man (who strangely resembled David Ben-Gurion, crazy hair and all) took us back. Along the way, he descbribed how Israelis are creating better and better bananas through cloning. From Tiberias, it was a straight shot back to Jerusalem.
The entire past week was great. I ate so well, walked around so much, and was so glad to have visitors come all the way from the U.S. Today I’m sleepy, but thankfully we have the day off because of the Israeli elections. I’ll update you all tomorrow on the results of the elections. For now, I predict a weak showing for Kadima and a stronger-than-expected turnout for the conservative, anti-withdrawal parties.
Also, enjoy these pictures from the past week.
posted by Jason | 7:08 AM
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