The Lowest Place on Earth

Sunday is always a special day. But I always especially enjoy gathering with fellow Christians while traveling in Israel. Today was no exception. Members of the tour led us in prayer, led songs and presented thoughts for our consideration. It was nice to pause our tour and take time to worship God. Afterwards, we left the hotel and headed toward the Dead Sea. Our first stop was at Masada. King Herod built a huge palace on the top of this plateau to visit when he wanted to escape Jerusalem. In 70AD, almost 1,000 Jews hid on that mountain and finally took their own lives instead of becoming Roman slaves. The view from the top was a little hazy, but still breathtaking.

Our next stop was at En Gedi. Bible students know that this was the place that David fled to when he was being pursued by King Saul. Of course, he went there because there was water there. Even today, there was water flowing over a waterfall even though it has not rained here in six months.

The site of Qumran is famous because it is here where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. After eating lunch, we were able to visit this site and learn how they were found and what it means to us.

We ended the day by driving down to the shores of the Dead Sea and allowing those who wanted to, the opportunity to float in this beautiful sea. Fun was had by all.

Tomorrow will bring new adventures and more things to discover. Until then, shalom.

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To read other blogs about the tour, here are a couple of links:

Jeremy Dehut - www.jeremydehut.com

Jane Britnell - journeyswithjane.blogspot.com

Down The Rift Valley

This evening, we arrived in the beautiful city of Jerusalem. Unlike what is being reported on the news right now, it is exactly as I remember it from my last visit. In fact, when we arrived at Jericho today, it was more crowded with tourists than I have ever seen it. So, whatever is being reported back home isn't exactly what is happening here on the ground. In other words, as much as we all appreciate your care and concern, we are doing just fine. I always hate leaving Galilee, but that is what we were required to do to keep on our schedule. Very soon, we found ourselves at Tel Jezreel, the site of the palace so Ahab and Jezebel. From the hillside, you can see the locations of many Biblical stories.

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at the Spring of Harod. Gideon narrowed his army to 300 men by giving them a test here. The water was actually flowing a little bit. Since we are at the end of the dry season, I had not expected this.

A visit to Bet She'an was next on the agenda. The amount of ruins that are visible here is overwhelming. By claiming to the top of the tel, you get a good appreciation for the strategic importance of this location.

By driving down the Jordan Rift Valley, we found ourselves at Jericho. Whenever we stop there, I want to talk to the group for an hour discussing all that happened here. But, it was very hot when we arrived. So, I abbreviated my comments and then finished them up when we were all back in our touring coach.

After a quick visit to the traditional baptismal site, we made our way "up to Jerusalem". We will spend the next five nights here and enjoy all of the sites in this wonderful city.

We are all having a great time and the sarcasm is getting more and more intense. I can't wait to spend time with all of them again tomorrow.

Until then, shalom.

Up The Hula Valley

As I write this post, I am sitting on the balcony of my hotel with a view of the Sea of Galilee. As a Christian, it is difficult to put into words what it means to see this beautiful location. Peter, Andrew, James and John used to fish these waters. Jesus calmed a storm that raged on these waters. Jesus walked on these waters. All of those events happened within sight of where I now sit. I am truly humbled to be here and to be sharing this experience with this group of people. We started our final day in this region by visiting the ruins of Chorazim. Jesus cursed this city for their unbelief. While there, we were entertained by a number of rock badgers that cross-crossed the paths in front of us.

We followed that visit by driving north up the Hula Valley and visited Hazor. By standing on the top of this tel, it is easy to understand the strategic importance of this location. It is no wonder why Joshua conquered this city as part of his northern conquest.

We drove by the tel of Abel Beth Maacah. While going by, we read the account from 2 Samuel of the wise woman of this city who singlehandedly saved her city.

A visit to the northern part of Israel is not complete without a visit to Tel Dan. As you walk around the high place built by King Jeroboam, you are reminded how this single decision probably condemned his nation in the years to come. We also visited the Israelite Gate and the even more ancient Canaanite Gate.

Our next stop was at Banias, known in the Bible as Caesarea Philippi. By seeing he remains of the pagan temples that was the main part of this city, it is easy to understand why Peter stated that "Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God."

As we drove back to the Sea of Galilee, our path took us through the Golan Heights. We made one stop at an overlook where we could see the Syrian plain in the direction of Damascus. Saul walked near here when he saw his vision of the risen Jesus.

Tomorrow morning we will leave Galilee and go "up to Jerusalem". As we do so, I will think of my wife, who loves the sea, but graciously stayed home and watch the kids and allowed me to come here. I will also think of all of the memories that have been made in the past days and the more that will be made in the days to come.

Until then, Shabbat Shalom.

A Day Around The Sea

When we arose this morning, the sky was crystal clear and it provided a wonderful sunrise over the Golan Heights. Seeing this view from the Sea of Galilee is always humbling because you know that many of the early disciples saw the same view when they lived in is area. After breakfast we boarded our boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee. From this unique vantage point, you can visualize many of the Biblical stories and where they took place. We disembarked at the museum at Nof Ginnosar and were able to view the ancient boat that was found in the mid-80s not too far from here.

We visited the Church of the Beatitudes (the traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount), the Church of the Primacy (the traditional location of the events recorded in John 21) and the ruins of Capernaum.

For lunch, we ate St. Peter's Fish in the town of Migdal. We then climbed to the top of Mt. Arbel for an amazing view of the Sea of Galilee. We concluded our day by seeing the ruins of a first century synagogue in Magdala.

Overall, it was a wonderful day. The temperature has been warmer than what we were expecting, but everyone has handled it without complaint. I'm lucky to have the opportunity to travel with these amazing people.

Tomorrow, we will head north of the Sea of Galilee and visit the sites of Hazor, Dan and Banias (Caesarea Philippi). I can't wait for this adventure to continue. Until then, shalom.

All The Way Across The Land

This morning our group was met with a beautiful sunrise from the coastal city of Netanya. After breakfast, we drove up the coast to visit the ancient city of Caesarea. It is interesting to note that The apostle Peter took a very similar path to this while he was on his way to speak with Cornelius about the Gospel. Leaving the Coastal Plain, we drove up into the Carmel Mountain Range to visit the traditional site of Elijah"s contest against the prophets of Baal. By standing there on that ridge, you can visualize Elijah leading the prophets of Baal down to the Kishon Brook go their demise.

The view across the Jezreel Valley from amazing from Meggido. Standing on the summit of the city, you can easily learn why this city has been so important through the centuries.

Our final stop of the day was at Nazareth village. This replica city shows what life would have been like in the first century.

Our group has arrive in Tiberias on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. It was a great day. Looking forward to our adventures tomorrow.

Landing In Israel

I am happy to report that our group made it successfully to Israel this evening. Or flight was a bit delayed leaving New York City so it was dusk when we arrived in Tel Aviv. However, even though we are tired, our group is safe and ready to hit the ground running in the morning. To read more about our tour, I encourage you to read other blogs from people on the tour:

Jeremy Dehut - www.jeremydehut.com Jane Britnell - journeyswithjane.blogspot.com

Now, after being awake for 30+ hours, I'm off to bed.

Traveling Back to Israel

Well, I am heading back to Israel. In just a few days, I will be leading a group of 25 people as we head to Israel to study the Biblical land. I am excited about the opportunity to get back over there and to share my passion for Biblical Geography with those traveling with me. All of the arrangements have been made and finalized. The only thing left to do is to go over there and start enjoying the time. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned in three different posts why I enjoy studying Biblical Geography. I enjoy teaching it to others. But, there is no better teacher of the land than the land itself. Standing on the top of the Mount of Olives, or floating on the Sea of Galilee allows you to appreciate the Bible in a completely different way. You understand why the Biblical writers wrote the way that they did. Nuances in the text that we often pass over become vitally important.

While we are traveling, I'll be posting blogs to the Exploring Bible Lands website as well as pictures to the Exploring Bible Lands Facebook page. If you have an interest in Biblical Geography, I encourage you to join us virtually as we travel through the land.

Until we arrive in Israel, shalom.

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part III

In my last two posts, I have discussed two reasons why I study Biblical geography. For review, they were: Reason #1: I study Biblical geography to better understand God's people. Reason #2: I study Biblical geography to better understand God's Word.

Today, I'm going to discuss the final reason, which is:

Reason #3: I study Biblical geography to better understand God.

Imagine yourself standing on the Mount of Olives. Most likely, you see yourself spending most of your time staring at the huge Temple Mount area as you slowly locate different Biblical sites.

Now, imagine that King David is standing next to you. You could ask him, "Isn't that beautiful?" He would answer "yes". But, then you notice that he is not looking in the same direction as you are. He is looking south of the Temple Mount area.

See, in David's time, the city of Jerusalem sat on a small, 9-acre peninsula of land just south of the current Temple Mount. That is where the ancient Jebusite city was located. It was there due to two reasons. First, with the Gihon Spring, there was a nice water source. Second, with valleys and hills around it, the city was easily defendable.

Jerusalem, during the time of David, was bounded by the Hinnom Valley to the south, the Kidron Valley to the east, and the Central Valley on the west. On the opposite sides of those valleys were hills. Across the Central Valley, the western hill rises to about 2600 feet in elevation. Across the Hinnom Valley, the southern hill rises to about 2500 feet in elevation. Across the Kidron Valley, the Mount of Olives rises to nearly 2700 feet in elevation. The city of Jerusalem sits at approximately 2400 feet in elevation.

Why did I tell you all of this? I told you all of this so that you would understand one single verse. It reads:

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. - Psalms 125:2

Isn't that beautiful?

This psalm was written at a time in which the entire city of Jerusalem sat on this small piece of land and it is surrounded by hills that are all higher than the city itself. The writer of this psalm is expecting us to fully understand these geographical features so that we can completely appreciate the point that is being made.

And in doing so, we can better understand God.

Why do I study Biblical Geography? Three reasons: 1) I study Biblical geography to better understand God's people. 2) I study Biblical geography to better understand God's Word. 3) I study Biblical geography to better understand God.

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part II

In my last post, I discussed the first of three reasons why I study Biblical geography. In that post, I mentioned that the first reason was: I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's people. In this post, I'll discuss the next reason. Which is:

Reason #2: I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's Word.

If I were to ask you to tell me the story of 1 Samuel 17, more than likely, you would relate a story to me similar to this: "There was a Philistine giant named Goliath that came out and taunted the Israelite army for 40 days. Finally, a shepherd boy named David agreed to fight Goliath. David, founded by a solid faith in God, took five stones from the brook and approached the giant. He then took out a stone and slung it. The stone struck the giant in the head and he died. It was a glorious victory for Israel."

If you would answer my question like that, you would be like nearly everyone else. However, that is not the way that the Bible tells the story. The Bible describes Goliath beginning in verse 4 and describes David beginning in verse 12. So, what is in the first three verses of that chapter? Well, let us read it.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. - 1 Samuel 17:1-3

This is a story about geography! Yes, there are important lessons to be learned about David and his faith in God. But to fully understand the importance of this battle, you have to understand the geography of the area! If you understand the geography (including the Coastal Plain, the Shephelah and the Hill Country), then the real importance of this battle can be understood! This is why the Bible gives such a high level of detail regarding the geography.

By understanding the geography, it helps you to better understand God's Word.

(NOTE: The picture at the top of this post was taken on my tour last year. They are walking in the brook that runs through the Elah Valley where David pulled his "five smooth stones".)

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part I

Sometimes people ask me, "Why do you study Biblical geography so much?" Generally, I study Biblical geography because it helps me to understand the Bible more. But, to answer answer the question specifically, I can think of three reasons. I will cover these three reasons in the next few posts.

Reason #1 - I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's people.

As Moses was giving final directions to the nations of Israel, he states:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God wanted His people to teach their children about Him as they walked by the way (or, as they walked across the land). Three times a year, the nation of Israel were required to go to Jerusalem for the feasts. As they made those trips, it would provide a number of opportunities for the parents to talk to their kids about God.

As they passed the Spring of Harod, the could explain how God used Gideon and a small army of only 300 men to take on and defeat the Midianites.

As they passed Mount Carmel, they could explain how God and Elijah took on the prophets of Baal and proved that He was the one and only true God.

As they passed the ruins of Jericho, they could explain how God used His power to render a fortified city defenseless against His people.

By studying Biblical Geography, we can better understand God's people and how they taught their children.

In my next two posts, I'll discuss two other reasons why we need to study Biblical geography.

Crossing the River Jordan

Recently, my family and I made a trip to Florida and spent one day at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom park. For those of you who have been there, you have probably ridden the Haunted Mansion ride and seen the humorous gravestones that line the (sometimes rather long) queue area. On this visit, I noticed a particular tombstone and took a picture of it. It reads:

RIP: Good friend Gordon, now you've crossed the River Jordan

Ever since Joshua led the nation of Israel across the Jordan River, people have equated the idea of crossing that famous river with fulfilling a promise, or going home, or receiving your ultimate, eternal reward. We even sing songs that mention this:

"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye, to Canaan's fair and happy land where my possessions lie."

Are you ready to cross the River Jordan?

The Promised Land

God made three promises to Abraham. One of those promises was for a land in which his seed would dwell. In reality, God could have given them any land that He wanted to give them. He is God. But, for some reason, He chose to give them a small piece of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. A piece of land only about 50 miles wide. We can read in the book of Joshua of the nation of Israel coming into the land, conquering it (mostly) and dividing the land between the tribes. So, why did God choose this piece of land? Honestly, I do not know. And, I would mistaken if I thought that I have the ability to fully understand the mind of God. But, it is fun to speculate.

At the time of the conquest, most of the people who lived on the earth were somewhere in the area detailed by the map at the top of this post. There were others on the earth, but most were located here. In addition, most travel (especially for large groups of people) was conducted on foot (or by animal). With the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the huge area of desert to the east, this tiny 50-mile wide piece of land served as a "land bridge" between Egypt, Europe and Asia. If anyone traveled through this area, they would need to go through the land occupied by God's children.

What would be the advantage of that arrangement? Well, anyone passing through would be able to learn of the God of the Israelites and see the blessings that were bestowed by that God on the people. Knowledge of the God of the Israelites could be spread far and wide. While I am sure that some of this happened naturally, if the nation of Israel would have conquered all of the land like they were commanded to do, then their position in the land and the influence they could have had would have been much higher. Instead, they failed to drive out all of the inhabitants of the land and then allowed those influences to affect them in ways that eventually led to their downfall.

So, that begs the question. Where has God placed you? Are you in a situation in which you can let your light shine for God? If so, are you doing that as best as you can? Or, are you letting the evil influences around you dim your light?

The Israelites were eventually carried away into captivity largely due to their inability to get rid of the evil influences around them and to take full advantage to the location where God had placed them.

Don't let that happen to you.

NOTE: The map at the top of this post is from Bill Schlegel at Satellite Bible Atlas.

Words Mean Something, Part 2

In a previous post, I made reference that the words in the Bible mean something. By carefully reading all of the words, a clearer understanding of Scripture can be found. I was recently teaching a class on the book of Joshua in which we were discussing Israel's preparations for attacking the city of Ai in Joshua 7. The passage in question involves a conversation between Joshua and member of his army. This conversation took place in Gilgal, in an area on the floor of the Jordan Rift Valley near Jericho. Notice the language that the men use in describing the location of Ai in reference to where they currently are located.

Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “Go up and spy out the land.” And the men went up and spied out Ai. And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.” So about three thousand men went up there from the people. And they fled before the men of Ai, and the men of Ai killed about thirty-six of their men and chased them before the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them at the descent. And the hearts of the people melted and became as water. - Joshua 7:2-5

The picture at the top of this post is from BiblePlaces.com. It is an aerial picture south of Jericho looking north. Be sure to notice the dramatic elevation change from the city of Jericho as the terrain rises into the Central Mountain range. Now, go back and read the passage again. As you can tell, Joshua and his men described the situation perfectly from their point of view.

Words truly do mean something. Don't skip over them when reading these Biblical stories.

Spring in the Jordan Valley

As I speak to people about the lands of the Bible, I am often met with surprise when I discuss the rich and fertile areas of Israel. And, while there are places like the wilderness and the Negeb that are very dry, much of the area is well watered. Recently, I watched a video by Amir Aloni of the Jordan Valley. He took the footage for the video using a drone which flew over many of the fields in the area. I encourage you to watch it as well.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/123064814]

When I saw this video, I was reminded the passage in Genesis 13 in which Lot chose to settle in the fertile Jordan Valley when he separated from Abraham.

So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. - Genesis 13:1-11

Words Mean Something

Words mean something.

I know that saying is a bit of a cliche, but it is true. Words do mean something. And, in the Bible, they really mean something. The writers of the Bible did not just add words to meet some "minimal word count". They meant exactly what they said.

Recently, I finished a study of the Book of Acts. In one of the passages, Luke records a conversation between Festus and the Jews in Jerusalem. Note the prepositions that Luke uses:

Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” - Acts 25:1-12

Isn't that interesting?

Today, we usually refer to "up" as "going to the north". And, we refer to "down" as "going to the south". However, that is not the way that the Biblical writers used those words. According to them, "up" meant "up" and "down" meant "down".

Jerusalem sits on the crest of the central mountain range at an elevation of approximately 2,700 feet. Caesarea, since it is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, sits at sea level. So, from their perspective, the path to go to Jerusalem was definitely going "up". And, from Jerusalem, you would go "down" to get to Caesarea.

As you read through the Bible, don't just read past these small prepositional phrases without thinking about them. Why? Because words mean something.

One Year Ago - Our Journey Ends

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, our journey came to a close.

Just as quickly as the tour started, it came to a close. We arrived at Ben Gurion International airport weary and tired. But, thankful for the opportunity that was provided to us to visit this beautiful land.

For me, it was a great two weeks. I enjoyed being able to help people understand the geography of the Bible. I've attached our group picture from the top of the Mount of Olives.

Shalom!

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Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

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One Year Ago - The Israel Museum

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we went to the Israel Museum and to Ashkelon.

We started our day with a stop at the Israel Museum. This is your typical museum with more things to see than you could possibly see in a few hours. We started off at the huge model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period. This is a fantastic way to visualize the way that the city looked during the time of Jesus. Our attention was then directed into the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We ended our tour of the museum in the Archaeology wing, where we could see many different artifacts related to Biblical history.

Our last stop of the day was at the tel at Ashkelon. Most tour groups don't travel all the way to this site. But, I have some good friends that were in Israel working the dig at this city. They provided us with a fantastic personal tour of the site and showed us the work that they are doing.

Tomorrow: Our journey ends.

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Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

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One Year Ago - The Little Town of Bethlehem

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we went to the small town of Bethlehem. (Actually, it is no longer that small.)

Located just six miles south of Jerusalem, is the town of Bethlehem. This was the town that David was from. And, it was the town that Jesus was born in. We visited the Church of the Nativity, which sits above the traditional location where Jesus was born. From there, we traveled to the Shepherds' fields and then to the Herodium.

Our final stop of the day was at Shibly Kando's Antiquities shop. Mr. Kando is the grandson of one of the main people involved in the discovery and recognition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In his store, you can see one of the four original jars on display. (Two of the other three are located at the Israel Museum and the other one is located at the Vatican in Rome.)

Tomorrow: The Israel Museum and Ashkelon.

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Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

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One Year Ago - A Tour of the Lowlands

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we toured the Shephelah.

Pressed between the coastal plain and the central mountain range is a small area of land called the Shephelah. In our Bibles, it is translated "lowlands". It only measures about 10 miles wide and 50 miles long, but it played a very important role during the United and Divided Kingdoms.

The Shephelah is bisected by five valleys. During the time of Saul and David, Philistines controlled cities on the western end of the valleys and the Israelites controlled cities on the eastern end. This arrangement was the setup for numerous battles between the two nations.

Probably the most famous battle was the one commonly referred to as "David vs. Goliath". This battle took place in the Valley of Elah. An Israelite defeat in this battle would have given the Philistines an easy path up the valley and into the hill country.

Tomorrow: The little town of Bethlehem.

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Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

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One Year Ago - A Walk Through the Old City

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we walked through the Old City.

Our day began by entering the Temple Mount area and viewing the city from there. You can imagine the temple as it once stood on this location before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD. The beautiful Dome of the Rock now stands out on this platform.

Our tour continued at the Pools of Bethesda and then we walked west on the Via Dolorosa toward the Church of the Holy Sepulture. After eating lunch and doing some shopping in the Christian Quarter, we walked through the Spice Market and arrived at the Jewish Quarter where we visited the Western Wall.

We toured the ancient city of David and then walked through Hezekiah's tunnel. Our day ended on the steps leading up to the southern end of the Temple Mount. Jesus and His family used these same steps about 2,000 years ago.

Tomorrow: We visit the Shephelah.

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Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

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