Israel 2014 Walking Adventure

Walking Israel…More than a Pilgrimage

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Augustine of Hippo

Walking to Joppa from Tel Aviv

Day 1: Tel Aviv & Jaffa (Joppa)

The port of Joppa


Jon telling the Jonah story in Joppa

Where we stopped to tell the story of Peter’s vision of Gentile acceptance


DAY 2 – CAESAREA/MT CARMEL/NAZARETH• Caesarea Walk – 3 miles• Druze lunch – Mount Carmel• Elijah site - Mount Carmel• Arrive Nazareth – 2 nights

Day 2: Caesarea

Byzantine-era aqueduct – start point of walk to Caesarea

Double documentation by Roger and Jana

Day 2: Caesarea

Day 2: Caesarea

Day 2: Caesarea

Ran setting the historical context of Caesarea

Roman-era aqueduct broken by the sea

Day 2: Caesarea

Day 2: Caesarea

Walking along the Mediterranean through the rubble of the aqueduct

Day 2: Caesarea

Byzantine-era hippodrome (chariot race

track)

Day 2: Caesarea

Jon sharing in the Herodian theater

Day 2: Caesarea

Leaving the theater and Caesarea

Plains of Jezreel from Mukraka Monastery – where Elijah dueled the prophets of Baal

Day 2: Mount Carmel

Day 2: Mount Carmel

Barbara teaching on Elijah’s duel with prophets of Baal

Day 2: Nazareth

Our 19th century Arab inn in Nazareth

DAY 3 – FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS• Tsipori – birthplace of Mary• Walk to Cana – 6 miles• Visit Nazareth Village

Day 3: Tsipori to Cana Walk

Ran giving the Tsipori overview


Jewish synagogue in Tsipori from late 5th/early 6th century AD


Mosaic Mona Lisa of Galilee - Tsipori

Walking through the cisterns – Tsipori

water supply



Footsteps of Jesus walk to Cana


Pause for Ran’s commentary – Walking to Cana


Ancient occupation…still alive and well



Muslim village of Ma’shad


Muslim cemetery


Walking through Ma’shad


Ran introducing us to Cana, across the valley


Gary’s ready for last push of the walk into

Cana


Mixing with the locals in valley between Ma’shad and Cana


Franciscan church commemorating the

Water into Wine miracle

DAY 4 –SEA OF GALILEE• Mount Arbel• Jesus Boat Museum • Mount of Beatitudes Walk to Capernaum –

3 miles• Sea of Galilee cruise• Arrive Sea of Galilee hotel – 2 nights

Day 4: Nazareth to Sea of Galilee

Getting luggage to the coach - Nazareth

Overlooking the Sea of Galilee from Mount Arbel

Day 4: Mount Arbel

Day 4: Mount Arbel

Mount Arbel

Day 4: The Jesus Boat

2000-year-old “Jesus Boat”

Day 4: Mount of Beatitudes

Possible site of Jesus’ teaching the Sermon on the

Mount


Mount of Beatitudes to Capernaum Walk


Walking towards the Sea of Galilee


Kent sharing about the Sermon on the Mount – Mount of Beatitudes to Capernaum Walk

Day 4: Capernaum

Apostle Peter welcoming us to the ruins of

Capernaum

Roger sharing at Capernaum

Day 4: Capernaum

Traditional site of Peter’s home in Capernaum

Day 4: Capernaum

Day 4: Capernaum

Roger & Jana sharing scriptures about Capernaum in the synagogue

Day 4: Sea of Galilee cruise

Boarding a traditional fishing boat on Galilee


Sea of Galilee cruise


Fishing demo – good thing dinner doesn’t depend upon this guy!



Blessed by a display of light & shadow

DAY 5 – GOLAN HEIGHTS• Tell Dan – 1 mile walk• Banias – Caesarea Philippi; Jordan

Headwaters – 3 mile walk• Gamla (Masada of the North) – 3 mile

walk

Day 5: Tell Dan archeological site

Ruins of Israelite city of Dan – on northern border


Canaanite gate – predates Israel’s conquest


Canaanite gate – predates Israel’s conquest

Day 5: Caesarea Philippi – headwaters of the Jordan River

Caesarea Philippi – “Who do men say that I am?”


Jordan Headwaters Walk


Ran telling story of Valley of Tears – Yom Kippur War of 1973

Day 5: Golan Heights

Day 5: Mount Bental – looking over into Syria

Ran pointing into Syria


SYRIA


Israeli solder behind Debbie –

just another customer


Stopping to talk with tank driver in the Golan

Day 5: Gamla archeological site and nature preserve

Gamla – Masada of the North


Gamla Nature Walk


Gamla Nature Walk


Gamla Nature Walk


Gamla Nature Walk


Scott & Gary, waiting for us to catch up

DAY 6 – EN ROUTE TO DEAD SEA• Beit She’an National Park – 2 mile walk• Arrive Dead Sea – 1 night

Day 6: Beit She’an National Park

Entering Beit She’an archeological site


Viewing Roman part of the archeological site from the Canaanite Tell



King Saul & Jonathan Walk – Beit She’an


Pre-Roman tell in background

Day 6: Dead Sea

The unsinkables – Dead Sea

DAY 7 – ASCENT TO JERUSALEM• Masada – end of First Jewish Roman War• Ein Gedi National Park – 1.5 mile walk• Qumran – Dead Sea Scrolls• Arrive Jerusalem – 4 nights

Day 7: Masada National Park

Intrepid Snake Path hikers – to Masada!



The other way to reach the top

Ran tells the Masada story



Roman siege ramp on the west side



Looking north from Masada – to the Dead Sea

Day 6: Ein Gedi National Park

Debbie presenting the David & Saul story at Ein

Gedi


The seldom-seen 2-headed rock coney



Ein Gedi David Waterfall Walk


Ran talking about living water at the David Waterfall – Ein Gedi



Ibex – Ein Gedi David Waterfall Walk

Day 7: Qumran

Caves of Qumran – hiding place for the Dead Sea Scrolls

Day 7: Qumran

Jonna sharing at Qumran

Scott & Lee sharing at the Mount of Olives

Day 7: Mount of Olives and Jerusalem

First views of Jerusalem - Dome of the Rock



Ran reading a Jerusalem blessing from Psalms at the Mount of Olives

DAY 8 – FIRST DAY IN JERUSALEM• Jerusalem Footsteps of Jesus Walk – 3

miles• Yad Vashem holocaust museum

Day 8: Mount of Olives & Jerusalem

Walk start – Mosque of Ascension & the footprint of Jesus??


Inside a 1st century tomb on the Mount of Olives


Group photo break on walk down from Mount of Olives


Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives – the high rent district!

Chris and Mike sharing scripture about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem




Possible site of Garden of Gethsemane


Lion’s Gate – entering the Muslim Quarter


Walking the Via Dolorosa – the Way of Suffering


Stations of the Cross - #3: Jesus falls for the first time


Via Dolorosa – Muslim bread vendor eking out a living


Church of the Holy Sepulcher – the tomb of

Jesus



Door-locking ceremony conducted by Muslim family


Church of the Holy Sepulcher – the sacred ladder

Yad Vashem holocaust museum

Day 8: Yad Veshem


Yad Vashem holocaust museum

DAY 9 – TEMPLE MOUNT & BETHLEHEM• Temple Mount• Shepherd’s Field• Bethlehem Manger Walk – 2 miles• Church of the Nativity

Day 9: Temple Mount & Dome of the Rock

Approach to Temple Mount



Dome of the Rock


Day 9: Bethlehem

West Bank barrier at Bethlehem

Day 9: Bethlehem – Shepherd’s Field

One of two Shepherd’s Field sites

A likely place on outskirts of Bethlehem

Day 9: Bethlehem – Shepherd’s Field

Day 9: Bethlehem

Arab host for today’s falafel

lunch

Day 9: Bethlehem

Bethlehem Manger Walk

Day 9: Bethlehem

Entering the Church of the Nativity

Day 9: Bethlehem

Entering the cave where Jesus was born

Day 9: Bethlehem

Star marks the spot!

Day 9: Bethlehem

Returning to Jerusalem

DAY 10 – SECOND DAY IN JERUSALEM• Jerusalem Ramparts Walk – 3 miles• Jerusalem Archeological Park (devoted

to Herod’s temple) • Western Wall and Western Wall Tunnel

Day 10: Ramparts of Old Jerusalem

Jon joins the Jerusalem Marathon to warm up for ourJerusalem Ramparts Walk


Walls from 16th century – built by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent

View from the ramparts



Us on the wall, marathoners below inside

Jerusalem

Orthodox Jews in the Jewish Quarter



Don’t mess with a lady with an Uzi – Jewish Quarter

Southwest corner of Temple Mount from the Davidson Center

Day 10: Jerusalem Archeological Park – Temple Mount

Day 10: Jerusalem Archeological Park – Temple Mount

South entrance to the Temple likely used by Jesus

Western Wall – holiest spot in Judaism




Scenes from the Western Wall – the bar

mitzvah

Day 10: Sound & Light Show

Tower of David – Venue for the Sound & Light show

Day 10: Old Jerusalem

Dinner in fun, old restaurant in Armenian Quarter

DAY 11 – HOMEWARD BOUND• Hezekiah’s Tunnel (optional)• Garden Tomb• Israel Museum and Shrine of the Book• Depart for home

Day 11: City of David & Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Likely ruins of David’s palace – outside current walls of Old Jerusalem!


2700-year-old tunnel commissioned by Hezekiah



Regrouping at the end of Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Day 11: The Garden Tomb

Garden Tomb – alternate site of Jesus’ burial & resurrection



Jon leading communion on our last morning in Garden Tomb

Day 11: Israel Museum & Shrine of the Book

Israel model from 2nd temple period – Israel Museum



Roof of Shrine of the Book – museum of Dead Sea Scrolls


Points to Ponder

IMPORTANCE OF WATER

Points to Ponder

IMPORTANCE OF WATER• North surprisingly green

Points to Ponder

IMPORTANCE OF WATER• North surprisingly green• 10% of Jordan River reaches Dead Sea

Points to Ponder

IMPORTANCE OF WATER• North surprisingly green• 10% of Jordan River reaches Dead Sea• Dead Sea waters levels dropping dramatically

Points to Ponder

IMPORTANCE OF WATER• North surprisingly green• 10% of Jordan River reaches Dead Sea• Dead Sea waters levels dropping dramatically• Controversy over control of Jordan River with

Jordan

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE ISRAELIS?

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE ISRAELIS?• Not all Jews – Arabs sizeable minority

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE ISRAELIS?• Not all Jews – Arabs sizeable minority• Arabs not all Muslims – Christians a sizeable

minority

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE JEWS?

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE JEWS?• Not all Semitic in appearance of ethnicity

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE JEWS?• Not all Semitic in appearance of ethnicity• Ashkenazi vs Sephardic

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE JEWS?• Not all Semitic in appearance of ethnicity• Ashkenazi vs Sephardic• Religious vs Secular

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE JEWS?• Not all Semitic in appearance of ethnicity• Ashkenazi vs Sephardic• Religious vs Secular• Judaism vs Zionism

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?• Controversial! Whose descendants are they?

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?• Controversial! Whose descendants are they?• Refugee problem – Jordan over 50% Palestinian

and most in “camps”

Points to Ponder

WHO ARE THE PALESTINIANS?• Controversial! Whose descendants are they?• Refugee problem – Jordan over 50% Palestinian

and most in “camps”• Why have non-Arab Muslims taken up cause of

Arab Palestinians?

Points to Ponder

OUR DUAL HERITAGE IN ISRAEL

Points to Ponder

OUR DUAL HERITAGE IN ISRAEL• Spiritual descendants of Abraham – returning to

our Old Covenant homeland

Points to Ponder

OUR DUAL HERITAGE IN ISRAEL• Spiritual descendants of Abraham – returning to

our Old Covenant homeland• Christian heritage - family interest as children of

God and joint-heirs with Christ to see our homeland


Travel

Israel 2014 Walking Adventure