Jesus in Jerusalem

Thought for the Day:  

As we stand amidst the Old Orthodoxy

remember that we are here to seek the New Reality:  

"I once was blind, but now I see."

 Continuing archaeological excavations at the Temple Mount

Entrance to Temple Mount

Courtyard inside Temple wall

Mezuzah at Temple Entrance

Huldah Gates -- sealed up by the Romans 

 Seam in Wall from Solomon's and Herod's Time 

 Ascent of David -- 13 Acres 

Leading to Temple Mount

 Temple Mount Security Checkpoint 

Controlled by Muslims 

We were warned not to wear any Christian or Jewish Symbols; 

to make sure we had our arms and legs covered; 

not sing, laugh, etc., or we would be escorted out.
Friend JoAnne had an olive wood cross confiscated by an angry guard.   

Dome of the Rock

Third Holiest Site for Muslims 

Built on the site of the Temple after the 

Temple was destroyed in 70AD

Al-Aqsa Mosque 

Court of the Gentiles 

 Standing in the Court of the Women 

 St. Anne's Basilica

St. Anne was the mother of Mary 

 Statue of St. Anne and Mary as a Girl 

Walking path to pool of Bethsaida

  Pool of Bethsaida 

Where the man had lain for so many years;  

it would have taken great faith to jump into water that deep 

and believe that you would be healed!

Triumphal Entry Route 

marked by cypress trees

Lion's Gate:  

One of the Gates into Old Jerusalem Quarter

 Michael Card in Fortress Antonia

 Roman Guards Incised Stones with Games

 Mosiac of Christ on Via Dolorosa

 Via Dolorosa

 Prayers placed in Western Wall

 At the Western Wall for Prayer

 Dove in Niche above Western Wall 

Flew in as I placed my forehead and left hand on the wall to pray

Cooed the entire time I was praying for Community Presbyterian Church!  

 Church of the Upper Room

 Column in the Church of the Upper Room 

 Statue of King David and Harp

Church of the Upper Room 

Ephriam, Sheepfold, Herodium, Bethlehem

Thought for the Day: 

 The sacrifice of Christ did not begin at Calvary --

It began in Bethlehem

Lintel over Doorway of 1st Century House

Lintel over doorway was brought to the site by the priest at Taybeh / Ephriam.  It was from his mother's home in Bethlehem, and was from the same time period as Christ.  On the doors, a key was inserted into a hole in the door, and then the key lifted the latch that kept the door closed.  The key actually served as a door handle.  There was a trench at the bottom of the door, so if someone needed to borrow bread, it could be passed through the door without having to open the door.  

Trench at Bottom of Door 

 First Century House in Ephriam 

Paul standing in doorway of the "katalouma"

Karen, Alan and Joyce, Glenda sitting in front of grain storage area

Kitchen / Living Area of 1st Century House 

Oven smoke helped control insects in house 

Stable Under House 

Housed animals and the bedrock kept the house from being "unclean" 

Interesting thesis regarding Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus:  Joseph was from Bethlehem and probably had a shared family home there. Since he was an observant Jewish carpenter, he most likely left Bethlehem and moved to Nazareth to avoid being conscripted to work on the Herodium. He and Mary would travel back and forth to Bethlehem three or four times a year to observe the various holy days at the Temple in Jerusalem which was a short hike from Bethlehem.  The katalouma was the "guest bedroom".  When going back to Bethlehem for the census, there was no room in the "katalouma".  So...Mary and Joseph probably stayed in the stable "under the house" to keep the family from becoming "unclean" by the birth / afterbirth.  

Michael Card Leading Worship in Ephriam

"Great is Thy Faithfulness" 

"Doxology" 

The carpet had little stars on it...perhaps dropped there during some Christmas celebration.  I picked up a few stars and placed them in my journal; then picked up some more and

 gave them to Tim who had recently lost his wife.  

Sanctuary of Church in Ephriam

Font filled with greenery for Christmas; Christ Candle 

After worship, we went for tea with the Palestinian Priest of the church.  He spoke on the plight of the Palestinian Christians in Ephriam.  Purchased to wood carved nativity sets from him to help support the work of the church.   

Traveled to a sheepfold in the countryside for a teaching on the Good Shepherd, and to talk about the possibility of the shepherds in the Christmas story being shepherds who guarded the sacrificial sheep for the Temple. While we were talking, we could suddenly hear bells from the necks of sheep ringing.  Over the rise across the way, a Bedouin shepherd appeared and herded his sheep right down in front of us!  A sacred moment!  

Bedouin Sheep Fold

Dr. James C. Martin teaching on the Good Shepherd

 Bedouin Shepherd and Sheep

 Bedouin Shepherd Leading Sheep

Our next stop was the Herodium, the Palace Fortress of Herod the Great.  He built the Herodium by leveling  another mountain to create a Palace Fortress that was supreme over the land.  The hill ended up looking very much like a cinder cone of a volcano with the fortress on top.  It definitely cast a shadow on the little town of Bethlehem.  

Model of Herodium Palace Fortress

The town of Bethlehem sitting in the shadow of the Herodium 

Ruins of Herod's Swimming Pool 

located at the base of the Herodium 

Inside the Palace Fortress 

Detail on Capital at Herodium

Spectacular Sun Break at Herodium 

"In the shadow of great darkness, a light has dawned."

The palace fortress lies in ruins, but the message of Christ has continued through the ages. 

A couple of interesting thesis proposed during discussion:   

John the Baptist was born into the priestly line...however, he avoided the corrupt system at the Temple.  He chose to wear camel hair garb rather than the corrupt priestly robe; ate locusts and honey rather than the choicest portions of the "heave" offering.  People came out to the wilderness to hear him because they are seeking authority / legitimacy / authenticity.  

Genealogy of Joseph in Matthew is to prove that Jesus is NOT the son of David. 

Matthew 22.44-45

⁴⁴‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? ⁴⁵If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” 

Jesus is Lord as legitimate King of kings, rather than Herod who is only a political king.  Jesus is Lord, Creator of David.  

Herod wanted to be served; Christ came to serve. 

Herod took lives of people; Jesus gave life 

Herod cast a shadow of darkness on the land; Jesus was the new light that dawned 

Overview:  

Genesis 1 - 11:              Need of a Rescuer 

Genesis 12 - Malachi:  Rescuer Revealed 

Gospels:                        Rescuer Has Arrived 

Acts - Revelation:         Rescue Fulfilled 

 Church of the Nativity at Bethlehem

 St. Jerome's Grotto

Sang "O Little Town of Bethlehem" with Michael Card

St. Jerome translated the Vulgate here 

 Passageway connecting the Churches of Nativity 

 Doorway of Humility for Pilgrims into the Church

Star in the Courtyard

Sign asks for prayers for peace in Palestine

Top Lintel is the Original Doorway

Gothic Arch from the Time of the Crusaders

 designed to keep carts and large animals out

Current Door is Doorway of Humility for Pilgrims

Coffee Shop Spotted on the Way Back to Bus ;)

Bethlehem used to be 98% Christian, but today it is only 1% Christian. 

We shopped for souvenirs at a shop that supports 33 Christian families.  

Garden Tomb

Caught up with the group late afternoon on the first day...not bad!  Ron Davis, owner of Harvest Productions, the group responsible for the tour, met me at the airport in Tel Aviv, and we took a taxi to Jerusalem.  We then walked from the hotel to the Garden Tomb (about a ten minute walk) and met up with the group. 

Golgotha

Place of the Skull 

Jerusalem

Garden Tomb

Plaque in the Garden

It was a beautiful Garden with lots of paths, fountains, and meditation spots along the way.  There were also two small chapels and we were able to have a brief worship service 
in one of them. 

   

Charles, from Nottingham, England, gave us a tour of the garden and the tomb.  He was passionate about this being the location of the most "foundation event in Christian history".  He had first experienced this Garden Tomb 23 years earlier, and then when he retired, he contacted the group and became a guide.  He works for them about six weeks a year leading tours of the Garden Tomb.  The rest of the time he serves in his church in Nottingham, England.  

Charles 

Lecturing on Golgotha

We then returned to the hotel, met for dinner, and then the group had their de-brief session of the day's events and a preview of what would be toured the next day.  

Participants in Biblical Imagination Tour

I signed up for the tour without knowing a soul.  Such a diverse group of people!  Missionaries, Navigators, Nurse, Chaplain, Oil Executive, Mail Person, Farmer, Small Engine Repair Business Owner, Marketing, Designer, Photographer, Legal Paraprofessional, Teacher, Banker, CPA, Songwriter, Archaeologist,  etc.  All walks of life, all fascinating people.  Couldn't have asked for a better group of folk with which to travel, explore and learn.  After several days the group actually felt like family.

Biblical Imagination Tour to the Holy Land

Picture of Vancouver, BC Airport

First stop on my trip to the Holy Land

I left the afternoon of Christmas Day to travel to the Holy Land via Vancouver, Canada. My original itinerary was to leave the day after Christmas, however, Air Canada cancelled my first flight...which would have cascaded all my other flights and I wouldn't have been able to get to Israel on time for the tour.  Soooooo, called Air Canada and they arranged to have me fly out on Christmas Day and spend the first night in a very nice Sheraton Hotel in Vancouver, B.C., compliments of Air Canada.  Shuttle to and from the hotel...reasonable morning flight...all the other connections would work...so, I was off for my "trip of a lifetime".  

What I didn't realize was the phrase "trip of a lifetime" would end up referring to my attempt to actually get to Israel.   I arrived late in Toronto, Canada and as I exited the plane, I was handed a ticket and vouchers to a hotel.  The steward explained that because we arrived "late", my bag would not have enough time to be transferred to the flight to Tel Aviv...so I would have to spend the night in Toronto and fly out the next day.  I was instructed to go to baggage claim, claim my bag, then catch a shuttle to another hotel, compliments of Air Canada.  

Went to baggage claim...and after 40 minutes we discovered that my bag had indeed been able to make the flight to Tel Aviv!  So, I was minus the bag, and had to spend the night in a hotel in Toronto.  But...first...I needed to catch a shuttle.  Unfortunately, my coat was in the bag on its way to Tel Aviv.  So, I got to stand outside in 5 degree centigrade weather, and wait another 40 minutes for a shuttle.  

When I got to the hotel, I discovered that the new ticket wasn't for the next day after all. It was for the day after that!  I left one day early and would now arrive two days late for the tour.  I was not a happy camper!  Called Air Canada...and after being put on hold for 17 minutes, was pleased to learn that they had moved me to an Air Alatalia flight that would leave the next day...and I would fly to Rome, and then on to Tel Aviv.  When I went to check in, much to my delight I was told that I would be flying business class both to Rome and then to Tel Aviv.  Arrived fairly rested and missed only 3/4 of the first day.