Israel, "The Promised Land"

Editor's Note: This is the final segment of a three part series.

Submitted by
Susan Douglas

Part III-There is a small fleet of rather large wooden boats used to cross the Sea of Galilee, which lies in the Jordan Valley rift , some 690 ft. below sea level. They raised both the U.S. and Canadian flags playing our national anthems. A fisherman from Galilee demonstrated how they tossed their nets as we sailed past Magna, the town of Mary Magdalene. Not much has changed here since Jesus’ time. On the shore we had a moment to shop & view the “Jesus Boat” at the museum. Once ashore we visited the town of Capernaum, site of a 2nd century village & synagogue on the northern shore (Mathew 4:13 and 9:1). Jesus chose four of his disciples here, healed the sick & told many parables. The Synagogue built around 300 A.D. has been excavated along with many parts of the ancient fishing town. Here also is the house of Peter. We continued to Tabgha on the north western shore, the traditional site of Jesus “Miracle of the Loaves and Fish,” where the church bearing this name is. (Mathew 14:13-21) The rock under the alter is said to be the rock on which Jesus put the loaves and fishes. The church is renowned for its multicoloured mosaics which are well preserved and said to be the loveliest in the Holy Land. The third appearance of Jesus after his death occurred in Tabgha (John 21:4-17) and The Church of St. Peter (or Chapel of the Primacy) was built here. At the southern end of the Sea of Galilee is the baptismal site of Yardenit. Our Jewish guide offered to wait for us while we rented gowns & towels for our baptism. Unlike the Mediterranean or the Dead Sea the Jordan River was very cold! Afterward, we felt “refreshed”!
Next was our tour of Beit Shean, visiting the Roman amphitheatre and excavations. This is the city where the Philistines displayed Saul’s head in the temple. In 749 B.C. an earthquake destroyed the entire city. Over 400 acres have been excavated, about 1/10th.
From here we proceeded to Beit Alpha to an ancient synagogue with a zodiac mosaic floor, modern for its time. The evening concluded travelling through the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea and our beautiful hotel, the Daniel.
In the morning we were off to the Dead Sea with robes provided by the hotel. You just sit down in the water which is like Jell-O. I reached into the bottom & grabbed up a full handful of crystallized salt & minerals which I placed into a bag to bring home. (for show & tell). Europeans are sent here for healing of skin illnesses, covered by their medical.
When we washed off at the shower heads provided our skin was silky smooth. They say not to stay in the water more than 10 min. (There are spa treatments available, mud packs and wonderful swimming pools also for those wishing to partake). Next we were off to Masada. You take a large cable car to the top of Masada or if you are young you can walk up. In order to spend more time in the 2000 yr. old rock fortress we took the cable car. The haunting fortress is on a sheer-sided plateau surrounded by dessert, 1440 feet above the Dead Sea. It was built by King Herod the Great and became the strong-hold of Jewish partisans in a battle against Rome in A.D. 73. 967 Jewish men, women and children defied their Roman attackers here for 3 years. When it clear that they would be taken by the 15,000 Roman troops, they committed mass suicide. I cannot begin to describe the feelings you get as the story unfolds here. It is listed in the book, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”. As we continued along the shores of the Dead Sea (which is shrinking quickly), we drove past Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Travelling through the Judean Dessert we passed many Bedouin tents/villages Enroute to Jerusalem. Our driver played the song “Jerusalem” as we entered the city which was very emotional for everyone. We took a brief stop on Mt. Scopus to view the city at night and for some to have a camel ride before retiring at our next hotel, the Prima Royale.

After a view from the Mt. of Olives we descended to visit the Wailing Wall. We entered the Old City of Jerusalem via the Dung Gate and were fortunate enough to witness a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. It was like going back in time to see all the different styles of clothing of the Jewish religious groups. The Davidson Center in the Jerusalem Archaeological Park was next to visit exhibitions and illustrations highlighting the main periods of the country’s history. One special feature is a real time, virtual reality reconstruction of the Herodian Temple Mount prior to its destruction in 70 A.D. We enjoyed a walk through the Roman Cardo in the Jewish Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and walked the Via Dolorosa (the Stations of the Cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional site of Jesus Crucifixion. We could actually touch stone that Jesus had touched. Even our Jewish guide recognized these holy sites. We then went to view King David’s Tomb (a real stone tomb/coffin covered in Royal Blue cloth) in a cave. From there we visited the Room of the Last Supper where they claim Jesus ate his last meal with the disciples. The rest of our day was to relax but when you go morning to night you just want to shower and go to bed because you know the next day you do it all over againJ
This morning we were off to visit the Shrine of the Book, at the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. (“Google” ) From here we visited Yad Vashem, a memorial to the Holocaust. If there was an emotional roller coaster day this surely was it! Since we had been to the Anne Frank hiding place it made this memorial even more overwhelming. The building to the children is all mirrors and candles that go on forever. You walk in the dark holding a railing only and as you walk the names and ages of the children killed in concentration camps are read. One Jewish lady came and took my hand and said “I see you feel our pain.” It was as if going to many loved ones funerals in one day and being totally drained emotionally afterward. Next we visited Mount Herzl Military Cemetery where Israel’s dignitaries and soldiers are buried. The tour continued past Knesset, Israel’s Parliament Building, and the President’s House.
In the afternoon we took an optional tour to Bethlehem (Christ’s birthplace) in Palestine. Our bus took us to the barbed wire wall dividing Israel and Palestine where we now got on a Palestinian bus to cross the border with a new guide. He took us to the Church of the Nativity, the oldest in the Holy Land still in use. You enter a cave and go down steps into the area where Jesus was born in a manger. (interesting and only a few feet away is another place the Greek Orthodox Church claims is the spot). The tour ended with a trip to a store for shopping. The following morning we visited the Museum of the History of Jerusalem located inside David’s Citadel near Jaffa Gate. Our walking tour of the old City included a visit to a local bazaar and a chance for bartering. It was a complete tour and a lot of walking. Our day concluded with a fantastic farewell meal at a Kibbutzim hotel, the Ramat Rachel Hotel. A great feast!
Mark and I now departed our group for our hotel on the Mt. of Olives (Muslim area), where we spent the next 4 nights. The next few days we visited the Church of Mary Magdalene, the Church of all Nations, the Biblical Zoo, the Old City of Jerusalem again, St. Stephen’s Church, the Tomb of Absalom & Queen Sheba, the Jewish Cemetery, Gethsemane, and much more. There is so much to see in Israel that we would love to return. It’s really worth the journey! If we can be of help please contact us! Shalom!