Dead Sea Region

Photo link- http://bit.ly/zhP9so

So today was a trip south to Masada (an ancient fortress of Herod), which was quite impressive, had some amazing scenery from the top of this mountain. Then we went to visit Qumran, seeing the excavation of an Essene community and a good look (from a distance) at the hillside caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We then went to a beach on the Dead Sea for a "swim." It was an very unusual experience- no way to describe it really. They say you float, and you really do. It felt like you were in a pool with one of those foam floating chairs, except, there was no foam. On the way in and out of the Sea, I sunk about knee deep in mud, which would cost a few hundred dollars in the US at a spa, but here it's just part of the experience.

Tomorrow (Sunday), I'm getting up at about 5:30 am to head to the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) to see the various churches worshiping there and take in this holy site when there isn't a large crowd there. Then I'll come back to St. George's and worship with them at 11am. After lunch we head to the Israel Museum to see of the actual Dead Sea Scrolls (they're not at Qumran), the model of Jerusalem in Jesus' time, and other exhibits.

Monday morning through Thursday afternoon we're heading on a "field trip" to the Galilee region, so no photos/blog posts for the first half of next week. The weather should be turning warmer as well, so that will be nice. I pray that you all have a wonderful Sunday, and will remember you all in the Holy City tomorrow morning. Shalom.

Hebron and Bethany

Photo link- http://bit.ly/zhP9so

So today was an interesting day- cold and dreary, a bit of rain for good measure as well, but it didn't keep the pilgrims from their way. We started by visiting the historic site where the three men (angels?) visited Abraham (Gen. 18) at the Oaks of Mamre, the foggy photo is of this place. We then went to Hebron to visit the Tombs of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs (Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah- Rachel is buried closer to Bethlehem). This site was somewhat sorrowful, as the modern-day tensions were painfully obvious. For one, Hebron is in Palestine, so we had to go through a border check to get there. Then we passed a construction crew that was putting up a wall between Israel and Palestine. The contrast between sides of the wall is stark. In Israel, homes are nice and most had solar water heaters on the roof, while Palestinian homes were in shambles and had black water storage bins on the roofs, because they never know when/if Israel might cut off their water supply. We also saw a strong military presence in the area. Perhaps the saddest aspect was the Tombs. One side was for Muslims, the other Jews (Christians are allowed on both sides). The supposed tomb of Abraham is in a circular area enclosed by a fence. From the Muslim side, one can see the Jewish side, and vice versa. But there was a wall that divided the two sides. Even in the place where the father of the Jewish and Islamic faiths is buried, a great place of common ground, there was a dividing wall. It was a lesson in the tensions in this land.

We then were supposed to go to Ber-Sheeva, but as you might have seen in the news on Wednesday, rockets were launched from Gaza into Ber-Sheeva; St. George's places security above all things, so we did not go. Instead, we travelled to Bethany, the place where Lazarus died and Jesus brought him back to life, and the home of Mary and Martha. There was a beautiful church there, and they were finishing a Mass while we were there, which was nice to see. These are not just historic sites, they are still places of worship.

Tomorrow we head to Ein Kerem and Bethlehem and the the Dead Sea/Masada/Qumran on Saturday. I remember you all in my prayers, please continue to hold me in yours. Blessings.

Photos from Jerusalem

Today is the last free day before the course starts at St. George's, actually tonight (Tuesday) is the opening Eucharist and reception. Then once it starts, it looks like it's going to be a great tour all over Israel- Masada, Dead Sea, Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, just to name a few sites. It's a 14 day tour/course, so we'll cover a lot of ground (figuratively and metaphorically). There may be some days where there is no internet access (we have an 3 day trip to Galilee), but keep checking the blog and I'll update it as I can. Then after the course, it's on to Petra, then back to Greensboro on March 30-31.

I spent today just exploring the Old City. I started with the Garden Tomb, which is actually outside the Old City. It's the second (and less widely accepted) site for Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified, the name means "the place of the skull" and I included a photo of the "skull" in the photos link) and the tomb where Jesus was laid. I realize this likely isn't THE spot, but it was a place similar to where these event took place, and in being in such a place was a truly awesome moment. Then on to the Citadel for a tour and some great photos, the tour told the story of Jerusalem over 5,000 years. Then I went to the Burnt House museum, and had a great fallafel along the way, which is a house that was recently discovered in a dig. They believe it was the house of a priest that was destroyed in 70 when the Temple/Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans. It was nice to walk around the Old City, I've never seen anything quite like it- all the shops, narrow, winding streets. Also got lost several times, but if I was just taking in the sites, I guess I wasn't lost, just didn't know where I was on the map. Shalom.

Be sure to check out the new photos- http://bit.ly/zhP9so

Jerusalem

Took the train this morning to Jerusalem, it was a nice way to get here from Haifa. I arrived at St. George's and am excited about starting the course on Wednesday- that's when the touring will begin. I did explore the Old City some today, and will post some more photos either today or tomorrow. The link for photos is http://bit.ly/zhP9so. Thank you all again for your prayers, hope things are going well back in NC.

On to Haifa

New Photos Added: http://bit.ly/zhP9so

So I left Tel Aviv Saturday morning by sherut (shared taxi). Had a  nice lunch a local spot, they were still serving breakfast at 1pm, I guess it's Sabbath Brunch? Whatever you call it, it was tasty. Not sure what the weather is back in NC, but you can't beat 70 degrees, sunny with a nice breeze coming off the Mediterranean. The weather has been great so far for walking around and exploring cities. In the next few weeks there will be some rain, but for now, I'm enjoying the blue skies.

Haifa is a very nice city, one of the larger cities in Israel, about an hour north of Tel Aviv. Today, as you can tell by the photos, I went to the zoo and walked along Louis Promenade (both near the hotel) for the great view. Tomorrow I'm planning to visit Elijah's Cave, Stella Maris Monastery, the Baha'i Gardens, and the German Colony. That should take up most of the day. Monday morning, it's onward to Jerusalem. I'll have Monday and Tuesday to myself there, then the course at St. George's begins on Wednesday.

Hope you all are doing well. Shalom!

More photos up

A day of great weather and more walking than I care to guess a distance for. Some photos are up from the Eretz Israel Museum and Old Jaffa. Tomorrow, I head to Haifa.

http://bit.ly/zhP9so  - link for photos

Greetings from Israel

So the link on the right labeled new should be the photos.

Survived my first flight of more than 3 hours, not sure how they expect anyone to get sleep in those seats, but I pushed through and made it until about 9:30 pm on Thursday night, been going pretty much since Wednesday am in the US, minus whatever little bit of sleep I got on the plane. It's a great feeling to be 6,000 miles away, really gives me the sense of being disconnected and on an adventure. I've never been anywhere where I didn't speak the language, so that's a new experience as well.

Once I got through the airport, I got a cab to my hotel. It's a simple room, but has a great view of the Mediterranean from my room. I then got a cab to Old Jaffa and had dinner a nice little restaurant that overlooked the Sea (and ordered fish of course). It was a nice, brisk evening in Tel Aviv, so I decided to walk back to the hotel (about 30 minutes) along the coast, which was very pleasant. Friday the plan is to see a museum or two in the morning, then head back to Old Jaffa, this time as a tourist instead of a diner. Saturday I might do a little something else in Tel Aviv, or I might just head on to Haifa, just depends how tomorrow goes. Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. Blessings.