Days 8-9 - Saturday and Sunday: Mount Zion to Jaffa to Home

We started Saturday morning in Mount Zion just outside the Old City of Jerusalem. Our first stop was the Upper Room. Here, Jesus ate the last supper with his disciples. It was also in this place that the disciples, after waiting and praying, first received the Holy Spirit. We read about the Day of Pentecost from Acts 2. Just below the Upper Room is the traditional site of King David's Tomb. Although King David is not actually buried here, people use this site to commemorate him. Men and women are separated and each only sees half of the cenotaph containing the empty sarcophagus. Because this site is important for Christians, Jews and Muslims, all three religions have built places of worship on this site.

Rick and Lee Ann in the Upper Room

Connie, Shande, and Kendall

Sherry and Lee

Philippe on the streets of Mount Zion

Walking through the streets of Mount Zion, we arrived at the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu. This church is built on the house of the high priest Caiaphas. Jesus was brought here when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:57-27:1). While standing in the pit where Jesus was kept overnight, Cole read Psalm 22 to our somber group. Leaving the pit, we walked to the courtyard where Jesus denied that he knew Christ before hearing the rooster crow. From this courtyard, the very steps that Jesus used to walk from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane and back to Caiaphas' house under guard have been uncovered.

After a time of reflection, we returned to the bus to drive to the Jaffa Gate and enter the Old City. Walking down the narrow streets, Jacob (our guide) showed us the markings on the doors that signified the church to whom the residence belongs in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem. We were surprised when he opened one of these doors and invited us into his house! It was special to see Jacob's house and celebrate the bond that had been forged between us. We continued to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Some ventured in to the crowded chapel while others enjoyed shopping in the short time we had before lunch.

Terry and Emma just inside the Jaffa Gate

Lee, Matthew, and Cole

Elise at Jacob's door

Jacob's living room

Shande and Cole found Jacob's cologne stash!

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Vicki and John

Lunch in the Old City

Sherry, Matthew, and Bethany

Along the way, we stopped in the Valley of Elah to reenact David's defeat of Goliath. We first read the story from 1 Samuel 17. Then, we chose Philippe to be Goliath and Emma to be David. It was a great victory for David as our Goliath fell to the ground! To remember our visit here, we each chose stones from the brook. Some chose five like David. Others chose only one since that is all it took to slay the giant.

Emma

David cuts off Goliath's head (a.k.a. Emma waves wheat around Philippe's neck)

Chris chooses her stones

The Ritchey family shows the stones they chose

Jaffa was our final destination before boarding the plane in nearby Tel Aviv. Jaffa (also known as Joppa) is the oldest sea port in the world. It was here that Jonah took a boat to Tarshish in disobedience to God's call to Nineveh. It was also from here that the gospel went forth to the Gentiles. While Paul was staying with Simon the Tanner, he had a dream where God said, "what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." While Paul was wondering about this vision, visitors from Cornelius arrived asking Paul to come with them to Caesarea. We read this story from Acts 10 standing in front of that very house where Paul had the dream. Thus, we ended our journey with the same story that began it - the gospel going forth to the Gentiles. This fulfills God's promise to Abraham about the Promised Land. Through his descendant, Jesus, all the world is blessed.

Jacob took a nap on our way to Jaffa.

Matthew and Bethany at Simon the Tanner's house

The Old Jaffa Port looking over to modern Tel Aviv

Lee and Elise enjoy a tangerine and a view

Mufeed, our driver, and Jacob, our tour guide

Farewell Dinner

Farewell Dinner

Farewell Dinner

Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. We had a wonderful trip and are back home. Although our time in Israel is over, our journey is just beginning. We look forward to reading the Scripture with new eyes and sharing the story of how we walked with Jesus where Jesus walked.

Day 7 - Friday: Wilderness around Jerusalem

Friday and Saturday were so packed with wonderful adventures that there was no time left to write about them! So, although this post is a few days late, we wanted you to know about the wonderful ending of our trip.

We started the day with a light breakfast at the hotel. When we got on the bus, Jacob and Mufeed (our guide and driver) had brought us a traditional Israeli breakfast of begala bread with falafel from the Old City. It was delicious! We munched on these treats while we made our way south to Masada. Along the way we stopped for camel rides.

Evan and Ryan

John

Connie

Chris

We finally arrived in Masada, a fortress built by Herod the Great on the top of a barren mountain in the middle of the Judaean desert. Although King Herod built the fortress for himself in case of a Jewish revolt, it was used by the Jews in an attempt to evade the Romans. When a Roman victory became imminent, the Jews in Masada decided death was better than slavery.

Matthew, Emma and Logan sitting in the synagogue of Masada

Jacob and Philippe

This desert region is of important Biblical significance as well. It was in this region that David fled from King Saul. Long before Herod built a fortress at Masada, David and his mighty men used the high mountains and hidden caves around the wilderness as natural fortresses. Unlike Herod, however, David knew that God was his rock and salvation. As we drove through the very region where David wrote many of the Psalms, we read portions of Psalm 57, 61, 62, and 63. We continued as David did to the springs of Engedi. A waterfall bursts through the dusty land bringing life and refreshment. This is where David cut off the hem of Saul's robe to show that he did not mean to harm the Lord's anointed king (1 Samuel 24).

Chandelle and Logan show the waterfall at Engedi 

Behind Emma, you can see the caves of Engedi.

We made a brief visit to the Ahava Factory to purchase wonderful skin care products from the dead sea. Then, it was off to Qumran for lunch and a tour of the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Over Debbie's shoulder, you can see the caves where the most Biblical scrolls were found.

Next, we enjoyed floating in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. The ground sometimes collapses below you, but the strange sensation of floating effortlessly is worth the difficulties.

Philippe

Emma

We then made a quick tour of Jericho. We saw a sycamore tree similar to the one Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus. We made a brief visit to Tel Jericho where archeologists have found 23 different civilizations built upon this spot. We saw the Mount of Temptation where Jesus went after he was baptized in the nearby Jordan River. Then, we indulged in some shopping: dates, sweets, and Phoenician glass.

Ryan and Kendale enjoy fresh pomegranate juice

We returned to the hotel around 8 pm ready for dinner, a quick meeting, packing for travel, and then to bed. We could not have squeezed another drop of adventure into this day!

Day 6 - Thursday: Jerusalem and the City of David

We started our day early with a rare treat – the Temple Mount! We walked through the very area where the Temple once stood. We walked right up to the iconic Dome of the Rock and passed by the Golden Gate from inside the Jerusalem wall. This is the only gate in Jerusalem that is closed. Knowing the prophecies about the Messiah coming through this gate, the Muslims have shut it completely. On the inside of the wall, there is a library and school built against the gate. On the outside, a Muslim cemetery was created in hopes that the Messiah would not cross over unclean ground. We know that nothing can stop our God! Whenever and wherever He chooses to enter, He can!

The Pools of Bethesda was our next stop. Jesus healed the paralyzed man who was waiting by this pool in John 5:1-15. Ruins from several ancient churches now fill the pools creating a unique place to explore. The nearby Church of St. Anne’s marks the birthplace of Mary. We enjoyed the specially designed acoustics of this building while singing Amazing Grace inside the domed altar.

We followed the Via Dolorosa from the place where Jesus received his cross to the place where He fell under the weight and Simon of Cyrene helped him.

Rather than continuing this path, we journeyed to the Western Wall. A VIP was coming to the area, so we knew they would close early. However, we had plenty of time for prayer and reflection at this sacred spot. We continued our tour of the temple area through the Rabbinical Tunnels. These tunnel excavations follow along the only remaining wall from the temple area. One area of the tunnels reveals the first century stone pavement where Jesus actually walked.

We went out of the Old City of Jerusalem through the Lion’s Gate we had seen earlier. From there, we followed the wall through the Muslim cemetery that stands before the Golden Gate. We could also look down into the Kidron Valley and across to the Mount of Olives. We could clearly see the Garden of Gethsemane where we would go later in the day. As we reached the corner of the east wall of Jerusalem, we turned the corner to see the southern steps by which Jesus went up to the Temple. These are the very steps from which He taught the people.

This journey led us to the City of David. The Jerusalem of King David was further south than the walls of today. After lunch, a movie, and viewing ruins of David's ancient city, most of our group chose to go through Hezekiah's Tunnel. This tunnel was constructed to bring water into the city of Jerusalem and ends at the Pool of Siloam where a blind man was healed by Jesus (John 9:1-7).

Having walked all morning, we were glad to finally be on the bus for a few minutes. We rode to the top of the Mount of Olives. Then, we followed the Palm Sunday Road down the mountain. 

Rather than entering the city as Jesus did that day, we stopped at the Garden of Gethsemane. We read of Jesus' prayer and arrest in Matthew 26:36-56. We took time here for individuals or families to spend time in meditation and reflection.

Although we had already walked about 8 miles, most of us were ready for more. While some went back to the hotel to rest before dinner, most of us went to the Christian Quarter of the Old City for some shopping and relaxing. Our tour guide, Jacob, grew up here and lives in this area. He introduced us to his friends and some of his family before leaving us for the day. We stayed in the city to shop, eat snacks, and just be together. 

After dinner, we spent over an hour laughing and enjoying being together. Usually, these gatherings are spent discussing our spiritual reflections from the day. Tonight, however, was all about joy in each other's company. We had prayed that God would knit us together in each other's hearts. God has truly done that. We came as strangers and acquaintances, but we have become life long friends and family. Thank you for all who are praying for us. We know that God is answering your prayers!