Travel day to Jerusalem

We did it! A handful of us got up this morning at 5:25 to see the sunrise over the Sea of Galilee....and it was worth it.

As you can see from these pictures, it was simply beautiful this morning and well worth our efforts. After packing up and having breakfast, we loaded the bus and said farewell to the Sea of Galilee. We drove by the place where the Jordon River leaves the Sea of Galilee and begins its path to the Dead Sea…we turned south as well and began our trek with a stop at Bet She’an. This is the place where the bodies of Saul and his sons were displayed on the city walls after they fell in battle against the Philistines. It later became a great Roman outpost with its own colosseum, theater, baths, grand avenues with covered shopping...and what city would be complete without an acropolis to top it off?

The colosseum for entertainment. The soldiers posted here were entertained with all sorts of games and contests.

An overview of the city. We didn't climb the acropolis but it looked lovely.

The Roman baths had four different types of rooms. This is the steam room.

The ruins were extensive.

 

Because Israel is part of the Eastern Rift, (what I think of as the Great Rift Valley in Africa) it is tectonically active. The pillars all fell in the same direction after a great earthquake.

While we were at Bet She’an an Israeli fighter jet flew overhead. It was moving so fast my eyes couldn’t find it based on the sound. Hezi said the boys were just out performing exercises….no worries. 

This is how the medium size stones were moved. Those Romans were incredible builders.

The latrines at Bet She 'an.

The theater was our group shot for the day.

 Pastor Polson read from I Samuel 31: 8-18 about Saul's death. Bet She 'an was really interesting, and the ruins were so well preserved.

Cindy and I at the Jordan River. The yellow rope in the middle of the river is the border between Jordan and Israel.

Pastor Polson reading from Mark 1. It took me by surprise how moved I was to be in this place, hearing God's word and listening to the singing of Christians on the Jordan side of the river.

We stopped at the Jordan River at the general location where Jesus was baptized by John. It was my favorite part of the day. 

Melody and Joey in the Jordan River. Joey took this opportunity to be baptized in the same river as Christ. It was a special experience for all of us.

Alexis and Sean make friends with the border guard.

The Jordan River is rich with sediment that fertilizes the whole valley.

The Israeli border with Jordan. The Moab mountains are in the background.

 

As we drove through the southern Jordan Valley, the land definitely became drier, but much of the desert has been made arable through Jewish ingenuity. The Moab mountains were beautiful with the occasional herd of goats and sheep. The beauty is so surprising. We saw several Bedouin settlements. These are the former nomads of the middle east. Today they live simply as shepherds.

Jerusalem was beautiful as we entered on our way to Bethlehem. We saw the Temple Mount as we drove through the city, but the tour of that site will be later in the week. We crossed into Palestinian territory when we entered Bethlehem. Israel is divided into 3 zones based on occupation. Bethlehem is zone A which means that it is owned and protected by Palestinians. Hezi, our Israeli guide, had to have a permit to enter with us.

Once we reached Bethlehem, we had a delicious gyro lunch and toured an olive wood factory. It is illegal to cut down an olive tree in Israel, but the trees are pruned after the harvest. The wood is cured for 6-7 years before it is carved into various figures. The hand-carved figures were stunning, but the price tag was equally so.  I’m going to start saving now for the $25,000 nativity set that stole my heart. :)

After lunch we went to the Shepherd’s Fields and cave where the shepherds returned to their flocks to proclaim the good news. We sang Silent Night together in the Church of the Shepherd. The acoustics were amazing! What a precious memory.

Our last stop in Bethlehem was the Church of the Nativity. It marks the place where Christ was born. To enter the church, you have to enter through the “humility door.” It is very low; so everyone must bow to enter into this holy site. It is controlled today by three faiths: Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox and Catholic Churches. It was a bit over the top ornate, but that is the work of man. God’s work was simple and in keeping with his creation. While we were down in the cave (stable), Pastor Polson read from Luke and we sang Away in a Manger.   

The Olive Wood Factory.

Workers doing the detailed hand carving. The carved faces were so real.

This is the wood after it has cured for 6-7 years and is ready to be carved.

The shepherd's cave.

Shepherd's Fields in Bethlehem.

The Church of the Shepherds which was built in 1950 by the Franciscans to mark where the shepherds returned to share the good news that the angels had given to them in the fields.

Inside the Church of the Shepherds.

The Church of Nativity. The entrance to the cave where Jesus was born. Caves were used as stables during this time.

The star marks the ground where Jesus was born. I was reminded that even if this is not the exact place....well, that's ok. We worship Jesus....not the location.

View of Bethlehem.

 We checked into our very nice hotel, Grand Court Jerusalem and settled in for the evening. Tomorrow we visit Masada and the Dead Sea. I am looking forward to floating in the super salty water.

The internet in our hotel has been really slow and I had to sit in the lobby to load pictures. I want to give a big "THANK YOU" to the Smith family for keeping me company until well after 11:00 pm. I am so grateful that I get to take this journey through the holy lands with this precious group of believers!

Goodnight from Jerusalem.