Southview's Israel Study Trip

Israel 2009 Trip Video (from Southview's worship service last week)

2009-11-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 2

2009-11-02T05:08:00.000-08:00

Today was a free day for our group. Most of us slept later than normal, had breakfast, then caught a ride into the Old City. Some shopped, some walked around, some stayed at the hotel and just had a relaxing day of rest - but everyone had a great day. Tonight we'll have our farewell dinner with the Immanuel Tours staff and our guide Irit, and we'll board a VERY early flight back - see y'all tomorrow in D.C.!

Sunday, November 1

2009-11-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

Our last day of seeing the biblical and historical sites!

We began the day by going to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found beginning in 1947. This is at the excavation site of the settlement at Qumran.

Cave 4, where the largest cache of scrolls were found

Our ever cheeful Israeli guide, Irit

And our always helpful driver, David

Our next stop was Masada, the winter palace of Herod the Great and the location of the last stand of the Jewish rebels in 70-73 A.D.

It's a long way down from the cable car ride up to the top!

At the synagogue excavation on the top of Masada

We then went to En Gedi, where you can get in the Dead Sea and experience the healing properties of the mud and salt.

Next stop, Genesis Land, where camel rides caused a great deal of laughter among the group!

The moon shining over the Judean desert

"Abraham" at Genesis Land

Saturday continued...

2009-11-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

Gladys teaching at Ein Karem

Golgotha, the place of the skull

The Garden Tomb

Pat going in to the tomb

It is empty! He is Risen!

Jodi Snapped this shot of me teaching at the Garden Tomb, just before we celebrated the Lord's Supper together

Saturday, October 31

2009-10-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

First, let me say - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BRIDE CHARLOTTE! She is more beautiful than the day I met her! We sang happy birthday to you at Bethlehem today!

This is actually from yesterday, but what a great group shot by Jodi Prosser!

This is a pic of the kibbutz hotel where we are staying, Ramat Rachel.

Fountain at Shepherd's Field

In the cave at Shepherd's Field

Inside the Church of the Nativity - the star marks the traditional site of Christ's birth

The Church of the Nativity

Gladys, me, and our Palestinian guide Ibrahim in Bethlehem (we had to switch guides and drivers for the morning while we were in Palestinian Authority territory)

The Israeli Knesset (Parliament)

Inside the Israeli Museum - one of the Jars that the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in

The Shrine of the Book, where we saw several of the Dead Sea Scrolls, including the Isaiah and Habakkuk scrolls!

The Model of First Century Jerusalem at the Israel Museum - absolutely amazing to see

Ein Karem, traditional site of the Birthplace of John the Baptizer

Blogger's having some difficulties tonight - have to post the rest tomorrow. To be continued!

Friday, October 30

2009-10-30T09:54:00.001-07:00

Today we continued our journey - pics below!

We began at the southern excavations of the Temple Mount

Some of us went down into the Western Wall tunnels (a.k.a. the rabbinical tunnels) - you can see the foundation stones from the time of the Second Temple. A tight squeeze - amazing to see. We saw the spot believed to be the closest one can come to where the Holy of Holies used to be on the Temple Mount.

The Western (wailing) Wall

Many of us got to pray at the wall - here's one of me praying there.

Many orthodox Jews were there this morning praying.

Gladys teaching at the steps by the Hulda Gates

The Hulda Gates, perhaps named for the prophetess Hulda from 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem (no pictures allowed inside the museum - the Hall of Names was immensely moving to me)

Teddy Kolleck Stadium in Jerusalem

Statue of King David near David's Tomb and the Upper Room (the traditional site for both - likely that neither are actually "the" places - though we found it interesting that the Upper Room is above David's Tomb)

The Upper Room

The dungeon below Caiphas' house where Jesus was taken and beaten after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane

The Pit below Caiphas' house into which Jesus was likely lowered

Gladys teaching at the church of St. Peter Gallicantu (remembering Peter's denial and the rooster crowing)

Thursday, October 29

2009-10-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy day - our first in Jerusalem! Here's a shot of our first daytime view of the Temple Mount - notice the Eastern (Golden) Gate to the right in this picture.

The church Dominus Flavit

Gladys teaching at Dominus Flavit (no pics of me teaching as I'm, well, teaching and not taking pics at that time) :)

The Garden of Gethsemane, the most powerful experience of the day

Inside the Garden church - traditionally this is the rock where Jesus prayed

The Garden of Gethsemane - we spent some time in quiet prayer and meditation here

The Lion Gate into the Old City of Jerusalem

Our guide Irit uses a purple umbrella so we can see her in a crowd; occasionally she gives it to one of the taller guys to hold up high. Here we see John Grindle!

The excavations of the Pool of Bethesda (where Jesus healed a man lame for 38 years in John 5)

John and Loria leading us in singing inside the church at the Bethesda site

The Old City

Restaurant where we stopped for lunch in the Arab Quarter - excellent falafel and pizza!

Market in the Arab Quarter

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (traditional Catholic site of the crucifixion of Jesus)

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The wide wall - an excavated wall of Jerusalem dating to the 8th century BC, the time of Isaiah

We visited the Temple Institute today, but no photography allowed at all - sorry!

Street sign in the Jewish Quarter

Wednesday, October 28

2009-10-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a packed day of learning and seeing - here's the recap!

This morning I got up before sunrise and snapped some pictures from our final morning around the Sea of Galilee.

This ancient mosque was across from the Sea of Galilee, just in front of our hotel.

We started our day today with Tel Megiddo, where 25 civiliations have built cities on top of one another. We saw this model that illustrates how the site is read to know what belonged to each civilization.

At Tel Megiddo, we saw the site of the pagan worship that took place there; this is from the sacred area. Notice the round pagan altar.

John Grindle led us in singing at the top of Tel Megiddo. Notice the Valley of Jezreel behind him (the location of the last battle, the battle of Armageddon, in Revelation 16:16).

At the ruins of Solomon's stables at Megiddo

Descending into the water system at Megiddo

The underground water tunnel at Megiddo

Next we went to Mount Carmel, where Elijah faced off with the prophets of Ba'al and God displayed His power in a mighty way (1 Kings 18). Here's a statue of Elijah commemorating the Scriptural event.

A better view of the Valley of Jezreel from the top of the church at Mount Carmel.

Then on to Caesarea; here is the Roman aqueduct built by two legions of soldiers to get water from the Mediterrean to Caesarea.

We saw the Crusader castle at Caesarea

Caesarea pics

Tablet mentioning Pontius Pilate as procurator of Judea, found at Caesarea

Excavated theater at Caesarea

Gladys teaching at the theater

Group pic at Caesarea theater!

One final note from Barbara Green: "To Noah - happy birthday! Nanny loves you! Gina and Susie, I love you too!"

Tuesday, October 27

2009-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Jodi Prosser shared this pic that she took this morning - sunrise over the Sea of Galilee this morning.

We began our day with a tour of the kibbutz Nof Ginosar. The guide showed us around, talked with us about kibbutz life and philosophy, including the recent changes toward privatization among the Kibbutzes of Israel, and then they treated us to coffee, tea, and cakes at their hotel.

We drove up to the Mt. Bental observation point, looking over the border into Syria and the ghost town of Kuneitra.

This Signpost was at the observation point - a long way back to DC!

We stopped for lunch at a Druze restaurant; I had Falafel for the first time - it was EXCELLENT!

Next stop, Banias (aka Caesarea Philippi), where Peter's Profession of Jesus as Messiah in the shadow of one of the greatest centers of idolatry in the area is recorded in Matthew 16.

At Banias, we also find one of the sources of the Jordan River - very peaceful here.

Our last stop of the day was at Tel Dan, where Archaeologists have uncovered several artifacts of note: A Canaanite gate dating to the middle of the 2nd Millennium BC (before the events of Judges 18)

Israelite walls dating to the time of Judges 18

And an altar and high place where the Golden Calf was set up by Jeroboam II (1 Kings 12:28-29)

Dan is also where Archaeologists uncovered the first Extrabiblical reference to David as king of Israel outside the Bible.

We returned to the hotel for dinner and our group meeting. A full and great day!

Monday, October 26

2009-10-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

What an awesome day today was! Here's a brief recap with some pictures. I took 200 pictures today and I know others took a lot as well - this is just a few.

Here's our guide Irit on the bus talking with us on the way to the Mount of Beatitudes.

We began the day by going up to see the church on the mount. Absolutely beautiful! Looking over the railing of the church at the mountainside and the Sea of Galilee below is an experience that is hard to put into words. The Sea of Galilee is said by the rabbis to be shaped like a harp because when God was making all the seas, lakes, and oceans, He chose this one for His own.

After visiting the church there, we drove to Nof Ginosar to the see the 2000 year old fishing boat that was recovered from the Sea of Galilee, nicknamed the "Jesus Boat" because it dates to His time.

After seeing the boat, we walked out to the dock to board a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.

The boat's name was Faith, and the captain is a Messianic Jewish believer! He said they just bought another boat, named Hope, and the next one will be - you guessed it - Love. He is a worship leader and led us in worship on the boat in the middle of the Sea - powerful and moving.

We rode over to Capernaum on the boat and saw the ruins of Peter's house and the ancient synagogue there.

After this we drove to Tabgha, where Jesus is said to have fed the five thousand with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.

After Tabgha, we drove by Cana, where Jesus did His first miracle, to Nazareth to see the Church of the Annunciation (where Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she would bear Jesus).

We then went to Nazareth Village, where they have recreated a village just as it would have been 2000 years ago in the time of Jesus. Very cool.

We then drove back to Tiberius to eat dinner and worship at the home of Richard and Carolyn Hyde, Messianic Jewish believers from the States who moved to Israel 6 years ago to live as full time missionaries to the Jewish people.

A very, very powerful and impactful day. We got back to the hotel just before 9 p.m. and I'm sure everyone is sleeping quite well right now! More tomorrow!

Sunrise at the Sea of Galilee

2009-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mark 1:16-18 (NIV) - "As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen." Come, follow me , 'Jesus said,' and I will make you Fishers of men. " At once they left their nets and followed him. "

We are here!

2009-10-25T13:44:00.000-07:00
We had an uneventful flight over to Vienna and then to Tel Aviv, and we safely arrived in Israel Sunday afternoon about 3 pm We were met by our tour company representative Susan, our driver David, and our guide Irit. It's going to be great! We got our luggage loaded on the bus and headed north about 2 hours to Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. We had a great buffet dinner, had our group meeting and devotional Downstairs in the Texas Saloon (yes, it's a bar - apparently closed and now used for a meeting room for groups, but the Texas decor is still there!). I think reading God's Word and singing some praise is a great use for the place:)

Here are some pics from the day:

Waiting at the airport in Vienna for our connecting flight to Tel Aviv

At Ben Gurion Airport - on Israeli soil!

On the road to Tiberius

Mosaic tile floor at the archaeological park in Tiberius, just below our hotel

Ancient mosque in downtown Tiberius

Ancient mosque view from the street

Little blurry, but it's a street sign for Tiberius and Nazareth

Our trip blog

2009-09-19T12:47:00.001-07:00
This will be the site where we will post pictures and updates from our study trip to Israel this fall. Check back during the trip for updates daily!