Beersheba

The well at Beersheba. The meaning of Beersheba is "well of oath" (Genesis 21:31). It marked the southern border of Judah, and therefore, of Israel ("from Dan to Beersheba" - Judges 20; 1 Sam. 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10; etc.). Today it is the capital of the Negev.

Inside the city gates of Beersheba. Here the elders would sit and give counsel.

Paula hard at work exploring the basement of Beersheba.

Western Wall and Temple Mount

The Western Wall. Women had to stay to on this side of the fence. Many stood on chairs to watch their husbands and sons pray or celebrate their son's BarMitzvah.

At the Israel Museum we saw this model of the Temple Mount and the City of Jerusalem as it appeared in 67 AD.

One of the many BarMitzvahs we saw taking place at the wall.

Me praying at the Western Wall. Notice all the prayers written on paper stuck into the wall.

In the courtyard where Jesus drove out the money changers and animals.

On the temple mount tracing where the second temple would have been and where the third temple will be in the future!

Shephelah Foothills

Standing at Beit Shemesh where the story of Samson largely takes place in this vicinity (Judges 13-16). That is a real donkey jaw bone in Randy's hand, similar to one Samson used against the Philistines.

Inside an amphitheater where the Roman gladiators would compete. The lions would be released from the underground cages (metal grates) on the left of the photo.
At the Valley of Elah we read and acted out the David and Goliath. JP was selected to be David and here he has already smote the giant with the rock from his sling and is about to cut his head off. Finishing the job!

Inside caves of Beit Guvrin. This area fell to Sennacherib during his campaign through the Shephelah in 701 B.C. (Micah 1:15).

An underground olive press. Discovered in an archaelogical dig. Dated to about 300 BC.

The day ends with a big game of speed scrabble!

The hotels and food have been great. The weather has been warming each day. Today it was sunny and about 80 degrees. Tomorrow will be warmer as we head to the Negev Desert and the Red Sea. We will visit Beersheba, Nahal Zin, and Makhtesh Roman then spend the night in Eliat.

If I even tried to write all that I am learning each day, there is just no way I could fit it all here. I have taken hundreds of photos and have been reviewing them each night to remember all that I saw and learned. I look forward to sharing more with you when we return. Shalom.

Day 2 in Jerusalem

Thanks for posts - nice to hear that folks back home are reading our updates. Please pass the word.



Today we started our tour by wallking through the Jaffa Gate of the wall around Jerusalem. We covered a lot of history today and were privileged to see some of the recent archaelogical disoveries.



It is truly amazing that we have been walking on about 5,000 years of history.




There are churches everywhere commemorating different Bible events or people. Above is the top of Dormition Abbey where supposedly Mary's body is buried.













When you have a righteous thirst, satisfy it with Maccabee
beer!





If you look closely see just how small the mustard see really is. Jesus said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you." Matthew 17:20


Descending Warren's Shaft toward Hezekiah's Tunnel. We waded through water for about 1750 feet in Hezekiah's Tunnel. We ended up at the pool of Siloam.

The pool is still being excavated. Tomorrow is Day 3 in Jerusalem. Shalom ...y'all!

New Testament Jerusalem

Today we started our tour of Israel at the Mount of Olives. That is where the family photo was taken, with Jerusalem in the background. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that the ascenscion of Christ took place on the Mount of Olives. And we are looking forward to His return here!

The second photo is at the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion.

We walked the Via Dolorosa (the Way of Suffering) and the estimated places of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

Randy Cook, our guide, is an excellent source of both biblical history and history of the modern state of Israel. Too much information to share here. Our group is about to meet to debrief all that we saw and discussed today, so I better finish this.

Tomorrow we are going to visit Old Testament sites of Jerusalem. Begining in the Kidron Valley and ending with a walk through Hezekiah's tunnel. The last photo is a special plaque I had made for John Foldberg. Those at Cornerstone will appreciate the wording!

Our First Meal in Israel

The hotel has a buffet dinner and breakfast. For dinner we had hummus, flat bread, stuffed peppers, salad, fish, cucumber salad, and cooked vegetables. All the hot entres were cooked with plenty of olive oil. Delicious!

Our First Day In Israel

We arrived safely in Israel after a 14 hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles. The service on the plane was excellent and the people at Tel Aviv airport equally as nice.

Randy, our guide from IBEX, warmly welcomed us and on the bus ride to Jerusalem he explained the biblical history of the different valleys that we traveled through.

The first photo was taken from just outside our hotel at Ramat Rachel. Yesterday Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary and there are flags flying everywhere - even up on top of this monument!

We have a great view of Bethlehem from the balcony of our room! Today we will spending the day in Jerusalem.

Please pray that we adjust to the time zone difference ( we are 10 hours ahead of CA time). We are excited and grateful to be here!