What the Israel Trip taught me

Well, I learned a lot and I will try in this blog to share some of it!
(I am writing this in the middle of November but will backdate the posting so it is in the right order)

James and I were asked by our church to talk about our experience. We did a lot of research to make the Powerpoint presentation. Every time you do a workshop or give a talk etc you are the one who learns the most. Here is the page from our church November newsletter.

When James and I prepared the presentation we discussed whether we should talk about the things we visited in the time frame we saw it or should we put it in historical order? We decided on presenting it in the way we experienced it. And of course that is how the daily blogs were written.

Here now a summery in the historical frame:


Old Testament:

God tells Moses to strike a rock so water will come out   (Valley below Mount Nebo = blog Trip Day 6)

Exodus 17:5-6     

5 The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Moses Dies and Is Buried in the Land of Moab    (Mount Nebo = blog Trip Day 6)

Deuteronomy 34:1-5      

1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. 4 The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” 5 Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command.

Elijah’s Triumph over the Priests of Baal       (Mount Carmel = blog Trip Day 12)

(lived in about 9th century BC)

1 Kings 18:20  So Ahab sent to all the Israelites, and assembled the prophets at Mount Carmel.

Jonah tries to run away from God    (Jaffa = blog Trip Day 9)

(lived in about the 8th century BCE)

Jonah 1:3   But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. (...and you all know the rest of the story e.g. the whale)

New Testament:

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold     (Ein Karem = blog Trip Day 16)

Luke 1:5-7

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

Why were Mary and Joseph in Nazareth?     (Zippori = blog Trip Day24)

Original bible text says “builder” and not specifically carpenter. All the ruins we saw from many many centuries were all stone buildings because there are hardly trees growing in Israel and there is plenty of stone.

It’s thought now that Jesus and his father most likely were stone builders. Mary and Joseph were both from Bethlehem. There was a new Roman town being built in Zippori (not far from Nazareth) by King Herod. Most likely a group of stone builders and there families from  Bethlehem went there because that's were the work was.

Nazareth Church of Annunciation    (Nazareth = blog Trip Day 10)

Lots of artwork. Pictures, reliefs tell the stories like the mosaics in ancient times when people could not read = visitors from many countries

It was established over the site which the Catholic tradition holds to be the house of Virgin Mary, and where angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus– an event known as the Annunciation.

Angel visits Mary

Luke 1:26-27

 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Mary visits Elizabeth      (Ein Karem = blog Trip Day 16)

Luke 1:39-44

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.

Would Mary visit Elizabeth so very pregnant so far away from her home?

We think it made sense. She/they made that way earlier. Ein Karem is close to Bethlehem and near Jerusalem . Mary surely stayed with relatives. That's what you did in those times. The relatives most likely had a a cave for the animals and a room was built on top of it. That room was called an "Inn" (nothing to do with a hotel). No room in the Inn (as the Bible said) meant when it was time to give birth the Inn was so full of relatives all living together in one room that she was most likely taken into the cave for privacy.

Jesus’s birth     (Church of the Nativity Bethlehem = blog Trip Day 19)

Luke 2:6-7

6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Manger

... would most likely not be made from wood. Animals are fed grains and they would fall through the cracks and joints between the boards. Mangers in Israel are made from stone and hollowed out. 

I told our local guide about what I had found when I had designed the Manger Chrismon and were researching the meaning of the symbol: From the day of His birth, Jesus was destined to die on our behalf. To accomplish his work as Savior, Jesus offered his body and blood as a sacrifice for us and by accepting that sacrifice we find salvation.
In the words of our Post Communion Prayer: “Eternal God, Heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.”
Thus, it is fitting that the Savior, at the start of his life, would be placed in a feeding-trough as a sign not only of who He is, but of how He will fulfill His purpose and effect our salvation.

The guide said there was even more because Baby Jesus was "wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger". The guide told us that this Shepherds' field was special because these shepherds raised sheep to be sacrificed in the temple. The sheep had to be without blemish and nobody could bring their own sheep to the temple to be sacrificed. One had to purchase. And these sheep were caught while born and their feet wrapped in swaddling clothes too to keep them unblemished.

Swaddling clothes were strips of cotton fabric the dead people were wrapped in.

Shepherds in the Field     (Bethlehem = blog Trip Day 19)

Luke 2:8-12

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”

The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan   (Yardenit = blog Trip Day 28)

Mark 1:9-11

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[a] with you I am well pleased.” 

Jesus Calls the First Disciples     (Sea of Galilee = blog Trip Day 15)

Luke 5:1-3

 1 Once while Jesus[a] was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Matthew 4:18-19

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

The Wedding at Cana     (Cana = blog Trip Day 24)

John 2:1-11

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth      (Nazareth  = blog Trip Day 23)

Mark 6:1-6

1 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary[a] and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense[b] at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Mount of the Beatitudes / Sermon on the Mount     (Tabgha  = blog Trip Day 28)

Matthew 5:1-12

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus sends demons into the swine     (Kursi = blog Trip Day 28)

Luke 8:26-39

26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Matthew 8:28-34 

28 When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs coming out of the tombs met him. They were so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 Suddenly they shouted, “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a large herd of swine was feeding at some distance from them. 31 The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.” 32 And he said to them, “Go!” So they came out and entered the swine; and suddenly, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the water. 33 The swineherds ran off, and on going into the town, they told the whole story about what had happened to the demoniacs. 34 Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.

Mark 5:1-20 

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.2 And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4 for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7 and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12 and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17 Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Feeding the Multitude     (Tabgha = blog Trip Day 28)

Matthew 14:13-21

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Stone under the Altar     (Tabgha = blog Trip Day 28)

How do we know that “the places” really are THE PLACES?

For example:   In the first 4 centuries Capernaum was inhabited mostly by Jewish christians who wanted to keep the memory of Jesus in the area alive and passed it on from father to son. 

About 383 CE  the pilgrim Egeria visited the three holy places in Tabgha and wrote a report. She said that the stone on which Jesus put the bread was being used as an altar over which a church (Church of Heptapegon in Tabgha) had been built.

And so it was with many places. First the word by mouth, then written records.

The Passover with the Disciples     (Mount Zion = blog Trip Day 17)

Matthew 26:17-19

17 On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

Garden of Gethsemane       (Mount of Olives = blog Trip Day 20)

Matthew 26:36-38

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 

After Jesus' death:

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples      (near Magdala = blog Trip Day 15)

John 21:4-6

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.

Peter raises Tabitha    (blog Trip Day 9)

Acts 9:40-43

40 Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

Peter and Cornelius    (blog Trip Day 9)

Acts 10:1-6 

1 In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called. 2 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. 3 One afternoon at about three o’clock he had a vision… 5 Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter; 6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.”

Peter has a dream about food    (blog Trip Day 9)

Acts 11:5    “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me.

Yes, it was extremely exciting to think that we might have stood in the same places as Jesus stood. Hearing about the times and customs in which Jesus lived made his teaching and suffering feel even more real. Many stories in the Bible became more clear and understandable. Also, doing the research for the presentation/talk was very helpful.

Seeing and hearing also about the history of the following people was mind boggling (and confusing). Here a list we had seen when each period started approximitly:

Canaanite                 -3300

Israelite                    -1006

Babylonian Exile     -586

Persian                     -538

Hellenistic               -332

Roman                     - 63

Byzantine                324

Early Muslim          638

Crusader                1260

Ottoman                1517

British                   1917

State of Israel       1948

I have also improved/corrected all the blogs and especially added a good number of videos which I could not upload while on the road. If you have followed my blogs but would like to take a look at them again, here is the LINK to the beginning!