DAY 2 (WEDNESDAY JUNE 21) Tuesday into Wednesday we stayed in a hotel in Eliat. Which is in the very tip of Israel. We could actually see the mountains of Jordan across the red sea!
We went to Timna national park where we hiked up to a temple where the Cannanites worshiped Hathor (or Ashthera). Then we went through a replica of the tabernacle built to scale using the Biblical measurements and learned how God commanded the tabernacle to be built was forshadowing Christ!
Then we drove to a beach where we went snorkeling in the Red Sea. Talk about clear water! We didn't find any Chariot wheels though... just fish and scuba divers! ;)
After we all got dressed again we went to a tent for lunch. They served us Israeli burritos (as someone in our group called them) it was flat bread with either humus, goat cheese or chocolate spread in them, then rolled like a burrito.
We then drove to a bedouin tent site for the evening. We got to ride camals in a long caravan with all 40 of our group! We went inside and learned about the bedouin way of life and got served coffee.
The place reminded me a bit of Landis Valley or Colonial Williamsburg. There were all kinds of different camp sites in different styles of tents. Our camp site was three huge tents like you would picture Abraham living in. And in the middle was a giant fire ring. The girls were in one tent and the boys were in another. We got thin little mattresses, a bed roll and a towel.
Needless to say even sleeping on the bus looked might good after that night! ;)
DAY 3 (THURSDAY MAY 22)
We left the bedouin tents pretty early in the morning and went to Massada.
This was the last stronghold the Jewish people had against the Romans. It's a fortress built on a huge mountain that is called a land horse. It is also the same place that King Herod built his Winter Palace. The zealots who were rebelling against the Romans could have outlasted them. They had plenty of food and water but the Romans had slaves build a siege ramp with slaves they had captured from a defeated Jerusalem. Scholars think that because the Jewish zealots didn't not want to kill their country men that is why the siege lasted only a short time.
After Masada we went to a prayer alter that a preacher set up on a prayer tour of Israel. This was the alter of truth. We prayed that the people of Israel would have their eyes open to Jesus and come to know him as Messiah.
We then went to En Gedi. This was the place that David hid from Saul and where he composed a lot of his psalms.
After that we went to Qumran where the dead sea scrolls were found. They have now found the whole of the old Testament whether in pieces or in whole in those caves!
We then got to float in the Dead sea! What a crazy expierence! Even if you couldn't touch the ground you could still stand up and float!
After showering all the oil and minerals off of us we headed to Jerusalem!
As we approached Jerusalem we read the Songs of Ascent that the people would have sang as they made their 3 pilgrimages every year to the city of David.
We went through a tunnel that goes under the mount of Olives and then we saw it...
JERUSALEM!
I wish I could put in words how I felt when I saw it. My heart physically lept in my chest and I'll admit, I cried. This has been a dream come true and everything colmunated in this City.
As we drove through the city I was so struck by how sad the Jewish situation is. They have everything at their fingertips. The culture, the language, the scriptures. But they won't see Jesus as Messiah.
Even tonight as we went out into the streets for shopping and coffee we stood beside a Jewish man at a train station and someone in our group said to another person in our group something about Jesus. The Jewish man looked so disgusted and walked to a different train station.
These people are hurting so badly and need the truth so badly. Please be praying for them as you are praying for our safety over here.
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