TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND: ISRAEL

By Dennis Schmidt 9/2012

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This paper discusses my trip to Israel and includes: scriptures references, what is located in each place, & personal observations. The trip was provided by God who had my daughter in Israel to visit & supplied the money by IBM stock going to a price level to pay for the trip. All scriptures are from the King James’ version Bible.

Shown in figure 1, is a map of Israel with the arrows showing where I went in Israel and the order of places I visit. The trip was fifteen days, with two days used to travel.  The trip was taken May 5-19, 1997.

The trip cost about $7,000 for both my wife & me to visit the Holy Land. Included in the cost was a fifteen day visit with two days of air travel (by El Al for $1,700), stay at five star hotels (all top hotels), a nine day tour (Isram: which included tour, guide, bus/driver, hotels, all entrance fees and some meals: all hotel buffet breakfasts, 1 lunch & 5 dinners - excellent food), a visit with my daughter (who stayed at my hotel two days with us), food, van/taxi transports & miscellaneous items.

I took five (24 pictures) rolls of film and one panoramic (14 pictures) film. I also purchased a few pictures in Israel.

In preparation of the trip, I listened to 16 tapes from a previous person’s tour of Israel & several tapes about the land of Israel.  I also read a large number of papers & articles about many aspects of life in Israel.

Monday May 5, 1997

We drove, by rented car to Montreal, Canada Milabel airport for the airplane to Israel. Left the airport at 2:30 pm by El-Al on a 767 aircraft for a 10 hours trip to Tel Aviv, Israel Ben Gurion airport where we arrived at 6:30 am the next morning (there is a 7 hour difference in Israel-ahead of US Eastern Time). I got about two hours sleep on the airplane. The food was fair & they showed three movies. The temperature in Canada was 50 compared to 85 in Israel.

Tuesday May 6, 1997

We were driven by Isram transport van to Jerusalem. As we traveled from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, along the highway we saw a number of destroyed trucks from the 1948 war used to keep Jerusalem supplied with food and arms. Many people lost their life to keep Jerusalem, as part of Israel, which is the heart of Israel. The young Jewish nation managed to keep west Jerusalem in 1948.

Psalms 137:5-6 "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. {6} If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."

We saw our daughter in the afternoon (excitement kept us awake) & went to the Old City which was won in the 1967 (6 day) war by God's miracle. Jerusalem was united into the capital of Israel in 1980.

Luke 21:24 "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."

Jerusalem last year had its 3,000 year birthday as the city of David. They celebrated, with special events, the entire year.

Genesis 14:18 "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God." This is the first reference in scripture to Jerusalem (Salem) is about 2000 BC.

2 Samuel 5:7 "Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David." David won Jerusalem & made it his capital of Israel calling it the City of David. Other names include: City of God (Psalms 46:4, 87:3); City of the great king (Psalms 48:2); City of Judah (2 Chronicles 25:28); City of truth (Zechariah 8:3); Holy city (Nehemiah 11:1); Holy mount (Daniel 9:16); Throne of the Lord (Jeremiah 3:17); & Zion (1 Kings 8:1)

Many political statements are made by the entire world against Israel about the city of David. Even the United States still does not have its embassy in Jerusalem. Around 1973 almost every nation removed their embassy from Israel.

Zechariah 12:2-3 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. {3} And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

We went to lunch where I had a first taste of mid-east food which I enjoyed. Most food in Israel is Kosher which means: clean or fit to eat, conforms to scripture, is killed in a humane method, & all the blood is drained from meat.

The Jewish religion system requires a separation of meat from dairy. Restaurants are either meat or dairy. They do not mix. Hotels have separate kitchens and restaurants (floors apart) for meat and dairy.

Deuteronomy 14:21 "Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk." Reason for separation of 2 types of foods.

We walked through the City of David and went to the western wall (Wailing Wall) to pray. The City of David made a great impression on me. The 30 feet high walls of the city (which were constructed about 500 years ago) and small streets (ten feet wide) with homes on both sides are made of white rock. Soon we arrived at the western wall where I prayed for the Jewish people and the peace of Jerusalem. One negative was that I was stopped 3 times by religious dressed people requesting money: going to the wall, going away from the wall, and at the wall he interrupted me, while I prayed.

Psalms 48:12 "Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof."

Wednesday May 7, 1997

My daughter took us to a class at her Yeshivah (Jewish institute of Talmud study & learning). They were studying the first chapter of Ruth. The class starts with a two hour preparation session where two students working together read the Bible in Hebrew. They also read the commentary in Hebrew. The discussions are centered on law. The instructor is available for help during this preparation period. This period is followed by a hour class were each study reads a verse and commentary in Hebrew. The instructor then explains the central issues and law for each verse. I was delighted with the classes and subject matter. The school was started by a number of Princeton graduates. It is located in a beautiful section of Jerusalem on one of the seven hills overlooking a valley.

We later went to the western wall again, and I prayed again for the Jewish people and the peace of Jerusalem. Again a second time a religious dressed person interrupted me requesting money while I prayed at the western wall.

We visited a Synagogue in the Old City which was destroyed in the 1967 six day war. As the Jordanians lost the war, they destroyed most of the Jewish religious places.  Compare this with Israel, winning the war & allow all other religious places to remain under their religious organization control & not destroying any of them.

Thursday May 8, 1997

My wife, daughter and I went through the Hasmonean tunnel. This tunnel has been in the news, about six months ago, when Prime Minister Netanyahu opened the tunnel at the Muslim end. A great deal of fighting occurred with many people killed and hurt. The tunnel opens to the Via Dolrosa and helps businesses in the Muslim shopping streets. The tunnel has existed for about 25 years and follows the continuation of the western wall for about 1500 yards. In the past, the people would reach the tunnel end and would need to turn back. The tunnel is about three feet wide for most of its length. It goes under Muslim housing and is re-enforced to prevent cave-in. At a spot nearest to the location of the holy of holies a small room was made for people to pray. I prayed there for the Jewish people and the peace of Jerusalem.

Psalms 122:6 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." Jerusalem, a problem to the world, requires prayer.

My daughter showed us an Orthodox religious neighborhood of people who are against the state of Israel existing. They believe the Messiah should come first, and the state of Israel's existence will delay the Messiah from coming. This group of people does not pay taxes and will not support the country in any way. Israel allows them to live there since it is the Jewish country for all Jews.

Zechariah 14:2-4 "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. {3} Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. {4} And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."

Zechariah 14:9 "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."

Zechariah 14:16 "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles."

My daughter then showed us the Jerusalem shopping street. The street is several block long & wide with various types of stores. They have fresh foods such as: fruits, nuts, spices and meats. Also they have bakeries and clothing story and many more items.

We went to the Tower of David. This museum located inside the Old City by the Jaffa gate has exhibits from eight periods of Jerusalem history. The Tower is a great place for pictures and viewing the Old City on its high tower. Inside the Tower of David citadel walls are ruins from many phases of Jerusalem life.

Friday May 9, 1997

We were driven by Isram transport van to Tel Aviv to start our tour. The tour success is dependent upon the guide and group of people. We had a great tour guide who spoke about 80% of the time. He speaks six languages and added enough humor to the details on each place visited to make the information both educational and interesting. He answered many of my questions.

The tour started with an excellent dinner at a hotel which we came back to, for dinner, on our last night in Israel.

Saturday May 10, 1997

We took a walking tour of some of Tel Aviv. The tour guide showed where Ben Gurion lived (Israel's first Prime Minister), an art piece (with fire and water which changes to a music pattern) and memorial where Israel's Prime Minister Rabin was killed. Many in Israel didn't like Rabin's killer not showing remorse at his trial.

We went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and enjoyed the sun, beaches & warm weather of Israel. I collected shell to bring home.

Today was Israel's Memorial Day & tomorrow Independence Day. The country had flags on cars, home, and building. It was great to see the people are patriotic. Tomorrow is Israel's 49th Independence Day. Next year is the year Jubilee (50). The country honors the 14,000 plus people who lost their lives in all the wars and from terrorist. At 10:00 PM the sirens went off for two minutes. Again at 10:00 AM, the next day, the siren went off for two minutes. All movement stopped as people honors the falling people. The Israel people truly remember & feel the lost.

Sunday May 11, 1997

The tour group went to the Diaspora Museum at Tel Aviv University. The museum gave a private tour, with guide, discussing & showing 2,500 years of Jewish life and history in many countries. This was the best museum tour I experienced. The museum has computers in which you type in your family name and it provides the history for that name. We did not have time to try this.

The tour group continued to Caesarea, a Roman city on the Mediterranean which Herod built. He made a large shipping port which is covered with water due to an earthquake. The ruins include an amphitheater that sits 7,000 people. The theater is used today for events. A person speaking on the stage will be heard by all.

Acts 10:23-25 "Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. {24} And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. {25} And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him." This was the first time the apostles went to the Gentiles.

Acts 21:8 "And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him."

Acts 25:1-3 "Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. {2} Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, {3} And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him." The Jews wanted to kill Paul, who asked for trial by Caesar in Rome. This occurred in Caesarea before rulers.

Israel's 49th day of Independence is a holiday where the people went to the beaches, barbecued food, & enjoyed the day. This was not a Jewish Holy day so people could drive & the roads were busy.

The tour group continued to Acre (Akko) a Crusader ruins and city. In 1099 the Crusader built a castle and city on the Mediterranean with shipping port. We walked over much of the castle and city.

The tour group ended in Haifa on Mount Carmel where the hotel was located on the top of the mountain. The hotel has a spectacular panoramic view of Haifa bay, the Lebanon Mountains and Mount Hermon (with snow on its top even with the temperature in Haifa being about 90 F) in the distance. Carmel Mountain was the place where Elijah had a great miracle against the Baal prophets. Today it is built up.

1 Kings 18:17, 19, 21, 33-39 "And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? {19} Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. {21} And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. {33} And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. {34} And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. {35} And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. {36} And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. {37} Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. {38} Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. {39} And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God."

Monday May 12, 1997

The tour stopped on Carmel to show us the Bahai Shrine & Persian hanging gardens. They have a lot of land going up the mountain. This is an Iran Moslem group that went to the United States and made their mark. The leader & his son are buried there.

The tour group went to Safed (Zafat) an artist city with beautiful streets and shops. My wife purchased a colorful painting and print. A Jewish mystic group has their center there. They spiritualize most of the events in the Old Testament.

The tour group continued on to the Golan Heights to a Kibbutz for lunch and a private tour. The Kibbutz’s are now self supported as Israel does not provide fund for them anymore. This Kibbutz’s supports itself by a purchased of a valve and pump factory for water and oil industries. Israel 30-40 years ago depended on the Kibbutz’s for their existence. Today only 3% of the people live on Kibbutz’s. Only about 50% of the children stay after growing up on the Kibbutz’s. This Kibbutz’s pays for the children to go to college which is about $2,000 per year in Israel. The Kibbutz’s was started on the Golan in 1967 & does not want to return the Golan to Syria.

The tour group continued to Capernaum to see the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus preached & St. Peter's house. I was wearing shorts because of the heat. The guide the night before told us that we needed to dress in long pants and woman wear long sleeves. I pull my shorts as low as possible to cover my knees and put my shirt outside to cover my belly. They let me in.

Matthew 4:13-17 "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: {14} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, {15} The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; {16} The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. {17} From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Jesus home.

Matthew 8:5-10 "And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, {6} And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. {7} And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. {8} The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. {9} For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.{10} When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."  Jesus found a great healing faith.

Matthew 8:14-17 "And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. {15} And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. {16} When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: {17} That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." This is from Isaiah 53:4-5 which shows healing is in our atonement. Also 1 Peter 2:24 “By whose stripes ye were healed.”

The tour guide discussed the lost of 3 Israel soldiers in Lebanon. He was visually affected since his 2 children are in Lebanon also.

The tour group continued to the Sea of Galilee for a tranquil boat ride and arrived in Tiberias where we stayed over-night. I had time for a swim in the pool, but it was closed. I went into the hot tub instead. It was 90 F and the hot tub was 120 F, but it felt great on my back since we had walk a great deal. Two others people on my tour were in the tub, so I asked why the pool was closed. They said, a storm came up and the wind was strong. The area was very windy and the sky was black, but it never rained. A storm can grow fast on Galilee.

Matthew 8:23-27 "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. {24} And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. {25} And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. {26} And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. {27} But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

John 6:16-19 "And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, {17} And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. {18} And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. {19} So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid." A great wind can occur suddenly.

Tuesday May 13, 1997

The tour group went to Nazareth, the Galilean town where Jesus spent part of his youth. We stopped at the church which was the place where Mary got her announcement. The church has great art.

Luke 1:26-31 "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, {27} To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. {28} And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. {29} And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. {30} And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. {31} And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS."

The tour group continued to Megiddo where archaeologists unearthed 20 levels of civilization. We tour the excavated Tel (mountain of layers of building cities on top of each other.) and went down into a tunnel which provided the water to the city. The water tunnel was built by Herod. This included 185 step down, walk through tunnel which is sloped down, and 85 steps up. It must have been some job, 2,000 years ago, to remove dirt/rocks from a well and get the people doing the work down 150 feet.

2 Chronicles 35:22-24 "Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. {23} And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. {24} His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah." Josiah was one of the few good kings, but he disobeyed God’s words to not fight and died for his sin.

The tour group went through the Jezreel Valley which in the future is Armageddon, which could mean the Mountains of Megiddo. The valley is presently supplying a great quantity of food to Israel. 38 major wars have already occurred there.  In the future it will be the place of the last battle.

Revelation 16:16 "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

The tour group continued to Bet Shean. Bet Shean is a Roman city from the time of the fifth millennium BC. The Tel (mountain around the city) has many levels of construction back to King Saul. The city went through an earthquake in 749 AD and most everybody died. It was completely cover and only found eight years ago when they were digging a foundation for a bus terminal. The city is cleared to about 0.2 miles square and is one of the best kept 2,500 year old cities since no one knew that it was there & things are intact.

The tour group went through the Jordan Valley and stopped at Jericho. Jericho is the oldest city in civilization. It is presently under Palestine control. A number of people took camel rides. Palestine's sold many goods & desire United State dollars.

Joshua 6:2, 20 "And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. {20} So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."

The tour group went by way of a difficult road towards Jerusalem and saw Saint George Monastery built into the side of a mountain. The road has 1,000 foot drops. The view was great. An aqueduct runs along the side of the mountain and spots of beautiful green appears where water gets into the desert.

The tour group came to the east side of Jerusalem and stopped on the campus of Hebrew University. The view was fantastic over-looking the city. The tour guide gave each person wine and presented a blessing. This was a very nice touch since this is the first time the tour group came into Jerusalem on the trip.

Psalms 48:2 "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King."

Wednesday May 14, 1997

My daughter was allowed to join our tour group, and we visited the model of ancient Jerusalem from the time of Herod the Great.  Herod was the master builder.  Some of his projects were: the temple enlargement, Jerusalem home/castle, Massada (his winter home/castle), Caesarea shipping docks, and Megiddo water source.

The tour group went to Isram Forest to plant trees commemorating our visit to Israel. This is a nice means of leaving something growing in Israel after our departure.

The tour group continued to Hadassah Hospital to see the brilliant Chagall Windows. Chagall is a top artist in Israel & France.

The tour group visited Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust. The tour guide provided a history of the museum, Children's Pavilion and a walk along the Avenue of the Righteous (Gentiles who helped Jews during the Holocaust. The tour guide's words were sensitive. This was a place to reflect on the six million Jews killed in Europe for just being Jewish. The names of 500,000 children who were killed are spoken in the Children Pavilion. To hear the same name again, you have to come back three & half years later.

The tour group continued to Shrine of the Book Dead Sea Scrolls Museum where a copy of the complete Book of Isaiah is displayed.

The Dead Sea Bible Book is 2,000 years old and is equal to the Isaiah we read in our Bible today. We went to the Israel Museum, in the same complex, to see Israel items from their country.

The tour group continued to Mount Herzl National Cemetery to pay respect to their war Heroes & Israel leaders (Golda Meir & Yitzhak Rabin) who have died and are buried.

Thursday May 15, 1997

The tour group walked through the Old City stopping at the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock. The Dome charged $10 per person admission. The churches required no fees for admission. The Dome requires the person to remove their shoes. The inside has mosaic tiles artistic decor and Persian rug. In the center, of the Dome, a rock where they believe Abraham offered Ishmael as a sacrifice.

The tour group continued through the Hasmonean tunnel along the Via Dolorosa (there are several stations) to the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Armenian churches believe this is where Jesus was buried and resurrected. The three religious groups are at each other so that the building key was given to a Moslem.

The church has a rock platform they say was used to wrap Jesus body. The top rock was replaced as people take pieces. There is a small room they say is the place Jesus was buried.

The fundamental Evangelical Church believes Jesus was buried at the garden tomb which is about a third of mile away outside the Old City walls. I agree with them, see below for my visit to the tomb.

The tour group continued to the place of the last supper of Jesus. From outside I heard singing/music which I though was from a tape. The upper room was large and empty of furniture. Two groups of people were there when my group entered. The guide for one group said quietly to my guide, as his group left, that the other group there remaining was crazy. That group was singing and clapping their hands. The music was a beautiful praising music to God in Oriental language. I did not understand the words, but knew some of the songs. After my tour guide gave his talk, I went over and joined in the clapping to the music. After a minute, several others from my 95% Jewish tour group also clapped to the music. We were doing this a few minutes. As our group left, the Oriental group started praise God with other tongues. I was one with them even if I could not understand their language. My tour guide told me that this was the second most visited religious place for Christians.

Mark 14:14-15 "And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? {15} And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us."

Down the stairs from the upper room of Jesus last supper was a room that could be where David was buried.

1 Kings 8:1 "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion."

1 Kings 2:10 "So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David."

The tour group continued to Bethlehem to the church of Jesus birth. I saw a small room in the basement that they believe was the manger.

Micah 5:2  "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Jesus came forth in Bethlehem.

John 7:42 "Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"

Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,"

Friday May 16, 1997

The tour group continued to Masada a winter home for Herod in the desert, about 50 miles from Jerusalem where a lone mountain stands. The story of Masada occurs in 70 AD at the time of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. Some 1,000,000 Jews Israel died under Roman soldiers. A group of Jews when to Masada and lived there 6 years. The soldiers came to Masada and for 2 years built a ramp. When they finally got to the top of Masada, they found that all the people had killed each other. It took the Romans several years to know people were at Masada, and it takes about three days to get to Masada. My question is why spent a few years effort over people who are not giving the Romans any problems?

We went into the Dead Sea where you go into the water, sit down and you float. It is hard to stand up again. I tried using my hand, to get up, but I splashed water everywhere. This is not good since if the water goes into your eyes it hurts. The salt hurt where I shaved also. The salt density is 3 times that of Salt Lake in Utah or many times that of the oceans. They have mud which people use to cover themselves completely which, they say, is a means of healing your skin. I tried a little on my top only.

My daughter took us to the Wailing Wall again to see the Orthodox Jews come singing and dancing to the wall at the start of the Sabbath. The joy of being at the temple mount will only be surpassed by being at the temple itself in the future.

Micah 3:12-4:3 "Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. {4:1}  "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. {2} And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. {3} And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Jacob = Israel, Zion = Jerusalem:  Jerusalem has 7 hills.

My daughter arranged for us to have a Sabbath dinner with a Rabbi, in the Old City, at his house. We had a great time and good food. I was able to both ask questions and share a little with him about Christ. The Rabbi had been a lawyer who found religious Orthodox Judaism. His job is to bring other Jews back to the Judaism.

The typical home, in the Old City, is part of an apartment complex & is about 800-1200 square feet. It includes a large family living room with dining table, 3 small bedrooms, a small kitchen and one bathroom. The Rabbi family also had use of the roof for their children to play. A home/apartment like this would rent for about $1,200 per month or cost about $500,000. The owner would pay about $2000 a year taxes.

Saturday May 17, 1997

The tour group took a walking tour of some parts of Jerusalem near the Old City. The tour included the King David hotel which was half destroyed by Jews in 1947 where English intelligence was set-up.

We went through streets with beautiful homes, flowers & gardens that were no-mans-lands in 1948. We ended at an artist complex.

Sunday May 18, 1997

I went to the Garden Tomb for a morning English service. The fundamental Evangelical Church believes Jesus was buried at the garden tomb which is about a third of mile away, outside the Old City walls, from the other site - the Holy Sepulchre. The gardens are beautiful, and it is a very peaceful place. I asked where Calvary (Golgotha - the place of the skull) is located. They pointed me to a central bus terminal. I saw a mount of forty feet with two 15 feet wide caves of 10 feet height and 10 feet depth that look like eyes. I believe this is where Jesus death was. Today it is a cemetery. I pictured, from scripture, an area of no population where Jesus died. The bus terminal ruins this image.

We sadly left Jerusalem & our daughter to get close to the airport. We were driven by taxi to Tel Aviv to tour Jaffa & our trip home. Cornelius sends for Peter in Joppa.

We walked along the beach to visit Jaffa (Joppa). The city was mostly Muslim. We were both sad to be leaving Israel. We counted it as our best vacation. We wanted to finish on a positive note so we decided to go to a hotel for a great dinner. Beside we had a $30 discount for that hotel restaurant from our tour.

Jonah 1:3 "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

Acts 9:36-37, 41 "Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. {37} And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. {41} And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive." He = Peter.

Acts 10:7-8 "And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; {8} And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa." Cornelius sends for Peter in Joppa.

We walked along the beach and found a Ben & Jerry ice cream shop. We had some ice cream made in Vermont. The scoop of ice cream was the size of a meatball. However, this was a nice taste of home. We went to dinner at the hotel, where we first had dinner when we started the tour. We asked for a table by the window, but they told us that they are reserved. We were eating for 45 minutes before anyone came in. After 1.5 hours the reserve tables were still not used. God wanted us to sit where we were. We notice a uniformed woman come in with a walkie-talkie and the restaurant manager set-up a special place twelve feet from us. We asked what was going on & were told the PM is coming. We had four cups of coffee/tea (more than we would ever have while we waited) & a short time later Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel came in for dinner. What a great way to end our last day in Israel.

Monday May 19, 1997

We were driven by Isram transport van to the airport. We left Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport at 2:30 am by El-Al on a 767 aircraft for a 10.5 hours trip to Montreal, Canada Milabel airport where we arrived at 6:30 am the same morning (where Canada is 7 hours behind Israel time). I got about four hours sleep on the airplane. The food was fair and they showed three movies. We drove home to Burlington by rental car.

FINAL THOUGHTS: A month ago we had a Passover Seder in our home, and a week before the trip I presented a Passover Seder at a church. The Seder ends with the statement "next year in Jerusalem". I now am able to say I went this year to Jerusalem. There will be a day that all Gentiles will go yearly to Israel with Jews.

Zechariah 14:16 "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles." All nations come yearly to Israel.

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