On the Road ... in Israel

I want to invite you to join me on either one or two trips to the land of Israel. The first will only cost a few dollars, and can be enjoyed without ever leaving home. The second will cost several thousand dollars, but will help you understand the Bible in new ways.

The first trip involves ordering a book entitled Advent Journeys (click the link), which is in the format of a blog which could have been written by Joseph, the Wise Men, Zachariah the Priest or the Shepherds on the way to Bethlehem. The book costs only a few dollars (especially on kindle), but through the short daily blogs you will derive great benefit, especially if you take the Advent Journey in the days following Thanksgiving. Each year I advertise this because there is no better way to experience the real Christmas than to spend time reading the real story.

The second trip involves a two week (14 day) tour of Israel. You are invited to join me May 5-18 (tour: DSimon18) to actually walk where the people of our Bible walked. We will tell stories and share facts about the people and the places within the nation of Israel. Several knowledgeable tour guides will be traveling with us. I will also enable you to have a book, which follows the trip, before you leave. The experience is unforgettable. I wish everyone would do this at least once in their life. Here is the link.

A journey through Israel will carry you into many places. Between the locations on your travel agenda you will spend time traveling on a bus or in a car. Many tourists look forward to the travel time as an opportunity to rest and close your eyes, which is indeed necessary in order to maintain an appropriate energy level and keep up with a packed agenda.

But before you close your eyes, take time to think about others who passed along the road you are about to travel. Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) is not a large land, and throughout most of the land geography dictates the overland routes.  Each and every time the bus pulls out you will be traveling along a route that forms the backdrop of a Bible story. The rocks, the plants and the scenery of eretz Yisrael was familiar to  men and women from every period of history. The Pharaohs of Egypt, Nebuchadnezzar with his army, Alexander the Great and the Assyrians all passed through Megiddo Pass and  traversed the coastal plain. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus and his disciples, and a host of others traveled the great highway that follows the ridge of the mountains through Jerusalem to Bethlehem. The Pharisees, Joshua, John the Baptist and many others traveled the road through the Jordan River Valley. Every place you visit, as well as every road your bus travels is part of the Biblical account.

Take the highway from Joppa to Jerusalem. Joshua followed this road as the people of Israel conquered the land. David, Solomon and Hiram used this path to build the Temple. Two disciples were met by Jesus on their journey down this road on their way to Emmaus. Simon Peter trekked this road on his way to Lod and Joppa. He probably spent time at one of the Beit Horons and made other stops in the Ayalon Valley. The Apostle Paul traveled this road on his final journey to Jerusalem and then was taken down this same road at night on his way to see the governor.

Today's Gates into Jerusalem

The gates through the wall provide opportunity to enter and exit, to visit people and places, and to observe and participate unique locations. There is no place on earth which has attracted as much interest as the city of Jerusalem. Today there are seven open gates. Each entryway is unique, and offers the visitor unique attractions, foods, shopping, people and sights of interest. I want to invite you to join me to see the Gates of Jerusalem in May 2018, For more details visit this link.

Jaffa Gate is the widest entry into Jerusalem

Jaffa Gate is the way most tourists, and many residents enter the old city of Jerusalem.  This gate, near the palace of Herod the Great opens into diverse commercial districts of Jerusalem. Antiquities and tourist markets can be found within the gates. Outside the gate guests can enjoy a modern shopping area called the Mamilla.

Places of worship near the New Gate of Jerusalem

The New Gate, to the north of the Jaffa Gate enters into a religious section of the city. The modern opening was originally created so pilgrims could enter the city near the church of the Holy Sepulchre. The opening also leads to other churches built close to the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection as well as Mosques which are located in north-west Jerusalem.

The weekend market at the Damascus Gate

The Damascus Gate allows travelers to enter Jerusalem from the north. A market is located outside the entrances, and the main commercial district, called the Cardio in antiquity is located inside this entrance. Shops containing many types of merchandise can be found on two streets branching from this portal and leading south. A much older gate can be seen adjacent to today’s entry.

View of the Herod Gate (center) from Mount Scopus

The Herod Gate is located at one of the highest places of the Jerusalem. It is thought that Herod Agrippa built a palace along this ridge so he could look over the walls and into the Temple. Today this portal opens into a quiet neighborhood.

The Stephen or Lion's Gate of Jerusalem

The Stephen Gate leads in from the Mount of Olives east of the city. This gate is a favorite entryway for pilgrims desiring to walk the Via Dolorosa.  

The Golden Gate onto Temple Mount

The Golden Gate was at one time the eastern entrance into the Temple itself, but years ago it was bricked to prevent the Messiah’s entry. Later a cemetery planted in front of the portal in order to create an uncleanness upon pilgrims who would attempt to enter.

A Bar Mitzvah near the Dung Gate 

The Dung Gate is the low spot of the city, the place through which trash is removed. Today it is the place tourists enter to visit Temple Mount or the Dome of the Rock. The gate is busy as busses drop people off at this spot. There are major archeological excavations both inside and outside this gate.

The Bullet riddled Zion Gate into Jerusalem

The bullet ridden Zion Gate leads into the city from the south. This portal leads to the Jewish quarter of the city, and modern, rebuilt areas of the old city. Oskar Schindler

The current gates were built about 500 years ago, and there is a unique history which will be shared in a book I will complete in January. I will share in later posts more about gates which existed in New Testament and Old Testament time periods.  There is nothing like visiting the Holy Land. Please consider joining me on a 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018. We will be walking in the footsteps and seeing the land where people of the Bible lived. We will spend several days in Jerusalem just south of the Zion Gate.

The Sea of Galilee

A voyage on the Sea of Galilee will be one of the activities during our 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018. This body of water, also known as Lake Kinneret, Sea of Ginosar, or Lake Tiberias is a large freshwater body which was gone out upon frequently by Jesus and his disciples. Lake Kinneret was an oasis along a route used by ancient travelers through the land. An excursion on the Sea of Galilee is a highlight for many travelers to Israel.

The Sea of Galilee from Ginosar

The Sea of Galilee is a very wide spot in the Jordan River basin.  The river enters on the north side of the Sea near Bethsaida and exits on the south side of the sea near Kinneret. Within the pool of Tiberias, the collected water is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. The level of the water sits at 700 feet below sea level, with a water depth which reaches 140 feet. The basin is made largely of basalt rock which can be picked up from the bottom as smooth stones.

The Sea of Galilee from Maagan Holiday Village

Lake Kinneret sits along the main trade route from Mesopotamia to Egypt. Caravans would have traveled along the Euphrates river, across the desert near Damascus, down the Hula Valley, and through Galilee to the Horns of Hattin and the Jezreel Valley. Settlement in the area has existed since prehistoric times with the archeological site of Ohalo at the southern end of the lake being called “one of the best preserved hunter-gatherer archaeological sites of the Last Glacial Maximum.”

The Sea of Galilee from the East

During New Testament times, the Sea of Galilee was known for its fishing industry. Josephus records that as many as 230 fishing vessels sailed on the lake daily. We know the names of several fishermen from the New Testament including Peter, James, John, Andrew, and Zebedee. They caught a variety of fish including Musht, Biny, and Sardine.4

The Jesus Boat at Ginosar

On our trip we will visit the museum at Kibbutz Ginosar, where we will see “the Jesus Boat,” a fishing vessel which dates to the time of Jesus. This boat, made from twelve types of wood, is in good condition for its age. We will watch a video detailing its recovery and see the site where this boat was found.

The Jesus Boat at Ginosar

During our voyage on the Sea of Galilee, we will become acquainted with the surrounding villages as seen from the sea. We will enjoy watching windsurfing and other sailing endeavors from our boat. We will hear about the storms often stirred up because of the unique geography of the region and we will be told the story of how Jesus calmed the sea.

Looking north from a boat on the Sea of Galilee

The journey on the Sea of Galilee will help us visualize where a major portion of the Gospels took place. Throughout this journey we will not only walk where Jesus walked, but we will also ride a boat atop the lake where he often sailed. To find out more about the trip, click this link. To sign up for the trip click here. I hope you will travel with us during our 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018.

Capernaum

In May 2018 I will be taking a group on a 14 day trip to the Holy Land. During this trip we will visit the Galilee region and Capernaum, a city where Jesus lived for several years. This city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is an interesting place to visit. The site is maintained by the Franciscans, who have added walkways and benches and maintained the landscape so the story of Jesus’ residence can be told without too many modern intrusions.

Gate at the Franciscan Monastery of Capernaum

During our visit to Capernaum, we will enter the archaeological site through gates situated by a Catholic church. Once on the property we will be seated on shaded benches where our tour leaders will explain what can be seen at the site and share associated Bible stories so we can take away a memorable experience.

Shade trees which protect seating area of Capernaum

From the benches we will be directed into a fourth century synagogue constructed from imported limestone. Limestone was chosen for the exterior of the Synagogue to give a white (pure) appearance in a village constructed mostly out of the black basalt rock, which was easily available in the region. The fourth century building is well-maintained and enables the visitor to walk within and understand construction and practices in ancient places of worship. Tall pillars and an intact anterior provide photo opportunities and an ambiance to the visit.

Anterior of the Capernaum Synagogue

On the south side of the Synagogue, a portion of the earlier basalt synagogue has been uncovered where visitors are able to see a portion of the building in which Jesus and the disciples worshipped.

Remains of a first century synagogue at Capernaum

Outside the Synagogue, we will walk through a large area of foundational ruins. Many of the foundations are several feet in height and display steps and other features which will help us visualize the city Jesus called home (Matthew 9:1)

Ruins of Capernaum from the Synagogue

Over one area of ruins we will be able to enter a twentieth century church which sits above a residence believed to be the home of Peter’s mother-in-law. The modern church has a glass floor which allows visitors to see foundations of a first century home and a fifth century church. Diagrams give explanation of the existing foundations.

Looking across ruins of Capernaum to the new octagonal church

Beyond the ruins we will be able to walk down to the Sea of Galilee. We will visualize the beaches from which Peter, Andrew, James, and John departed on their fishing excursions. These shores are also the place recorded in Matthew 4 where Jesus meets Peter and says, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Looking from Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee

On our trip within Galilee we will see Capernaum from several different vantage points. We will see the village from our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, from the top of Mount Arbel, and if we strain our eyes from Kibbutz Ma’agan, where we will spend three nights. Once we walk through the village of Capernaum in Galilee, each sighting will give us a new perspective as we discover the shores along which Jesus often walked.

A view of Capernaum from the top of Mt. Arbel

If you would like to join us on our 14 day trip to the Holy Land click this link. To sign up for the trip click here. I hope you will travel with us during our 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018.

Visiting a Biblical Period Home

On a 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018 we will visit the Talmudic village of Katzrin. Within this village we will find well preserved homes and streets reminiscent of what villages looked like during the time of Christ. While in Katzrin we will be able to see and enter homes, study the layout of the village and worship in the Synagogue.

We will enter the national park at Katzrin through a gate. Upon entry our attention will be drawn to Menorah emblazoned on the wall as a mosaic. The picture is colorful and symbolic. The town of Katzrin was known for its faith and the words of at least one Rabbi are immortalized in the Mishnah.

Through the gates we will enter the village of Katzrin along a street containing several standing homes dating to the sixth century AD. The homes are made of basalt rock, which is native to the region of Galilee and the entire Golan Heights. Residents of Israel built homes of rock because it was much more available than wood. Because of climate and geography homes and buildings of historic Israel are much different than homes our twentieth century architecture which relies on the rich woodlands of the eastern United States.

We will make our first stop along the road at a place where we can observe construction practices of ancient Galilee. A set of building scaffolding has been reconstructed so we can visualize early building practices. Nearby we will discover how roofs were built and see the tool used to compact the dirt and thatch so it holds together.

Next to the construction site we will enter a typical house of the New Testament era. We will see and be able to show respect for the Mezuzah on the doorway. This wooden box contains scripture passages from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 and remind all who enter a building that it is our faith in God which sets us apart as a people and brings blessings to our nation.

We will enter the house through the kitchen, the workspace of the home where meals are food is prepared and meals are cooked. We will see the oven and the dishes. We will be able to sweep the floor and step back into the days of our Bible, understanding what home life was like for the early disciples.

Beyond the kitchen is a dining area and the living room. It is in this space the family lived. We will observe the dining table, a couch/bed and the ladder which leads to the second level of the home.

On the wall of the home hangs an oil lamp, typical of lighting fixtures in Biblical times.

The family slept on the upper level of the home. We will see the large room where the family might have slept together. We will also be able to step out on the roof where the family slept when the weather was hot.

Beyond the house we will move into the rest of the town. We will see the remains of homes and businesses which were destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD. The layout of the town is still detailed enough for us to understand the consistent architecture of every building. There is an overlook where we can see the layout of the town from a higher location.

We will visit the synagogue near the exit of the city. We will step through the large doorway of the building and see the carved lintels and stonework. One of the lintels recovered in the area says, "This is the beit midrash (house of study) of Rabbi Eleazar ha Kappar." Rabbi Eleazar is recorded in the Mishnah as saying, “Envy, lust, and ambition shorten man's life." (Ab. 4.21)

We will see, experience and learn many things about the land of Israel and how people of the Bible lived during our 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018. This trip can greatly expand your understanding of the Scripture and help you to visualize Bible stories you hear every week. To sign up, use the link to find more information at www.KosherCopy.com. You will also find links to the trip itinerary and for trip registration.

Shiloh, where Samuel served

Shiloh is a place I am most looking forward to visiting during a 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018. Shilo is where the Tabernacle was located from the time of Joshua to the days of King David. Shiloh is on the Central Ridge highway traveled by Abraham, Jacob, many of the judges, kings and by Jesus and his parents.

The Central Ridge Highway (Israel Route 60) goes through the heart of the country where the people lived, not along the coast or through the Jordan River Valley. We will be in proximity of GIlbeah, Rama, Mizpah, Bethel, Michmash, Ophrah on our journey to visit Shiloh, about 25 miles north of Jerusalem.

In pre-history there have been various finds at Shiloh. These include an ancient cave where people lived. This primitive settlement grew into a walled city by the time of Joshua and a cultic site. The site was conquered in the conquest as Joshua was directing the sons of Joseph, descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh to have enough faith to conquer their assigned territory.

Joshua 18:1 tells us, “The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent Shiloh meeting there.” This was the beginning of worship at this site and continued for 369 years. The tabernacle was not moved, which probably added to the tent lasting that long. The people of Israel visited this site for the three harvest festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Josephus says, “Joshua removed his camp to the mountainous country, and placed the tabernacle in the city of Shiloh, for that seemed a fit place for it, because of the beauty of its situation.” (Antiquities 5.1.19)

The Mishnah states, “Shiloh differed from Jerusalem only in that at Shiloh they could consume the lesser Holy Things and the second tithe anywhere within sight (of Shilo); but at Jerusalem only within the city wall. But both here and there the Most Holy Things could be consumed only wiithin the curtains. After the sanctification of Shiloh it was permissible to set up high places elsewhere; but after the sanctification of Jerusalem it was not permissible. (Megillah 1.11)

The town of Shiloh is located in the heart of today’s West Bank. In the days of the Judges this area was the seat of government. Samuel traveled from Rama to “Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.” (1 Sam 7:16) Judges Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jair, Jephtah and Abdon were from the West Bank tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. We will visit the land they protected and called home.
Most people would be familiar with the story of how Samuel the prophet came to live in the Tabernacle and care for its contents. Eleazar, son of Aaron, his son Phinehas, Abijah, Bukki, Uzzi, Eli, Ithamar and Ahitub probably served as High Priests at this site. During the time of King David the Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant were taken from Shiloh and relocated to Jerusalem.

At Shiloh we will see an ancient synagogue and the Tel of the city. The gates of the city have been uncovered as well as Eli’s grave. It is thought that a flat area carved from rock was the location for the Tabernacle.

I look forward to traveling to Shiloh as I have not been there before. The stories of Shiloh are memorable because they predate Jerusalem. This is the Tabernacle King Saul visited and David would have come to as a boy. We will see many unique sights while in Israel and gain new insights into the Bible. For more details visit our our Israel Tour page at www.KosheCopy.com. Sign up today for a discount!

Traveling the West Bank

On this year’s 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018, we will visit areas and sites not included on many tours. One of these areas is the West Bank north of Jerusalem. Our objective on the day we enter the West Bank is to see Tel Shiloh where the Tabernacle of Moses once stood. Along the way we will talk about the hill country of Judea, Benjamin and Ephraim.

We will travel the Central Ridge Highway (Israel Route 60) which goes through the heart of the land where the people lived, not along the coast or through the Jordan River Valley. We will be in proximity of GIlbeah, Rama, Mizpah, Bethel, Michmash, Ophrah on our journey to visit Shiloh, about 25 miles north of Jerusalem.

In the days of the Judges this area was the seat of government. Samuel traveled from Rama to “Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.” (1 Sam 7:16) Judges Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jair, Jephtah and Abdon were from the West Bank tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh. We will visit the land they protected and called home.

The road is called “the way of the Patriarchs” because it was traveled by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We know that Jesus used this road as he traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee, stopping at Jacob’s well in Shechem. For Joseph and Mary this route provided the shortest route to Bethlehem. I wrote Joseph’s travel journal in the book Advent Journeys. As our tour bus takes us along this route I will be interested in seeing the road for myself.

The trip from Jerusalem to Shiloh requires a group to go north. The first part of the journey will go through areas which were formerly independent towns, but became suburbs with the growth of Jerusalem. The first town of note is Gibeah which served for 38 years as the capital of Israel during the reign of King Saul. Today the town is called Pisgat Ze'ev and contains the unfinished Royal Palace at Tell el-ful which was to serve King Hussein of Jordan as his summer residence.

Israel Highway 60 goes around a curve to head north. Contained in or near this curve are two of the Levitical towns named in scripture Geba (modern Jeba’) and Anathoth (modern Anatot or Almon). The Bible tells how Jonathan freed Gaba from the Philistines. Later King Asa enlarged the city. Anathoth was the hometown of Jeremiah the prophet.

Continuing north we will pass Mizpah, a place translated “watchtower,” which is the first place on the Central Ridge Highway where Jerusalem can be viewed. Then we pass close to Ramallah, Bet-el and Et-Tel. Ramallah is a Palestinian administrative capital with a population close to 30,000. Beit-el is an Orthodox Jewish settlement placed at this location to honor Jacob, the grandson of Abraham who slept at this spot when he left home. Et-Tel is thought to be the site of the Biblical village of Ai which was destroyed by Joshua after the walls fell around Jericho.

Further north we pass Michmash (modern Mukhmas) where Saul and Jonathan fought the Philistines. Continuing north we pass Ophrah (modern Taybeh), a Christian village in the West Bank. It was near this village that Jesus spent time in hiding after he raised Lazarus from the dead.

Before reaching Shiloh we pass Mazra'a e-Sharkiya, an ancient farming community known as a farming community known for olive orchards, grape vineyards, fig trees and almond trees. As we travel we will learn the history past and present of these villages and the political situation of the West Bank. We will learn many interesting things to take home.

One of our objectives during our 14 day trip to the Holy Land in May 2018 is to see the West Bank and Shiloh. We will hear many stories from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Palestine and modern Israel as we travel this region. This trip to Israel will be unforgettable! Make sure you are included on this trip. For more details visit our our Israel Tour page at www.KosheCopy.com. Sign up today for a discount!