Cool Spring breezes at Yafo

Today’s journey started in Yafo, with a walk to the old city and then breakfast just beyond our apartment. I enjoyed the cool breezes and the quiet morning in the old city.

Viewing the Old Joppa City Square from above

After breakfast we went to meet our group at the airport. There are 90 of us on the trip, 13 from North Carolina. We will enjoy the next two weeks together. Luggage was collected, several people grabbed some lunch at the airport, then we took the bus toward the Palmach Museum.

A visit to the Palmach Museum

The Palmach Museum told the story of several soldiers who took specialized military training together, and afterwards were split apart and experienced service in different parts of the military. We saw how each part of this specialized military force contributed to Israel’s independence.

The declaration from Amos of a future Israeli State

We then went to Independence Hall, where the dream of Zionism was shared, and we were told of the birth of the state of Israel. Our guide said, “This is the place where seventy years ago the nation of Israel was born.” He showed us the UN Partition maps, and played audio clips from David ben Gurion’s speech, Rabbi Fishman-Maimon recitation of the Sheheheyanu (a Jewish blessing of thanksgiving) and the initial performance of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.

Close to 150 people learned about Israeli Independence

Our touring activities concluded the day back up on the hill in Old Yafo, where as a group we walked through the narrow streets and saw the old buildings (they look older than they are, but some do date back to the time period of Napoleon.)

Some older remains in Yafo with residences in the background

We also saw the gate built by the Egyptians for Pharaoh Raamses, which genuinely is very old.

The Egyptian Gate to Yafo

We then went up on the hill that overlooks Tel Aviv, and from there departed for our hotel. Tomorrow we journey to the Shefala.

A Trip to Haifa

Today’s trip started in Joppa, where we are staying. We walked over the hill to get the car, and found a couple of places to stop and get pictures. Yafo is a beautiful Mediterranean city with narrow streets, interesting houses, and great views along the coast. I have several stories in a book compiled for our tour group (and any other tour group going to Israel), Israel: Stories for Your Journey.

A Talmudic School on Street that leads to the Yafo Shoreline

This of course is near the place where Peter went in the morning to enjoy the breeze and view, and saw a sheet coming down from heaven with various kinds of unclean animals.

Cactus Flowers on the top of the hill by the beach

After breakfast, we traveled north. 

Yokenan Pass, which leads from the Via Maris to Jezreel Valley

Our objective for the day was Haifa. Our first stop was at Sarah’s apartment.

Housing in Haifa

She has a great view from her back window.

Looking North across Mount Carmel

From the top of the hill Elijah was able to watch for rain over the sea. Many people live on the hill now. This was also the place where the Giro d’Italia was run today. We saw some of the closed off streets.

Mount Carmel from the beach

The beach where we ate lunch was along the beach.

Places to eat along the beach near Haifa

And then walked down the beach to enjoy the cool water and the views.

A rocky place along the Seashore

Then we headed back to Tel-Aviv. We took a local road because there was a wreck on the main road as people were returning from Shabbat and coming to Tel-Aviv during the race.

Joppa Gate

Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. (Isaiah 62:10)

Jaffa Gate from inside the walls of Jerusalem

The Jaffa Gate is, in a way, the international gate of Jerusalem. The name shared most often today motions away from the city to the port city of Jaffa (and beyond that to Caesarea), from which travelers arrive into Eretz Yisrael from all over the world. From the days of King David, when King Hiram of Phoenicia passed by this gate, even until today travelers and others have written about the beautiful Jaffa Gate.

Looking down from the top of the Rampart Walls

At one time the gate was heavily guarded, with a double entry and heavy wooden doors which sat upon bronze hinges. Towers guarded this entrance, portions of which still stand today. King Herod named these towers Phasael (145’ high), Hippicus (132’) and Mariamne (74’) after his brother, a friend, and his favorite wife. Of these, only a portion of the Phasael tower stands today, and the gates were removed to allow Kaiser Wilhelm II easier access to the city in 1898. (More in my book, Israel: Stories for Your Journey)

A must for tourists to Israel

Most of the walls and gates of Jerusalem, which we see today, were ordered to be constructed by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who ruled the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century. A story is told of how he found the walls of Jerusalem in ruins after being visited by four lions in a dream. He sent two architects to build a wall following the original course of the city’s protective enclosure. When completed the Sultan visited the city, and when inspecting the work found it satisfactory with one exception. The Tomb of King David was left outside the walls. The two architects were hanged and put to rest in graves outside the Jaffa Gate.

The outside of Jaffa Gate from the top of the walls

Most people pass in and out of the wide Jaffa Gate with no notice of these two graves, for this international gate is the portal into Jerusalem’s oldest and one of it’s newest marketplaces. The walls of Jerusalem contain a vast marketplace spreading out from David Street which leads toward Temple Mount. An entrance to the Mamilla Mall can be found when exiting the old city through the Jaffa Gate. Below the mall visitors will enjoy the fountains, shops and sights of Teddy Park.

Join me for a great tour of Israel

Jerusalem with its gates and holy sites is worth a visit. Please join me on my next trip May 5-18, 2018 (click this link for more details). If you can not go, please order my $2 book, Israel: Stories for Your Journey.

Jaffa and History

Joppa, Jaffa, Yafo, Yaffe, however you spell the name, is a city with a history. Last week in my class we looked at the events which occurred in or around this city, which was built on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The view from Joppa

Some of the most popular stories claim that Jaffa was founded by Japheth, the son of Noah. Although there is no proof of this matter, we do know that people (probably Canaanites) lived upon the hill of Jaffe by 2018 BC (not AD!) these people sought the hillside location for safety, and eventually built a wall around their community in order to defend themselves from attacks. By day they would grow crops, hunt, or go out fishing, and by night they would sleep safely inside the closed city gates.

A historic picture of Joppa

But history was not kind to Jaffa, because neither their hill nor their walls were high enough to keep intruders away. Pharaoh Thutmose III captured the city in about 1600 BC. It is said that he orchestrated an “inside attack” by offering the citizens 100 baskets of Egyptian “treasure,” carried in by 200 Egyptian “porters.” Both the “treasure” and the porters” were really Egyptian soldiers, and once inside the city gates, the city was an easy capture. Ramesses II was there in 1258 BC, as evidenced by a lion scarab and other archaeological finds. Both before, after and in between these two Pharaohs, other Egyptian rulers also called this city a possession and collected tribute from the people in Joppa.

Pharaohs visited Joppa

Along history’s path, the Bible tells of others who visited Joppa over the course of the centuries. It is recorded that Joshua and the army of Israel marched toward the sea along the Aylon River in Israel. This river used to empty into the Mediterranean near Joppa (it has been rerouted). From this march, Joshua turned south and captured other Canaanite villages, including Gezer and Lachish. King Solomon, likewise visited Jaffa in order to retrieve Cedar for the Temple which entered Israel at the port of Joppa.

The Harbor at Joppa

Joppa saw action as Assyrian kings Shalmaneser III, Tiglath Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II conquered Israel and fought against Egypt along the coastal highway. The prophet Jonah sought to escape a preaching assignment to Assyria during this period by taking the first ship out of Joppa to Tarshish. The prophet’s escape did not last long, because God brought up a storm which forced Jonah to be thrown from the boat, where he was saved by a fish who safely returned him to the beach near Yafo.

The story of Andromeda

In 412 BC, another story is told of a young woman who was saved from the sea. As the story goes, King Cepheus and his wife Cassiopeia, who ruled the city of Joppa, used to brag to everyone about the beauty of their daughter, Andromeda. They once said she was even more beautiful than the daughters of Poseidon. This angered the sea king, who demanded that Andromeda be chained to a rock in the harbor in order to save King Cepheus’s city from destruction. Andromeda would have been eaten alive by a giant sea creature, had not Greek god Perseus saved her.

A New Book on Israel

Over the years, Joppa has never been out of the limelight, and many other stories could be told. I have written a few more in my book, Israel: Stories for Your Journey. I will tell and learn others on a future trip to Israel. For more information, check out my webpage at www.KosherCopy.com.

Israel's Long History

One of the amazing things about the Holy Land is their long history. In the United States, most historic sites tell stories from only a hundred or two hundred years ago, and the most ancient sites only go back five hundred years. It is therefore amazing when I go to Israel where “new” can be five hundred years old and it is common to stand at the location of events which go back 3,000 years or more.

The view from Old Joppa to New Tel Aviv

In my class about Israel this week I introduced people to the city of Joppa, which was an ancient port of arrival into the Holy Land. At least one history records that Joppa was founded and took its name from Japeth, the son of Noah. Japheth left home after the flood and founded this seaside community because of its beauty (Joppa means beautiful).

A New book on Israel

Upon thinking about Japheth’s founding of Joppa, I began to think of other stories I read about Israel for one of my latest books, Israel: Stories for Your Journey. The residents of Gezer, located only twenty miles from Joppa, claim that Noah lived on the hilltop of their city. It is claimed that Noah’s wife, his daughter, and also Adam’s wife Eve baked bread in an oven near the city.

The Cavernous water source at Gezer

Walks in Israel can be walks through history, if you listen to the stories. Everyone wants a piece of the action and to tell a familiar tale about the past. Did Japheth really found Joppa? Did Noah live in Gezer? Did Eve bake bread in the cavernous hole near Gezer’s city gate? Probably not, but the stories are fun, and the reality of the matter is that people have lived in Joppa and atop the hill at Gezer for a very long time.

Seventeen Months and Counting

I, and those who choose to go with me, will embark on a fourteen day trip to Israel in less than seventeen months, 500 days, May 5-18 2018 to be exact. I am looking forward to this trip, and to taking friends with me! (I hope you can go.)

Join us on a trip to Israel May 5-18, 2018

As with all good trips, this takes planning. Much planning has already gone into this endeavor, which was but a dream six months ago. At that time Sarah, Chelsea and I were in Israel. Sarah had just completed a dig at tel Gezer. Chelsea was beginning her program at Hebrew Union with David Illan to dig at Dan (we will visit both sites on our trip), and it was said, “Wouldn’t it be great to get a group of friends to come back to Israel in two years?”

Eating dinner in Jerusalem

We went out to dinner with Shlomo, who will probably be our Israeli tour guide, and discussed this trip. We talked about places we had just seen, and places we needed to see while in Israel.

Our tour leader standing on the Precipice near Nazareth

I then began talking to people and thinking about when this trip should occur. Finally, in November, I talked to John Delancey in order set the date for our trip and put the details in place. We looked at possibilities and talked about ideas. Then we looked at dates, availability of flights, hotels, sites, and meals. This month John e-mailed me the plan for our trip, and I am pleased to announce a May 6-19 trip to Israel. We will see a lot!

2018 Israel Tour sites and regions traveled

Our 2018 trip will begin in Tel Aviv where we will experience how the modern state of Israel was born.  We will proceed south through the regions where King David fought Goliath and where Samson lived to Beer-Sheva where Abraham stayed. We will proceed east to the Dead Sea, climb Masada and see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found before we proceed north to the Sea of Galilee. We will visit areas where Jesus walked, and sites further north. After four nights on the Sea of Galilee we will travel south to Jerusalem, where we will spend the final four days of our tour.

City of Joppa with seaport

I’ll say it again (and keep repeating), my family and I would love for you to go with us (sign up, e-mail me, let me know you’re interested)!

Beautiful Bell Caves in Israel

Good trips take planning. This week in Advent Journeys, we read about the journey of the Magi from the East to Bethlehem. Their trip was planned in detail after seeing the star which appeared to announce the birth of the King of Israel. They gathered food, clothing, transportation, maps, star charts, and gifts suitable for a king.

Riding Camels in Israel

Our trip will take planning. In this blog I want to help those who are going on the trip to get more out of the experience. I will be writing about our upcoming travel plans over the next seventeen months. I will take twelve months to write about our stops (taking one month to write several blogs about each day in Israel) and also write about what a person needs to take with them and how to prepare for the trip. I will also produce a travel guide for each member who signs up so they can carry more detailed information on their tablets or kindle to Israel with them. I want us to be prepared for the best experience possible!

A boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

If you are going on the trip (or if you are not able to join us but would just like to follow along by internet) please 1) “follow” on the KosherCopy facebook page; 2) add me to your Google+ circle of friends; and 3) e-mail me so I can notify you when a new blog is produced.  I will also send you updates at the end of each day on our trip.

Israel Adventure - Day 7

Today is our last day in Tel-Aviv. Later this afternoon we will turn in the car, meet the group from Hebrew Union College, and drive to Jerusalem.  

We returned for breakfast today to the Cafe Yaffo and ate two of their breakfast specials: Israeli breakfast for two and eggplant shakshuka. As you can tell from the picture it was PLENTY! We enjoyed the food, and brought a little home. The cafe is located in the flea market district, and from our booth you can see the horse which passed our window.

After breakfast we went to Old Jaffa. Ruins are preserved beneath the plaza and we went in to see the exhibit and the multimedia multiexperiential movie. They told the story of how Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world, started by Noah’s son Japeth (tradition).

They had a video with the Roman agronomist (wine-taster) Judah speaking from his home (which was uncovered in an excavation - the ruins are now the location of the museum). Different people came to visit him at his home. The first was a Pharaoh, pictured above. Egypt conquered Jaffa several times.

A second visitor was Jonah, who was running from God.

A third section was on Peter’s vision of the animals.

After our visit to Old Jaffa, we went into the Mediterranean once again. We did not take swim suits, so we only waded into the water. The water cooled us off, and as this was our last day in Jaffa, we wanted to take advantage of the afternoon.

After our wade in the sea, Chelsea and Sarah went to pack, and I climbed a hill south of Jaffa, created as a greenspace in Jaffa. In this picture you can see the old harbor (left), the wharfs (straight ahead), and the Old City, with the Catholic Church at the top. There is also a lighthouse. Busses use the lot in the front to wait for tour groups.

While on top of the hill a hoopoe was pointed out to me. This is Israel’s state bird.

After climbing the hill, I returned to the apartment, we packed the car, and left Jaffa for Jerusalem.

On the way we met the group Chelsea will be working with this summer at Ben-Gurion airport. We shared a shuttle ride to our apartment (pictured below)

After settling into the apartment we went to Jerusalem’s first train station, which has been turned into an outdoor mall. They consistently have special events. They had a huge book sale going on in the middle of the train station. We ate dinner there, and returned to our apartment in Jerusalem.

Israel Adventure - Day 5

Today started with a walk to the Caffe Yaffo. Akiva served us mini-lox sandwiches with cappuccino. The food and atmosphere were great.

After breakfast we walked through the Jaffa Flea Market. The shops were interesting. All types of merchandise filled the stores from furniture to appliances. There were tourist items, clothing, artwork, and restaurants. Some were packed and others were well organized. The picture below shows a shop owned by a hoarder - Who knows what is there!?! We only stayed long enough to snap a picture, because that was our purpose there! Probably the owner knew where the good stuff was, but we did not … and tourists are impulse shoppers, so we moved on to the next area.

We found some interesting things in some of the other shops. I found a few items we will bring home, for which we bargained Israeli-style. Looking through the shops was an adventure. In the middle of the flea market are tents, and a huge “Yard Sale.” My mother-in-law would like that. As for us, it was cheap stuff that can be found in American thrift stores.

After the flea market we took the car to Machon Ayalon, an underground bullet factory operated by the Haganah. This is an interesting place and a crucial part of the War for Independence. Up above the underground factory it looked like a regular Kibbutz (collective organization for farming). The buildings were there, some of the industries were there … so the Haganah could escape British scrutiny during this intense time period.

BUT, inside the laundry the Haganah had a secret - and many members of the Kibbutz had no idea what was going on right under their feet! Under the very noisy (to cover up sounds) washing machine (which moved from its “permanent place”) there was a trap door with a ladder that went down into the factory under the hill.

They kept the normal laundry crew in the dark by sending them out to hang clothing every time the door opened to let the 45 secret employees come up for lunch. At the end of the day they made sure the laundry workers had gone home. The mission was top secret.

The factory was a place dug out inside the hill; inside were bullet making machines. Four and a half million bullets were produced in four years of production by 45 volunteer workers from a group of just-graduated high schoolers who, upon completion of Kibbutz training, had been recruited sans details by the Haganah for this secret mission. Two ventilation shafts gave air: The first was in the laundry, and the other shaft was at the bakery, which hid smells of manufacture with the smells of baked goods. This was a very well kept secret, which helped win the Jewish war of independence.

After seeing the underground bullet factory, located on Kibbutz Hill in Rehovot, we went to Yavne. This is the place the Sanhedrin of Israel moved after the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD. The Sanhedrin held the Council of Yavne where they discussed “what now.” They had a lot of issues to solve, such as how to compensate for the lack of a Temple or proper place to make sacrifices. What was to be done about the Atonement Offering? The decisions made at Yavne set the tone for the observance of Yom Kippur today. Many other decisions were made there as well.

There is a tel under which the ancient ruins lie. An Ottoman tower exists on top of the tel, as does Rabban Gamaliel’s tomb (accompanied by Ali Abu Hurairah). Nothing else can be seen on the top of the hill. There is a Temple on the edge of the tel, pictured above. There is also an amphitheater on the other side of the tel, pictured below. The tower at Yavneh can be seen near the trees on the right in the background.

After looking at the Tel we went out to eat in Yavne. Chelsea’s Hebrew skills came in handy since the server didn’t know much English, and we survived and had a great meal, a donair with chicken and various salads.

I talked to a young man there who was interested and excited that someone would come to Yavne because of the council and because Gamaliel lived there.

After returning to our Apartment we walked up the street to the main plaza at Jaffa. Sarah took pictures at the Zodiac Fountain. We plan to go back there tomorrow or Wednesday to see the things on the Plaza.

I lost my passport, a book, my kindle, and a camera in the square at Jaffa two years ago. It was either taken when I walked across the plaza to join our tour group or I hid it very well just before trying to surprise them. I asked the girls to look for the white Lechi bag, and they laughed. Chelsea said, “Why don’t you check with the Police, we filed a report.” So I went to the Police station, where I had a great visit with the officer. He said if found, it would be turned over to the US Consulate. Then we talked about Tel Gezer (he lives near there), and how we have enjoyed our visit.

The police asked if I was Jewish, I answered “Yes, but I became a Christian.”

He asked, “Why?” I told him that someone shared Psalm 22 with me. He asked if that was in the New Testament. I told him, “No, it is in the Tanakh.” I jotted the scripture down for him to look at when he got home.

We then went down to the beach and walked along the water. We walked to Tel Aviv proper, crossed the main road, and went to an old train station (the Tachanah). We looked in some of the shops and then ate ice cream, Halva Gelato … it was good!