11 Feb 08: A business trip to Israel, my first such expedition in four years, first overseas excursion since January 2007.
This is a business trip, but we arrived one day early to see Jerusalem.
Israel's countryside as we travel South on Highway 4. Do you see the sheep on the hill?
I would like to get a pic of a shepherd with a sheep. Maybe next trip.
Israel is unlike any country in the world. There is more history in one square mile of Israel than in the entire North American continent.
A view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, just East of the city. It was here that Jesus viewed the city of David as He prepared to face His crucifixion. Take a look at Matthew 21.
This is a Jewish graveyard located to the immediate East of Jerusalem, also seen in the foreground of the previous pic. Many Jews who can afford the cost are buried here so that they will be on site when the Messiah comes to Jerusalem. He will come from the East, they say. And they are correct, except that He has already come! Yeshua the Messiah entered Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is East of the city. Please read Ezekiel 11:23 and Zechariah 10:9.
The Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed just prior to His arrest.
This Olive tree may have been here for the prayer of Matthew 26:39.
Gethsemane was the most meaningful site for me this day. The other places we visited, including Golgotha, have been turned into Shrines. I appreciate the effort extended in building churches on these spots, but the simplicity of the story should remain in the simplicity of the sites. I understand that Jerusalem is a collection of cities built upon one another by succeeding empires,
so it is possible that some of the sites cannot be viewed in their original form.
An ancient tomb. A person was wrapped in clothes and laid in a tomb. After the body had decayed, their bones were placed in a box, the femur bone of the leg determining the length of the box. Our Lord was wrapped in linen after Calvary, but when the sun rose the following Sunday, Mary and that other Mary (Matt 28) came to look at the grave. They found the linen wrappings (Luke 24:12) but the body was gone! The Angel brought the good news that He has risen, just as He said.
A few friends in front of the Wailing Wall. We wear white caps out of respect for this place, the West Wall of the old city of Jerusalem.
Access by Jews to this spot was restored in 1967.
Here is another shot of the Wailing Wall, the West Wall, as seen from the other side of the wall.
Israel has excavated this site and many others around the country. You can see the strata of rock
representing the various kingdoms that have built on this spot. The massive block near the
bottom is reported to weigh more than 580 tons.
Walking along the West Wall, you can reach out and touch history just inches from your hand.
The pool of Siloam, where Jesus sent a blind man to receive healing. (John 9)
You can see how deep Jerusalem is, from centuries of vertical building. I am told that it is very expensive and difficult to obtain a
building permit in this city. Many people have to be involved to process the artifacts that are invariably discovered!
We left Jerusalem through The Lion's Gate.
Time to Dine. Humus is served at every meal. The food in Israel is great, but do not drink the water!
Towards the end of this business trip, I had a chance to meet with my good friend Shmuel. Whenever I send an email asking
for prayer for a clean MRI, Shmuel responds with "beseder" which means "everything will be good."
No visit to Israel would be complete without a photo of Shaul's classic Mercedes Benz, a simple reciprocation
for Shaul's visit to the USA and a photo with my Trans Am in April of last year.