Ultra Orthodox Jewish Man Friday evening. Perhaps I could use a beaver on my head in the shape of a gigantic dounut.
Heading into Jerusalem
More South side temple stairs. One for each of the Psalms of ascent
Temple Stairs (South side, Mary would have come here after Jesus was born for ceremonially unclean.
South side of the temple. It is HUGE!
West wall on the south corner. Look to the picture of the smashed sidewalk to appreciate what was once done to this wall by the Romans. The big bricks with a framing on the outsde are Herodian and therefore from Jesus time. It has been rebuilt multiple times.
Damage to the old sidewalk from the Roman destruction of the temple. MASSIVE stones would have fallen in AD 70 to create such dangeThis was dug up within the last ten or so years ago. This is REALLY cool.
Mt of Olives looking at temple. Remember that Jesus came here to get away. Remember that He could clearly see Jerusalem and the temple when here. It is pretty amazing to think about this.
Josh on Mt of Olives
Mt of Olives
White washed tombs from Mt of Olives.
White washed tombs from Mt of Olives
Old marking in Mt of Olives grave yard
Frightened by myself in the graveyard :).
Whites
Window into the Grave (cool title eh?)
Garden of Gethsemane
Garden of Gethsemane. These trees are old, but remember that the Romans sacked Jerusalem and burned so much of the region.
View of the Temple from the Garden at the bottom of the Mt of Olives
RC Priest in action inside the church by the Garden of Gethsemane.
On the Road to Bethlehem! It is in Palestinian territory and you feel it. Yikes!
Check the sign.
Inside the church built on top of where people say Jesus was born. Constantine's mother had this church built. Trippy. Idolatry is what was going down here.
Smoke makes my eyes hurt.
Original flooring under the current floor. From the 300s. See corresponding pic.
Nice shot...ok, maybe not. After standing in line for a LONG time among MANY people kiss the floor where they claim Jesus was born. Crazy. The room in on a lower level, crammed with people, and way too many smells and bells. It is unsettling to put it mildly. This was very bothersome. For Jesus is NOT there!
More of the same idolatry.
Smells and bells.
Josh and Pat in Bethlehem. We walked a little too far away from the main road just before this and felt a little less than safe.
Nice lunch in Bethlehem. The peace and quiet was a great break. Mayhues, Rickarts, Josh, myself, and a retired pastor and his wife from So Cal. Nice. Had some good Shawarma.
Herodian Palace outside of Bethlehem. He had this built on top of a massive hill/mountain. It is astounding! He won and great battle and had this built in honor of guess who--himelf.
View from the Palace. Looking toward Jerusalem...and Bethlehem before that. Remember that Herod had the male babies slaughtered there because this super king could not accept another not to mention GREATER king to live. If you can see the three towers in the far background, you can see Jerusalem.
View toward Bethlehem from Herodian Palace. Jerusalem is further and to the right.
Newly excaved tomb they think to be Herod's. Not really a public matter yet.
Now that is a POOL!!! Herod had it all...well, not really.
Pool again.
Herodian Palace
Josh on top of the Herodian Palace area.
Inside the Herodian Palace
Herodian Palace (Josh and Pat). You can tell who is fearful of heights!
A sixteen year old, an MD from Russia, a seminary student, and some pastor guy from Omaha. This puzzled some in our group. They figured the 16 year old was explainable, but not the others!
Posers.
Killer pic.
Josh inside the water system under Herod's Palace.
Herod's tomb (so they are thinking)
Coulding resist the pool once more. Think of the water!
Nothing like smoking your water pipe in the suit case compartment of your bus!
I tried my hardest to get Jim (the chairman of the board at TMS) or Dick (the Dean) to ride it for a little promotional stunt for the school, but both declined. I wonder why.
This is close to our hotel in Jerusalem which is just inside the Jaffa gate. The camel is outside the gate.
Supposed upper room though all redone so it would not have looked like this.
Upper room, though redone.
Inside the Church of theInside the Holy Sepulchre. This is where they think Jesus was crucified, burried, and raised. Sadly, they have build a sickening idolatry all around it. It was rank to the core.
Where they say Jesus was laid after crucifixion.
Um, uh, HE HAS RISEN!!!
In line for ritual.
Orthodox sector of the church of the holy sepulchre. The guy was wild looking.
Freakshow
This guy looked like the grim reaper. Offering stuff.
Grim Reaper again
This guy looked like the grim reapers long lost brother.
Israeli soldier wanting to have his picture taken with me :). I'm so nice. People have guns everywhere. Groups of children are led around with armed teachers/leaders. It is common to see a woman who looks 19, leading a group of kids through the streets and she has an assault rifle on her arm. Trippy.
Part of our group
Shops in Jerusalem.
Shops in Jerusalem
"You shop in my store now"
View of the temple mount. Day one actually.
Temple Mount in background. Muslims built the dome on the rock on top of it.
In the old city. Nasty out back. Typically out of sight.
Herodian Citadel where Pilate called for Jesus' crucifixion. He could watch from here.
Citadel (see prior descritpion). This was one of the coolest things.
In the old city.
Old City
Have a Coke (diet) and a smile!
Old City Wall
Outside Jaffa
Jewish quarter in old city of Jerusalem
Josh in the old city of Jerusalem
Temple on the left and mt of olives in the back. On edge of Jewish quarter.
Western wall of temple.
Temple and Mt. of Olives
TMS Group
Hezekiah's wall (see other pic)
Hezekiah's wall (aka the broad wall). Done to protect from the Assyrians.
Hezekiah wall area.
Hezekiah wall.
Old Jerusalem model
Housing on Southside of Jerusalem
Southern side of Jerusalem
Wall supporting David's palace (we are on our way to Hezekiah's tunnel.
Housing from David's Palace wall area.
Hezekiah's Tunnel
Heading for the pool of Siloam
Pool of Siloam where Jesus sent the man to wash in John 9.
Roman Cardo. Had a roof and covered from the sun.
Roman Cardo.
Old Jerusalem in the pm.
Ah...Aroma coffee is my friend!
Jaffa Gate (we stayed just inside it). Cool.
What can I say? Harley Davidson Israel style!
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Temple (south side)
Temple (south side). Crusader arches, then blocked by the Muslims
Southern Temple Entrance. Look at three blocked entrances off to the right. Interesting that Mary would have come here after Jesus was born. She would have walked these steps.
Can you see me? Southside
Stairs leading up to the temple on the South side--Jerusalem.
Southside 3 covered entrances
Washing area on the south side. Purity was required and here is where you did the ceremonial washing
Old store on the Western wall at the Southern corner. Burned. This is right by the temple on the outside.
West wall on the South side of the temple. This is one of my favorite things.
ibid
Money changer stores next to the temple on the West side toward the South (newly excavated).
Damage from massive stones that fell under the destruction of AD 70. Newly excavated. COOL.
Replica of cornerstone. They took the original to a museum.
Cornerstone (see other)
City wall
top of city wall by dung gate
Schindler's grave is here.
Hinnom valley (?)
Cover over Dead Sea Scrolls exibit
Model of NT Jerusalem (WAY COOL)
Sign before going through security on the way into the West Wall area. Read number 4 on the rule list and tell me where authority comes from in this case.
Western wall (men's side).
Western wall (men's side)
Pat being disgusted after a man asked about his family, etc. and then prayed for him...only to then ask for money.
Josh wailing.
Walking from south to east side of the temple
Walking from South to east side of the temple
East side
Mt of Olives from the East side of the temple
On bottom of mt of olives
Graves
Graves on east side of temple (muslims)
Church of All Nations...I mean nothing.
East Gate of Temple. Greatly significant, though these sealed doors may not be the original ones. Those may (emphasize may) be someonere below the surface.
East Gate
John 5:2 Bethesda
In the back you can see where some think Jesus was crucified. The guides from Master's college think it was actually where the church is not built (CHS).
Muslim quarter
Possible place of the skull...but not for sure.
A tomb that some think was Jesus'
Inside tomb where some think Jesus was laid
Palestinian Market
Ibid
Palestinian quarter
There's that guy again.
Josh is thinking about becoming postmil at this point--great java, a hip coffee shop, and rockin some Carson. Nice!
Wait a minute! Look at what happens to even their good coffee when you let it sit. YAK!
What was Gibeon. 1 Kings 3:4-6 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you." 6 Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Gibeon. We couldn't go into the city because they are hostile toward Israelis and would not like us in our Israeli tour bus. It was the place where God famously made the sun stand still during the Israelites' war with the Amorites (Josh 10:12). 1 Chronicles 21:29 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time.
Jerusalem from Gibeon area (in the far distance...can see towers faintly)
Window of Mosque next to Gibea (supposed place of Solomon's grave, but probably not as it was originally mislabled)
Mosque built on top of the supposed grave of Solomon. Jews in the basement and Muslims upstairs. Wierd. Josh and friend pictured.
Where Joshua chased the Amorites. It is huge so the pic doesn't do it justice.
Josh(ua) thinking about battle.
Pat thinking about how much he dislikes Amorites.
On site of Gibeah of Saul. This is where... 1 Samuel 18:11 11 Saul hurled the spear for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David escaped from his presence twice. We are actually standing on the second floor of...King Hussein of Jordan who began construction on his West Bank palace in Tel el-Ful, but construction was halted when the Six-Day War broke out. Since Israel won the war King Hussein's palace was never finished and now all that remains is the skeleton of the building.
Looking toward the Judean desert from Saul's place with Jordon in the distance (Moab and Ammon of old). Helps one to understand Jeremiah (e.g. 17).
IBID but closer. Gibeah is a bad place (e.g. Judges 19:9-24ff).
King Hussein's Palace isn't looking so good these days. Neither is Saul's for that matter.
Where Absalom Has Amnon Killed for raping Tamar.
Shawarma and a diet Coke is one ROCKIN Middle Eastern lunch.
Nothing like a bag of milk.
Cistern for collecting rain water. Israel gets plenty of rain, but within just a few months. Therefore containing it is vital.
Where Jonathan goes across to attack. 1 Samuel 14:1-5 NAU 1 Samuel 14:1 Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come and let us cross over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD at Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba.
1 Samuel 14 where Jonathan crosses.
Uh oh! What we see on the way back to the bus--Soldiers with weapons drawn and ready. I am praying.
Israeli soldiers guarding our bus given the territory where we are. Trippy!!!
He is on the serious lookout.
Another soldier posted across the road and on the lookout. All for little ol us. My mind is racing along about now.
Get me out of here!
Shiloh where Samuel was (cf. 1 Samuel). The ark was here at one time (ch.4) and
Where the tabernacle was. Jeremiah 7:12 12 "But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.
Wilderness...as in where Jesus was tempted. Not the green forest you would think of.
Getting clos to Jericho
Partial wall of Jericho. This is very cool.
Jericho excavations
Pillar remains at Jericho
Elisha's Spring 2 Kings 2:19-22 19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Behold now, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad and the land is unfruitful." 20 He said, "Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21 He went out to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'I have purified these waters; there shall not be from there death or unfruitfulness any longer.'" 22 So the waters have been purified to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
Josh snagging a drink. This spring makes Jericho a plush tropical place in the midst of a desert. Very impressive Elisha...I mean Yahweh.
Camera immersed and capturing my thirst approach. Waterproof cameras are hip.
Ian couldn't resist trying the under water shot.
Camels in Jericho
Mt. Nebo off in the distance (shot from Jericho). VERY COOL!!! According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Jews. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1-5).
Jericho viewing the Herodian Municipalities building in Jericho. Jesus would have walked right in front of it on his final trek to Jerusalem. Really cool.
Coffee has been my friend indeed. Personal french press is the way to go.
Up close and personal!
Where David slew Goliath
Not exactly a smooth stone, but check the Melon
In a Roman arena holding my visa for a weapon of choice
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED Maximus would say
Who's Your Daddy?
I am Maximus
Nice Art of the Victor
The judges are not pleased
Josh and Yon (sp)
Lachish where the Assyrians sieged the Judean outpost
Lachish
camels, goats, and sheep at Beersheeba, cf Gen 21 vv. 22ff
Lachish standing at the city gate
Lachish outer gate
Maybe I will use this to blackmale Dick Mayhue
Beersheba
Lizard at Beersheba
McDonald is always confusing
Josh likes the McTongue
Before
After
Israeli City of Arad
Israeli Arad is built on top of a Canaanite City from 2200 bc pictured here
in part of the Israeli portion and probably torn down by Josiah
High Places BAD
S boarder of Promised Land aka N. Zin
S Boarder Falling In. See Numbers 34
bad acting in the promised land
Valley in Zin
Climbing up in Zin
Gotta Love this sign!
Zin
What a Donkey
Jerusalem Grill (Chicken Hearts Included)
Read Deuteronomy 8 (while in the stinking hot wilderness)
Duet 8
Deut 8
Israeli Military
Elat Bay
Elat
Elat (check out this place on the map...nothing like being right next to Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Iraq, and who knows where else!)
I am in Israel (Elat), to my left is the border to Egypt, behind me is Jordan, and behind me to the left is Saudi Arabia. All of these are within clear sight and quite close. Trippy.
Underwater shots at Coral Beach (Elat) which had the best snorkeling I have ever done.
Even the Dean joined in the fun, but remember he's a Navy man so no surprise.
Dick Mayhue in action. He loved every second.
I SO didn't want to leave.
Best pic of all in the water. Chasing these critters was pretty fun.
Wish I could have caught a pic while he was puffed.
Not even zoomed in.
Add this to your "must visit" list.
Tabernacle mock up (to scale)
Getting close to the Dead Sea, can you tell how?
Salt hills by the Dead Sea
Traditionally tied to Sodom and G. Could be on the other side of the sea though. The region is probable.
Salt Lake...and I don't mean Utah!
Dead Sea
Masada
Hiked up to the top in the morning and MAN MY KNEES HURT. Masada was built by the megalomaniac Herod the great as a refuge. It was later taken by Jewish revolutionaries and they were then taken by the Romans. Read about it, its interesting. It is also of great significance in Israel.
More Masada
More Masada...Roman fort at the bottom (there were several and it took months for them to build the bridge to the top)
Remains of the ramp. It is just the bottom so it would have been huge. I am taking the pic from the top.
Up to waterfall in cave area where David could have killed Saul, but didn't.
This is basically in the middle of the desert so it would have been a great source of refreshment and life really. It isn't bad on a hundred degree day in the 21st century either! Also at the cave area. Read 1 Samuel 24 for the account. You might even laugh a little!
Saul or David? Just kidding Josh.
Nice!
Whenever there is a group of Israeli students and I mean whenever, one or more armed escorts are in tow. This is flat out different. Sometimes they seem as young as the kids they are guarding.
The Dead Sea. Nice raft...NOT.
Nice and salty.
Randy
TMSers
Qumran (as in the caves as in the Dead Sea Scrolls)
Qumran sect was into serious ceremonial washings.
Qumran cave where the biblical texts were found. Multiple caves, but this is the one.
