Here We Say Goodbye

I write this from the States. Back to the gray cold of Massachusetts. It feels surreal that we were in Israel only yesterday. So here I'll tell you about our last day together...

We had a late breakfast. No hot food because it was the Sabbath. Ah well, they still had those magical persimmons.

Our only planned destination for the day was the Israel Museum. Where they have the greatest model replica I've ever laid eyes on.

those tall towers are the Antonia Fortress

the temple

So, wow. It's a staggering achievement. Kind of makes you want to get a bunch of little Biblical figurines and go play in it.

Soon enough we headed into the INDOOR part of the museum. There's a lot to see there. A lot. I'm not going to create a virtual museum here by posting pictures of all the things, but here are two items discovered by Gordon Conwell's own Dr. Cooley!

After regrouping in the gift shop (where else, honestly) we split off for some free time in the afternoon. Some went shopping in the Old City, some ventured to the Garden Tomb, and some headed back to the hotel for a bit of respite. This blogger grabbed some pizza with Uri and chatted about all things Israel. I've learned a metric ton on this trip.

There was still enough light left to take advantage of the day. We took a cab down to see the Garden Tomb, just before closing. Now, to clear up any confusion...the Garden Tomb is a place that some contest is the tomb of Jesus. It's carved into a hill that happens to resemble a skull. Since the word for 'skull' in Aramaic is 'Golgotha' (this is the place referenced as the site of Jesus' crucifixion) many believe this tomb to be his.

It couldn't be more different than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Regardless of who's got the actual place right, there is something about the serenity and preservation of the Garden Tomb that's deeply affecting. It looks like the tomb would have looked. You can step inside and see where a body was laid. I only took one photo there. But I did add something to my to-do list: go to the Easter sunrise service in the Garden Tomb.

We walked home through the Old City Arab quarter, a bustling marketplace. Cities have such a different rhythm at night, don't they? We emerged from the Jaffa Gate at dusk.

photo of a monk taking a photo...

be honest, how touristy do we look?

some people get to see this every night!

Our last dinner at the hotel was bittersweet. We all had things we were looking forward to at home (like washing machines), but there was so much more to do and see in Israel! High spirits prevailed, nonetheless, as we enjoyed each others' company.

When it was finally time, we loaded up everything and drove to Tel Aviv, where Uri guided us into the airport and bid farewell. Man, we're gonna MISS that guy. That Tel Aviv airport is painless and efficient. Customs wasn't bad, nor was the long flight to Philadelphia. There, we went our separate ways - this time, for good. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Anticipating serious withdrawals, planning reunions already, we say goodbye to the group that shared this astonishing experience with us.

In closing, I just want to say that this was a trip of a lifetime. With the teaching of Tom Petter and Christine Palmer, the planning of Rhonda Gibson, the entertainment of Dave Horn, the guidance of Uri, and the excellent care of our tour agency, On Eagle's Wings, we were blessed. It's a special land, this Israel place. You have to visit to really get it. I hope you all have the opportunity to do so one day, and that you seize that opportunity with both hands. And then write your own blog.

Our Last Grand Excursion

So, folks, this was it. Our last day of adventuring. Oh, don't worry - we still have one more full day here in Jerusalem, but it's going to be much tamer and more laidback. But today was pretty full of excellence, so let me tell you about it.

We loaded up the bus early under an iron grey sky, and took a long drive, passing Jericho in the distance and hundreds of date palm trees (from which they make date honey, which is great) to arrive at the Dead Sea. Well, sort of the Dead Sea. We first hiked up a short way under the jagged desert cliffs to a nature preserve.

These were the mountains of En Gedi, the area in which King Saul was searching for David (who had gone into hiding) but only accidentally ran into him in one of the caves. Because the area was under a flash flood warning, we couldn't go as far as any of the caves, but we saw some adorably funky animals along the way!

rugged

ibex in a tree!

ibex who wishes he was in a tree

these lil guys are nimble

tombs...how did they get up there?

this little trickle could turn into a raging river at any moment

the brilliant and beautiful Baldwins

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is...

...but this is a hyrax

A quick stop at an excavation site in En Gedi allowed us to see some remarkably well-preserved mosaic work on the floor of an ancient synagogue.

And then, because of much pleading and cajoling, Uri agreed to our request to go to the shore of the Dead Sea. Yay! Except when we got there, full of glee and a pep in our step, we realized that the entire cliffside we were standing on had been aggressively fenced off. No way to reach the water. Until...I spotted a hole in the fence and led the others astray, down a treacherously rocky slope to the water that lapped and frothed against the sand.

It was warm, foamed like a bubble bath, and left an oily kind of residue on your hands. Like water that wouldn't dry. It was weird, but mission accomplished! Check it off the list! Standing at the lowest place on earth, hands and feet in the water, half a dozen of us reveled in the exhilarating joy of the moment.

so close yet so far...

VICTORY

But the biggest event of the say was yet to come.

MASADAAAAAA.

The word literally means fortress, and man would this place have made a fortress. Perched atop a steep cliff overlooking the Dead Sea, it's a legendary site in Jewish history. Built up by Herod (because this guy was a building machine), it served as one of his many palaces, with really secure fortifications. The way up was a narrow, zig-zagging "snake path" that didn't make it easy on any visitor - or enemy, for that matter.

The reason it's so legendary, though, is because after the Romans destroyed the temple around 70 AD, several hundred fleeing Jews took refuge at Masada with the zealots who were occupying it at the time. They were eventually chased down and besieged by Roman forces, who blitzed the fortress with everything they had. Masada fought bravely, but in the end, the battle was lost. Rather than be taken alive, the remaining Jews killed themselves. Only a handful survived the mass suicide.

view from the cable car

story time with Uri

model replica

perfect weather

the ramp the Romans built to reach the fortress

the place was bigger than I expected

even had windows

the tower

the remains of one of the Roman encampments below

their cistern

storehouses near Herod's palace

the lower palace

the public bathhouse

beautiful

Herod's palace...

...and the view from it

the Dead Sea in the distance

Masada was a place on many of our wish lists. It wasn't on our original itinerary, but our fantastic guides were able to fit it into the schedule, and we're so glad they did.

After some lunch and souvenir shopping at the Masada tourist center, we headed back for Jerusalem, thanking God for giving us such a beautiful day to see that epic landmark. Especially when we got back and realized it had been raining all day in the city.

It's rather late, so I'm going to call it here. I'll catch you up tomorrow on the final day of our journey...

Tunnels and hills and the West Bank, oh my

The more we drive/walk around Jerusalem, the more I like it. It's a city you really have to see for yourself.

We started our day with the Herodian tunnels. These are a MARVEL. You enter just near the Wailing Wall, where we were yesterday, and trek downward into the dank and gloomy, spectacular underground web. Built in Herodian times, it's a complex system of tunnels, cisterns, and caverns that stretches below the Wall.

Check it out.

seriously, CAVERNOUS

the lower portion of the Western Wall...that second level stone weighs 540 TONS

this blur is artistic, right?

arches within arches!

tunnels within tunnels!

We emerged on the Via Dolorosa, "The Way of Suffering," said to be the route that Jesus carried his cross on the way to his crucifixion. The Antonia Fortress is one of two places that Jesus would have been tried before Pontius Pilate. Today it's a school.

just walkin' through Jerusalem

Only a short way down the street is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a crippled man, telling him to get up and walk. He was HERE! Performing a miracle. We've just been walking around the places where Jesus walked, prayed, lived, and died.

very Roman ruins

there's even some water down below

In the nearby courtyard is the Church of St. Anne. This place is built for acoustics. So we tried it out. We took up seats on the wooden benches as Uri conducted us in renditions of Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art. It was somethin' beautiful.

Out the Lion's Gate we went. Built by Suleiman in the 1500s, it opens up onto the Via Dolorosa. Also, those "lions" are actually leopards.

bigger than my door

I'm sure they don't mind being mistaken for lions

To Herodium we went! Herodium was like the Camp David for King Herod. It's just a few miles outside Jerusalem on a high, steep hill. Unnaturally steep, in fact. Turns out Herod saw this hill and goes, "yeah, that's the one, except I want it about a thousand feet higher, so make that happen" and his workmen ADDED DIRT to the hill until it was of satisfying height.

model replica

stones that were rolled down the hill at invaders

the view from the top

this...

...is what THIS used to look like

basically, Herod's mancave

it's a bit of a fixer-upper

stash of unused rolling stones

the reception hall

smile!

Herod was buried here, though his mausoleum was later sacked, and Israelites later sought refuge in its secret tunnels during the Bar Kokhba Revolt in the second century.

the cistern

Our next excursion was Bethlehem, which is actually in the West Bank under Palestinian rule. It't not the idyllic, sleepy old village you're picturing. It's more of a tourist center. David took us for lunch at a friend's restaurant, and we ate like kings.

the Palestinian and the Israeli, friends

He then took us by another friend's shop, where they make and sell jewelry in the Greek Orthodox style. This stunner, a carving of Herodium done in olive wood, is one of only 20 in the world, and the last of its kind.

It had started to rain by this time. Thankfully, our last stop was indoors. Bethlehem Bible College. The president there is a graduate of Gordon Conwell Seminary, a Palestinian Christian. He welcomed us with hot tea, croissants, and chairs that were almost too comfy for a classroom. His personal testimony was powerful and thought-provoking, one of misguided youth, violent loss, and dramatic redemption. The work they're doing now at the school is vital - a ray of light in a dark and difficult place. Keep it in your prayers.

We were beat tonight. Dinner and some group discussion time capped off our evening. We only have two more days here! What a time...

Prepare thyselves: tomorrow we go to Masada!