Israel
Day 7: The Negev and the Wilderness
Today we start our adventures hiking the snake trail or riding the cable car to the summit of Masada. Masada means “stronghold” in Hebrew which is evident when you see this amazing fortress sitting on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea. Herod the Great added a palace and fortification intending it to be his “summer palace” but likely didn’t...
We arrived to Israel safely!
Today felt like the never-ending day. We left Denver on Sunday afternoon, flew through Chicago and Istanbul, and then arrived into Tel Aviv late Monday night. We are staying right off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The waves of the ocean can be heard right out our window as we prepare for our first night of rest. Tomorrow we...
Day 9: The Final Steps of Christ in Jerusalem
Probably the most recognizable site in the world is Temple Mount, The Dome of the Rock. The significance of Temple Mount dates back to the time of Abraham, where he took his son Isaac to be a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Later on Solomon built the first temple to God on this “mount” where all Jews would go during...
Day 1: We Made it to The Coast of Israel!
Today we set off to Caesarea Maratamia, Tzipori and Nazareth. Caesarea Maritime is a mere 30 miles north of Joppa. It became Israel’s most populous city at the time of the early church. Herod the Great dedicated the city, his crowning architectural triumph, to his friend Caesar Augustus. Caesarea served as the Roman Capital of Judea. One of the most...
Day 5: Lower Jordan and Bethlehem
Started off the day with some of the most impressive ruins uncovered in Israel. Beth Shean shows over 20 layers of occupation. The city sits at an ideal intersection between the Jordan Valley and the Harod Valley (extension of the Jezreel Valley). Control of the city passed between Egyptians, Israelites, Greeks and finally the Romans, becoming the largest city...
Day 6: The Shephelah
Today we started the day with Jerusalem — but only from afar. We did not yet enter the Old City of Jerusalem. We had a great night's stay at a hotel not far from the Damascus gate and then we headed out to the hill country of Judea, known as the Shephelah. We went to a settlement that had many...
Day 2: Upper Jordan
Today we visited Katzrin, located in the Golan Heights, which is set up as an ancient village. We got to experience what life might have been like in early centuries and what daily chores would have held. Next up is Caesarea Philippi which was used by many as a temple to serve various God’s, but most notably the Greek god...
Day 3: Galilee
We started our day off on the highest point around the Sea of Galilee, we hiked and climbed our way to the top of Mount Arbel. The limestone cliffs hold caves in which many people groups used to hide, but ultimately were captured. Even though the history speaks of suffering rather than peace, the views to Magdala below and...
Day 8: The City of David and Jerusalem
The City of David! Not to be confused with the “old city” of Jerusalem that you can see with Temple Mount, The Western wall, etc…The City of David was built on the southern (tongue-shaped) portion situated between the Kidron & Tyropaean valleys. Just in the last 5-10 years archaeologists have uncovered an extensive portion of the city that was...
