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...
What We Can Learn From The Healing of a Blind Man At Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he...
How to Pack for Travel to Israel
In this video, Pastor and Israel Tour Guide, Josh Weidmann, shows you tips for how to pack for travel to Israel. After several trips leading tours, Josh has his system down to a science! We hope you find this helpful in your own international travel to Israel or wherever your journey takes you. For those traveling to Israel, here is a...
Jesus in Jerusalem: An Old City Given New Life (Video Teaching from Israel)
People visiting Israel for the first time are often surprised by what they see... this is not what most people imagine the holy city would look like! What we can fail to appreciate is that we are witnessing the ways that Christians of other cultures have expressed their worship of the Lord through the centuries. Here is what you can expect to see when you first visit the Holy City:
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 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 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 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...
The Best Guide Book for An Israel Trip!
In 2012, after going on my first Israel trip, I decided to return to the Holy Land and find the best way to lead tours in the future. I rented a little Fiat car and drove to as many sites as I could to plan my route and find the best material. When I set out on that personal pilgrimage,...
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...