Trip to the Holy Land - Israel 9/28/12 to 9/29/12

Masada - 28 September 2012

Egypt - Israel Border crossing on the Red Sea

Crossed the Egypt-Israel border this morning.  Our passports were checked four times departing Egypt and another four times entering Israel.  Security on both sides of the border was cautious (a little surprising on the Egypt side to me since we were leaving) and thorough but Israel seemed a bit more welcoming.  Their border checkpoint facilities were air conditioned (Egypt's were not), the agents were young and clean looking, and the technology they used was much more current.  Joni and I cruised through the process pretty easily but several in our group were detained for further questioning by the Israelis.  They were definitely profiling as they primarily detained young single men, people traveling alone and those with suspicious baggage.  There was about a 100 yard unescorted walk between the border crossing stations and I imagined myself crossing from East Berlin to freedom in West Berlin in the Cold War era.  An over dramatization I know but the process looked very similar to what you see in the movies and documentaries.

Israelis vacationing on the Red Sea at Egyptian border

As I mentioned, there was an immediately obvious economic difference between Israel and Egypt when we reached the border crossing.  Right up against the border crossing is an Israeli resort community.  People were camped in tents along the rocky beach and there were very modern hotels along the streets as we drove through town.  In contrast to Egypt, have not seen any horse-, mule- or
ox-driven vehicles and the cars are modern, if small. As we continued our drive north through the Dead Sea valley the signs of economic success were many (quality of roads, buildings, cars, people's activities, manufacturing, etc.)

The Dead Sea valley terrain was very similar to the desert on the Sinai peninsula - hot, rocky, arid and virtually without life.  As we drove north the mountains around the valley became higher (or the valley became lower) and very rugged with frequent occurrences of caves and holes in the cliffs.  The presence of shittim trees increased gradually as we drove north along the Dead Sea which left a whhite salt deposit around the shore like a bathtub ring.  It is hard for me to imagine anyone carving out an existence from this desert - I have more empathy for Laman and Lemuel's grumbling - at least about following their father out into this wilderness.

From top of Masada fortress looking on the Dead Sea Valley

We visited Masada where King Herod had built a protective palace retreat up on an isolated plateau.  In 70 AD a group of Zealots retreated to Masada to resist Roman subjugation and persecution.  Masada had been built with a clever system for collecting water runoff from a neighboring mountain and storing it in cisterns.  These Zealots were able to hold out against the Roman siege for three years until the Romans completed an earthen ramp up to the top of the plateau where there was a wooden door which they burnt down.  On the eve of the Romans penetrating their defenses, the 300+ Zealots committed suicide rather than subject themselves to slavery or torture.  This experience is an example of Jewish independence and resistance to "Gentile rule" and has become a rallying cry for the nation, "Masada will never fall again!"

Nazareth - 29 September 2012

Man plowing field in 1st century fashion

An olive oil press like those used in 1st century A.D.

Visited Nazareth walking the "old Village" which is operated by the YMCA.  It is a visitor center demonstrating several aspects of first century life (growing and processing olives and grapes, carpentry, making wool thread, the synagogue in life, etc.).  It certainly highlighted the challenging life that people led in the first century AD - most of their time required just to provide the necessities of life.  In the restored synagogue we sat and heard from John Madsen on Christ's announcement to His Nazareth neighbors that the messianic prophecies of Isaiah were fulfilled that day by Him.  Other than this small outdoor "old Village" there is nothing remaining of Biblical Nazareth.  It is a modern city built on the sides of a steep valley.
Drove us to high viewpoint in the city of Nazareth called "Leaping Ridge" because the early Christians believed that was where Christ "leapt" to escape the mob.  From the viewpoint we were able to see Mt Tabor, the Mount of Transfiguration.  It fits the scriptural definition of a "high mountain set apart" as it stands separate from the other mountains in the range.  Before Mt Tabor lies the valley of Armaggedon where the final battle between good and evil will take place.  it is a beautiful, fertile valley but has seen many tragic battles over the centuries and it has at least one more before it.  Brother Madsen related the scriptural prophecies of the battle of Armaggedon from the viewpoint and shared the story of Christ walking through the midst of the mob of Nazarene neighbors angered by His declaration of His messianic mission.

View from "Leaping Mountain" to Mt Tabor in background

Visited the spring where Gideon selected his army to drive the Midianites from the land.  This spring is at the base of Mount Gilgal where King Saul and his three sons were killed in battle enabling David to rise to the throne.  It certainly helps bring these stories to life or at least make them more memorable to review the story at the actual site, hear Brother Madsen's sharing of the principles taught by the stories, and hear his testimony.