Israel ~ A Life-Changing Experience

Jerusalem

I have to tell you my visit to Israel was Life-Changing.

We had a mixed group of Christians, Catholics, Jews and Muslims on our tour, and everyone was affected.

Coming over the hill for your first view of Jerusalem you see a city of white stone. The Dome of the Rock is an iconic part of the Jerusalem skyline.

We walked the ramparts of the Old City and the 14 Stations of the Cross, put notes in the Western Wall, traversed up to the Mount of Olives and down Hosanna Way.

We meandered through the Arab and Jewish markets for souvenirs of the city.

And then to actually walk through the Garden of Gethsemane under olive trees that are dated at over 2000 years old and realize the history that unfolded under these very trees when Judas betrayed Jesus to the soldiers of Pontius Pilate – WOW !

Ba’hai Gardens

The Ba’hai Gardens were spectacular – anyone who can appreciate landscaping will be blown away here. The flowers, plants, trees and pathways are meticulously tended all the way down the side of the mountain, overlooking the city of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea.

Sea of Galilee

To wake up to the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee is a breathtaking sight. We toured all the way around the Sea and enjoyed the Hot Springs of Tiberius.

To actually visit the ruins of the house of the mother of Simon Peter in Capharnaum really brought to life the Bible stories I have read since I was a child.

We went out on Galilee in boat and saw the location of the Miracle of the loaves and fishes  (which took place on the side of the hill just behind the black building in the foreground of this picture)

The Mount of Beautitudes is at the top of the hill, behind the church.

Dead Sea

We visited the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, then descended to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, 435 meters below sea level. Because the atmosphere is so thick here, even the palest people do not burn.

We covered ourselves with the hot, malodorous infamous healing mud at the edge of the sea, and our skin felt as smooth as a baby when we washed it off – we smelled a little like camels for the next few days, but we had silky soft skin !!!

I have never been able to float in any ocean or lake in the world, but the Dead Sea is about 35% salt, and by the time you get waist deep, your legs just pop up to the surface and you are floating – a great place to open a magazine, have a cigarette, and just relax !

Masada

Seeing the immensity of Herod’s mountaintop fort and palace, and learning about the history of Masada, from the feat of building it, to the engineering that was involved in creating a water supply, to the invasion and massacre perpetrated by the Romans is fascinating.

You can walk up the snake trail or take a cable car to the top.

I am going to have to rent that old movie when I get time. Pictures can’t begin to capture the immensity of what it must have taken to build this fortress on the top of a sheer mountain cliff.

Golan Heights

We drove up to the Golan Heights, walked down to Banias Falls and the Hermon Stream (the water source for most of Israel), climbed up to the Nimrod Fortress, and stopped by Tel Dan, where the Syrian King claimed to have beaten King David.

We walked through the Soreq caves and viewed thousands of stalactites created over thousands of years.

River Jordan

We collected water from the River Jordan at the Baptismal Site.

And we had a crazy adventure white water rafting down the Jordan River, getting stuck on large boulders and almost hitting a big bull midstream. (This adventure prompted me to buy a waterproof camera – the pictures would have been priceless)

We continued on and visited Nazareth, Bethlehem. Cana, Tel Aviv, Ceasaria, Jaffa and more. There is just not enough space to mention all the historical locations, churches, views and adventures to took in on this trip …

This was TRULY a Trip of a Lifetime !