Holy Land Hobo
Visual Impressions
Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Home to Peter and also Jesus during His 31/2 year ministry
At The base of the Mt. of Olives, across the Kidron Valley is the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem
Site of 1947 discovery of scrolls at Qumran
Israeli market in Tel Aviv. Everything you could want and entertainment too.
Looking down from the high precipice at Nazareth, on the Jezreel valley where they tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. (Luke 4: 28-30)
Third century Synagogue in Capernaum which sits on top of the one where Jesus taught. Jesus, like Peter, lived in Capernaum during his ministry.
Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee. Home base for 5 days
Golan Heights separating Syria and Lebanon from the Northern Israeli cities.
4000 year old City Gate at Tel Dan. That means that Abraham, probably came through this gate! Huge discovery!
Ruins of the Synagogue at Chorazin. One of three cities Jesus cursed. Later, they were destroyed by an earthquake and were never rebuilt.
Amazingly intact Roman Theater in Caesarea
Caesarea By the Sea's Hippodrome, stands and stables. Against the port on the Mediterranean sea.
Roman aquaduct that travels 20 miles and drops 200' to bring fresh water to Caesarea. It is 2000 years old and still standing!
Seat of Honor in a Synagogue (Suse sister Donna)
Hiking up to the TEL: (Megiddo) Averaging 2 mi./day
Tough duty, but someone has to ... This is the Galilee, as the moon rises at dusk! Words lack the ability to describe it!
The steps to the City Gate of Tel Megiddo on the plains of Armageddon.
Time of study in one of the most pagan places in history. Mt. Carmel where Elijah destroyed the prophets of BAAL.
Baptism in the Jordan river! Commitment and recommitment to serve the one that saved us!
Michele taking a picture of an engraving that speaks of Caiaphias (High Priest of Jerusalem) in Jesus' time.
Camel ride anyone? Beware the smell! Notice the hills have no vegetation. Close to where Abraham settled in Canaan.
A feast and hospitality as it was during Abraham's day.
Imagine what the Roman's thought as they approached Masada. It took them years of seige to take it.
Looking down on Herod's Balcony, 600 feet up. Appears to have a pool on it! Looking down from his main Palace area.
Walking to the cablecar for the ride back down. Last time we walked it (1320')
Floating in the Dead Sea. It's about 6' deep here.
On the Mount of Olives at a Jewish Cemetary . Behind us is the Kidron Valley and then the walls of Jerusalem.
Kay and some of our group walking down Palm Sunday Road. Jesus rode a donkey.
Imagine walking in the garden of Gethsemane.
National Arborist says some of these trees are the oldest in the Middle East. Also that they never really die! Plant a piece of olive wood and it will grow.
Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) would not allow pictures. It is a memorial to those who were murdered. Among them 1.3 million children.
Donna and Isreali soldiers in the Arab sector
Caiaphas' house where Jesus was tried and Peter denied!
Getting a feeling of what it must have been like. Christ was likely held in a Cistern in Caiaphas' .house.
What are the chances we'd eat at the same Arab pizza place four years later. Lemonade and mint!
Golgotha, site of Calvary?
Southern view of the City. Kay gives last teaching on Matthew 24, Gog and Magog, Daniel's 70th week!
Went to see ruins of homes (recently excavated) that were from the Roman destruction of Israel in 70AD
Mural showed a depiction "The Cardio" (main street) in Jerusalem before the Roman Destruction. We are standing in this place as this picture is taken.
Viewing the Dead Sea Scrolls on display. Highly controlled environmant and sealed cases.
The West Bank Security wall. It works! Lives are saved,
Wild IBEX big horn sheep
My sister Donna Koskin is with us on this journey.
Time for a break. A Negev wadi.
Arrived in Aqaba. Tomorrow we take on Petra!
Some of the most difficult and forbidding lands in the world.
The artistic quality of the excavated pots and specialty earthware was amazing.
These are Herodian oil lamps. The oil goes in the hole in the top and a wick goes in the front where it is lit from. This is the lamp of the day.
Ruin of a home from 70AD (Roman distruction or Jerusalem) indicated burning and cave in.
PETRA! There is an option to ride. It is a 5 mile walk day. But riding means we'll miss too much. We'll walk it.
We walk in through a "Wadi," or passages through the mountains. These mountains are sandstone and formed by wind and water.
Deeper and more visually powerful. People have walked these paths for thousands of years! "Nabateans" (they carved the site) Romans, Assyrians, Hebrews.
The "Treasury!" It is the most famous site. It was in the Indiana Jones movie.
Once inside the base area, there is a mile + walk with hundreds of carved caves, grave sites and Temples. Roman building sites etc.
The wind has taken its tole!
At 90+ degrees (this is the cool season) you take a "shade break" when you find it. (Susan's sister Michele.)
A Roman theater from circa 70-100 AD. It is still intact, but giving way to the elements. Sitting in it is very strange, when you consider what these stones have seen over time!
Coming out, this is the first glimpse of Petra!
Recently excavated Roman road (from 70-107AD.)
It is hard to walk on, but amazing to consider it's history.
Imagine the craftmanship of these ancients, who worked with crude tools to create massive works, while hanging on reed ladders!
It's more than walking. Climbing is also a worthwhile skill
Made some friends from Malaysia.
I wonder what you could find by climbing up some of these vertical shafts?
Time to say goodby to an amazing place. "Till NEXT time." (And there will be one.)
Now we have to hike out. Oh, and it is uphill! (no problem)
Just 1 1/4 miles to go. They made us hike back for our lunch.
You have to be careful, carrages are often fast and close.
We were well rewarded for making it back, The food was excellent thoughout the trip.
No wonder it was hidden all these years.
Then we had to go back to the hotel. Someone has to do it.
Huge pool that linked all the way to the Red Sea.
On the way back to Tel Aviv, we got caught in a desert sand sorm. It came out of nowhere! .
We're definately not in Kansas anymore!.
This is a Roman "PUBLIC" toilet. Pretty amazing. 20 people could sit together.
Jerusalem statue of the Three Sisters
The Western Wall (Wailing wall) with David, BJ and Jesse Lawson
Arab Pizza and Lemonaid w/ mint -- Incredible!
Ride it? I can't stand to SMELL it!!
In the tunnel along the Western Wall. This foundation stone is 570 tons! How did they move them, center them, square thm to within a half an inch?
This model showed how Herod used flash floods from the mountains to fill the cisterns with a 5 year supply of water at Masada.
If these ancient trees could talk, what mysteries would they reveal?.Mt. Of Olives, 2012
The key to prophesy is revealed by studying it, precept by precept!
The Wilderness of Zin - Negev desert. It rains 1/2 inch a year. And we hit a rainy day.
Zin - like looking into another world
Secret passage to water supply at Tel Megiddo.
Stones on a sarcophagus are from visitors to show respect.
Great example of a "tel" at Beit She An. Where the mound builds in height as different civilizations come and go.
This stone depicting the head of Medusa, a Greek god, was found in the ruins of Chorazin. It speaks to the diverse beliefs and the changing theologies of the day.
At David Ben Gurion's home at Sde Boker, in the Negev desert, there was a very interesting library. However one book caught my attention (by accident.) I thought it's title was "Jews, God and His Story." My mistake ... or was it?
