Our Holy Land Tour by Robin Kulasekararaj

Our Holy Land Tour Memories

EGYPT

ISRAEL

JORDAN

(L-R) Robin Wesley, John Selwyn, Sandhya Oscar, Swepna, Hephziba Shanthi, Prema, Mary Verghese, Cindrella Robin, James Verghese, Athisayaraj, Gnanaolivu, Nirmala Gnanaraj, Gnanraj, Oscar Priyanand

Nov 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nov 21, 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS DAY ONE: Chennai / Bahrain / Egypt ............................................................................................................ 3 DAY TWO: Pyramids / Coptic Cairo / Papyrus Institute /Museum ............................................................... 5 DAY THREE: Cairo / Sinai Wilderness / St.Catherine ................................................................................... 10 DAY FOUR: Mt. Sinai / Nuweiba.................................................................................................................. 12 DAY FIVE: Nuweiba / Taba / Jericho / Bethlehem ...................................................................................... 14 DAY SIX: Jerusalem / Siloam Pool / Mt.Olives / Mt.Zion / Shepperdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Field ............................................. 18 DAY SEVEN: Jerusalem /Temple Mount / Ellah Valley / Macphelah / Mamre Fields ................................. 24 DAY EIGHT: Jerusalem / Ein Karim / Garden Tomb / Bethany / Via Delarosa ............................................ 27 DAY NINE: Jappa / Caesarea / Haifa / Cana / Nazereth .............................................................................. 31 DAY TEN: Nazereth / Mt of Beautitudes / Tagbha / Capernahum / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias / Yar Denit .. 34 DAY ELEVEN: Nazereth / Tel Dan / Golan Heights / Amman ...................................................................... 37 DAY TWELVE: Madaba / Mt.Nebo / Amman / Bahrain / Chennai .............................................................. 40 Facts about Egypt ........................................................................................................................................ 41 Facts about Israel ........................................................................................................................................ 42 ISRAEL CHURCH HISTORY ........................................................................................................................ 42 ISRAEL SEASONS...................................................................................................................................... 43 LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................. 43 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................................ 43

DAY ONE: Chennai / Bahrain / Egypt It was unusual of Chennai to have three continuous days of rain in November 2009, and it did rain heavily. Since we planned a week ahead for shopping we had only a few things to wrap up as November 9 drew close. And it did arrive fast. We started to the Chennai airport from Tambaram at 01:10 and reached around 01:30 for our Gulf Air flight to Bahrain. Finished check-in – smooth, finished immigration – smooth, cleared security – two of our water bottles were confiscated for perceived threat to aircraft security. Our boarding call happened at 03:45, and the plane, an A320 airbus, left at 4:20 for a 4 hour 30 minutes flight to Bahrain. With no sleep we landed in Bahrain at 6:55 and were welcomed by the Christmas themed airport.

Christmas themed Bahrain Airport

We did some souvenir shopping in duty free and then waited till 8:45 for boarding call to our Cairo flight. The plane this time a little bigger, A340 left at 9:20 for a 2 hr 50 minute flight. Egypt from the sky is a continuous stretch of sand dunes, mountains and desert. There seems to be a similar pattern to the dunes throughout the country with no sight of anything green. Once we started flying over Cairo, we could see the river Nile in its beauty. Cairo is a very large city, and the spread looks a candidate for world’s largest city.

Peace restaurant, Cairo

Zosher Hotel, Cairo

Cairo, Egypt We arrived in Cairo at 11:30, finished security, baggage collection, by 13:00 and left by a 25 seater coach to our Hotel. The traffic was heavy and we had to travel downtown for our Hotel. We had lunch at the “Peace restaurant” and then proceeded to our hotel “Hotel Zoser”. We reached our hotel at 15:10 and our next plan is not till 19:00 – cruise down river Nile. Hotel Zoser, looking back on the trip was the best hotel we stayed during the trip. The rooms are clean and the food was lovely. We always had breakfast here and loved the fresh omelet and egg scrambles made by the pool side. Our coach dropped us at our boarding point of “Memphis” – the cruise boat. Memphis, it is said used to the earlier capital of Egypt.

Nile cruise ship - Memphis

Dinner during Nile cruise

River Nile Cruise: We boarded Memphis at 19:45; the boat itself had three decks. Our tables were in the first deck, the second housed another restaurant and the top deck had open sides, which gave a wonderful sight of the river and the embankment dotted with commercial establishments. The food – Egyptian buffet, had vegetable salad, soups for starter, main course was Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, Fish and Macaroni, and there were a lot of various Desserts. During dinner there was a band singing traditional Egyptian songs, followed that with Belly dance, Tanoura and then another combination of both. The belly dancer goes around picking people to dance with her and then they get photographed which gets later sold as souvenir. I got a chance to dance with the belly dancer. We got to watch the Tanoura dance, which was very nice.

Tanoura or el-Tanoura (Arabic) is an Egyptian folk dance usually performed in Egyptian Sufi festivals. The Tanoura dance is usually performed by Sufi men, who keep on going round, like the dervish dance in the Levant and Turkey. They use Long colorful Skirts that make a beautiful image when swirling around in circles to reach inner purity, to manage to reach god's satisfaction.

Tanoura dance

The cruise came to close after 2 hours and 15 minutes at 20:00 and we got back to the hotel at 23:00 for the first sleep in two days.

DAY TWO: Pyramids / Coptic Cairo / Papyrus Institute /Museum Breakfast was at Hotel Zoser, a wide variety of salads, breads, pastry, croissants, cereals, fresh omelets, tarts, eggs, were available along with fresh orange juice and choice of coffee/tea/milk. We assembled at the lobby at 8:15 and we were joined by Hameeda our Egyptian guide. Pyramids Since our hotel is located on the Pyramid Street, it took us only 30 minutes to get to the pyramids. Amazed at one of the Seven Wonders of the World, we clicked away. The first one is massive, and our guide told us that it took 20 years to build these structures. There is an additional entry fee to get into the Pyramids. But we decided against it as we were told you have to be reasonably fit to be able to negotiate low ceiling under dark, humid conditions.

Great Pyramid Great Pyramid We took a camel ride around the pyramids and there are many people who try to rip you off for this ride. Anyway our first camel ride gave us some confidence to tackle our next one up Mount Sinai in two daysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time.

The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt, and is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that survives substantially intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2540 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest manmade structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, and what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the fourth-dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chephren). We did not get close to Chephren, also called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The

Brotherâ&#x20AC;?, is the only one which has some limestone plaster left near its peak. All the other pyramids have lost the plastering due to time/robbers/looters. After being around the Great pyramid, we took the coach to catch a glimpse of all three of them from a distance. The place is called Panoramic view point, which gives one view of all three along with the fourth one (a small one built for the queen). The view was breath taking and hawkers offer camel rides around them. We got a group photograph done around this panoramic view. The Pyramid of Menkaure, located on the Giza Plateau in the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, is the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza. It was built to serve as the tomb of the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure.

Kofu, Khafre, Menkaure in the background

Great Sphinx of Giza

The Sphinx A short drive from the Panoramic view bring us to our next stop was - The Sphinx. The Great Sphinx of Giza is a statue of a reclining lion with a human head that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile, near modern-day Cairo, in Egypt. It is the largest monolith statue in the world, standing 73.5 m (240 ft) long, 6 m (20 ft) wide, and 20 m (66 ft) high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, and is commonly believed to have been built by ancient Egyptians in the third millennium BC. We were told that the when the sculptor struck a solid rock, he got the idea of carving the face of the king on an animal body. This was done it seems to show the power of the great king. The sphinx is majestic and it offers a good photo point with a view of the Khafre pyramid in the background. The Sphinx, according to our guide was defaced by Muslim saint, who wanted to stop idol worship, when he found out that Egyptians were still worshiping the image. The guide affirmed that this was not defaced by Napoleon as claimed by a few section. The Papyrus Institute From the sphinx, we drove to the Papyrus institute. We got a glimpse of how ancient Egyptians made paper from the Papyrus plant. The demonstration was nice and was hands on. The artists now draw and paint in the papyrus paper and this is now sold to tourists. The ones found in the institute were expensive and ranged from 100 Egyption pound (20 USD) up until 3000 Egyptian (1500 USD). The Old city (Coptic Cairo) This part of the city is guarded heavily with police. There is a mosque which was the oldest mosque in Egypt right near the entrance. Coptic Cairo is a part of Old Cairo which encompasses the Babylon Fortress, the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, the Greek Church of St. George and many other Coptic churches and historical sites. It is believed that the Holy Family visited this area and stayed at the site of Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga). Coptic Cairo was a stronghold for Christianity in Egypt until the Islamic era, though most of the current buildings of the churches in Coptic Cairo were built after the Muslim conquest of Egypt.

Babylon Fortress

Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church -The Crypt

Babylon Fortress - Roman Walls Babylon Fortress was an ancient fortress city or castle in the Delta of Egypt, located at Babylon in the area today known as Coptic Cairo. The Fort of Babylon contains several of the Copts' oldest churches, which are built into or on its walls. These include El-Muallaqa (the Hanging Church) and the Greek Church of St. George. The area is called Old, or Coptic Cairo, for this is indeed the oldest part of the city, and the remains of the fort are Cairo proper's oldest original structure. We could see the old roman walls under the current Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure. Egypt was ruled by the romans before the Greeks defeated them. The roman city was fortified and the earlier structure is clearly visible.

The Hanging Church

Ben Ezra Synagogue

The Hanging Church After we had a look at the roman walls, we walked to the nearby El-Muallaqa (The Hanging church). It is called so because it has no basement, but it is built on top of the earlier roman fortress walls. There is place in the church from where you could look down into the earlier Roman water system. We were told that there existed a school where children were taught bible, the earliest known existence of Bible School. The church itself is not gothic, but Coptic. Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church also known as the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the 3rd century A.D. The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the

Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo (Old Cairo); its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The Hanging Church has 110 icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th Century, but most of them date to the 18th Century. Nakhla Al-Baraty Bey gave some of them as gifts, in 1898, when he was the overseer of the church. The iconostasis of the central sanctuary is made of ebony inlaid with ivory, and is surmounted by icons of the Virgin Mary and the Twelve Apostles. The main altar screen is made of ebony inlaid with ivory that is carved into segments showing several Coptic Cross designs that date back to around the 12th or 13th century. Over the altar screen we could see a long row of seven large icons, the central one of which is Christ seated on the Throne. On one side, the icons of the Virgin Mary, Archangel Gabriel and St Peter are lined up. On the other side, icons of St. John the Baptist, Archangel Michael and St. Paul decorate the walls. The church is built on twelve pillars, to represent the twelve apostles. The pillars had been brought from Rome. The sanctuary and the side walls are covered with ebony and ivory. The second level of the church it seems was used by woman in the early days and at the moment it is used as religious school. The first patron of this church is St. Mark, who brought Christianity around 70AD to Egypt. The church functions as a Orthodox Christian church and almost all the patriarch have been Greek. Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) -The Crypt After the hanging church we walked to St.Sergias church. Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, also known as Abu Serga, in Coptic Cairo is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, dating back to the 4th century A.D. This church is very similar to the hanging church in that it also has the similar twelve pillars and the pulpit made of Alabaster had twelve pillars representing the apostles and the additional corner stone to represent Jesus Christ. The church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints martyred during the 4th century in Syria by the Roman Emperor Maximian. The most interesting feature is the crypt where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus are said to have rested, is within this church. The crypt is 10 meters deep and, when Nile levels are high, is often flooded. Photography of the crypt is not permitted, for reasons unknown to us. The Church was built in the 4th century and was probably finished during the 5th century. It was burned during the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan II around 750. It was then restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times; however, it is still considered to be a model of the early Coptic churches. Again, the most precious and ancient of the icons are on the southern wall. A vast central hall is divided into three naves by two rows of pilasters. There were two sanctuaries in this church with one dedicated to Virgin Mary. According to the Holy Bible, Joseph and Mary along with Baby Jesus was asked to go to Egypt to hide from King Herod, who was trying to kill the baby Jesus. It was here that holy family had taken shelter. This church is built on top of the crypt/cave where the holy family stayed. The marking there tells us that they stayed here precisely for 3 years and 6 months. This church is one of the holiest places for Muslim as well, Muslims believe and acknowledge that the holy family stayed here and come to worship on Fridays and Sundays.

The Ben Ezra Synagogue. Our next stop was the Ben Ezra Synagogue. The Ben Ezra Synagogue, sometimes referred to as the ElGeniza Synagogue, is also situated in Coptic Cairo, Egypt. According to local tradition, it is located on the site of where baby Moses was found. The land for the synagogue was purchased in 882 CE for 20,000 dinars by Abraham ibn Ezra of Jerusalem. This was the synagogue whose geniza or store room was found in the 19th century to contain a treasure of abandoned Hebrew secular and sacred manuscripts. This was our first experience entering the Jewish worship place. No cameras and video was allowed inside. There is a sanctuary whose walls contain the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. There is a box like structure near the entrance which also has the Ten Commandments engraved on the sides. Then there was this pulpit which has the Torah (The first five book of Moses). We learned that Jews do not congregate to worship but come here for confession and Torah reading. Our tour guides had arranged for lunch - sumptuous Egyptian Buffet at a restaurant near Coptic Cairo. We had Egyptian salad and vegetables for starter, main course was Meat (Beef), Potato, Chicken (Roasted), Macaroni and Jeera Rice and then the exciting Dessert. Cairo Museum After lunch we drove to the Cairo Museum. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities contains many important pieces of ancient Egyptian history. It houses the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, and many treasures of King Tutankhamen. The museum is located in Tahir Square. No video/Photos cameras are allowed inside. We got to see most of the section on the boy king Tutankhamen and the mummies. Unlike many of the tombs discovered in Egypt, that of King Tutankhamen was found mostly intact. Inside the tomb there is a large collection of artifacts used throughout the King’s life. These artifacts range from a decorated chest, which was most likely used as a closet or suitcase, to ivory and gold bracelets, necklaces, and other decorative jewelry, to alabaster vases and flasks. The tomb is also home to many weapons and instruments used by the King, the mummification bed, the final cart, the encasing. The most well-known artifact in King Tutankhamen’s tomb is the famous Gold Mask, which rests over the bandages that wrap around the King’s face. The mask weighs in at 24.5 pounds of solid gold, and is believed to represent what the King’s face really looked like. Many features of the mask the eyes, nose, lips and chin are all represented very well

Mask of Tutankhamun's mummy

Tutankhamun’s golden throne

Coffinette

We had to rush through for want of time. We were told that this is an unusually large crowd during this time of the year. Some other things we got to see include, remains of a boat used 3000 years ago, the mummy of a baby, the mummy of an adult, a dedicated section on the Egyptian Jewellery. There was also a secured section to see the gold casing of the young king and the coffin and the head which had about 110 kgs of gold. Al-Basheer Market. Our final agenda of the day is shopping at the al-basheer market. We got dropped at 17”:45 to be picked up back again at 19:00. We got ourselves some Papyrus paintings (Christian – most of the paintings are about the Egyptian gods and we had do hunt a fair bit of time to find the Last supper/Christ etc.,), pyramids in crystal, souvenir spoons and fridge magnets. There was heavy traffic on our drive back to Hotel Zoser. We finished the day with wonderful Egyptian buffet dinner at the Zoser.

DAY THREE: Cairo / Sinai Wilderness / St.Catherine We start day three with again the wonderful breakfast at Hotel Zoser. We checked out at 08:30 and left Cairo to St.Catherine by Coach at 09:15.

Rest House in Exodus route

Elim, on the Exodus route

St.Katherine, a resort town under the foot hills of Mt.Sinai, is about 475 kms from Cairo. We were expected to reach St.Katherine after 7.5 hrs. After a two hour drive, we stopped by a hotel called “Sinai Hotel” for a coffee break. Then we crossed the Suez Canal through an underground tunnel. The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa. The northern terminus is Port Said and the southern terminus is Port Tawfik at the city of Suez.

The Sinai Wilderness

Abu Zinema

Cars are not allowed to stop and watch for ships. Though we were told that on average 6 ships cross per hour and if we were lucky we would spot one. No luck â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but even if a ship was to cross, we could only have seen the mast. Our next stop was ELIM, the place of 12 springs and 70 date trees. Elim was one of the places where the Israelites camped following their Exodus from Egypt. It is referenced in Exodus 15.27 and Numbers 33.9 as a place where "there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date palms," and that the Israelites "camped there near the water". This is at the heart of the desert and there are only 2 wells left with some dirty water, but the date trees are still there. Elim is about 200 kms from Cairo. We get a glimpse of Red Sea, which accompanies us during most part of our journey. The sea used to be called Reed Sea because of the Reeds which grew in it. At 14:00 we stopped at Abu Zinema for lunch. We are still 100 kms away from St.Katherine. We also saw the road which leads to Sharam El-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort city located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. In the year 2005, there was a series of terror attacks at Sharam el-Sheikh, perpetrated by a Wahhabi organization. Eighty-eight people were killed; the majority of them Egyptians, and over 200 were wounded by the blasts, making the attack the deadliest terrorist action in the country's history. We reached the Morgan Land resort at St.Katherine at 17:00 and headed straight to our room. It gets dark early and we had planned to climb Mt.Sinai in the early hours, so we had an early dinner and hit the bed, awaiting the midnight wake up alarm.

Our Journey on the map

Morgan Land Resort, St.Catherine

The town of St. Katherine is in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt at an elevation of about 1600 meters from sea level, at the foot of the Sinai High Mountains. Many visitors come to visit St. Katherine's Monastery, the oldest continuously inhabited monastery in the World, built on the site where Moses talked to God in the miracle of the Burning Bush, and to climb Mt. Sinai (the Biblical Mt. Horeb, known locally as Jebel Musa) where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Most tourists, up to a 1000 each night, arrive on organized tours from the resort towns of Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab in the evening, climb the mountain at dawn, visit the Monastery in the morning and leave right afterwards.

DAY FOUR: Mt. Sinai / Nuweiba Mt.Sinai: Called Mt. Horeb in the Bible and locally known as Jebel Musa (Gebel Musa), Mt Sinai is believed to be the place where Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. It is one of the highest mountains in Egypt with a small Orthodox church and a mosque on its summit at 2285 meters from sea level.

Sun rise in Mt.Sinai

We started at 01:00 at the hotel after a hot coffee and we were driven up to the foot of the mountains. It is mandatory for a group to have a guide, so after the initial formalities we set out at 01:55. We paid for guide and camels to get us up to the camel point. Cindrella, myself, Oscar, Sandhya, Swepna, Gnanavolivu uncle and Mrs and Mr. Gnanaraj set out for our climb. Gnanavolivu uncle, the oldest of the lot, found the initial steep ascent hard and dropped out. Our guide then took him to a safe place and assured that he is safe. After the initial trek we reached the camel point, where we got our camels. The camel drivers walk along the camel after setting us on the camel back. We just have a simple metal bar to hold onto and it looks a little risky. My camel was driven fast by the driver and so fast that it took the 7 km ride in about 60mts to the upper camel point. The others arrived at 15:35 and after a hot tea and some rest we started the climb at 16:00. Mrs. Athisayaraj, decided to pull back and stay at the upper camel point as she found the journey treacherous. So we left Mrs and Mr. Athisayaraj and started the steepest part of the climb. The climb is not easy, the rugged path is very steep and we stopped for breath many a times. Fifteen minutes into the last leg, Swepna found it hard and wanted to return to the camel point. The climb is harder for two reasons, we do not see as to how much more we have to go, because of the pitch darkness and the path is rocky. Ultimately we, along with Sandhya and Oscar, made it to the summit by 5:30, a sense of triumph set in. There is a small church at the summit and people had already taken up vantage points to wait for the sun rise. It happened at 6:05 and the sight was beautiful; made us to

praise God for the wonderful creation and for giving us an opportunity to stand in the place where he stood. We started to descend at 6:30 and reached the base camp (camel point) at 7:15. Mr and Mrs. Athisayaraj and Swepna were waiting for us anxiously, Later all of us started our trek down, exploring the path as it was now bright and sunny. After a long walk, we got to the Monastery entrance at 9:30, where Gnanavolivu uncle was waiting for us more than 8 hours. Then we got to see the burning bush at the monastery. This is one of the oldest in the world, built around 500 AD on the order of Justinine and the personal order of St.Elema, mother of Emperor Constantine. Katherine died a martyr after having accepted Christ as her saviour in a vision. It is told that her body was severed into 8 pieces.

Descent from Mt.Sinai

Burning bush in the background

After the short visit to St.Katherine Monastery, we drove straight to our room for packed breakfast and an hour’s rest. We then checked out of our rooms and then started our trip to Nuweiba, another 159 kms drive, which takes about 2 hrs and 30mts. This town is situated right on the shores of the Red Sea and we reached this beautiful town right in time for lunch at 14:00. After lunch we got some rest in the nice room, and then went for a walk around the place and beach. Before dinner, we had a devotion time and Selwyn uncle shared his research on the Red Sea crossing. Nuweiba is sandwiched between the Sinai Mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba, and is located some 150 km north of Sharm el Sheikh, 465 km southeast from Cairo and 70 km south of the Israel–Egypt border separating Taba and Eilat. It's suggested that this town marks the location of the Crossing of the Red Sea in Biblical times. Nuweiba is short for Nuwayba'al Muzayyinah in Arabic which means “waters of Moses open”.

Morgan Land, St.Katherine

Nuweiba, Egypt

DAY FIVE: Nuweiba / Taba / Jericho / Bethlehem After a good night’s sleep we left Nuweiba at 5:30 for another hour drive to Taba, the border crossing to get into Israel. We were accompanied by the red sea to the east during our drive. Before we got to Taba border crossing we got to see the sun rise over the gulf of Aqaba. Also got to see Saladdin’s fort built almost within the sea. We finished all the immigration formalities and were on the Israeli side at 9:00.

Sunrise over Gulf of Aquaba

Saladdin’s Fort

Taba on the Egyptian side is now called Eilat the southernmost part of Israel. Eilat is Israel's southernmost city, a busy port as well as a popular resort, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Eilat. Home to 65,000 people, the city is part of the Southern Negev Desert, at the southern end of the Arava. The city is adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba to the south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of Saudi Arabia to the south-east, across the gulf. Eilat is the winter resort town of Israel. Eilat was founded in 1952 and has about 30,000 inhabitants. Eilat stone in green is precious. Eilat is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Exodus in the stations. The first six stations of the Exodus are in Egypt. The 7th is the crossing of the Red Sea and The 9th-13th are in and around Eilat after they have left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. Station 12 refers to a dozen campsites in and around Timna in Modern Israel near Elat. When King David conquered Edom, which up to then had been a common border of Edom and Midian, he took over Eilat, the border city shared by them as well. The commercial port city and copper based industrial center were maintained by Egypt until reportedly rebuilt by Solomon at a location known as Ezion-Geber (I Kings 9:26). In 2 Kings 14:21-22: "And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept among his fathers." And again in 2 Kings 16:6: "At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath to Aram, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Edomites came to Elath, and dwelt there, unto this day". As we start our drive towards Jericho, we start seeing the Jordanian mountains on the east (also called the Rift valley) and wilderness on the west. We also saw a border crossings to Jordan, before we stopped at a Kibbutz for coffee and break.

A kibbutz (lit. "Gathering, clustering"; plural kibbutzim) is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism. In the last decades, most Kibbutzim had been privatized and no longer practice communal living. Less than five percent of Israelis live on kibbutzim. A member of a Kibbutz is called a Kibbutznik.

Kibbutz

Acacia trees which was used to built the Ark of the Covenant with Edomite Mountains in the background

We could also see a lot of acacia trees, whose wood was used to make the Ark of the Covenant. The mountains on the Jordanian side for the first 100 kms is the mountains of Edom – descendants of Esau.

Masada Fort

Lot’s Wife – Artist’s. Sodom & Gomorrah

We got a glimpse of the Masada fort, but we did not stop. Masada, pronounced Metzada, from metzuda, "fortress") is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel on top of an isolated rock plateau on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. After the First Jewish-Roman War a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to the mass suicide of the Sicarii rebels, who preferred death to surrender. According to Josephus, a first-century Jewish Roman historian, Herod the Great fortified Masada between 37 and 31 BC as a refuge for himself in the event of a revolt. In 66 AD, at the beginning of the First Jewish-Roman War against the Roman Empire, a group of Jewish extremists called the Sicarii overcame the Roman garrison of Masada. After the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish rebels and their families fled Jerusalem and settled on the mountain top, using it as a base for raiding Roman settlements.

We also drove past the beach resort town on the Dead Sea – En Equba. Tourists flock here to for treatment of skin ailments with the mineral content of the Dead Sea mud and water. We drove past Sodom and Gomorrah, but stopped to get a photograph of Lot’ wife, an artist’s representation sculpted in the rocks facing the dead sea. Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities in the Bible which were destroyed by God. For the sins of their inhabitants Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim were destroyed by "brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" (Genesis 19:24-25). In Christianity and Islam, their names have become synonymous with impenitent sin, and their fall with a proverbial manifestation of God's wrath (Jude 1:7, Qur'an(S15)Al-Hijr:72-73[1]). We also passed En Gedi – this is the place where King David hid when fleeing from Saul; "And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein Gedi" (1 Samuel 24:1). Dead Sea was visible to the east along the highway. Ein Gedi (lit. Kid Spring (as in young goat); KJV Bible Engedi) is an oasis in Israel, located west of the Dead Sea, close to Masada and the caves of Qumran. It is known for its caves, springs, and its rich diversity of flora and fauna. Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in biblical writings, for example, in the Song of Songs; "My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of Ein Gedi" (1:14).

En Gedi

Qumran caves

Qumran Caves – Qumran (Khirbet Qumran) is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank. The Hellenistic period settlement was constructed likely sometime during the reign of John Hyrcanus, 134-104 BCE or in decades later, and was occupied for most of the years until it was destroyed by the Romans in 68 CE or shortly after. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the hiding place of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of the sheer desert cliffs and beneath, in the marl terrace. Since the discovery from 1947 to 1956 of nearly 900 scrolls in various conditions, mostly written on parchment, with others on papyrus, extensive excavations of the settlement have been undertaken. Cisterns, Jewish ritual baths, and cemeteries have been found, along with a dining or assembly room and debris from an upper story alleged by some to have been a scriptorium as well as pottery kilns and a tower. Many scholars believe the location to have been home to a Jewish sect, the Essenes. The Dead Sea scrolls consist of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Qumran. The texts are of great religious and historical

significance, as they include some of the only known surviving copies of Biblical documents made before 100 BCE and preserve evidence of late Second Temple Judaism. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, mostly on parchment, but with some written on papyrus. The Dead Sea Scrolls are traditionally divided into three groups: "Biblical" manuscripts (copies of texts from the Hebrew Bible), which comprise roughly 40% of the identified scrolls; "Apocryphal" or "Pseudepigraphical" manuscripts (known documents from the Second Temple Period like Enoch, Jubilees, Tobit, Sirach, non-canonical psalms, etc., that were not ultimately canonized in the Hebrew Bible), which comprise roughly 30% of the identified scrolls; and "Sectarian" manuscripts (previously unknown documents that speak to the rules and beliefs of a particular group or groups within greater Judaism) like the Community Rule, War Scroll, Pesher (Hebrew pesher = "Commentary") on Habakkuk, and the Rule of the Blessing, which comprise roughly 30% of the identified scrolls. We were shown a video of the community, which lived there and in the end the screen, went up to reveal the storage jars and parchments. Then had a walk around the excavated site and took a lot of pictures. Next stop was the float in the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea

Sycamore tree in Jerricho

The Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake in Jordan to the east and in the West Bank and Israel to the west. Its surface and shores are 422 meters (1,385 ft) below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea is 378 m (1,240 ft) deep, the deepest hyper-saline lake in the world. It is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water, with 33.7% salinity. Only Lake Assal (Djibouti), Garabogazkรถl and some hyper-saline lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (such as Don Juan Pond and perhaps Lake Vanda) have a higher salinity. It is 8.6 times as salty as the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometers long and 18 kilometers wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River. The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets. We enjoyed the Dead Sea float and then started driving towards Jericho. Jericho is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian Territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate, and has a population of over 20,000 Palestinians. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route 16 kilometers north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest

permanently inhabited site on earth. It is also believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities of the world. Described in the Hebrew Bible as the "City of Palm Trees", copious springs in and around Jericho have made it an attractive site for human habitation for thousands of years. It is known in Judeo-Christian tradition as the place of the Israelites' return from bondage in Egypt, led by Joshua, the successor to Moses. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of over 20 successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back to 11,000 years ago (9000 BCE). We stopped by a sign saying, “Jericho is the oldest city in the world at 10,000 years”. Jericho is also mentioned several times in The Holy Bible - books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Hebrews. According to Matthew 20:29-30, Jesus healed two blind men as he and his disciples were leaving Jericho. In Mark 10:46-52, Mark tells the same story, except he only mentions one man, Bartimaeus. Like Mark, Luke only mentions one man, but he differs in his account by saying that Jesus and his apostles were approaching Jericho. Some versions reconcile this by translating it as "near". In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author mentions the Old Testament story of the destruction of Jericho as an outward display of faith. (Hebrews 11:30) In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus mentions that a certain man was on his way to Jericho. Our important stop was the Sycamore fig tree where Zacchaeus climed to get a glimpse of Christ. Zacchaeus (which means pure), according to chapter 19 of the gospel of Luke, was a superintendent of customs; a chief tax-gatherer at Jericho (Luke 19:1-10). We had lunch at the “Temptation Hotel”, which overlooks the Mount of Temptation. Mount of Temptation is where Jesus drove away Satan. We also taste tested and bought some fresh Jericho dates. Then we drove to a spot from where we could see the remains of the Jericho walls. Cable cars take people to the top of Mount of Temptation, which has a Greek Monastery, visible from where we stopped. After our short drive through of the city of Jericho, we started driving towards Jerusalem. We could see Israeli settlements and some Bedouin camps on our drive. We entered the magnificent city of Jerusalem by 6 PM and it was a great feeling to see the golden dome. Our hotel in Bethlehem is on the Palestinian part of Israel. The thing I liked about the hotel is the free high speed Wi-Fi internet connectivity.

DAY SIX: Jerusalem / Siloam Pool / Mt.Olives / Mt.Zion / Shepperd’s Field Having told of a busy schedule and early start, we had early breakfast and our bus left our hotel by 7:30 AM. Since our hotel is on the Palestinian side, we had to stop by the check point and two Gun wielding Israeli officers got into our bus to inspect. We have to go through this every morning till we stay in the Nativity Hotel. We first stopped at Siloam pool and got a taste of the water in the pool. Both Christians and Muslims believe in the miracle of the healing of the blind man. The Muslim’s have even built a mosque on top of shalom pool. Siloam is also referred to as the city of David.

Siloam Pool

Dome of the Ascension

Pool of Siloam is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the City of David (believed to be the original site of Jerusalem) now outside the walls of the Old City to the southeast. The pool was fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring, which were carried there by two aqueducts - the Middle Bronze Age Channel (a 20ft deep direct cutting that was covered with rock slabs, and dates from the Middle Bronze Age ~1800BC), and Hezekiah's Tunnel (a curving tunnel within the bedrock, dating from the reign of King Hezekiah ~700BC). The pool is mentioned or alluded to several times in the Bible. Isaiah 8:6 mentions the pool's waters, while Isaiah 22:9 references the construction of Hezekiah's tunnel. It is mentioned in the Gospel of John, as the location to which Jesus sent a man who had been blind from birth, as part of the act of healing him. Our next stop was Mt. Olives. The New Testament, tells how Jesus and his friends sang together "When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" Gospel of Matthew 26:30. Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mt of Olives as recorded in the book of Acts 1:9-12. It will be the Mt of Olives to which he is to return as stated in the book of Acts 1:11. The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 21:1;26:30, etc.) as the route from Jerusalem to Bethany and the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to his disciples (Matthew 24-25), including the Olivet discourse, returning after each day to rest (Luke 21:37), and also coming there on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:39). At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies the Garden of Gethsemane. We first got to see the Dome of Ascension, which contains the rock of Ascension or the Ascension stone. This is the place from where Christ ascended to heaven and there now stands a temple, which has changed hands a few times and at the moment is under Muslim control. Next we walked across the road to Pater noster, the place where Jesus taught his disciples the “Lord’s Prayer”. This place is under French church control and we got to see Tamil and some more languages. The Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is perhaps the best-known prayer in Christianity. Two versions of it occur in the New Testament, one in the Gospel of Matthew 6:9– 13 as part of the discourse on ostentation, a section of the Sermon on the Mount; and the other in the Gospel of Luke 11:2–4. Pater noster

After this we walked down the “Palm Sunday Road” singing “Hosannah paduvoom” in Tamil. Palm Sunday road from Mt. Olives is a steep descent towards the Garden of Gethsemane. On our walk, we also got to see the Jewish and Muslim cemetery at close range. Then we stopped by the “Dominus Flevit” – Dominus Flevit, which translates from Latin as "The Cry of the Lord" or "The Lord Wept", was fashioned in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ. Here, according to the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, while walking toward the city of Jerusalem, becomes overwhelmed by the beauty of the Second Temple and predicting its future destruction, and the diaspora of the Jewish people, weeps openly. (Luke 19:37-42. A late bronze era tomb from the Canaanite period, as well as a necropolis used from 136 BC to 300 AD discovered in this site are displayed. A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek nekropolis, meaning "city of the dead". Finally, we get a good view of the dome of the rock and the church of Mary Magdalene (Gold Onions).

Dominus Flevit

Jerusalem from Mt.Olives

Our walk ends as we reach the “Garden of Getsemane”, where Judas betrayed Jesus. Gethsamane, (Geth – press samane – oil (hebrew)), means oil press. There are still a lot of olive trees, which still bear fruit. Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem most famous as the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion. According to Luke 22:43–44, Jesus' anguish in Gethsemane was so deep that "his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." There is also a church which is built on the place where Jesus prayed before the night of his betrayal. This church is called the “Church of All Nations”, apparently run by a combined trust. The church houses the “Rock of Agony” near the altar and hence is also referred to as the “Church of Agony”. Got a chance to kneel in front of the rock of agony and pray. On our walk down Palm Sunday road we were able to see the Jewish cemetery on Mt. Olives. From biblical times until today, Jews have been buried on the Mount of Olives. There are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount, including tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah and Avshalom (Absalom). Important rabbis from the 15th to the 20th centuries are buried there, among them Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, and his son Zvi Yehuda Kook.

Mary Magdalene church in the background

Necropolis, Dominus Flevit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mt.Olives

Then we started our drive to Mt.Zion. Mount Zion is an elevation west of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Jewish scriptures apply the term "Mount Zion" to the Temple Mount or the City of David, both located on this elevation. Important sites on Mount Zion are Dormition Abbey, King David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper. First we got to see the Zion Gate, which still has bullet wounds on its wall faces and then we visited Dormition Abbey, the place where the Catholics believe that Mary ascended to heaven. There is a beautiful catholic church built there. Next we went to the Upper room, where Jesus had the last supper. It is significant for three reasons 1. Jesus taught humility 2. Jesus offered his body and blood 3. The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. We sang a song and prayed and took pictures in front of the icon which represents Israel (Olives, Grapes ) The Cenacle (from Latin cenaculum), also known as the "Upper Room", is the term used for the site of The Last Supper. The word is a derivative of the Latin word cena, which means dinner. Based on Acts 1:13, the "Upper Room" was not only the site of the Last Supper (i.e. the Cenacle), but the usual place where the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem. Thus the Cenacle is considered the site where many other events described in the New Testament took place, such as: * the Washing of the Feet (John 13:4-11) * some resurrection appearances of Jesus (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:33, John 20:19) * the gathering of the disciples after the Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:13) * the election of Saint Matthias as apostle (Acts 1:15) * the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Then we got to see King Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tomb. There is a synagogue in that place now with separate entries for men and women. There is also a museum of David, but being Sabbath day it was closed. King David's Tomb is the name given to a site on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, near the Dormition Church; the site has traditionally been viewed as the burial place of David. It is situated in a ground floor corner of the remains of the former Hagia Zion, a Byzantine church; the upper floor of the same building has traditionally been viewed as the Cenacle of Jesus.

Jewish cemetery in Mt.Olives

Judas Stone in Palm Sunday road

Then we went to the place where Peter denied Christ, this is located near the house of Caiphas the high priest. We visited Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (The church of Repentance), the present day Church is built around the High Priest house at the time of Jesus. Then we got to see the house of Caiphas, which has a dundgeon and a prison to house criminals. It is believed that Jesus would have spent the night here after his condemnation by the Sanhedrin. From the prison in Caiphas house, Jesus was made to walk chained for trial. We got an opportunity to take those same steps, now called the “Holy Steps”.

Garden of Gethsemane

East Gate in the background

After lunch and a bit of shopping we started towards church of nativity. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that marks as the birthplace of Jesus. Got to see the birth place of Jesus and on top stands a church whose main alter is the Greeek Orthodox and the west alter is of Aremenian and the catholic church is at a level below. We saw the place where Jesus Christ was born represented as the Star of Bethlehem and we also saw the manger. The Nativity church also has the remains of the Constantine's 4th century mosaic floor. A section of the Nativity church is a catholic church called “Church of St. Katherine of Alexandria”. It is at this church that the world-televised “Midnight Mass” of Christmas takes place every year. An altar is dedicated to St. Joseph (who stood guard at the entrance to the cave) and St. Jerome who translated the bible from Hebrew to Latin. We were told that this is where the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat used to attend Sunday Mass.

Infront of All nations church

Dormition Abbey

Our last stop for the day is the Shepherd’s Field. This field is where Ruth was working when she met her husband. This is also the place where the Shepherds were told of the birth of a new king. There is a catholic church which is built on top of the caves which depict murals of the Shepherd’s.

In the Upper Room

David’s Tomb

There is also an archeological site, which contains the remains of a old city, with the wine press, water cistern, animal stable, ritual bath and even a temple.

The Door of Humility, main entrance into the Nativity Church

This silver star, beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, marks the spot of Birth place of Jesus Christ.

DAY SEVEN: Jerusalem /Temple Mount / Ellah Valley / Macphelah / Mamre Fields While waiting for the check point we got to see the luxurious bungalow of the person who made his riches through the Dead Sea scrolls. This person a Syrian catholic was a shoe repairer, who used to repair the shoes of the Bedouins. The Bedouins handed him the scrolls, which in turn he handed it over to the Syrian Catholic Church Bishop. We started early and left our hotel at 07:15 driving by Siloam Pool then after City of David we got through western gate and then security to first visit Al-Aqsa mosque and then the dome of the rock and then walked through chain gate to see the Wailing Wall.

Dome of the rock

St.Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral

Al-Aqsa Mosque (translit: "the Farthest Mosque"), also known as al-Aqsa, is an Islamic holy place in the Old City of Jerusalem. The mosque itself forms part of the al-Haram ash-Sharif or "Sacred Noble Sanctuary" (along with the Dome of the Rock), a site also known as the Temple Mount and considered the holiest site in Judaism, since it is where the Temple in Jerusalem once stood. Widely considered as the third holiest site in Islam, Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey.

The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine which houses the Foundation Stone, arguably the holiest spot in Judaism, and is a major landmark located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the oldest extant Islamic building in the world. Its significance stems from the religious beliefs regarding the rock at its heart. A sign at the entrance warns the Jews from visiting the temple mount, as they do not want them to step on the Holy of Holies inadvertently. From the Temple Mount, a short walk takes us through the old Palestinian market road on our way to the Wailing Wall. Sign near Temple Mount

Just over half the wall, including its 17 courses located below street level, dates from the end of the Second Temple period, being constructed around 19 BCE by Herod the Great. The remaining layers were added from the 7th century onwards.

We attended Sunday morning service at St. George’s cathedral. The communion service started by 9:30 ended at 10:45 was a mixture of Arabic and English. There were other groups visiting from Scotland, we had a fellowship tea after the service. Emmaus Nicopolis, which has remains of the 5th century church. Nicopolis in Greek means Victory and hence this place is called the city of victory. Jesus after his resurrection had joined his disciples and then revealed himself around this town. Emmaus is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as the village where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion and resurrection: That very day two of them were going to a village (one hundred and) sixty stadia away from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were speaking about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were speaking and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him … As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on further. But they urged him, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is declining.’ So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him.

Emmaus Nicopolis

Baptistary still in tact

During the Byzantine period Emmaus-Nicopolis became a big city and a bishopric. A large church complex was erected on the spot of the apparition of the risen Christ, which served as a place of pilgrimage, and whose ruins still exist today. After the Muslim conquest in the 7th century, Emmaus went back to being called "Amwas" or "Imwas", but lost its importance as a regional center. During the Crusader period, the Christian presence resumed at Emmaus, and the Byzantine church was restored. We got to see a baptistery still intact in the site. Had a glimpse of Samson birth place Zorah at a distance as we drove past Beth-Shemesh where he grew up. The remains of the old city still remain and a new modern Beth-Shemesh can be seen across the road. The ancient city of Beit Shemesh ("house of the sun" or "temple of the sun" in Hebrew) was originally named after the Canaanite sun-goddess Shemesh, which was worshipped there in antiquity. The ruins of the ancient biblical city can still be seen in the tell of Beit Shemesh, located near the modern city.[2Beit Shemesh is first mentioned in the Book of Joshua 15 as a city in the territory of the tribe of Judah on the border between their territory and that of the tribe of Dan. Later in Joshua 21 Beit Shemesh is mentioned as having been set aside a city for the priests of the tribe of Levi, the Kohanim. The city is mentioned notably in chapter 6 of the book of Samuel I as being the first city encountered by the ark of the covenant on its way back from Philistia after having been captured by the Philistines in

battle. In the book of Kings II, Beit Shemesh is again mentioned as being the site of the battle between Amaziah king of Judea and Jehoash king of Israel. We stopped at Ellah Valley and could see Azekah Mountains and the Philistine mountains. We also picked some pebbles from the same place where David would have picked to fell Goliath. The Valley of Elah, "the valley of the oak or terebinth" best known as the place where the Israelites were encamped when David fought Goliath (1 Sam. 17:2, 19). It was near Azekah and Socho (17:1). After that we drove to Bethlehem for lunch with wonderful turkey schnitzel. Today is Palestine Independence day and we could see police vehicle procession in Bethlehem city.

Ellay valley

Tomb of Patriarch â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jewish Hebron

Next we started driving towards Macpelah in Hebron to see the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tombs of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs". We got to see the tombs of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob and Leah. The other tombs of Isaac and Rebecca are on the Palestine side so we did not get to see them. The most famous historic site in Hebron sits on the Cave of the Patriarchs. Although the site is holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam also accept it as a sacred site, due to scriptural references to Abraham. According to Genesis, he purchased the cave and the field surrounding it from Ephron the Hittite to bury his wife Sarah, subsequently Abraham Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah were also buried in the cave (the remaining Matriarch, Rachel, is buried outside Bethlehem). For this reason, Hebron is also referred to as 'the City of the Patriarchs' in Judaism, and regarded as one of its Four Holy Cities. Over and around the cave itself churches, synagogues and mosques have been built throughout history (see "History" below). The Isaac Hall is now the Ibrahimi Mosque, while the Abraham Hall and Jacob Hall serve as a Jewish synagogue. The Cave of the Patriarchs or the Cave of Machpelah (Trans. "Cave of the Double Tombs"; Arabic: Al Magharah, "the Cave") is a series of subterranean caves located in a complex called by Muslims the Sanctuary of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque. The name is either a reference to the layout of the burial chamber, or alternatively refers to the biblical couples, i.e: cave of the tombs of couples. The compound, located in the ancient city of Hebron, is the second holiest site for Jews (after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem) and is also venerated by Christians and Muslims all of whom have some traditions which maintain that the site is the burial place of four Biblical couples: (1) Adam and Eve;[citation needed] (2) Abraham and Sarah; (3) Isaac and Rebekah; (4) Jacob and Leah, though some early Christians asserted that Adam lies buried under Golgotha.[1] According to Midrash and other

sources the Cave of the Patriarchs also contains the head of Esau,[2] and according to some Islamic sources it is also the tomb of Joseph. Though the Bible has Joseph buried in Shechem (the present-day Palestinian city of Nablus), Jewish aggadic tradition conserved the idea that he wished to be interred at Hebron, and the Islamic version may reflect this. The Jewish apocryphal book The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, also states that this is the burial place of Jacob's twelve sons. Because of the Israel Palestine conflict, Hebron has been divided into two parts; Hebron H2 – Isareli Territory and Hebron H1 – Palestine territory. Mamre fields, where three angels appeared to Abraham to tell the good news that he will have a son. Mamre, in the biblical account, was the site where Abraham came to set up his tents to camp, built an altar, and was brought divine tidings, in the guise of three angels, of Sarah's pregnancy. There were no tourists around as this is not promoted much. We could see the ruins of the walls of the commercial and religious centre which King Herod had built. This area lies in the Hebron H1 and has also the well which would have been used by Abraham and Sarah.

Mamre fields

Glass Factory in Hebron

Our last site of the day was to the Glass factory, for a demonstration of how glass works are made, manually! Got to our rooms at 5:30, then had dinner at 19:00. We are still in Nativity Hotel for the third night and we have one more night to stay here.

DAY EIGHT: Jerusalem / Ein Karim / Garden Tomb / Bethany / Via Delarosa We started from our hotel at 7:45 regular crossing of check point for entry into Israel as our hotel is located in Palestine. We first traveled to Ein Karim, the city of the birth of John the Baptist. Ein Karim means “Spring of the Vineyard”. We looked at the church built in his remembrance, which also contains the mosaic floor of the 5th century byzantine temple.

Chruch of John the Baptist, Ein Karem

Mary’s spring

Next we walked over to “Mary’s Springs”. This is the place where Mary met Elizabeth, when Mary traveled over to meet Elizabeth. There is a perennial spring of water in this place. We drove through Yad VaShem the Israeli holocaust museum, but did not see inside. Yad VaShem is mentioned in Isaiah 56. Yad VaShem is situated in Mt.Hetzel, which also has the military cemetery and the tomb of Theodor Hetzel, the founder of Zionist movement. Theodor Herzl (Hebrew: Binyamin Ze'ev Herzl, lit. "The Seer of the State" [of Israel] lit. "The Seer of the Jewish State") (May 2, 1860 — July 3, 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism. He was the pioneer who formed the idea of getting the Jews a homeland in 1898, though he did not live to see it, his wish of having him buried in Palestine came true fourty years after he died. We also passed by the Jewish hospital Sha’re Zedak, where the men are treated by men and the women are treated by women. So, even the hardline Muslims take their women here for treatment.

Yad VaShem

The Garden Tomb

Next we went to the Garden tomb. We went on a guided tour by the staff of Garden tomb, who pointed out to the skull heads, cistern, wine press, empty cave and evidence of the rolled over stone. We also had a time of prayer at the garden tomb. We had to go next to Bethany; the modern day name is Azaryah. We learned a lot of meaning of towns like Beth – House; Beth ania – House of poverty; Beth jala – House of stone (jala/gala – means dice of stones). We drove by this Palestinian Christian town near Bethlehem. Beth lahem – House of fighting; Beth Shemish – House of the sun; Beth Shaher – House of the always awake (Shepherd’s field)

Beth Shamesh

Lazarus Tomb

Next we drive to Bethany to visit Lazarus Tomb. There is a catholic church called “Church of St. Lazarus” which contains altars to commemorate Mary and Martha. Next to the church is a Muslim mosque, and next to it a Greek Orthodox Church and another Lutheran church all built over Lazarus tomb. We climbed the steep stairs down to have a close look at the tomb. Bethany (Beth anya ,"house of the figs") is recorded in the New Testament as the home of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, as well as that of Simon the Leper. Jesus is reported to have lodged there after his entry into Jerusalem, and it was from Bethany that he parted from his disciples at the Ascension. The village of Bethany is referenced in relation to five incidents in the New Testament, in which the word Bethany appears 11 times. The raising of Lazarus from the dead - John 11:1-46; The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which Jesus begins near Bethany - Mark 11:1 and Luke 19:29; The lodging of Jesus in Bethany during the following week - Matthew 21:17 and Mark 11:11-12; The dinner in the house of Simon the Leper, at which Mary anoints Jesus - Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8; The Ascension of Jesus into heaven - Luke 24:50; In Luke 10:38-42, a visit of Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha is described, but the village of Bethany is not named (nor whether Jesus is even in the vicinity of Jerusalem).

Lion’s Gate, Jerusalem

Remains of Bethesda

Next we drove down to East Jerusalem for Lunch. After lunch we drove down to East Gate to begin our walk down Via-Delarosa. Lion’s Gate, St. Stephen's Gate, Sheep Gate are the names for the eastern gate, one of the seven gates to the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The magnificent walls of Jerusalem's Old City were built by the Ottoman Empire under the direct supervision of Sultan Suleiman in 1542. The walls stretch for

approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) and rise to a height of 5–15 meters (16–49 feet), with a thickness of 3 meters (10 feet). Altogether, the Old City walls contain 43 surveillance towers and 11 gates, seven of which are presently open.

A map of the Old Jerusalem city

A diagram of the Sepulchre church and the historical site,

We also got to see the Church of St. Anne; this church was built by the Crusaders in 1140 to commemorate the place of birth of Mary. This Church is designed in a way that we could hear our voice echo and fade away. Swepna and Sandhya sang a wonderful song, which resonated through the church. A short walk away is the Bethesda pool. Bethesda, (literally: "House of Grace") originally referring to the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (in the New Testament of the Christian Bible). The Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Grief or Way of Suffering) is a street, in two parts, within the Old City of Jerusalem. Since the 18th century, it has been traditionally held to be the path that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, on the way to his crucifixion. It is currently marked by nine Stations of the Cross; there have been fourteen stations since the late 15th century, with the remaining five stations being inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The route is a place of pilgrimage. Trial by Pilate: stations one and two The three falls: stations three, seven, and nine With Mary, Jesus' mother: Fourth station With Simon of Cyrene: Fifth station With Veronica: Sixth station With Pious Women: Eighth station We walked through all the stations and came out through the Jaffa Gate. The last five stations are located inside the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Also there is a stone in the church, which our guide pointed as the “Middle of the Earth”. The walled city of Jerusalem houses about 50,000 people, about 35,000 of them are Muslim; there is a Christian quarter, a Jewish quarter (10,000 people) and a Armenian quarter (about 50 families).

Sandhya and Swepna - Anne’s Church

Via Delarosa

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection, is a Christian church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. The site is venerated by many Christians as Golgotha, (the Hill of Calvary), where the New Testament says that Jesus was crucified, and is said to also contain the place where Jesus was buried (the Sepulchre). The church has been an important pilgrimage destination since at least the 4th century, as the purported site of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Today it also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the building is shared between several Christian churches and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for centuries.

DAY NINE: Jappa / Caesarea / Haifa / Cana / Nazereth We checked out of hotel Nativity and left for Tel Aviv/Jappa at 7:15 in the morning. First we crossed Beit Zafafa an Israeli suburb built on Palestine land; we were told that the Arabs who lived there earlier are now Israeli citizens. We crossed Qiryat Ye’arim, where the “Ark of the Covenant”, had been kept (after the Philistines sent it to many cities), before King David brought it back into Jerusalem ceremonially. This place is referred in 1Samuel 4:11 in the Holy Bible. All these times we were coming down the hill country. We started out descent into the plains / low lands. In Bible this place is referred as “Ha Shafelah” (The low lands). We drove past Ben Gurien airport, situated about 16 kms away from Tel Aviv. This airport is named after Israel’s first prime minister. Israel’s national carrier is called “El Al” (God is High).

Ayalon Valley

Jaffa

Next we drove by Ayalon valley, where Joshua’ request for sun through the night was met (Joshua 10:14). Joshua 10:11-14 tells that "The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since... O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon..." NASA proves Joshua’s day – Joshua day was extended by 23:20 minutes and another 40 minutes in the book of Kings). Ajalon - and Aij'alon, place of deer. A town and valley at the lowland of Shephelah, originally assigned to the tribe of Dan, from which, however, they could not drive the Amorites (Judg. 1:35). It was one of the Levitical cities given to the Kohathites (1 Chr. 6:69). It was not far from Beth-shemesh (2 Chr. 28:18). It was the boundary between the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, and is frequently mentioned in Jewish history (2 Chr. 11:10; 1 Sam. 14:31; 1 Chr. 8:13). Joppa and Tel Aviv are twin cities with Tel Aviv being a modern city with moderate rules (they do not observe Sabbath here). Joppa is the biblical name for the Israeli city Jafo, otherwise known as Jaffa. Jaffa is considered to be the biblical port of Solomon. Jaffa is mentioned four times in the Holy Bible, as one of the cities given to the Tribe of Dan (Book of Joshua 19:46), as port-of-entry for the cedars of Lebanon for Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 2:16), as the place whence the prophet Jonah embarked for Tarshish (Book of Jonah 1:3) and as port-of-entry for the cedars of Lebanon for the Second Temple of Jerusalem (Book of Ezra 3:7). Jaffa is mentioned in the Book of Joshua as the territorial border of the Tribe of Dan, hence the nowadays term "Gush Dan", used for the center of the coastal plain. Many descendants of Dan lived along the coast and earned their living from shipmaking and sailing. In the "Song of Deborah" the prophetess asks: "Why doth Dan dwell in ships?" We stopped at the place where St. Peter’s church is found and then got some pictures of Tel Aviv. There was also a wishing bridge where legend has it that if you stand there (near your Zodiac sign) and make a wish facing the sea, your wish comes true. We drove through the main street of Tel Aviv and even drove past the Indian Embassy. We went past Herziliya a suburb in Tel Aviv, a wealthy Jewish high-tech city. We could see a power station from our bus in Hadera. Our next stop was Caesarea. Amazing remains are found here, first we had a look at Herod’s amphitheater – this has the Mediterranean Sea as the backdrop. We looked at the race tracks, bath houses and the remains of byzantine period church. Special attraction was the place where Paul was imprisoned, when he appealed to Caesar. We drove to the aqueducts, which had brought water to Caesarea from Mt. Carmel – a distance of about 12 kms. Caesarea has many archeological remains and has even a replica of “I appeal to Caesar” message.

Wishing Bridge, Joppa

Herod’s Amphitheatre, Caesarea

After viewing the aqueducts we started driving towards Haifa. We started seeing Mt. Carmel to our right and the Mediterranean to the left as we neared Haifa. Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 264,900. Haifa has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs. The Arab population used to be predominantly Christian, while some of the Jewish population arrived from Russia. Mt. Carmel offers a panoramic view of the port city of Haifa in its beauty.

Aquaduct, Caesarea

Megiddo

In Haifa we visited the Stella Maris church, which is built above the cave, where Prophet Elizah hid, while fleeing after killing the Prophets of Bal. Stella Maris in Latin is star of the sea. In mainstream Jewish, Christian, and Islamic thought, it is Elijah that is indelibly associated with the mountain, and he is regarded as having sometimes resided in a grotto on the mountain. In the Books of Kings, Elijah challenges 450 prophets of a particular Baal to a contest at the altar on Mount Carmel to determine whose deity was genuinely in control of the Kingdom of Israel. Got to see a tree, which bears fruit called “Locusts”. This is what John the Baptist ate and not the insect – locust. Also had a look at Bahai Garden, which is similar to the lotus temple in New Delhi. Bahai is a moderate Muslim sect, which proposes communal harmony and peace. Haifa is most beautiful Israeli city and it also houses big technology companies like Microsoft, Google. We next stopped at Tel Megiddo, which is mentioned in Rev 16:16 as the valley of Armageddon – the place of the final battle. The excavations point to previous fortifications. Even King Solomon had fortified this location as this forms a strategic point in the valley. The books of Joshua and Judges mention Megiddo as one of the Canaanite cities that the tribe of Manasseh was unable to take over (Joshua

17:11-13; Judges 1:27). However, Megiddo is also mentioned in the list of towns whose Canaanite kings Joshua defeated (Joshua 12:21). The Bible also describes King Solomon’s building of Megiddo, together with Hazor and Gezer. (I Kings 9:15) After lunch at the Kibbutz in Megiddo, we drove towards Mt. Tabor, the mount of transfiguration. Once we drive upto the foot hills the shuttles drive us to the top, where there is the Church of transfiguration with a alter dedicated to Prophet Elijah and another one for Moses. We could see even see some towns from the hill. We drove past Debborayh, the town of Judge Deborah and also a town called Shibli - a Bedouin town built by Israel for the Bedouins who served in the Army. We also had a look at Kefar Tavourc, a new Jewish town built about 25 years ago. By the time we got to Cana (present day Kafar-Kanna), the place where Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine, it was dark. We went to the house where the wedding was held during Jesus’s time and it appears that a house church had sprung after Jesus’s days and then later on during Byzantine period they had built a church above the house.

Church of Tranfiguration, Mt.Tabor

Cana Wedding Church

We checked into hotel plaza in upper Nazareth. The hotel is Jewish owned and has a separate Sabbath lift, which will operate automatically on the Sabbath. The hotel has 10 floors and has beautiful views of the city of Nazareth. The Plaza is also the most luxurious hotel we had stayed during this trip.

DAY TEN: Nazereth / Mt of Beautitudes / Tagbha / Capernahum / Sea of Galilee / Tiberias / Yar Denit We start our day tour by 07:45 and we travel to the lower Nazareth. Nazareth is the second largest Israeli city and has a harmonious population of Arab Muslim Israeli and Jewish majority. The town of Nazareth has a Arab Christian as its Mayor. We first stopped by the Church of Annunciation (Church of the Archangel Gabriel), which is controlled by the Greek Orthodox, who believe that the archangel Gabriel announced the good news to her when she was drawing water from a spring. Hence this church is built over a spring, called “Mary’s Spring”. This church has beautiful iconostasis behind which the altar is located.

Church of Annunciation

The Synagogue Church

The Catholics have built a magnificent church called the “Basicila of Annunciation” under the personal supervision of their Pope. The western belief is that the Archangel appeared to Mary in her house and hence the church is built over Mary’s house. The church has a magnificent dome which is visible, even from our hotel in upper Nazareth. The dome is designed like an inverted Lily with 16 petals inscribed with the letter M for Mary. In front of the Grotto we could see the remains of the 4 th century Byzantium Church. We then visited the Synagogue church; this is the church where Jesus read from the book of Isaiah about himself before he was taken out to the hill to be thrown out of the town. The renovated synagogue is built on top of the old synagogue.

Basicila of Annunciation

There is also another church built on top of Mary’s house which is dedicated to St. Joseph and is called the Church of St. Joseph. This has got good paintings of Jesus helping his father in the carpentry shop. Next we traveled about 45mts to reach the Mount of Beatitudes. This church is built in an octagonal shape with a good view of the Jordan valley and the Sea of Galilee. The beatitudes are sculptured as works in the pavement.

Mount of Beautitudes

We traveled to Tabgha, to see the Church of multiplication. This church is built on top of the rock where Jesus performed his miracle of feeding 5000 with 2 fish and 5 loafs of bread.

Church of multiplication

Church of Primacy

We visited the Church of Primacy also called as Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Primacy. Mensa Christi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Latin means the table of the lord. Here is where Jesus visited and prepared breakfast for his disciples after his resurrection. He had also asked Peter to lead the disciples and the church.

Boating at Sea of Galilee

Tibereaus

On our way to Capernaum, we drove past Migdale, believed to be the town of Mary Magdalene near the Sea of Galilee.

Next we traveled to Capernaum / Kafer Nahum – Town of Jesus. We visited the church built on top of St. Peter’s mother in law’s house. Bible says that Jesus performed a lot of miracles in this house, there is evidence that this house has evolved as a house church and has expanded during the Judeo Christian era and then later on as well. We could also see the remains of the Synagogue and also remains of how oil was made using pressing, crushing and threshing.

Capernaum

Peter’s Fish @ Tibereaus

Next we stopped at Ginnosar kibbutz and took a 35 minute Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We also saw the remains of an ancient boat which was discovered in the Sea of Galilee which dates back about 2000 years. Selwyn uncle read from the Bible, shared his testimony and even danced to a song during our boat ride.

We drove up to Tiberias for Lunch with Peter’s fish. Tiberias was a city built by Herod Antipus and dedicated to roman emperor Tiborius; Predominantly Jewish city, this is used as the winter capital by Israelis. Finally for the day we visited the Alternate baptismal site on Jordan River, Yar Denit. On our way back we had a chance to glimpse at the Valley of Hittin where Saladin the magnificent defeated the crusaders. Yar Denit, the alternate baptismal site

DAY ELEVEN: Nazereth / Tel Dan / Golan Heights / Amman We checked out of the Plaza Hotel in Nazareth after breakfast at 7:30 and started on our way to upper Galilee. On our way we drove past Cana and we got a chance to peep at the Wedding church according to the Greek Orthodox Church. Upper Galilee has higher mountains. Our first stop was Tel Dan where we walked through the natural reserve to find the “Dan Springs” and also got to see the old city of Dan through the remains of the Israeli city gate. We learned that the land allocated to the tribe of Dan by Joshua was Joppa/Jappa. But since the Dan tribe was constantly being defeated by the Philistines who lived in the coastal plains, they fled to the north and settled in a Canaanite town.

There are three main sources of the river Jordan, the first one is the Hazbani river, the next being Dan and the third Banias. Dan is the main stream among the three. Jordan – means the “stream of dan is running down”.

Dan Springs

Israeli Gate of Ancient Dan

Our next stop was the Banias, also called Herman Springs. The biblical name is Ceasarea Philipi, where Jesus had confessed that he was Christ after it was revealed to Peter (Mat 16). The source of the water is the rain/dew from the Hermon Mountains, which is snow-peaked throughout the year. There is remains of 5th century Byzantine church dedicated to the “bleeding woman”, after Jesus healed the woman from bleeding, who is believed to have hailed from this place.

Remains of the “bleeding women”

Hermon springs

There are also remains of ancient temple dedicated to pagon god “pan”. While driving towards the Golan Heights, we came across a town called Saffah which has synagogues from the 15th century. The Jews who fled from Spain came and started living here. The PLA leader Mahmood Abbas hails from this town before he was expelled in the year 1947. We also drove past a fortified city called Hazor, which is mentioned in the book of Kings and in Joshua as the Canaanite city which resisted Joshua and he then set fire to it. King Solomon had fortified this city. This along with the Megido and Gaiser is the three main strategic locations for the ancient kings. Excavations in this site have revealed the existence of temples very similar to the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. It is also believed that King Solomon would have been influenced by Canaanite temples.

We started driving towards the Golan Heights and had a chance to view the Hola/Hulla valley, which earlier had swaps in it till Kireat Simone. Kireat Simone, a small town is 10 kms away from Lebanon and has faced shelling for 15 years from Hezbollah guns. We also drove past a few Druze towns in the Golan Heights. The Druze, are a moderate sect of Islam founded in Egypt in the 10th and 11th century, who believe in reincarnation and they always submit to the local governor since their foundation. The Druze towns we drove past were part of Syria prior to the 6 day war when Israel captured the Syrian territory. Hazor, which Solomon fortified

We were told that there is some more Druze, who live in Mt. Carmel region. We stopped by Mt. Bental for a panoramic view of Israel, Syria and Lebanon. This place was earlier an Israeli bunker in the 6 day war. This place is also called as Merom Golan. The biblical name of Golan Heights is Land of Bashan. We stopped for a Shaverma sandwich at Qazrin, a small town, before proceeding to Kursi. According to Christian tradition, Kursi is the site of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miracle of the swineâ&#x20AC;?. This is the place, in which Jesus drove the demons into the swine, which then ran and drowned in the sea of Galilee. There are remains of a 5th century Byzantine church built in remembrance of this miracle.

Merom Golan

Kursi

Mosaic remains in Kursi

We also drove past En Gev, a successful Kibbutz like the Ginnesarat Kibbutz. After the Golan Heights ends, the Jordanian mountains start and we started to drive on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is about 212m below sea level. After a while we arrived at the Sheikh Hussein crossing to enter into Jordan. Apart from these Israel has two more border crossings viz, The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge and Wadi Araba Crossing/South Border.

After the short shuttle ride into the Jordanian immigration area, we got our visas stamped and then we cleared security and were on the other side of the Holy Land. It took something like an hour and a half to clear the visa and security procedures and we entered Jordan by 15:45.

Israel border crossing

Jordan

Our guide Oscar, gave a one hour clear description of the significance of Biblical Jordan. We drove by the fertile Jordanian valley, which is referred to as the “Fruit basket of Jordan”. Jordan is 80% desert and this is the fertile part, after a two hour drive we arrived at our hotel “The Region” in Amman. On our way to our hotel we stopped by the Dead Sea Treasures factory shop, which sells a lot of Dead Sea products like Mud Soap, creams, shampoos, foot creams, etc.,

DAY TWELVE: Madaba / Mt.Nebo / Amman / Bahrain / Chennai We checked out of our hotel by 7:30 and we have to be in the airport by 11:30 for our flight to Bahrain. So our first stop of the day was Madaba, a city in Jordan. We drove through the rich part of Amman with its luxurious bungalow, some with even golden door knobs. The Madaba Map (also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map) is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George at Madaba, Jordan. The Madaba Map is the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the 6th century AD. Originally, it measured 21 by 7 m and contained over two million tesserae (pieces of mosaic). Its current dimensions are 16 by 5 m. We were unlucky as there was a church service which was on at the time our visit so the original mosaic was covered in carpet. But our guide gave us a 20 minute session on the map and took care to explain the details.

Masada

Masada Map

Mt. Nebo is our next stop; the place where God showed Moses the Canaanite land from Dan to Judea. According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where Prophet Moses was given a view of the Promised Land that God was giving to the Jews. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1). According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. There is a statue which was done for the Popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit which shows the face of Moses carved on a stone. Mt. Nebo also houses some of the mosaic of the byzantine period and there is evidence of the old monastery from the excavated ruins. The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14).

Mt.Nebo, Jordan

Amman Airport, Jordan

From Mt. Nebo, we drive to Queen Alia airport in Amman for our flight to Bahrain. That is the end of our trip to the Holy Land, which has been a wonderful experience. There is a lot more to be seen and we missed the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Petra in Jordan and a few places in Israel. Overall the trip was worth the entire penny.

Facts about Egypt The population of Egypt is close to 95 million. And of these 96% live in Cities. The population of Cairo is 20 million. The national language Arabic is ancient and their Arabian neighbors have difficulty understanding the Egyptian Arabic. Egypt is bordered by Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east. Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country with Islam as its state religion. Between 80% and 90% are identified as Muslim. Almost the entire population of Muslims is Sunni. A significant number of Muslim Egyptians also follow native Sufi orders, and there is a minority of Shi'a. There is a large minority of Christians in Egypt, who make up the remainder of the population (between 10% and 20%). Over 90% of Egyptian Christians belong to the native Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Other native Egyptian Christians are adherents of the Coptic Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church of Egypt and various other Protestant denominations. Non-native Christian communities are largely found in the urban regions of Cairo and Alexandria. There is also a small, but nonetheless

historically significant, non-immigrant Bahá'í population of around 2000, and an even smaller community of Jews of about 200, then a tiny number of Egyptians who identify as atheist and agnostic. The non-Sunni, non-Coptic communities range in size from several hundreds to a few thousand.

Facts about Israel Israel was established as a homeland for the Jewish people and is often referred to as the Jewish state. The country's Law of Return grants all Jews and those of Jewish lineage the right to Israeli citizenship. Just over three quarters, or 75.5%, of the population are Jews from a diversity of Jewish backgrounds. Approximately 68% of Israeli Jews are Israeli-born, 22% are immigrants from Europe and the Americas, and 10% are immigrants from Asia and Africa (including the Arab World). The religious affiliation of Israeli Jews varies widely: 55% say they are "traditional," while 20% consider themselves "secular Jews," 17% define themselves as "Orthodox Jews"; the final 8% define themselves as "Haredi Jews." Making up 16% of the population, Muslims constitute Israel's largest religious minority. About 2% of the population are Christian and 1.5% are Druze. The Christian population includes both Arab Christians and Messianic Jews. Members of many other religious groups, including Buddhists and Hindus, maintain a presence in Israel, albeit in small numbers. Sephardi Jews are Jews who define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and traditions which originated in the Iberian Peninsula (modern Spain and Portugal) before the expulsion of Jews from that area in the late fifteenth century, and usually defined in contrast to Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany. Many Ashkenazi Jews later migrated, largely eastward, forming communities in non German-speaking areas, including Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere between the 11th and 19th centuries. Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahim, also referred to as Edot HaMizrach (Communities of the East) are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. This includes Iraqi Jews, Syrian Jews, Lebanese Jews, Yemenite Jews, Persian Jews, Afghan Jews, Bukharian Jews, Maghrebi Jews, Berber Jews, Kurdish Jews, Mountain Jews, Georgian Jews and Ethiopian Jews. It would also include the Jews of India, Jews of Pakistan, and Baghdadi Jews who settled in the last few centuries

ISRAEL CHURCH HISTORY 568-332 – Persian period 332 – 37 – Hellenistic 37 – 324 – Roman 324 – 638 – Byzantine 638 – 1099 – Arab 1099 – 1291 – Crusader 1187 – Saladin defeats Crusaders in the battle of Hattin 1291 – 1561 – Mameluke 1561 – 1917 – The Ottoman

614 – Persian Invasion 900 – Arab settlers

ISRAEL SEASONS Sep-Nov – autum Dec-Feb – Winter Mar-May – Spring Jun-Aug – Summer

LANDSCAPE Regions – Negev, Judah, Samariah, Galilee East – Rift valley, about 6000 kms, below sea level, extends from Africa to Turkey West – Coastal plains 7.5 million population. Palestinians – 4 million (2.5 west bank 1.5 gaza) Safaradic Jew – India, Middle east, Arab states Askinashni Jew – Europe, US, Canada Falasha – Ethiopian Jew Mose only safardic jewish president. Other famous safaradic jew include Yitzak Murdaka. During our drive from Nazereth to the mountains, we passed by the Golani Junction – important because it has the Israeli special task force training facilities.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Most of the fact relating to historical holy place and their significance is courtesy of Wikipedia. Learning are courtesy Mr. Sayeed our tour guide in Israel, Ms. Hameeda our tour guide in Egypt, Mr. Oscar our guide in Jordan and John Selwyn our group leader.