Dead Sea Photos

Professor Tull borrowed my camera to take the following pictures at the Dead Sea:

http://picasaweb.google.com/canterjw/2011MiddleEastDeadSeaAkaTheSwimsuitEdition?authkey=Gv1sRgCNvJrruEnZ_B7QE&feat=directlink

Enjoy

Group Pictures are online

Look at all our pretty faces in the cool places we went:

Group Pictures

Garden Tomb and Traditional Sites

It's been a while since I was able to post on the blog... but the experiences here have been overwhelming. Today is the last day of our trip to Israel, and it marks a final high-point of hope on our way out of the country. We'll be stopping as a group at Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace), a community built around mutual understanding. School is taught in both Hebrew and Arabic, and the people all live and work together. I'm really looking forward to touring this final stop before the airport!

This morning, we all shared a communion service, led by Thea. Following the communion service, a group of us went to the "Garden Tomb" - a sort of "alternate Golgotha/Calvary" run by the Anglican church (one of a very few number of Protestant-run sites!)


At the Garden Tomb, our guide, J.J. from Wimbledon, talked to us about the various sections of the tomb. First was the "Skull Hill" (a translation of Golgotha), which really did look like a skull... 150 years ago. (they had photos!) Today, it stands over a bus-station, which doesn't really lend itself to being a Holy Site.


Nearby the Skull Hill was the Garden Tomb - a "new tomb", carved into the rock itself. One side of the tomb was finished, with place for feet and a small incline for the head, but the other side was still roughed in; it may therefore have only been used for one person!


Outside the tomb, a shallow indentation in the stone marked where a heavy stone might have been, but no stone has yet been found. They did show an example stone, but it was too small to have adequately sealed the tomb.


What is particularly interesting to me about this site is that, unlike many of the other holy sites we visited on this trip, it was not covered over with a Church - and the guides and signs specifically mentioned that this was only a possibility of the location of the cross and tomb, not a surety. Which got me thinking: nearly everywhere we visited was labeled as "the traditional location of such-and-such", and pilgrims made a big deal about the ornate facets of rocks protruding from church floors. But this outside area, with constant reminders of the difficulty of proving authenticity, felt more holy to me than the traditional sites. Here, despite the carefully maintained gardens and outdoor chapels, I felt closer to understanding what the site would have looked like to Jesus - and thus, closer to Jesus in the process.

One thing that's come up over and over again on this trip has been "Holiness comes from inside". That is, the strength of your feelings at holy sites is directly propotional to how you experience holiness. It seems like a "duh!" statement, but realize that not everyone experiences holiness in the same way. To me, this fits neatly with the multiple-intelligences theory - because we learn differently, we feel different emotions when given the same stimuli. I don't begrudge those who feel holiness from massive, ornate churches - but my sense of the holy, my sense of God's closeness, comes to me more clearly in outdoor or ancient places.

I find the following to be sacred:
Un-altered places (or restored places)
Un-adorned places
Dark places
Old places
Stone places
The juxtaposition of Water, Stone, and Fire
Symbolic places (symbolic in themselves, not covered with symbols)
Gatherings of people worshiping together
Places of learning
Places of language
Places dedicated to mutual understanding

Where are your holy places? How does your choice of denomination reflect your feelings - or vice-versa?

Quads of Steel!

Here are Jill and I on the wall around the Old City of Jerusalem which we walked today. We now have quads of steel after walking up and down gigantic stone steps on the various sections of the wall!

On Mount Zion They Shall Play

Some things really are universal--like kids playing soccer. Photo taken at the gate to Mt. Zion.

Friday and Saturday

Friday: Holocaust Museum in the a.m. Very well done and very moving. Hard to watch some of the video eye witness accounts. Israel Museum in the p.m.--Dead Sea Scrolls and a wonderful modern art section--lots of impressionism which is right up my alley.

Saturday: In-depth tour with a guide who is a specialist in Jewish-Christain relationships. Very interesting! Spent quite a bit of time in the Holy Sepulchre (site of Jesus's tomb). Afterwards, went to Mount Zion --site of the Upper Room and David's Tomb. Returned to Western (Wailing) Wall--didn't see much difference today (Sabboth for the Jewish community) than we saw on Thursday.

Sunny Skies

The last few days we have been hearing news from home about snow, ice and school closings...boy are we glad to be here! I just returned from a walk around the Old City and the weather here is amazing! Sunny skies and temps around 50-60. We are hoping with you that the snow and ice go away because sadly we fly home in just a few days and are hoping for good weather!
We had another wonderful day and will finish it with a visit to a local synagogue for worship. I am looking forward to worshipping with the people of Jerusalem.

Enjoy another snow day JCPS and LPTS!

Outside Jerusalem

Today was a bus trip outside the city of Jerusalem. First stop was the Tantur Ecumenical Institute which is a study/retreat type center promoting inter-faith dialog. The Russian Orthodox priest who runs the place spoke with us--very informative. He's actually an American from Nebraska--go figure! The Palestinian/Israeli conflict is so complicated! I have a lot of processing to do after I get home to try & organize my thoughts on the subject. Trisha has done a wonderful job of arranging speakers on the subject for us.

Lunch and the afternoon was spent at Neot Kedumin which is a "Biblical Landscape Park" located on 650 acres. Lunch was food that was only available during Biblcal times--pita bread, vegetables, rice, beans, yogurt, etc. The park has been constructed to replicate the landscape of Biblical times. Our guide acquainted us with various plants in the area as well as the olive presses, wine presses, chaffing floors, cisterns, etc. that they found as they were excavating the site. We also had great views of Tel Aviv and the surrounding area.

Tourist or Pilgrim?

I noticed the picture above when leaving a Catholic church in the heart of Bethlehem. In our evening discussions we have talked about whether we are tourists or pilgrims. I do not have much to say about the sign…just some food for thought.

Unique Opportunity

We had a unique opportunity today, we visited the Dome of the Rock a beautiful Mosque. In 2000 the Mosque closed its doors to the public, and no visitors were allowed to enter. However, today because of our affiliation to the seminary and our amazing guide at the Mosque we were allowed to go inside. It was absolutely breathtaking, filled with intricate decorations from floor to ceiling. We were also inside during the call to prayer so, it was interesting to see individals praying in such an amazing place. I felt so honored to be able to go into a place of worship that has been closed to visitors for so many years.

We have had an amazing time in Jerusalem so far, it is great to be in a hotel in the middle of the city and just outside of the Old City wall. As the final week winds down we are trying to take in everything that Jerusalem has to offer, both traditional sites and modern day attractions. As you can see from the other posts this has been the experience of a lifetime!

Correction!!!!!!

First of all, the post yesterdayabout asking our guide, Claudia, to "stroll," was from Jill, NOT ME! All of you know me better than that!

Today, we were actually able to go into a mosque, something that is normally forbidden to tourists, but Trisha had connections. We had to remove our shoes, wear make-shift skirts that they passed out over our jeans, & cover our heads, but it was totally awesome!

By pure chance, a few of us met an Israeli basketball star. We were over in the Old City & were talking about a sign on the wall that said: Issa's.. my's name, baskeball's my game. This guy heard us talking & it turns out he was Issa--apparently a local b-baller who plays for the Israeli International Team. He asked us where we were from, & when I said Indiana, he wanted to know if I knew Bobby Knight--DUH! Turns out he'd been to Knight's camp at both IU and Texas Tech. Small world!

Lesson at Pater Noster

Professor Tull provided a Hebrew refresher course at the Convent of Pater Noster in Jerusalem. The Lord's Prayer is offered on the walls in languages from around the world, including the two versions featured here in Aramaic and Hebrew.

First time on the blog! I'm trying to teach our guide, Claudia, how to stroll, as she insists on power walking up every hill we encounter. Meanwhile, I follow in her (and others') dust! I'm improving, however. I think we saw almost everything there is to see in the Old City, and we can go back on our own, which I'm looking forward to.

The Old City of Jerusalem

Huge walking day. Jerusalem is built on hills, so we got a workout! Bus took us to the top of the Mount of Olives & we walked down from there through the Jewish & Muslim cemeteries to the Garden of Gethsemane and on into the Old City (behind the city walls) of Jerusalem. Did the stations of the cross along the Via Delarosa, saw many churches, saw Jesus's tomb, Calvary, etc. Today was mainly orientation then we'll go back later this week and tour everything more in depth.

Catching up

I don't think I've posted since we toured Massada & floated in the Dead Sea. Massada is another one of King Herrod's palaces built atop a barren mountain in the wilderness near the Dead Sea. The story of the seige by the Romans is fascinating. There is a mini-series about the seige that I intend to watch when I get back. Floating in the Dead Sea was the weirdest sensation--it was difficult to even stand up!

It was very moving to be in Bethlehem despite the "touristy trappings." Seeing the place where Jesus was born was truly awe inspiring. Manger Square was still filled with Christmas decorations as are a lot of places because the Orthodox Christmas does not take place until Jan. 18th.

We arrived in Jerusalem late today, & will spend the rest of the trip here.

Hope to post again in a day or two.

Hole In The Wall

After a full day of visiting a variety sites, the day was coming to a close. Friday night we were scheduled to stay at the famed Intercontinental Hotel in Jericho, but the plans were changed because the prime minister of Russia will be staying there. When we arrived at The Jericho resort I was satisfied with the appearance of the hotel. When I got to the room I was not impressed—small, dated, and dark. I must admit, I even made a facebook post that stated "staying at the Jericho hole in the wall" I meant it as a slam, but after staying there a night I came to love the place.

For those who have not heard the expression "hole in the wall" it has a rich meaning in the African American community. Mel Waiter even wrote a song titled “Hole In the Wall.” Let me take a moment to define the expression:

Hole in the wall (noun) generally a small raggedy place usually a bar or a club that has low quality equipment and furniture but will provide the best entertainment and service on any given night. Most of these types of places are found in the country and in the south (Urban Dictionary).

As I navigated and experienced the Jericho resort I reached the conclusion it is a hole in the wall. At this point in our Israel journey, we have stayed at two different hotels in the northern parts of Israel. The hotels were nice and everything was finely manicured but good quality service was lacking. As we traveled south to the Jericho Resort, the service improved and people became friendly.

The Jericho resort offered low quality equipment—dated furniture, the towels, napkins, and bed sheets were not crisped but this place offered excellent service with a smile. The food was delicious; the hotel staff spoke and acknowledged your presences with a good morning and good evening. The chef spoke to me on several occasions and asked if I enjoyed the food.

The layout and preparation of the food was simple and to the point. The scrambled eggs and hotdogs (took me back to my childhood) that was served for breakfast; the excellent service allows me to bestow the covenant “hole in the wall” status upon the Jericho resort.

Two thumbs up for the resort.

I Stood On The Banks of The Jordan

“I stood on the banks of the Jordan” was a popular song by the late Rev. Dr. James Cleveland. I just want to give credit were credit is due. He was a gospel music genius.

As I read and reflected on my classmate’s post concerning the Jordan River. He paints a honest assessment of the small piece of the Jordan River we visited. I began to reflect why the dismal look for the Jordan. I reached the conclusion it is because people like us, tourist and pilgrims from abroad and people who live locally. The waters of the Jordan have been long disputed between two countries. The waters have been divided and dammed thus cutting off the flow of the living water.

My Jordan River experience was a positive one. As we traveled to the Jordan River site, Claudia, our tour guide stated the Jordan is a symbol of salvation. I never thought about it from that perspective—I always saw it as the place Jesus was baptized. As I approached the waters, I reflected back to February 1998 when I was baptized by full immersion at my church. After kneeling down to touch the water and pray; I felt the spirit of renewal. There are times when our faith becomes stagnant like the current state of the Jordan River. During those stagnant moments, we cannot dwell on the right now or the past, but we have to look towards God and pray for renewal and a continuous flow of living water.

I am confident during the time of Jesus; the Jordan River was a flowing river. This may be a stretch; could the current state of the Jordan River be a representative of the current political and religious landscape of Israel? Could the current state of the Jordan be a representative of churches in American, were baptismal pools and founts are dusty and unused?

Nevertheless, these are some questions to ponder about the Jordan. I am reminded of “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him (John 7:38)."

Take me to the water!

Let the church say Ahmeen (Amen)!

This morning we worshipped at the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. Due the large number of American vistors and the guest preacher from Minneapolis, the church was spoken part in English and part in Arabic. The opening hymn of the service was "O Little Town of Bethlehem"--as soon as I saw that I was overjoyed! not only is it one of my favorite Christmas songs, but there is something so right about singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in Bethlehem! Listening to the song in two languages was so moving, beautiful and a real Penticost moment.
While I could not understand the exact words that were being spoken in Arabic, through the emotion and the spirit of the service I could follow everything that was happening around me. Worship this morning has definitely been one of the highlights of the trip for me so far. Tomorrow we leave Bethlehem and cross the border into Jerusalem to continue our journey.

Glory of God!!

On Thursday I had the opportunity of leading the morning devotion. The text for the devotion was Psalm 19.

As we come together and begin our day in the glorious presences of God, please take a moment and center yourself on the Glory of God by reflecting on the following question as the music (How Great Is Our God) play softy: How have you experienced the glory of God?

Psalm 19 calls us to reflect on the glory of God. The first dimension of our reflection is God's Creation which is affirmed in the first six verses. As we sit in this place do not limit yourself to the physical cosmos of God's creation. God’s footprint was in the minds of all the people that made this trip possible—this includes but not limited to: the faculty and staff of Louisville Seminary, travel agents, tour guides, package handlers, flight
attendants, pilots, hotel workers, porter and we cannot forget about the countless individuals who made a financial contribution to make this travel seminar possible. We give thanks, honor, and glory to God for those individuals.

We have seen the Glory of God at the sites we have visited: Caesarea Maritima, Megiddo, Akko, Zippori, Nazareth, and the Church of the Annunciation. These sites have provided us with glimpses of the Glory of God; as we tote around our cameras to take a small snapshots of God's creation.

This Psalm also affirms that the glory of God is revealed in and throughout scripture. We are currently in a land where many canons of scriptures exist; each God claiming they have the Word of God. Let us show due diligence to honor and respect their canon. For our Jewish brothers and sisters it is the Old Testament. For Christians it is the Old and New Testaments; while our Muslim brothers and sisters read from the Koran. Verses 7-11 are true of any canon of scripture. All scripture is perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, righteous, more precious than gold, and sweeter than honey.

Finally, this text affirms the glory of God is revealed in the lives of humanity. When we turn from sin and when our hidden sins are revealed to us, our lives will reflect the glory of God.

As you go through the day reflect on my question and share the answer(s) with someone. God let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Scythopolis/Beit She'an

My breath has been taken away... by a city. Not a city that I'd paid much attention to in the Bible (though it's mentioned in Joshua, Judges, and Samuel - it's where the Philistines hung Saul and Jonathan's head over the walls). Our initial walk up to the Tel had lots of the Canaanite ruins I've come to expect to see - rock walls held together with gravity and minimal mortar. These were much like the ruins at Zappori - I'm starting to recognize building styles! The houses are small, but multi-leveled, and the proximity to the river would have made easy work for collecting water (a precious resource in this rocky desert)

At the top of the Tel was a surprise: an Egyptian ruin, made of mud-brick and containing hieroglyphic inscriptions on stele and statues! The Egyptians controlled the city in the middle of the second millenium BCE. This ruin is the remains of the Egyptian governor's house - which would have been huge, and due to its placement on the top of a hill, visible from the road below and to the ancient city on the next Tel over.

The Egyptian presence alone would have made this a worthwhile visit, but once we hiked up the next Tel, I understood why we and so many others had come to this location:

Scythopolis, originally a Greek city, but later controlled by the Romans. Columnades, bathhouses, Agora (marketplace), and straight roads - the Cardo and the Decumanus Maximus (Roman names, yes - but think of two busy streets connecting at right angles). Archeologists have set the columns back in their places, and from the top of the Tel, the city ruins below are simply breathtaking.

We spent some time exploring the city: Of interest, the Cardo was divided into two levels: a lower level for vehicles and an upper level for foot-traffic. The walkway was originally covered by fabric, and connects directly with fountains and the Agora - a rare bit of Roman engineering to ensure that there were enough market stalls despite a short Cardo!

The theatre is remarkably well preserved, and deserves mention. Our group stood on the stage (restored out of wood) and sang Hava Nashira (Let us Sing!), and were impressed with the acoustics that remained in the old Theatre location.

In the Holy Land, it is completely evident that certain locations are useful for city after city, empire after empire. Have you ever asked why cities are placed where they are? Why do you live where you do?

Bonus What-if questions: If the United States fell apart, and each state maintained its own sovereignty, how would you protect yourself? Would you work for or against your state? What if you were threatened with invasion? Or actually invaded?

Sunrise on the Sea of Galilee

A beautiful clear morning today before heading to Jericho.

Que up to Dunk down: Overrated/Underrated water edition

Hey, I'm Walter, I haven't blogged yet because I am laptopless and blog illiterate, but I'm going to give it a go tonight with a quick round of Overrated/Underrated. Everything is rated, whether we want to admit it or not. We enter every situation with an expectation or a mood. Being overrated or underrated is a description of the relationship between my pre-trip perception of a place or thing vs. my trip experience with a place or thing.

Jordan River baptismal place: I dreamed of a shallow creek with crisp cool bubbling water bending around water smoothed river rocks. What I saw was near theme park tacky. A huge gift shop with free give away cards declaring that I have been to the Jordan River greeted us. We sifted through the $3 mini-bottles of water "for religious purposes only: not for drinking" and other baptismal products, around the wall recalling Mark 1 in every language known to Christiandom, down one of three or so numbered ramps, to the green metal bar where a person can wait in que to get dunked in the Jordan for Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And this isn't even dream Jordan, it's a still, green, gunk-floating-on-the-surface, warm, insect breeding ground. Next time I hear that a fount has Jordan River water, I'm checking it for mosquitoes. Overrated.

The Sea of Galilee: In my mind, the Sea of Galilee was a large fishing lake with simple little boats nestled into quaint little natural harbors. But it is so much more. The history of the place, the villages along the shores, the historic pilgrimage sites... I would be content spending my whole time in Israel along the shore of Galilee. At one point, our guide, Claudia, took us to the top of a cliff over looking the northern part of the lake, from that point, she casually pointed out the geography of Jesus' early life and ministry. What seemed so vast and disconnected in my reading of the Gospels, was instantly shrunk to my birds eye view of a body of water. One of my favorite stops so far was the Church of the Primacy of Peter (better to explain why in person, just trust that it is legit) which fittingly stands on the shore of the sea of Galilee. Underrated.

Jericho

Quick post today b/c others are waiting to use the net book. Last night we went to our tour guide's home where she prepared pita bread on an outdoor stove for us. Very interesting & fun! Today we crossed over into Palestine. The landscape has totally changed from green & fertile in Galilee to brown, barren, & rocky. We passed through a checkpoint & then the electric fence barbed wire border was very prevalent. Our hotel had to be changed in Jericho b/c the Russian president took over our other hotel--of all the nerve! We continue to see amazing things one after the other. The Jordan River is not anything liked I imagined it--very green and stagnant b/c it's dammed up on either end in the area where they baptize people. Not a particularly appetizing baptismal site! More later.

Galilee

We are almost a week into our trip and I am so blessed to be able to journey through Israel & Palestine with this wonderful group.  Tonight our tour guide, Claudia, invited us to her home to see how pita bread is made.  Many of the sites and holy places today were especially moving, such as, seeing the Mount of Beatitudes.  However, having pita with my brothers and sisters tonight was special and reminded me of the African philosophy that says, "I am because you are, because you are I am". 

Day 6, Sea of Galilee

Visited several historical/holy sites today: the church built on the ruins of Peter's home, the Mount of the Beatitudes, the site/church where Jesus talked with Peter after His resurrection, the site/church where Jesus fed the 5,000. Our tour guide took us to her home in Tiberius to see how pita bread is made. It was done on an outdoor type of stove on a stone--one of her Bedouin friends was helping her. We leave tomorrow for Jericho and may do our "floating" in the Dead Sea tomorrow.

Beauty in the Galilee

When we arrived at the Pilgerhaus (Pilgrim House), on the Sea of Galilee, my breath nearly stopped. This fresh-water lake is absolutely gorgeous, especially as the mist partially obscures the other shore. The Pilgerhaus is located near the traditional site of the Multiplication (where Jesus spoke to the hungry crowds, and the few pieces of bread and fish multiplied and fed the crowd).


The lake itself is rocky, but the water is fresh and delicious (especially after having gone through the water treatment facility, conveniently located by the altar and sacred space). Our tour guide pointed out that there were very few boats on the water today (due to environmental concerns) but that there would also have been very few boats on the water in Jesus' day, because wood for the boats would have to be imported from Lebanon, to the North. Also imported: the mosaic tiles for wealthy homes. These mosaics are impressive, both for their intricacy of design as well as their lasting color. This is the "Mona Lisa" of the city of Zappori:


Going back to the boats for a minute: the fact that they owned or worked on boats would mean that Peter and the other Fishermen apostles were rather wealthy. James and John especially, since their father owned the boat, would have been in a much higher wealth category than we often imagine.


Jesus, on the other hand, was from a much poorer background. Joseph may have been a builder/carpenter, but Mary's traditional home is literally a cave. A cozy cave, to be sure... but the buildings we think of as "ancient dwellings" would only have been for the rich, which Mary assuredly was not. This is a cave similar to Mary's traditional home, still showing its space for sleeping and animal care:


What does it change about your theology to know that Jesus and his apostles were from different economic classes? How often do you interact with others outside your status/class?

Stepping back in time

Hello All! It is about 5pm here and we just returned from our daily activities. Today was a busy day allowing us to step back in time and experience life as it was in the time of Jesus. We visited Nazareth and spent sometime in the Nazareth Village. The village has recreated buildings, farming, and dining to give visitors the opportunity to step back in time. We ate lunch outside under a canvas, dining on lentel soup, hummus, cabbage salad, pita bread and apples with dates. It was delicious and a wonderful experience, we shared food family style--much like was done in the time of Jesus. We shared in community and communion around the table, dining together and sharing in conversation. After the meal, we were given a tour of the village. It was interesting to see the recreation of a synogogue, a house, wheat mill, olive press, etc. As we were leaving the guide presented each of us with a gift, an oil lantern. I am excited to use it when I return home.
We also visited the Basilica of the Annunciation, a beautiful place filled numerous images of Mary and the home of Mary. Multiple countries submitted art pieces of the image of Mary, each image was unique and beautiful (I don't have my camera with me right now--I will add pictures later). Each image provides insight into the differing views that each country has of Mary.

We have only been here a few days and we have seen so many breathtaking views. We have climbed up mountains, visited beautiful worship spaces, explored ruins, and visited the home of Mary in Nazareth. We continue to explore our own faith through these experiences. It is truly a blessing to be here in this place, full of culture and history.

1st post from Israel

I'm sitting in the bar (drinking red wine, of course) in a guest house located on the Sea of Galilee. We can walk down to the water from the hotel. I plan to do that before we leave--we're here for three days. I can't tell you how incredible it is to actually be in the Holy Land and experience everything you've grown up with hearing in Sunday School and reading in the Bible. I've always loved all of my trips to Europe where everything is hundreds of years old, but it can't compare to this where everything is thousands of years old! Yesterday, we toured the city of Caesarea built by King Herrod with its hippodromek, theatre, palace, etc. Today we visited the crusader section of the city of Akko. Tomorrow we'll be in Nazareth. The food has been fabulous, and our group is really wonderful. It's really nice to be in a group of only 16 as opposed to groups of 50 that I've been involved in with my student tours to Europe. More later when I get the chance. Shalom!

PHOTOS

Our Internet connections here at Akko (Acco) are pretty slow, so this evening I have focused on loading pictures ... I will try to add a reflection here later about the day, but right now I'm focusing on captions ... 169 new images at http://picasaweb.google.com/robranson/2011MiddleEastTravelSeminar 

Save this address because I'll try to add new images here daily!

Our Journey has begun!

As you read we had a long journey here, but when I opened my window this morning it was worth it! Outside my hotel window I have a magnificent view of the ocean and the city. It is breathtaking! Today was our first full day and it has been packed full of sights and information. We began our day at Caesarea where we toured the ruins of the city built by King Herod. The ruins provided us a glimpse into the city of the past and the city where Paul was imprisoned for two years. We were also able to step foot into the Mediterranean Sea, it was beautiful but very cold!Then we headed to Mount Carmel where we had lunch--the falafel was delicious!! After lunch we toured the Druze village nearby, our tour guide Claudia is very informative and adds greatly to every site that we visit. We ended our day at Megiddo the archeological site of an ancient Israelite city often referred to as Armageddon in the bible. It had been a busy but wonderful day. We are learning something new, exploring our faith and biblical roots with every step we take. It is about midnight here so, it is time to go to bed and prepare for the day ahead. We will leave Akko tomorrow and continue our journey...until then
Shalom

On Aqueducts and Ruins

We were thrust through time today, as we visited the city of Cesarea, which was built by Herod the Great - a Roman-style city inside Palestine. It had been conquered, quaked, and conquered some more - and the ruins that remain are a testament to the construction techniques of the Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, and Bosnians, who all built on the same structures. This concept of one people building upon the ruins of the old (often immediately after destroying the old...) led to cities being built up into Tels. Tels are human-made mounds - and the most widely known one is Tel Aviv, built on and next to the ancient city of Jaffa.


Cesarea, having been built in the Roman model, had beautiful old Roman architecture, like the theatre above. It also was a supplier of water to Jaffa, and so had a large aqueduct running the whole way. The aqueduct is mostly in ruins now, but sections of it still stand along the Mediterranean coast line. The amazing thing about Roman-style aqueducts is how accurate they were; over the entire run of the aqueduct, it dropped only a few feet!

It's sometimes hard to recognize that the structures that we see as ruins have really stood the test of time better than most structures we build today. What do you hope archeologists discover from your city? What message do you hope they will gain from it?

let the journey begin ...

January 8 through 9 ... posting this a day late because I was so tired after we arrived ... more later today!

Our travel from Louisville to Tel Aviv proceeded without significant event as all of us survived the long layover in Newark as well as the “sardines in a can” feel of a full aircraft. When we came in over the Mediterranean, we were greeted with blue skies, but by as we began loading up our tour bus  darkness had settled in.

During the roughly two-hour journey north to Akko, I thought how interesting it was that night was hiding the differences of this place. For instance, we traveled along a six lane divided highway, resplendent with street lights and familiar green information signs, the twinkle of lights from homes and towns off in the distance not unlike any Interstate trip in the US. I even noticed that on a few occasions we could see gas stations adorned in BP green and white, and the familiar “golden arches” beckoning travelers to exit for fast food … only the Hebraic text on signs and subtle differences in the vehicles traveling alongside us seemed to challenge this illusion of sameness.

We arrived at our hotel by about 7:30 Sunday evening, and after factoring out 7 hours for the time change, I determined since leaving home early Saturday morning I had been traveling for almost 26 hours. After picking up the room key, I enjoyed exploring my home for the next two nights, splashed some water on my face and made my way back down to our meeting room for devotions, which were followed by a wonderful buffet dinner. Back in my room, I opened the window so I could listened to the waves coming up on the beach behind the hotel, and heard what sounded like Arabic chants floating across the Mediterranean as I drifted off to sleep.

We are here!

Just a short post to say we've arrived with all our luggage, have driven up the Mediterranean coast to Akko and are in our hotel on the beach. Tomorrow we will visit Caesarea Maritima and Mount Carmel. It's good to be out of the airports and off the planes, good to sleep horizontally tonight.

Birds in the Airport

After the excitement of leaving Louisville this morning, we have had an eight-hour layover in Newark. Fortunately, the airport has provided us with some "special guests" to keep us company - tiny birds! I'm reminded of the lyric "God's Eye is on the Sparrow" - but I didn't realize that it meant also that the Sparrow's eye was on me!

One of the birds paid me a visit while I was reading - it hopped onto the seat across from me and posed, as though wanting its picture taken. So... I obliged.

There are often moments when travelling that we don't have the downtime to appreciate the little things around us. I'm grateful that I was able to witness the bird's flight - and that it appreciated the notice. What "moments of zen" have you had in your travels?

Here we go ...

One of the things that I find most amazing about travel is that one morning you can step out the familiar door of your home, and travel the same roads you use daily ... but today, we will reach the familiar ends of those roads and travel thousands of miles to places heretofore only imagined ... and we make this journey even when it snows  ;)

Travel

I cant believe the time is already here. I am so excited for my new adventure. I just now need to find the energy to pack lol. But truthfully I am just lucky that I have been blessed with this chance to enjoy, learn, and see the places I have been imagining, learning, and dreaming about all my life.

Daily Devotion

While one of the professors on the trip I have never been to the Middle East, so I go as a student as well, eager to see and learn.

Some of you--especially families and friends of travelers--may want to share in our devotions long distance. We will be using a psalm every morning and a gospel/acts text every evening, texts often connected to our daily travels.

The texts and locations are listed on the right side of the blog site. We hope you join us.

Packing and Jet Lag

It never fails to confound even the most seasoned traveler - the sense of dread at looking at an empty suitcase and realizing it needs to be full of clothing for your next trip. Here it is, just four days before we leave, and my suitcases are sitting open as I gather my thoughts.

Oh: I'm Lucus, by the way. Middler (2nd Year) M.Div student at Louisville Seminary, with a background in radio. Mutual communication is very important to me - I challenge you not to just read this blog, but interact with us - post comments, thoughts, answer questions, and so on. With sixteen of us going to Israel (and posting about it), you're sure to read a thing or two on this blog that hits your heart. We'd love to hear about it!

We'll be in Israel for 17 days, meaning I need at least two weeks of clothing. Or one week of clothing and laundry supplies... but liquids can't be brought onto a plane, and I'm going to do my best to have only carry-on luggage. The horrors of losing luggage are never overstated, and with the recent bag fees, I've taken to only bringing what I can carry.

Most airlines now allow a "purse" plus a carry-on bag, plus your clothing - so I intentionally load down my clothing and use a backpack as a "purse". In my pockets, I make sure to have an e-reader and a small paperback book, since the e-reader is not permitted during takeoff and landing.

An additional consideration: We'll be flying for nearly 11 hours on the leg from Newark to Israel, and so a neck-pillow will be a big help. Jet lag on this trip will be fairly awful at first: We leave Louisville in the morning, and arrive in Israel in the afternoon of the next day, for a total of 13 hours in flight. The 7 hour time difference is just enough to shift my circadian rhythms, but not enough to be able to start planning for it early. I actually prefer 4-hour or 12-hour shifts to a 7- to 8-hour time shift...

What helpful tricks and tips do you have for dealing with packing woes and jet lag? Do you have an ingenious solution to doing laundry on long trips? Please post your thoughts below!

Leaving in a week!

Lots to do this week in preparation for our trip to Israel. This has been on my "bucket list" of trips for a long time, so I'm really excited to actually be going! As a former French teacher, I've been to Europe many times, but this will be a totally new experience for me, I'm sure.