Israel

Lana and I had the amazing opportunity to fly to Israel for a week with my work. We had briefly talked about how we would enjoy going, and a few months later we jumped on a plane and flew to Tel Aviv Airport. I only had to work a couple days, so we spent the rest of the time visiting the Biblical sites around the country. We actually were able to meet up with a high school friend of mine who's studying in Jerusalem...who would have thought?!

Our first day of site seeing took us through Nazareth, around the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River. In Nazareth we visited the Basilica of the Annunciation where most believe is the house of Joseph and Mary. There are actual ruins under the church which they think is the real house. After that we moved on to the Jordan Valley where the Jordan River leaves the Sea of Galilee and actually stepped into the water. The location where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist is to the south of where we were. We then drove to the north end of the sea to the town of Capernaum which is the city where Jesus spent most of his time and lived. In Luke 4:31-44 it talks about Jesus teaching in the synagogue there. The ruins of the city and synagogue are still there along with what they believe to be the apostle Peter's house. Nearby is the Mount of Beatitudes and the area where Jesus fed the 5000. It was a great day and made the Bible seem very real to walk in the places Jesus and the apostles actually did.

The second day we made our way over to the Dead Sea before heading back to Jerusalem to meet up with my buddy from high school. The drive to the Dead Sea is through part of the Negev Desert, and we couldn't believe nomads actually live out there. It a wonder they're able to find water anywhere. Swimming in the Dead Sea is very strange feeling...there's so much buoyancy due to the salt it's difficult to put your feet back on the bottom once you're floating. It's the lowest point on the earth at 1,378 ft below sea level, and makes for very hot temperatures! Lana had heard the salt and mud from the lake are good for the skin, so we coated ourselves in Dead Sea mud...not sure how well it worked, but it made for a few good pictures. Later that night we enjoyed dinner together with my friend and his wife before heading back to their apartment for the night.

The Old City of Jerusalem and its surroundings was our favorite part of the trip...there's so much history there and it's where we believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, so through Him they might have forgiveness and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Surprisingly, there's a huge mosque sitting in the very place the second Jewish temple used to stand before it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. We toured the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives before making it into the city. The old streets are very narrow and create a maze of walkways. Within the city we saw the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Via Dolorosa where Jesus walked with the cross to Calvary...the hill where He was crucified.

Of all the traveling Lana and I have done, Israel will be the one place we remember not for the beautiful scenery and mountains, but for the chance we had to walk in the steps of Jesus. The beginning of the World started just to the east of there, Jesus was born and died there and will return to the Mount of Olives in the future. We're very thankful for the opportunity we've had!

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Israel