Holy Land Highlights

I said last week I would mention some of the highlights of my recent trip to Israel. It is difficult to do this, since there were so many remarkable moments. While I've made five previous trips, it has been a number of years since I was last able to go, and much has changed, both politically and in terms of touring. Let me mention just a few of my impressions (left: the family at the lower springs in En Gedi, where David fled from Saul)


1. Archaeological digs have expanded and are more accessible than ever. Wandering through Caesarea, Bethsaida, and the City of David (to name just three) was thrilling, in part to see all that has been done in the last few years. The ever changing and expanding amount of evidence for Israel's biblical history gets more convincing by the day. Just this weekend, the workers at the City of David (the original Jerusalem which is now outside the city walls) announced they believe they have uncovered the city wall of Nehemiah's time. I may have even seen them working on it while we were there. Now I will have to go back just to be sure!


2. These ruins continue to verify the already trustworthy history of Scripture. As I said over and over again, archaeology proves to be the Bible's friend, unless it is twisted in the hands of those who have a bias toward disbelief (i.e., biblical minimalists in archaeology, who seek to ignore and denigrate any attempt to link discoveries with biblical accounts).


3. Traveling in Israel is safe. I don't know how many other ways to say it, but we were always at ease, and could walk about at night without any fear whatsoever.


4. Our guide was a brilliant host. I've used David Beradt before, and he continues to be my top choice as an Israeli guide.


5. The touring experience was delightful. Thanks go to our driver, Udi, and both Inbar Tourism in Israel (thank you, Yair, especially for all of your good choices for us) and Imagine Travel and Rick Ricart here in the U.S. Our hotels, bus, and meals were all top notch.


6. Being on the Sea of Galilee just after a rainstorm is a memorable experience, and while we didn't calm the storm, it was a picturesque moment nonetheless. Even more powerful were the times like this one where we could stop and think about the significance of the events that took place in the vicinity as we traveled through. We were not looking to prove anything to ourselves; rather, we were wanting to let the reality of what we have already believed come home to us in clearer ways. It is one thing to read about a place, but another to read about it while you are there, and see all the geographic connections, the historical significance, and cultural markers in the passage that you might miss otherwise.

7. I continue to agree that the weight of historical evidence points toward the location of the Lord Jesus' death and burial being at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was a burial ground outside the walls of Jerusalem at the time of Christ. It has been venerated at least since the time of Helena's visit to the Holy Land in the early 4th century. BUT, I still hold out hope (a wish perhaps) that it is really the Garden Tomb, where a skull hill is still visible and the rolling stone tomb from the 1st century fits the bill (and the incense free natural state of the site is much more appealing to a low church evangelical like me). Helena was not infallible, and since I think she missed it totally on the identity of Mt. Sinai, she may have missed it here, too!

8. It was awesome to visit Warren's Shaft in the City of David, and to consider the possibility that this was Joab's route to conquering Jerusalem for David, as recorded in 2 Samuel. Hezekiah's Tunnel, and an older Canaanite tunnel were also there. We went through the Canaanite tunnel, having to save Hezekiah's for a time when it is warmer and we can stay longer!

9. Anyone who can spend a week in Israel seeing all we saw and how truth springs from the pages of Scripture as you visit the land must be a truly hard hearted skeptic indeed.