Israel
The trip started off with a slight scare in the airport. Security is very tight and the minute you step off the plane, you can sense the tension in the country. So the last thing you want to do is get noticed. Well, we got to Passport Control and Adam handed the officer our passports. She handed back mine (Martha speaking) and Marian's after a minute but held onto Adam's. She stared at her computer for awhile then called in another officer. Then she started questioning Adam: "Do you have two names? What is your father's name? (This of course fueled the idea that Jan is an undercover CIA agent!) What is your grand-father's name?" Then they took all of us to a waiting area for about fifteen minutes, after which they handed back our passports with no explanation. We were very relieved so left without any questions, but are still a little perplexed. We did meet up with another blonde guy who had a similar experience. I guess there was that incident in the 40's...
We went first to the northern part of Israel--Haifa, Joppa, Galilee, Golan Heights, etc.
The Sea of Galilee is beautiful and peaceful and it's easy to see why the Savior spent so much time there. We had fun swimming in it, especially because Adam and I were the chicken fight champions. We took a ferry across which gave us a better perspective on how big it really is. We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, which is the general area of where the Sermon on the Mount was given (they don't know exactly where).
After a couple days we went down to Jerusalem. Our first view of the city was from an overlook on the Mount of Olives looking down on the Dome of the Rock. It was incredible! We spent several days seeing the sights in Jerusalem. There are so many historical and religious sites that there's no way to see everything. Adam and I are already planning our trip back.
We took a whole day to drive to see Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada makes the Hohe in Salzburg look like Scout camp! It is huge! I happily rode the tram up while Adam and others walked/ran. It was fascinating to see how the Jews who lived there were totally self-sufficient, including an advanced water storage system. There are many cisterns, the largest of which holds 250,000 gallons (if Adam's memory is right). Since it was fashioned to be Herod's summer home, there were lots of luxurious bath-houses. It was all so interesting.
After Masada we saw where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. They were a valuable find because they're an untouched version of the Old Testament. We learned that the story about a goat-herder finding them by kicking a rock in the cave is not true, especially because the caves are on mountainsides. They were actually found by bandits who hid there. And smugglers would then sell pieces of the scrolls incredibly cheaply to tourists. We stopped for a quick dip in the Dead Sea, which was a unique experience. They instructed us to not put our faces in the water because it damages your eyes. It was so relaxing to lean back and feel like you were sitting in a lawn chair. The mud was very slimy and Adam had fun spreading it all over himself.
We went first to the northern part of Israel--Haifa, Joppa, Galilee, Golan Heights, etc.
The Sea of Galilee is beautiful and peaceful and it's easy to see why the Savior spent so much time there. We had fun swimming in it, especially because Adam and I were the chicken fight champions. We took a ferry across which gave us a better perspective on how big it really is. We went to the Mount of Beatitudes, which is the general area of where the Sermon on the Mount was given (they don't know exactly where).After a couple days we went down to Jerusalem. Our first view of the city was from an overlook on the Mount of Olives looking down on the Dome of the Rock. It was incredible! We spent several days seeing the sights in Jerusalem. There are so many historical and religious sites that there's no way to see everything. Adam and I are already planning our trip back.
We took a whole day to drive to see Masada and the Dead Sea. Masada makes the Hohe in Salzburg look like Scout camp! It is huge! I happily rode the tram up while Adam and others walked/ran. It was fascinating to see how the Jews who lived there were totally self-sufficient, including an advanced water storage system. There are many cisterns, the largest of which holds 250,000 gallons (if Adam's memory is right). Since it was fashioned to be Herod's summer home, there were lots of luxurious bath-houses. It was all so interesting.
After Masada we saw where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. They were a valuable find because they're an untouched version of the Old Testament. We learned that the story about a goat-herder finding them by kicking a rock in the cave is not true, especially because the caves are on mountainsides. They were actually found by bandits who hid there. And smugglers would then sell pieces of the scrolls incredibly cheaply to tourists. We stopped for a quick dip in the Dead Sea, which was a unique experience. They instructed us to not put our faces in the water because it damages your eyes. It was so relaxing to lean back and feel like you were sitting in a lawn chair. The mud was very slimy and Adam had fun spreading it all over himself.
Comments