Thurs, Mar 14 - Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Beth She'an

Today we went to Nazareth village which depicted the life of Jesus as He grew up over 2000 years ago.  Our Nazareth Village guide Daniel, walked us through the village explaining the culture of the first century, as well as their current outreach ministry.

Then it was on to Herod Springs (Gideon), followed by Beth She'an; one of the largest archaeological digs and one of the cities of the de Capolis.  After a traditional falafal lunch, we were on to Kursi; the site identified as "The Miracle of the Swine".  Bethsaida was our next stop, and we were able to envision the life of the Galilean fisherman.  This was also the place where Jesus fed the 5000 and healed the blind man.

From there we travelled to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' Galilee ministry. A perfect ending to a perfect day was our boat ride on the Sea of Galilee with messianic song writer, singer, and boat captain, Danny Carmel.  Adrift on the calm sea, watching the sunset, listening and singing praise music...all of us consider this one of the highlights of our trip so far!  But there's much more to come.

Wed, Mar 13 - Masada

With another full day ahead of us, our first stop was the magnificent Masada at the edge of the Judean Desert, on a rocky plateau overlooking the Dead Sea.  We all managed to pack into one cable car for our ride up this mighty mountain to view the excavated ruin of this royal citadel. Masada was the last stronghold held by the Jewish Zealots who refused to submit to Roman occupation. When they could hold out no longer, Masada became the backdrop for one of the most dramatic scenes in Jewish history.  Be sure to look it the dramatic and interesting history and Biblical relevance of this site!

Our second site was Ein Gedi; an oasis located in the Judian Desert, near the Dead Sea, between Masada and the caves of Qumran. Dating back some 5,000 years ago, this remarkable location is best remembered as David's place of refuge when he was pursued by King Saul. Majestic cliffs, canyons and caves, along with the beautiful David's Waterfall and the remains of a synagogue dating back 1,600 years ago, made this another fascinating old testament find.

Next we visited the excavated sites of Qumran and viewed the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947.  From the shores of the Dead Sea we began our journey towards Galilee and made our final stop at the Mount of Beatitudes.  The beautiful flower filled gardens offered a tranquil and peaceful setting for us to have some individual time to personally reflect and pray as we considered the relevance of all that we'd seen and the reality of our current location being the place where Jesus gave the sermon recorded for us in Matthew 5-7.

Our day concluded at the Caesar Hotel, Tiberius, with another delicious dinner and restful overnight stay.

Tue, Mar 12 - Mt Nebo & Israel

No wake-up call this morning - YAY!!  We all appreciated catching up on our beauty sleepJ Combine that with the magical Dead Sea mud…we all now look 15 years younger.  Whether you believe that or not, you can believe that it felt like we had gone back to much younger years when we played in the mud as children.  It was also somewhat of a surreal sensation to float effortlessly on the sea…letting the therapeutic water wash away our aches and pains.

Refreshed & ready to take on the rest of the planned sites for the day, we boarded our bus for our drive to Mt. Nebo.  Once again we were in awe of what we saw as we tried to imagine Moses taking in the breathtaking view of the Promised Land that God showed him.  

After seeing some of the original mosaic tile flooring discovered in the remains of a an ancient church, believed to have been built in the 4th century to commemorate Moses death, we were taken to the Mosaic Museum to see a demonstration of the detailed work and artistry that goes into each unique hand-crafted mosaic. 

Our last stop was at Bethany; the site where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist.  There pastor John led us in a thought provoking devotional before we had to make our back to the Israel border.  The customs process took quite a bit of time, so it was later than expected when we arrived at the Kibutz Kalia for the night. I don't think anyone had trouble falling asleep:)

Mon, Mar 11 - Petra

After an absolutely wonderful nights sleep, we were all rested and re-energized to take on another exciting day!  We knew we were going to Petra, but I don’t think we had any idea what a truly spectacular experience we were in for. 

The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilization, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man.

Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place - it really does have to be seen to be believed. 



Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago.

The perfect end to a perfect day was our stay at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel right on the beach of the Dead Sea.  We are all looking forward to our youth renewing mud treatment tomorrow and relaxing as we float on the water.

Some of us made some new...and interesting friends.

Sun, Mar 10 - Mt Sinai, Red Sea, & Jordan

After only about 3 hours sleep, our next wake up call came at 12:30am.  Yes…you read that correctly.  By 1:00am we were on our way to be introduced to our camels who would take us about 2/3 the say up Mount Sinai.  It really was the most amazing night – quietness preluded a orchestra of stars against a black backdrop like none seen before!  We couldn’t help but be struck with a sense of worship at the greatness of our God and the majestic universe He spoke into being.  But that was just the beginning.  The last trek up the mountain required us to climb 750 steps to reach the top of Mount Sinai, where we wrapped ourselves in blankets while we watched and waited for the sun to rise over the eastern mountain-tops.  What an experience to see God paint the morning sky with golden shades of yellow & orange, in perfect contrast to the dark mountains blanketed in a soft mist.  We were a captive audience once again!  The 2-1/2 hour walk back down the mountain was also one we will never forget as we discovered stunning sights around every corner, until we finally reached the famous St. Catherine’s Monastery with its rich history and continued service.

All that…and the day was only getting started.  After breakfast, we were back on the bus and heading for Jordan.  It was a little sad to say good-bye to our Egyptian tour guides, who had become our friends after sharing their heart for Egypt and all its relevant history.  Thankfully we had no problems moving through the various border crossings and customs checks required between Egypt and Jordan, so by about 7pm we arrived at the beautiful Biet Zaman Hotel in Petra where we literally crashed for the night.  

Our Camel Caravan

Waiting for the Sunrise

St. Catherine's Monastery