"Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"..."Come and See!"

This is modern day Nazareth, today it is known as the Arab capital of Israel.

These are some pictures of Nazareth as it is today, I just love all the color in the plants.

Interesting roof tops, I think anyway.

This was the childhood home of Jesus. So cool to think that he roamed these hills.

This is the entrance to, ( you guessed it) Nazareth Village. This is a living representation of rural life in 1st Century Galilee. The village has a synagogue, an olive press, a vineyard, houses and many of the aspects of life about which Jesus spoke.

An olive tree. I love the narliness of the trunk. Our guide, a Christian Arab, sharing profound thoughts of course. (Christian Arab, a true minority that is for sure!!)

Close up of the olives on the tree. I read that olives are harvested in the green to purple stage. Close to ready I would say. (Olive expert that I am!)

 

These guys are harvesting the olives.

Do you know what this is? Oh, I had to be told too, and I remember thinking oh I didn't get that right when I made up my own picture of what a Threshing Floor was. ( I was thinking wooden floor for some odd reason, maybe it's because I'm odd!!)  Shush... you don't need to confirm that thought at all! :)
Quick fact: The threshing floor (used to harvest wheat, or grain) was flat and hardened by the passing of oxen over the sheaves, sometimes pulling a sled designed to separate the grain from the husks. After the threshing process, the stalks and grain were thrown up into the air so that the wind might blow the unwanted chaff away and leave the valuable kernels. This was known as winnowing.
What's interesting to me is the size of the threshing floor, the trees are on the outside edge of the floor and the rest of the picture is the floor. (I didn't get the whole thing in this shot) Big eh?

This is a shepherd, he has sheep in the enclosure.(duh) The village has people dressed as 1st century citizens would dress and doing the various activities of the day and time.

I just thought this guy was interesting so I took a few pictures.

So, what do you think he is thinking? Easy money? Oh boy tourists again? 

Umm.. I'm hungry?

Ok, this is interesting! Can you see that the guide is standing on a wine press? If you look closely you can see impressions carved into the rock. Where the guide is standing is where the grapes are arranged and the workers squash the grapes with their feet and the juice would flow down to the lower side. ( the direction that he is walking).

Oh, there is so much more to the winepress, but I can't remember all the details and I don't want to bore you, so just have a look see. I'm impressed that it's so big and carved right into the rock.

The Olive Press. Olives are harvested in the fall and brought to the press where a large millstone crushes the fruit to produce virgin oil. (the first press).

So what you are seeing is the press that produces the "Virgin Olive Oil" that so many like to use.

The millstone is huge and it is heavy. (Helps me understand the "millstone tied around the neck" in the scriptures)  Once they get the oil from the first press, then the olives go to a beam press which extracts the second-grade oil from the pulp. Olive oil is used for food, lighting, cosmetics and anointing.

"Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?....." Just a note: the English translation uses carpenter which reflects the European notion that a builder primarily works with wood. But the word in Greek to describe Joseph and his son is literally "builder" which can indicate woodworking or more likely in ancient Galilee, stone. Like today, stone was more readily available than wood and was the primary building material. (notice the walls)

The guide indicated that houses in first century Nazareth usually had the work shop towards the front of the home. On the walls are some of the tools of the time period.

And as you go farther in then you get to the living area, this is the kitchen.

Typically women did the spinning and weaving at home.

Some of the handiwork.

Good thing I wasn't a first century Jewish woman, I would have gone hungry and cold.

This, I believe, is the outside of the synagogue. Notice the windows. No glass on them, just open spaces.

This is the inside, and it has the dimensions and style of synagogues that Jesus would teach in. Did you know that in the time of Jesus, there was no separation of the sexes in the synagogues, the women were very active in religious life in the first century. The table there with the scrolls holds the "scriptures" that will be read. The "scriptures" can't be read unless there are 10 adult males present.

The opening in toward the back of the room just right of center is where the "scriptures" were kept.

Luke 4:16-21, talks about Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Nazareth. Nazareth is the place where Jesus testifies of Himself as the Messiah. "....this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."  I wonder if I would have been able to fully grasp what he was teaching if I would have been present that day? Many that heard that with their own ears, and saw him with their own eyes "were filled with wrath" (Luke 4:28)

Just before John Lund presented a fireside of sorts we sang a few primary songs about Jesus and I just have to say that I teared up somewhat, it was really hard not to! Such a neat place to sing songs about Jesus.

Hey, just a thought that came out of the fireside: Notice that Christ never used his divine qualities to help with his mortal journey. Satan was constantly tempting him to do that very thing.(turn this stone to bread, etc..) Hence, when Christ says "Come, follow me." we know that we, as mortals, can truly follow Him, he was the example in all things. We have all the tools necessary to return home and to become like Him. We have the ability (with His help) do we have the willingness?

Back to the actually building. Notice the windows, they are wide toward the inside of the building and tapered to the outside, that is for the circulation of the air in the building. (remember this is a hot country!!)

This is the roof from the inside, they have timbers for the cross beams, then reeds over them, and a plaster on top of the reeds, finally they put a soil on the plaster to soak up the rain.

Whew, finally done, I sure hope you stayed with me!! I guess if your reading this you did, ya hoo, thanks for that!! I'm so grateful that I got to "run where, Jesus walked", it really does help to bring the scriptures to life. Thanks for coming on the journey with me. Hopefully you'll learn a few things, have a few grins and maybe even giggles. :)  I know I'm remembering more!

Biblical Bar -B-Que!

Here I am standing on Mount Carmel. It is a 1500 foot high limestone mountain. This view is onto the Jezreel Valley. This is a productive and fertile valley. To the west of this valley is the Mediterranean Sea. 

This is the valley where many battles were fought and this is the valley where the battle of Armageddon will take place.  I find it fascinating to think about what this view may look like during that last great conflict. Another question I have is: Who exactly is going to be fighting and what exactly will it be over? I'm guessing several nations against several nations, but who, what, when, why?????

Biblically, Mt Carmel is most often referred to as a symbol of beauty and fertility. As you look at the following pictures think that this valley has witnessed caravans of traders enroute to the coast to sell their wares. Also, this valley, as Spencer W Kimball says, has "seen armies of great nations training, camping, fighting, bleeding - Egyptians, Assyrians, Canaanites, Israelites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Crusaders, the Turks and the British. Soil here was fertilized with human bodies - soil here was drenched with human blood."

So, do you know why I titled this entry "Biblical Bar-B-Que"? Oh some of you do I can tell by the grin on your face, and you said it out loud didn't you?  Elijah and the prophets of Baal!  What's the biblical reference?

Ok, ok, this is the story! Ahab, the King of Israel married a Phoenician Jezebel. She really liked her God Baal and established 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to the royal household.  As a result of their official status, the Israelite prophets fled to the hills and hid in caves. Elijah, ever willing to take on the foreign queen, ended up cursing the land with a famine, "there shall be niether dew nor rain these years, except by my word,"

After 3 yrs of drought, the Lord told Elijah to go have a chat with Ahab. Ahab was looking for Elijah too. What came out of the chat between Ahab and Elijah was a Bar-b-que challenge.  Elijah challenged the King Ahab to summon the prophets of Baal and Asherah to a contest to see whose god was the true god.

Each prophet had an altar and a bull to sacrifice. They were to lay the bull on the wood and put no fire under it and call on their God to answer by fire. The God who starts the fire is the true God. All day long the prophets of Baal and Asherah called on Baal to start the "Barby" (getting hungry you see and so many people watching, it's embarrassing!) Oh you know how it goes, they didn't answer, like Elijah said,"Baal must be sleeping, wake him up!"

Finally, the prophets of Baal gave up and it was Elijah's turn. Elijah had his altar doused with water 3 times. As he prayed to the Lord, an all consuming fire fell upon the altar. Barby is on !!!!

At the command of Elijah the prophets of Baal were seized and taken down to the brook Kishon and killed. That would be at least 450 men. Oh boy! Of course, it began to rain after the bar-b-que challenge.

I really don't know which of these views from where we were on Mt Carmel would be the site for the Bar-b-que challenge, but I would think that somewhere in one of those pictures would be the scene of fire and "death".

 This is Elijah slaying the the prophets of Baal. This statue is located at the Carmelite monastery.

So do you know the reference for this little tale? I guess I'd better share that with you! The complete story can be found in the Old Testament 1 Kings 18. (Good for those of you that already knew that, give yourself a hero biscuit, as for the others, I had to look it up too!!)

 Thus we come to the end of our second stop of 09 November 2010. It's about noon at this point, the day is young. Hang on, we have more to see and ponder!

Tiberias, Israel

Good Morning Israel! Tiberias to be exact! This is the view from our hotel room and of course the Sea of Galilee is the body of water that you see. (The Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake.)  So cool! Do you know, remember all the things,events that took place around the Sea of Galilee? Oh don't worry, I'll remind you!!

 Ok now, look to the left and this is what you see! Modern day Tiberias has a population of about 30,000 and is one of Israel's most popular resorts due to it's location on the Sea of Galilee (so cool!) and because of the hot springs of Tiberias. Of course I'm going to throw in a bit of history, so here goes:  Tiberias is 2000 yrs old, and was constructed by Herod Antipas around the year 20.  Herod dedicated the city to the Roman Caesar Tiberius. After 70AD, Tiberias became an important center of learning, most of the Jerusalem Talmud was edited here. (That wasn't so bad now was it?)

 Now look to the right, The Sea of Galilee! (So cool!)  Have you thought of any events that took place around the Sea of Galilee yet? I think I'll mention a few: the Savior called and ordained the Twelve Apostles in Galilee; the Savior spent much of his mortal ministry in this region, He taught in parables, performed miracles... oh I'll stop for now, there is so much neat stuff!

Look a bit more to the right! What does the boat make you think of?  Calming the storm? Commanding the disciples to cast their nets, by which they caught many fish? Walking on the water? Oh so many things to think about and imagine!!
We did go out on the Sea of Galilee on a boat like this. We went out at night (so no pictures of that, sorry!)
We sang Master the Tempest is Raging, I don't have words to describe that experience. Oh I'm so lucky to have had the chance to be on the Sea of Galilee! (so cool!)

 This is a view of Tiberias in front of our hotel. Interesting landscape, don't ya think? It's warm here, I love it!

 This is a plaque at Ein Harod, the spring where Gideon chose his three hundred men before routing the Midianites. (Judges 7)  If you click on the picture, you should be able to read it.

The Spring of Gideon, as I call it.

A look inside the fenced off area. The source of the Spring of Gideon.

 The creek/canal where the water runs out from the spring. This area is a park where locals and tourists come in their free time.

Hi Kelly!  I'm busy pondering something profound I'm sure! Something like, would I have wanted to fight the Midianites? Or, I love having my feet in this water, why are we leaving so soon?
Oh the joys of tours, there are 90 other people doing the same thing you are at the same time, sometimes there are thousands, but at this point it's the Red Bus and Blue Bus soaking their feet. Ahhhh so warm, so cool, I love it!

 Just some pictures for the beauty of it!

 Green foliage in November! So cool!

This is the first of several visits for Tuesday 09 November 2010. So many neat things to take in and learn. I know I forgot alot of what I learned, but I do remember that it is warm, that it is so cool to be in Israel, and I know the scriptures will become more meaningful as I study and remember these experiences in the Holy Land!

Significant Sites

Ok, time for a bit of history (don't worry, I'll be brief!).

This spring of water is located in Wadi Musa "Valley of Moses".  Can you guess why it's called Wadi Musa?
Ok, Ok, I'll tell you!  This is the valley that the prophet Moses passed through and struck water from the rock for the Israelites. (Numbers 20:7-11) The actual site is called Ain Musa or Moses water Spring  (Mose's Well).  The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra. (You remember, I was walking by some of those water channels in the Petra post! :) ) Also, be aware of the fact that alot of these sites are best guesses as far as actual places from biblical history, they are in the area, but as to actual rock or spring, who really knows?



This is the mountain we could see from our hotel, it is called Mount Hor in Edom. Mt Hor is situated "in the edge of the land of Edom" (Numbers 33:37) It was one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness, which they reached in the circuitous route they were obliged to take because the Edomites refused them a passage through their territory. (Numbers 20:14-21)

It was during the encampment here that Aaron died. (Numbers 33:37-41) also (Numbers 20:22-29) Now look carefully, can you see a white square dot, building at the top of the mountain? That is called the tomb of Aaron. Josephus is the historian that puts Mt Hor near Petra as the location of Aaron's death.

We did not get to go up to the actual tomb of Aaron, we just saw it from the hotel and the bus, pretty much as you are seeing it now. Just look at the terrain and imagine the Israelites "wandering 40 yrs" in such an area.

Really, a million people "wandering" no wonder they had to have "Manna from Heaven". This is only one area they were at, but not too much to survive on I say. As I think of the Manna from Heaven and Water coming from a rock, I'm wondering if there is not a lesson in there about "The Bread of Life and Living Water." Ummm, something to think about I do believe.

Here is a photo of the town surrounding Mt Hor, interesting, interesting n'est-ce pas?

So now it's time to leave the south of Jordan and head north on the King's Highway to cross the Jordan river into Israel and our hotel at Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. It was a long bus ride up North, but as we went it did become more and more productive and green. I noticed lots of goats and sheep in the hills. I could see the shepherds watching them. Makes the bible stories more real, that is for sure.

Just a quick note, as we left Jordan and entered Israel, Dixie the Immigration officer was the one that got searched,("patted down") by an Israelie female officer. I got to go into the little booth with the curtain and get checked out, for weapons and other contra band. Random search? Suspicious Character? I don't know!!!! But I wasn't detained and told I could have one call, that is a good thing!!

Finally,we have come to the conclusion of Monday 08 November 2010. Tuesday we wake up on the Sea of Galilee and that is an Awesome thing!!! I love the Sea of Galilee!!

Hotel Petra

Can't leave Petra without a note about the hotel.

 This is the name plate of our hotel in Petra, a very nice hotel that I thought was fun.

I enjoyed the restaurant as the ambiance was super cool, and there were languages from all over the world being spoken all around us.

 Everything is built out of rock or stone. This is my attempt at photography! The beige object at the back of the picture is a MINARET (generally attached to a mosque).  It is the tower used by a Muezzin - or crier-to call the faithful to prayer five times each day. They are called to prayer at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. (This fact that the Muslims pray 5 times a day will come up later, just getting everyone prepped for future information.) Don't need an alarm clock in Muslim countries that is for sure!

 The inside of our first hotel room. Rather spacious compared to some of the other hotel rooms we had. I enjoyed the style and layout at this hotel.

 Ummm, did you notice anything unique about the room? Umm, think about it! Would we find a room like this in North America? Oh I think I'm going to leave it at that and you can let me know in the comments if you noticed the same thing I did!! (Tee- Hee, part of the fun of blogging!!!) :)

 This is a view, at dawn, from our hotel. The roofs are part of the hotel and the other buildings are part of the city of Petra that is not a tourist attraction. Lots of sand and rocks eh? huh?

 Another view of the hotel as we are coming up from the restaurant. I thought it was cool.

 This is an olive press with an olive tree there on the right. The round millstone with the wood stick in is used to press the olives. The worker pushes the millstone by using the stick that is in the hole of the millstone. This is a rather small olive press. I think this is just a model for effect.

 This picture is just because I liked the car that they were using as a taxi! Nice car!

This is another view from out hotel. This is to get you ready for the geography and history lesson that will come up in the next post. That mountain over there is significant, as well as this general area of south Jordan. Old Testament history. Think Moses and Exodus. Moses was in the wilderness 40 yrs after all, he had to be somewhere.