OK. So I've been home for a few days now, and after readjusting somewhat to life back in the states, I decided to post a few more thoughts about the Holy Land. First of all let me apologize for taking so long in doing so....but I didn't anticipate a fee for wireless at our second hotel.....and I was not willing to pay.
To make the most important point first...as many of you might tune me out toward the end....you should all make it a priority to go to Israel ASAP. I'm not kidding. It was everything I ever thought it would be....and more.
Highlights are as follows:
1) Masada- Fortress built by Herod the Great...completed in about 15 BC. It is located on top of a flat mountain in the Dead Sea Area and had ample room to house a community of over 1000 individuals. The zealots took control of the area around 65 AD....and held off the Roman's attempts of invasion for about 3 years. The Romans eventually built a huge ramp up the side of the mountain (took about 3 years) and used a battering ram to break the wall down. When they got inside....all 960+ Jews were dead. Turns out the leaders had killed their own families and then each other to prevent a life of slavery. As it also turns out, 2 women had hidden 5 children in a large cistern...who all lived to tell the story.
2) Rabbinic Tunnel- When the Ottomans took over Jerusalem after the Roman Empire, they build a huge series of arches, etc. against the side of the temple so that their homes, etc would be on the same level as the temple was. The Wailing wall is the only part of that temple wall that is left exposed. They have dug a tunnell all the way along that wall (under the Arabic quarter of Old Jerusalem) where you can see a great deal of the old wall, what the Romans destroyed, the actual street at the time of Jesus, etc. Very, very breathtaking.
3) Entire Dead Sea Area- Qumran (where the Essines lived and the Dead Sea Scrolls were found) and En-gedi (where David hid from Saul...and eventually cut off a portion of his robe) are absolutely amazing. You can go up into both areas hiking, etc.....but my group was unable to do so. Exploring these areas are on top of my priority list for my second trip (unscheduled at this point).
4) Golgotha and the Garden Tomb- Catholics, Greek Orthodox, etc believe that the place of the crucifixion and burial are held inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchar (one of the many churches that a woman named Helen built to preserve these sites. Why her? She was Constantine's mom....a christian....and had the denaros to do so). We went to this church and it was quite weird to see how much "idol worship" appears to be going on. Anyway, there is nothing left at that place that would historically support any idea that Golgotha and the tomb were here. Just past the Demascus gate (western side of the city) there is a huge rock face that has about 3 different ways to see a skull....and is the place that most evangelicals believe to be Golgatha. A stone's throw away is an excavated garden (was previously a vineyard...complete with winepress and large cistern for irrigation....3rd largest ever found in Jerusalem....obviously a wealthy land owner) that has an empty tomb that has archeologically been dated to about 2000 years ago. This tomb was dug into the rock...not a natural cave, was only used once (evidenced by the way only one gravesite was cut to accomodate a body....long story- would love to show you the pictures), the burial site was to the right (biblical significance....Mark 4:5), there was a typical (of the time) rut alongside the gravesite for a stone to be rolled to and from the opening, etc. If this wasn't the place....it is a darn good example of what it was actually like.
Other points of interest- I stood in the valley of Elah....where David killed Goliath, I stood on Mt. Carmel....where Elijah challenged and later killed the prophets of Baal, I drove right through the valley of Armeggedon....etc.
Incredible trip. Would love to talk to you guys about it sometime. Remind me to tell you about how Nazareth got its name....very long story.....but very interesting.
Chunk
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