The Last Post

CITY OF DAVID

The last stop of our visit to Israel was The City of David, here depicted by the sign of the harp, which is symbolic of David, the “Sweet Singer of Israel”.

 Harp (City of David Symbol)

II Sam 24:16-24 records how David purchased the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite, on Mount Moriah, in order to erect an altar and make sacrifices to God.  This was the beginning of what became The City of David, shown here in an artistic representation.

City Of David

The excavation of The City of David is ongoing, and has revealed structures of amazing vertical dimensions.  Note the ancient toilet in lower left.

Ancient Stone Wall, Stairway

HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL

II Kings 20:20 and II Chronicles 32:30 are the key references.  (See also II Samuel 5:8 for a mention of King David in this context.)  Hezekiah chiseled this 1500-meter tunnel out of solid limestone – from both ends at once! – in order to route water from the Gihon Spring, which was outside the city walls, into the city.  Water inside the city would enable victory over enemy siege.  

Below, we are about to begin the great adventure of passing through Hezekiah’s Tunnel. 

Group Entering Tunnel: Ron Scarbrough, Eddie Brown

Wesley Brown, Betty Scarbrough, Wyeth Luter & Bill Luter

The water came to mid-thigh at places and, at times, we had to stoop.  Most of the way, it was not much wider than your shoulders.  But, as you can see in the video below, it was a lot of fun!

The Pool of Siloam is at the end of the tunnel.  This is where the man “blind from birth” was sent by Jesus to wash and receive his sight.  (John 9:1-12)

Pool of Siloam

This newly excavated “step road” led from the Pool of Siloam all the way to the Temple Mount.  Thus it is that the Lord Jesus Christ may have placed His feet on these very stones – they have not been restored in any way since being uncovered.     

       Stepped Road

As you can see from the title this is our last post.  We headed to the airport later this day after changing into dry clothes.  What a wonderful experience we had traveling through the land of the Bible and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  We want to thank Ron Scarbrough for all of the assistance he gave us in publishing these blogs and we hope you have enjoyed reading them.  Many thanks too to Ken Sheppard for organizing and leading the trip -- it was definitely the "trip of a lifetime!"

Bill & Wyeth Luter

He Is Not Here, He Is Risen!

A wonderful way to begin our last day in Israel was by visiting the Garden Tomb, the alternate site in Jerusalem where the body of Jesus Christ may well have been laid after His crucifixion.

One piece of evidence that commends the Garden Tomb as the burial place of Christ is the skull-like appearance of a nearby rocky cliff.  “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.”  (John 19:17)

Skull-Like Cliff

Our group took its turn to stand together before the open door of the Garden Tomb.

Our Group Outside Tomb

This is the channel in which a wheel-shaped stone might have been moved to close and open the tomb.

Channel For Stone

This image, taken inside the tomb, is of the Loculus, or actual burial place of the body of our Lord Jesus.

 Loculus, or Burial Place

Another piece of evidence commending this tomb is this first century Christian symbol of the cross on the wall inside, with letters identifying Jesus Christ as the Alpha and the Omega, God Himself.

Cross Symbol

As our guide reminded us, we visit the Garden Tomb not to see what is there, but what is not there.

There certainly could be no more meaningful place to observe the Lord’s Table than on the grounds of the Garden Tomb, where His victory over sin and death was demonstrated.  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  (II Cor. 5:21)

Ken Sheppard leading communion

After leaving The Garden Tomb we traveled to Ammunition Hill, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Six-Day War (June 6, 1967).

A group of current Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were being briefed in the Visitor Center.

Current IDF Soldiers

This lamp stand, or menorah, frequently mentioned in Biblical descriptions of Jewish Temple worship, was prominently displayed in this memorial to Israel’s modern warfare history, thus relating the modern state of Israel to her Biblical heritage.  

Menorah

This tank is a relic of the battle, still in its place after over forty years.

Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand in trench fortifications like these.  When one man fell, another stepped forward over his body to continue the fight.

Trench Fortifications

Israel lost 182 warriors in the Battle of Ammunition Hill.  Their names are recorded as a group memorial here.

Names of Dead

These same men were individually remembered, each with his own personal life history.  Israel celebrated here its fallen heroes.

Individual Tributes

                        

How Low Can You Go?

A few miles north of the mountain fortress of Masada is En Gedi, the desert oasis where David hid from King Saul (1 Samuel 23:29).  After lunch on Wednesday, we visited this site, which is now a nature reserve.   We walked about a quarter mile along the scenic trail, observing wildlife such as the ibex and the hyrax.  At the end of our hike was a small, beautiful waterfall, known as David’s Falls. 

Hyrax

Ibex

Bill Luter, Ken Sheppard, Ron Scarbrough & 

Eddie Brown at David's Falls

A trip to the Judean wilderness would not be complete without an excursion to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth (approximately 1200 feet below sea level).  Several members of our group were eager to swim in the mineral-saturated water.  In fact, the salt & mineral level is so high that your body can almost float on top of the water instead of down in it.  The black mud on the bottom of the Dead Sea is also said to provide deep cleansing and rejuvenating effects when applied to the skin.  And, as you can see below, we definitely applied it to the skin!

 Holiday Makers At The Dead Sea

"Masada Shall Not Fall Again."

Have you ever heard the expression, “That would make a great movie"?  It is usually spoken about a story, whether fact or fiction, that is so compelling you can visualize it being projected on the “Big Screen.”  Such is the story of Masada.  It’s a true story and it’s already been made into a movie!   The movie, “Masada”, released in 1981, chronicled the heroism of 960 Jewish rebels who defended the mountain fortress against 8,000 Roman soldiers.  The fortress, overlooking the Dead Sea, fell to the Romans in 73 A.D. after a long siege and when the Romans finally entered the city they found that almost all of the inhabitants had committed suicide.

On Wednesday morning we visited this mountain top plateau that is accessible only by means of a footpath, called the “Snake Path”, and a cable car. (We chose the cable car.) It is amazing to see the ruins of the city that King Herod built to serve as his summer palace.  There were actually 5 palaces (2 large ones for King Herod and 3 small ones for visitors) along with a large bathhouse, swimming pool and stables (later converted by the rebels into a synagogue).  Numerous storage houses and cisterns held abundant supplies of food and water.  

Masada today has become one of the Jewish peoples' greatest symbols. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel, 2^nd only to the City of Jerusalem, and its significance in Jewish culture is so great that Israeli soldiers are required to take an oath there: "Masada shall not fall again."

 The Mountain Plateau Of Masada, From A Distance

Cable Car

 Our guide, Nathan Shipiro, points out items of significance

 Jewish Ritual Bath (Below the black line is original

wall construction, above is restored wall)

 A View Of The Dead Sea, Located Just East of Masada

 Herod's Northern Palace

 Storage Buildings

 Herod's Bathhouse

 Our Group At Masada: L to R (Rear) Ken Sheppard, Margie Heummer,

Wyeth Luter, Bill Luter, Wesley Brown, Robert Bluethman

(Front) Betty Scarbrough, Karen Bluethman, Bart Heummer, Eddie Brown

& Gary Purdy

Restored Portions Of A Plaster Fresco- One Of Many That Would 

Have Decorated The Walls Of King Herod's Palaces & Bathhouse

Exploring More Of Jerusalem!

This is the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed one of His miracles, healing a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years.

 

Pool of Bethesda

Here we see Gary Purdy, reading the scriptural account of this miracle in John 5.

Gary Purdy (center)

St. Anne’s Church is located at the start of the Via Dolorosa, adjacent to the Bethesda Pool.  Here we heard Portuguese believers beautifully expressing their worship to our Lord by singing “Because He Lives” in their native tongue.

Joining us at this site was a group of Nigerian pilgrims, all dressed in apparel made of the same colorful fabric.  Two members of our group asked for a picture, and this lady graciously consented.

Betty Scarbrough & Wesley Brown with Nigerian Lady

Our group joined untold thousands of others who have walked the Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Grief or Way of Suffering), a street within the Old City of Jerusalem that Jesus walked, carrying His cross, on the way to His crucifixion.

Via Dolorosa

This is an underground cistern at the Fortress of Antonio, located on the north end of the Temple Mount.  Cisterns were common in Bible times, required to hold rainwater for daily use, especially in times of drought.

Water Cistern

We stopped at the Austrian Hospice in the Old City, which included a magnificent view from the rooftop.  We also enjoyed coffee and strudel before we departed, just as several Catholic Popes and other notables had done before us. 

Bill &Wyeth Luter On Austrian Hospice Roof With 

Temple Mount In Background

Sue Brooks Snaps A Picture From The Roof Top

Karen & Robert Bluethman Enjoy Coffee & Strudel

Coffee & Apple Strudel

We proceeded next to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built over the traditional site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection, inside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Inside The Church Of The Holy Sepulcher 

Place Where Jesus' Body Was Prepared For Burial

One of the most colorful experiences in Jerusalem is to be found in the Old City market.  The first rule of shopping there?  Never pay the list price!  You are expected to bargain before the deal is closed.  (Several in our group were apparently quite adept at reaching an agreeable price!)

Sue Brooks, Betty Scarbrough, Wyeth Luter & Billie Sheppard 

Model Recently Purchased Scarves

Robert Bluethman, Ken Sheppard, Bart Huemmer & Charles Fortune

Do What Men Do While Ladies Shop (Wait)

Fresh Spices!

Walking Through The Old City Market

Yad Vashem is the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust.  The name Yad Vashem comes from Isaiah 56:5:  “And to them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name (a “yad vashem”)…which will not be cut off.”

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

Ezekiel 37:14 Inscription at Museum

An unexpected and delightful treat for all of us on Tuesday was being hosted for late afternoon coffee, tea and sweets in the home of Walter and Paula Zanger, professional Israel guides and long-time friends of our group leader Ken Sheppard.  Here Walter is pictured with Ken’s wife Billie, and Ken with Paula.  Also pictured are our tour guide, Nathan Shapiro, and driver, Ami.

 Walter & Billie 

Ken & Paula 

Nathan Tells Ami How To Make His Second Millon

Good Food & Fellowship!

This long and good day ended with a somewhat privileged access to the Rabbinic Tunnel near the Western or "Wailing Wall" of the Temple Mount.  Because of its religious significance, visiting men were required to wear the yarmulke or skullcap, worn by orthodox and conservative Jewish males.

Entrance To Rabbinic Tunnel

Area Where Excavated Rubble Is Collected In Tunnel

Eddie Brown Explores Rabbinic Tunnel