Samaria

On our 6th day, we packed up our suitcases and left our kibbutz at En Gev on the Sea of Galilee.

I am not sure what this was! ???

Rich farm land

 We drove west to the West Bank area.

 We came to Samaria, which was in Biblical times both a town and also an area.

 Those who wanted to, took camel rides.

Phillip would have preached in this commerce center.  Simon the magician became a believer here.


Greek theatre

Baal Temple

One of Ahab's palaces

 Tradition has it that John the Baptist's body was buried here

Banias waterfall, Caesarea Philippi and the Damascus road

We stopped at the Banias waterfall, the largest waterfall in Israel.  The Banias is a spring which rises from the base of Mount Hermon, Israel's tallest mountain.  

(whenever we climb down stairs, it means we have to climb up them too!  

Huff, puff!)

The river flows into the Jordan river.

Nearby was the city of Caesarea Philippi, located at the northern border of Israel at the southern base of Mount Hermon.  The city was first known as Paneas, named after the idol Pan (the Greek idol of nature and shepherds).  Pan was an idol to fear and we get our word "panic" from it.  Changed to Banias when translated into Arabic.

Caesarea Philippi was built at the base of a rock cliff that had a major spring flowing out of a large cave (the water source to the Banian waterfalls).  The Romans considered this cave the entrance into Hades - the gateway to hell.
 

It was here that Jesus asked His disciples who the people thought He was.  And then He said "Who do you say I am?"  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

With the cave into Hades in view (and perhaps He pointed to it?), Jesus proclaimed that He would overthrow the kingdom of evil - "the gates of hell will not prevail".  Jesus came to overthrow and destroy the Adversary.

* * * * *
Our bus took us to the Syrian border.  This is Mount Hermon.

The Damascus road, where Jesus met Saul (who then became Paul).

Some ruins along the road.

Japanese meal

On Saturday evening, we invited over 24 people to our home for a Japanese pot luck meal.

 These were friends of ours with Japan connections.  Some we met for the first time.

Some used to be missionaries or grew up as MK's (missionary kids) to Japan

Others were married to Japanese

or are students

Others are missionaries on furlough - you can read about the Stoesz family by clicking on their name.

Lots of yummy Japanese food!

This couple is working in Hutch for now.  We took them to the Pretty Prairie rodeo last year.

My parents were missionaries in Japan for about 30 years.  And Aunt Belva and Uncle Verney were there for about 15 years.  She was my first dorm mother.  We stayed with them during the week as school was a 3 hour train trip away from home.

Sharon has wanted to be a missionary to Japan since she was in 6th grade

So glad we purchased this table that extends out so far!

Tanoshikatta （楽しかった 
          It was a good time!

April cemetery post

Each month this year I am posting about a cemetery we visit.  April's cemetery is a most special one!!  The burial place of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

There is argument of where Jesus was really crucified and buried.  No one really knows for sure.

The first place we visited was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Basilica.  It is a church within the Christian Quarter of the walled Old City of Jerusalem.

The church is supposedly built on the site venerated as Golgotha, the hill of Calvary where Jesus was crucified and is also said to contain the place where Jesus was buried.



When we visited, it was jam packed with people and we had to hold onto each other's hands or jackets so we wouldn't lose each other in the crowd!

 

There was beautiful singing going on - like chanting.  I am not sure what kind of service it was, but the acoustics were awesome and the music echoed off the walls.

There is a lot of argument that this is the real location.  Evidently Hadrian covered up the real site with dirt.  The present site of this church has also been a temple of Aphrodite and possibly Venus too. Constantine later had that temple destroyed and built a new one.  His mother, Helena, who was involved in the excavations supposedly found the cross and the tomb. This temple was destroyed and the Crusaders built another one.  The Franciscans also renovated it and renovations have been ongoing.  I don't understand it all, but it was interesting non the less.

 There was this burial spot in another room beside the supposed place Jesus was buried.  A blurry picture, but interesting.  Definitely a graveyard was in this location.      

Below is Christian graffitti on the walls from the Crusader period.

* * * * * *

An alternative location for Christ's death and resurrection is here:

Again, no one really knows.  There are arguments all around.  This spot was a much more peaceful place!

Our guide was a retired Australian man.  He showed us the supposed location of Golgotha - the skull.  Notice the Muslim cemetery at the top.

God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  2 Cor. 5:19

Place where the grapes would have been crushed.

Here is why it really doesn't matter the actual WHERE of Jesus' burial.

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins."  1 Cor. 15:17

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 1 Corinthians 15:20

At that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.  Daniel 12:1-2