A brief taste of the 2008 Tour to Israel

We were thirty eight people, a larger group than I usually take, on a journey of faith and discovery. Our aim was to learn about the Bible and our faith from the land and its history

We began in Yafo (Jaffa) where the prophet Jonah set off on his journey to the Assyrian capitol city of Nineveh and Peter the son of another Jonah began a journey of another kind which would lead to the inclusion of gentile believers in the Church

From the coastal plain we journeyed to the Negev to consider more new beginnings. The ancients went to the desert only when they had good reason to. The desert was a refuge with dangers of its own. It was at Beersheva that Abraham settled and began to live out God’s promises of Blessing, Land and a People. The water at Ein Avdat reminded us of the provision of God through Moses during the Exodus as the Children of Israel began their journey from slavery in Egypt to being servants of the Lord in the Land promised. New beginnings are not limited to the Biblical record. A visit to Kibbutz Yad Mordechai retraced the story of beginning of the Jewish State of Israel and the resistance by veterans of the Warsaw uprising to Egyptian attack.

The Conquerors of Mount Sinai celebrate their achievements Lable for Mount Sinai

The arresting beauty of the mountains of Sinai belies the harsh challenges of survival in this desert. We climbed Mount Sinai and explored St Katherines Monastery aware of the faith that has been associated with this area and preserved by the scribes of Judaism and Christianity. The Codex Siniaticus on display in the monastery museum is one of the most significant extant New Testament documents.

Jordan has strong associations with the ancient trade routes and the early Christian community. The ancient city of Petra is still impressive, even to modern eyes. Voted one of the seven wonders of the modern world we marveled at the organisation and wealth of the early silk trade route which passed through Petra culminated on the Mediterranean shore.

Standing on Mount Nebo we looked, as Moses had done, across the Aravah Valley into the Promised Land.

Once back in Israel we remained in the desert to climb to the Qumran Cave 1 where the famous copper scroll was discovered. The Essenes and their Community Rule were our first introduction to the numerous forms of Judaism that made up the world of Jesus. At Jericho we considered the corrupt might of the Herodian dynasty and the impact that their rule had on the Jewish inhabitants of the land.

We travelled up the Jordan Valley through Judea and Samaria. At the modern day town of Nablus we ascended Mount Gerizim to the place of the biblical Samaritans. Ancient traditions which divided the Samaritans and the Jews still remain. We considered Torah without the Nevi’im (Prophets) and the Ketuvim (Writings) and Judaism with Jerusalem. We considered Jesus identification on this mountain with the Jewish People and Jerusalem as he spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.

As we entered Galilee we focused on Jesus among the Rabbis of first century Judaism. From the parallels between the Amidah and the Our Father Prayer to the ethical teachings of how to obey or fulfill the Torah, Jesus’ teaching in its natural context made for powerful contemplation.

From the Jezreel Valley to the Mountains of Upper Galilee the life and world of Jesus emerged in its geographical and historical reality. The small towns and settlements, the paths and roads, must have been familiar to His disciples as they followed in the dust of their rabbi’s feet. Sunsets and sunrises, the spring flowers of the field and the wheat white to harvest, were all there just as the Gospels describe them.

At Gamla we watched the vultures soar on the thermals as we remembered that they that wait upon the Lord rise up as on vulture’s (Hebrew) wings. We also considered the Zealots and their violent struggle against Rome in their attempt to establish the kingdom of God.

In the modern Golan we tasted the wine of the region and heard the story of the valley of tears.

From Mount Hermon we remembered Jesus transfiguration and His decision and determination to make an exodus journey to Jerusalem to be handed over for us. Greater love has no man than that He should lay down His life for His friends. Having loved His own He showed them the full extent of His love.

The hustle and bustle of Jerusalem contrasts with the peace of Galilee. The City of Zion is anything but peaceful. Yet there is an authenticity to this restless activity. No doubt the festivals that Jesus attended were just as busy as the city heaved with humanity on the move. Little oases of peace such as Christ Church Jerusalem give only brief respite before one enters the crowd again.

From Jerusalem we travelled to places of special interest nearby. We explored Bethlehem the town of Jesus birth and the Mount of Olives the site of His ascension. The Biblical Landscape Reserve at Neot Kedumim drew us back into the world of the Bible as plants and ancient activities revealed their symbolic significance in the text. The Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Memorial, reminds us of one more cruel than Pharaoh, more evil than Amalek from our modern context.

Nineteen days of study, fellowship and reflection has been an experience of a life time. As one participant said, “I will never be able to read the Bible in the same way again – everything has changed.”

May it be “next year in Jerusalem”

John Atkinson