Looking Back on Israel

I can't believe it was only last year that my husband and I went to Israel. Surrounded by beauty and saturated with so much history. But here I am, organizing my laptop when I find a folder with more Israel photos I had planned to use in posts. Forgotten among all my other projects as a busy life sped by. But how fitting! As we are sitting on the edge of our seats, watching the terrible things happening to their nation. I have been praying for peace to be restored over there, and that an end to the death and destruction will come soon. I can only imagine how much the landscape and lives have changed since all this began. 

Taking the tunnel

One of my favorite places was the tunnel we walked through. If you know your biblical history, you will know of Hezekiah's tunnel. To bring fresh water to the city even when under siege. My husband and I chose to walk this one rather than David's tunnel, which is dry, but runs parallel if I remember correctly.

The water is mostly just above ankle high, though in some parts it was above my knee. As you go, there are 3 levels of height as well. Most of the tunnel was just high enough that someone about my height (5'9") could walk without stooping, but just barely.

In some places, it was carved as though they expected giants to walk through.

And finally, you reach the height of dwarves! (Okay, so we have been watching Lord of the Rings lately)

This is where my back began to ache from stooping down. If you are afraid of tight spaces, DO NOT enter this tunnel. Almost the entire way is only as wide as my husband's arm, as you can see here.

There wasn't much wiggle room to maneuver. I barely managed to get my jacket off while wearing my backpack. Why did I need to? Well, it gets really warm down in this tunnel. Really. Warm. The only cooling we had was the water flowing over our feet. There is even still an inscription from the time it was carved.

Dating back to Hezekiah's reign. It was as we neared this point that we had begun to sing old hymns. The resonance was absolutely beautiful.

We finally exited to the bright sunshine once more. It ends at another prominent biblical site. The Pool of Siloam.

It was the pool of Siloam that Jesus sent a blind man to wash in after healing his eyes. (John 9) Once the man had washed in the pool, he received his sight.

We wandered around so much of the land in Israel that I cannot pinpoint every location where photos were taken. I can only relate thoughts that came to me or stories that were told at certain areas. One of those, were these steps. 

Are you willing to take His place?

 

They had been buried and later found during excavations. Dating back to the time Jesus lived. But what stuck with me, was that they were in the area where Jesus may have walked while carrying a cross across his shredded back. Jesus didn't take the most direct path to Golgotha. The Romans would make the accused wander through the town as an example to the others as a "This is what we do to criminals". These steps might just be some that Jesus trudged along as he lugged the heavy beam that they would later nail his wrists to. Even if they weren't, it is a good visual reminder to those of us who believe. To be thankful and praise God that Jesus did that. So we can be free of our sins. 

The wheels on the bus...

Most tourists don't think twice about the bus driver. Or the bus. They just think about getting from point A to point B as quickly and smoothly as they can. Not me. This bus driver is Meir. He works with the guide we had, Shraga. I cannot praise the two of them enough! Meir takes driving to a whole new level. He can parallel park this monster as if it was nothing more than Volkswagen Beetle. It was spectacular! And he was always nice. Polite, well versed in places we went. He looked after Shraga like a son would. If I ever go back and want to do a tour again, these two are the ones I want to go with.

Lessons learned...

We checked into our first hotel with the group. Ready for some rest, we trudged to our gorgeous rooms. But then we realized how thirsty we were and that we had forgotten to grab waters from the bus. Our guide would let us take a bottle for free each day and then we could purchase further bottles for a $1. But we forgot.

So we had to call room service... Take it from me! Not worth the $12 we paid. Good water in pretty bottles, but I'd rather spend money elsewhere. On things I'm taking home with me. 

All the food! 

We ate. And ate. And ate some more. But isn't that what vacations are about? You typically view the sights and eat. And then repeat! That is what we did. We would be fairly full, but still eat a little at dinner just to try something new. Breakfast was served at the hotels we stayed in.

We would snack and have lunch while on the tours. These ice creams we got came with spoons that were shaped like little shovels. And they were delicious!

Then back to the hotel for dinners. Each meal at the hotel was a buffet! And they always had good things to choose from.

We even saw places we wanted to try on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem, but then we forgot and didn't get to.

Ben Yehuda Street is a popular place to walk and shop. We split a cab with others to get to it, but could also walk to and from the hotel we stayed in. I think it was only a few miles away.

There is an open market all along it with shops as well. I came across this candy stall and turned into a little kid again.

We bought several types and brought them back for the kids to try with us. 

We also tried something that is special for the Jewish holiday Purim. This pastry is called Haman's Ear. (I say Haman, you say BOO!) Purim is the holiday celebrated since Queen Esther in the Bible saved the Jews by going to the King and telling him the wickedness that Haman had planned for her people. The story of Queen Esther was always a favorite of mine. I have learned a lot more of the history of the time and why things were so significant. Take the former queen, Vashti. Why might she have refused the king? Which in turned angered him and triggered his advisors to tell him to get a new queen? Well, back in his reign, women were property. And at these big feasts, they were called to dress and dance provocatively for the drunken king and all his male guests. Maybe she didn't want to be degraded so that night. Or feared worse behaviors due to their drunkenness. Ultimately, we know God was working in the background to get Esther to be the queen. But back to the Haman's Ear (did you say BOO?) This pastry is shaped like an ear on purpose. Why? Because criminals in this time, destined for hanging, had their ears cut off first. Then were marched to the gallows where everyone could see their shame as they went. Haman meant for Mordecai to end up on those gallows. He made them tall so all could see and he (Haman) would feel victorious. But because of the underhandedness and because God used the gentile kings' love for Esther, Haman and all his family hung instead. The Jewish people were allowed to fight their attackers instead of being forced to stand there while being cut down. So during Purim, the Jewish people serve these. When someone says Haman, everyone else says BOO! As in booing his despicable deeds. 

That will be all for today's post. I'll have another one later. But I hope you enjoyed my walk through Israel. Please pray for peace to come there. For those lives lost. And may I just remind you. Every human being is made in God's image. No matter who they are, where they come from, what they do. We don't have to approve of their actions. Or show support in wrong-doing. But we are called to love and pray for each and every one of the people.