Day seven in Israel.

Day seven we were on the bus at seven a.m. Today we weren't going to be coming back to Jerusalem for the night, we were going to be staying in a Youth Hostel in Beersheva. It was a packed day, we went to Sataf National Park, Beth-Shemesh, Azekah, Lachish, Askelon where we went to the Mediterranean Sea, and then to Beersheva for the night. Here are some pictures.

This is where Samson grew up. We are at Beth-Shemesh looking across the Sorek Valley. They have dug up lots of pottery that is 1600 years old, I took a piece home with me.

This is Dad pointing to the Elah Valley where David and Goliath fought.

This is the Sataf National Park in the Sorek Canyon (west of Jerusalem). We walked down to the ruins you see on the right and then down some more, and of course we had to walk all the way back up!

Dad and I at the Mediterranean Sea in Askelon.

This is dad at the Mediterranean Sea.

Day six in Israel.

Day six was a free morning off. In the afternoon was the exam for those that wanted to do it and then a class. In the morning I went out with some guys from our group while dad studied for the exam. We went on to the wall and walked around the Old City on the wall. Then we got off and had lunch at a pizza shop, then went back to JUC for class. Sorry there are no photos, I didn't take the camera that day.

Day five in Israel.

Day five was a lot of fun. We went to lots of cool places like the Emmaus Road, Nebi Samwill, (where we had a great view) and Jericho. We passed lots of Bedouin camps as we drove along. The Bedouin are people that live out in the middle of nowhere, looking after the sheep and goats and living without any electricity.

This is dad walking on the Emmaus Road, the road that Jesus appeared on after he rose from the dead.

This is looking on to a Israeli village from Nebi Samwill.


This is a Bedouin camp. You see a lot of these as you drive along in the bus. Usually there are lots of camels and donkeys walking around the camp.

New Testament Jericho.

Day four in Israel.

Day four was our first field study day. Instead of staying in Jerusalem we got on our bus at 7:00 a.m, and headed off toward the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Herodian, Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.



Dad and I with the wilderness in the background. This is the wilderness where Christ was tempted and where the Good Samaritan parable came from.

One of the many Bedouin boys that came to say hello with their donkeys and camels.

Herodian, a palace that Herod built.

Our group standing on the Mount of Olives looking to Jerusalem. The gold dome is the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.

Me with the Garden of Gethsemane in the background.

Dad touching the place where Jesus might have been born.

Day three in Israel.

Day three: We were allowed to sleep in, we had to be at the bus at 8:00. Today was our New Testament Jerusalem Walk. We walked around the Wailing Wall, which was an experience but was amazing. Here are a few photos:

Us at the Wailing Wall.
Dad with the Wailing Wall in the background.

The remains of Robinsons Arch on a 1st century street. Robinsons Arch was a entrance into the Temple.

Dad teaching me on the exact same steps that Gamaliel taught Saul.

Day two in Israel.

Day two: In the morning we were up and about at 7:30 am. Today was our Old Testament Jerusalem walk in the morning, then class in the afternoon. We went to the pools of Bethesda and Hezekiah's Tunnel. Hezekiah's Tunnel is a tunnel that King Hezekiah dug for a water way and later used to escape from the Babylonians. Here is an inscription they found in the Tunnel.

The tunneling has been completed. And this was the way the breach was made. While the masons were wielding their picks, one gang towards another, and while there were still three cubits to be cut through, a mans voice was heard calling to his mate; for their was a fissure in the rock running from south to north. So on the day the breach was made, the masons struck, one gang towards the other, pick against pick; and the water flowed from the spring to the pool, a distance of 1,200 cubits. 100 cubits was the height of the rock above the head of the masons.

The tunnel is open to the public to go through but it is filled with water. Most of our group went through the tunnel, but Dad and I went through a different tunnel called the Canaanite Tunnel. This was dry but very, very narrow.

Me at the Pools of Bethesda.

Dad and I with the ruins of the Pools of Bethesda in the background.


Looking down on the Pools of Bethesda.


Dad and I at the mouth of Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Our group waiting to go down to the entrance to Hezekiah's Tunnel.

Me, my roommate, and another lady from our group sitting on the ruins of the steps of the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the crippled man.

These steps are not open to the public yet, but our guide knew the man in charge so we got to go. These are the actual steps leading from the Pool of Siloam to the Temple.

Day one in Israel

Day One in Israel: In the morning we went to JUC (Jerusalem University College) to have orientation and the course introduction. Then we went on a Old City walk around Jerusalem.

This is called the "Dung Gate" even though there is not a gate. It is an entrance in and out of the old city.

This is looking down onto the Kidron Valley from the city of David. The village you can see is an Arab village.

This is a typical street in the old city, except this isn't as bad as the others because it doesn't have shops on the left hand side. As you walk down these streets, you get yelled at from the shop owners to come and buy stuff, and you constantly have to move out the way for boys with carts that don't wait for you to move.

Dad standing in the ruins of what would have been a shop in 350-600 A.D.

This is looking out on to the Mount of Olives.

Hello

Hi everyone,

I am writing from Israel again. We have been staying in a holiday resort on the shores of the Sea of Galilee for the past few days so I have not had a chance to go on the internet. The resort was very nice, great food, big rooms and a great view of the Sea of Galilee from our bedroom window.

This is a few places that we have gone to over the last few days.

On a boat on the Sea of Galilee, we learnt about fishing on the sea in Jesus' day.

Tel Aviv: one of the largest city's in Israel. We went there on a train on our free day.

Behorn Ridge

Caesarea: a place that Herod built that faced Rome.

A place with warm springs that people swam in. We had lunch there. Some people think its the Garden of Eden, it was very beautiful.

We went down to the Jordan river and one person from our group jumped in, but it was freezing so we wisely stayed out.

Lots of other places, like ruins of places that Herod built, or just old ruins that were from Jesus' time, lots of lookout places that we can go out on and have a 360 degree view of different places of Israel.

Tomorrow we have a free day. Then for the few days that we have left we are doing different sort of field trips, but we will stay at the hotel in Jerusalem.

Well I better go as I am very tired. We have been getting up at about 6 to 6:30 every morning, and then playing Mafia as a group at night. So as a result I am very tired, but as our guide said, "Make the most of your time while your here, you can sleep on the plane back home."

Anna-Marie.

I am in Israel!

Hello everyone, I am writing from Jerusalem. I have been here for about 5 days and am going to be here for another 2 and a bit weeks. I am sorry that this will have to be short, but I really don't have a lot of time. I will now try to list all the places we have been which we will be hard as we have been to so many different places but I will try. Here they are.

Around the streets of Jerusalem which is very interesting and different.
On Mt. Olives.
The Kidron Valley.
The garden of Gethsemane.
Hezekiah's Tunnel (I didn't actually go in as it was full of water, but I went to it and around it with some others.)
The ruins of the pool of Siloam. (I hope that's how you spell it)
Beth-esda pools.
Bethlehem.
The ruins of the Temple Mount and the Southern Steps.
Lots of other places.

Most of the time we go out on a bus and drive to different places and then walk around it and learn a lot! I have never learnt so much in one week. There are about 43 people in our group, 23 from the Southern Baptist Seminary and all the others are from different places. Some times we go out for a morning and then come in for a five to six hour class. Yes it is a lot of learning. But I really better go as it is late and we have to get up at 5:30 in the morning which is the time we have usually had to get up at in the mornings. But by for now and I will try to write another post soon.


Anna-Marie.

PS: I am sorry there are no photos, I have not had a chance to download them yet. I will try to get some photos on as soon as I can.