I had a sales conference in Israel where we were taken to Caesarea, an incredible Roman ruins. I didn’t have much time there and only my iPhone. I was only able to snap a few photos with the promise to myself, to visit again and spend some real time exploring. I also spent a lot of time in Tel Aviv, but very few photos of my time there. Most of my time was working so the few times I could explore were more to find food and drink then see the sights. I did capture some viewpoints with my iPhone that were quite nice. 

After the sales conference, two of my associates decided to drive to the Dead Sea. I was the driver so it was impossible for me to photograph the amazing sites as we headed down into the low lands. I may have taken some, but everything from that eventful trip is lost. The most interesting part, on the way back we decided to go see the Church of the Ascension. We had a map, but with unmarked streets, we made a wrong turn and ended up in a very Palestinian neighborhood. The road went into a dead-end with no room to turn around and a car behind us trying to get into his garage. We had a large number of people yelling at us and hitting the car for us to move. Finally, someone spoke a little English and help the gathering crowd to push back all the vehicles that were not lined up to make various turns in the maze we were in. Eventually we found our way out, but I have to admit, that was the most nervous I had been in my travels. A lot of yelling, hitting of the car and three obvious Americans in a very foreign location. Oh, and in the midst of this it started to pour rain. We finally got to the Church, only to find it was closed. We continued back to Tel Aviv and found a warm, dry bar to calm our nerves.

I also spent a lot of time in Tel Aviv, but very few photos of my time there. Most of my time was working so the few times I could explore were more to find food and drink then see the sights. I did capture some viewpoints with my iPhone that were quite nice.

My other major trip to Israel was during my wife’s birthday cruise. We spent two days in Israel, visiting of course Old Jerusalem, but also other locations that I had not seen before. We were docked at Haifa, and took tours rather than renting a car and going on our own. On our first day we headed to Jerusalem (see separate gallery). We then went to Bethlehem, which is actually located in Palestine. We took our mini-bus to the border and changed to a Palestinian bus for our final trip to where Jesus was born. 

Bethlehem is very intriguing, a hot-spot of Christianity, holding one of Christians most cherished shrines in the midst of Palestine with the mosques and heavily Islamic influenced culture. You see this contrast everywhere in Israel and the region, with the Jewish, Arab and Christian (plus Armenian) quarters all intermingling and living in a resemblance of peace. Around Israel are sacred Christian and Jewish shrines, sometimes sharing the same footprint. Even in Jordan, the Jewish and Christian presence is evident in this largely Islamic country.

In Bethlehem, we found ourselves in the Church of the Nativity, the place where it is written that Jesus was born and the manger where all my Christmas stories were based. You will pass through the Door of Humility, where you must bow to pass through, into the Church itself. Finding the grotto where the cave was located those two thousand years ago when Mary and Joseph came to find no place to stay. Climbing down into the grotto, you are now in the place where Christianity was born. You can reach into a sacred hole to touch the actual spot Jesus was born and pose in front of the place where the manger when the baby Jesus slept. A very powerful moment.  We went then to the Church of Saint Catherine, which is a beautiful church with a long history that has been modernized. Unfortunately, we were out of time and had to make our way back to Jerusalem. We changed buses at the border and said goodbye to our Palestinian hosts.

Back at Jerusalem, we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Via Dolorosa, and Wailing wall, again outlined in my Jerusalem Gallery,

On our second day, we started with a drive overlooking Haifa and the Baha’i gardens. No time to explore these multi-level gardens, but the garden views were sensational.

We headed toward Tiberias, North of Tel Aviv. 

Tiberias is a city on the Sea of Galilee founded by the Romans in 20 CE, and named after the second emperor of the Roman Empire. It has been at the heart of Judaism for nearly two thousand years and was a key city during the founding of Israel. During one of my work visits to Israel, we took an evening boat across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberias and viewed the different ancient villages and historical sites from afar. With our Israeli hosts, they would point out the famous Jewish and Israeli locations, several Kibbutz, and mention the locations of Christianity. It again amazed me how our religions and cultures are so intermixed. But now, I would be able to view these Christian sites close up.

So for our group, Tiberias was a starting point to find and walk in the footsteps of Christ. It is near Tiberias where Jesus walked on water, lived in Capernaum with Peter, turned water into wine at Cana, fed the multitudes, delivered his sermon on the mound at the Mound of Beatitudes, and is close to Nazareth where the Church of the Annunciation commemorates Virgin Mary being told she would give birth to our savior by the Angel Gabriel. While Tiberias is not a true Holy site for Christians, it is in the midst of the beginnings of Christianity.

We started in Nazareth at the Church of Annunciation. The new church was built in 1969 over the site of a never finished Crusader Church, a small 17th Century church, both of which were built over the site of a 4th Century Byzantine shrine. The location is above the grotto where Mary lived and many Christians believe was her childhood home. It was here according to Christians where Mary received the Angel Gabriel’s message. According to the Greek Orthodox Church, the annunciation was actually at a well close by and their church was erected there.

While visiting the Church, we ventured down into the Grotto, peered at is traditionally the home of the Virgin Mary, prayed at the various alters commemorating the annunciation, and explored the various nooks and crannies of this historic site. There are many mosaics and other works of art on display. We had a few minutes to walk the streets of Nazareth before climbing back on the bus.

We left the Nazareth and headed toward the Jordan River, stopping only on an overlook of the Sea of Galilee. At the Jordan river, Vicky and I were baptized, but it was more commercial then ceremonial. While in the chilly, dirty waters of the Jordan river, our toes were being nibbled upon by tiny fish. We have the certificate of baptism and the photos commemorating our time in the River. Unfortunately, it is not where Jesus was baptized. That site is in Jordan, on the other side of the river. Both of us would visit on our trip to Jordan several years later. The Jordan river was a mighty river at one point, but is now little more than a stream due to irrigation of Israel and Palestine. The baptismal site of Jesus is almost 150 yards from the present Jordan River.

After a shower and snack we headed to  Tabgha and back to the Sea of Galilee. Tabgha is the traditional location of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-46) and also the site of the 3rd appearance of Jesus after the resurrection. At the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes (longest Church name I have come across) is the rock where Jesus blessed the fish and bread. Unfortunately, we had limited time and didn’t visit this church. Instead we spend our time at the Church of the Primacy of St Peter, which was build int 1934 and commemorates the site of Jesus’s appearance to St. John, Peter, and 6 other disciples after the resurrection. They had not caught any fish after a night of fishing and an unrecognized Jesus told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat where they caught 153 fish. Jesus then prepared them breakfast, after which Jesus challenged Peter three times with “do you love me”, which Peter answered yes. This cancelled his denial before the crucifixion. He then commissioned Peter as primacy head of the apostles and set him forth to build his church. 

At the Church is the rock where Jesus cooked the breakfast, and a plaque from Pope  John Paul’s visit in 2006. It is a simple church compared with it’s importance. We walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee before heading to our next site. I am hopeful I will be able to come back and visit the Church of the Multitudes and spend a little more time then the rushed agenda of a tour group. 

My favorite stop for the day was next, Capharnaum (Cpaernaum) or the town of Jesus. It is here where Jesus lived during his three year ministry on earth. It is here where Jesus stayed at the house of Peter and you can see the ruins and outlines of this home (so tradition says). It is also here where the synagogue (now in excavation) where Jesus worshipped and taught. It was remarkable. We entered the Church above Peter’s house where the glass floor provides a visual access to the ruins. You can almost imagine living in such cramped quarters, the savior to so many. Wandering through the synagogue ruins, it is easy to see Jesus as he prepares and teaches to become the savior. We had time to wander through the synagogue and the ruins of the ancient town near by. We then boarded our bus to the Mount of Beatitudes. 

The Mount of Beatitudes is the tradition location of the Sermon on the Mounds, Jesus’s most famous discourse. It is a very serene church overlooking the North end of the Sea of Galilee, with many of the sites we visited with eyesight. The 8 sided church was build in 1938 and offers peace and quiet, with beautiful landscapes and memorials.

Our final stop before heading back to our cruise ship was a very interesting boat found in the mud at the Sea of Galilee. It is from the time of Jesus (they make no other claim), but for a 2000 year old boat, it is in fine condition. How they preserved it was almost as interesting as the boat itself.  It was discovered during a drought when the waters had receded. Two brothers from a local Kibbutz discovered it and alerted authorities. They had to excavate the boat before the waters rose, so spent 12 days and nights digging it out of the mud and covering it with fiberglass and insulating foam before floating it to it’s new location. It was then submerged in a wax bath for 12 years to protect it, before it was finally displayed in the Yigal Allon Galilee Boat Museum in Kittubz ginosar.

Israel, with it’s history, beauty, Christian, Judea and Muslim roots, people and food is one of my favorite places to visit. I hope I can return, spend more time and find more adventure.