Welcome to Israel

Our Israel visit began just after noon today! We met our new guide, Nader, a Syrian Orthodox Christian, and our driver Samil.

Fifteen minutes later we were at Qumran, overlooking the Dead Sea:


Qumran is, of course, the Essene community of the first century where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1948. There, I read from Psalm 119:9-11.

After Qumran, we drove quickly to Jericho, and read from Luke 19:1-10 before stopping to take a picture of this Sycamore tree, one of several old ones in the area of the New Testament Jericho.


After stopping for lunch at Temptation Restaurant, we climbed Tel Jericho, the Old Testament site, where we read Joshua 6:1-20...(the pic below is of a Bronze age tower fortification--probably--at the site)...


...and stood before the Mount of Temptation while reading Matthew 4:1-11:


By 4:44, we were back in the bus and on the Jericho Road, bound for Jerusalem. While passing the Inn of the Good Samaritan en route, I read from Luke 10:30-37, the story of the Good Samaritan. Around 5:30, we were rounding the Mount of Olives and in view of the city of our God while I read Psalm 48:1-3.

We checked into the Olive Tree hotel and headed for dinner at 6:30.

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