Israel Study Tour with Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
January 2-12, 2018
Led by Dr. Jonathan Greer
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Trip Blog Posts
It changes everything
posted on Friday January 12 2018 at 1:32 am UTC
Greetings from Jerusalem! Soon, we will be back in the States, sharing stories and testimonies about how Jesus Christ has been moving in our lives as we learn throughout this trip. Consequently, this will be the last blog post that you will have the pleasure of enjoying. May it bring you blessing and...
Restored to shalom
posted on Thursday January 11 2018 at 2:07 am UTC
Today we visited one of the sites I’ve been most anxious to see: The Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Located on Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered his son, Isaac, the Temple Mount was the center of Jewish worship and was the platform on which rested the very presence of the living God. The second temple...
Excitement and passion
posted on Wednesday January 10 2018 at 12:24 am UTC
Today our first stop was Herodium, a magnificent palace/fortress built by Herod the Great between 23 and 15 BC. This magnificent site was named after its author and is situated on the highest peak of the Judean desert just south of Bethlehem. The main purpose of this complex was for governmental...
Bless us where we are
posted on Tuesday January 09 2018 at 12:18 am UTC
January 8: Beth Shean – Jacob H. Beth Shean was a breathtaking experience and possibly my favorite archaeological site. It is a massive, well preserved site with an expansive history stretching beyond both Old and New Testaments. It offers multicultural artifacts from before, during, and after biblical...
“Jesus Country:” Exploring Capernaum and Magdala
posted on Monday January 08 2018 at 1:30 am UTC
For the past few days we have been exploring the Shephelah and the areas around the Dead Sea, the arenas for many of the most well-known events of the Old Testament. But today we got the chance to explore what one of our professors affectionately dubbed “Jesus Country!” We got to travel across Sea...
A second chance
posted on Sunday January 07 2018 at 1:31 am UTC
In the desert, more obviously than perhaps anywhere else, water means life. Particularly in the southern region of Israel where rain seldom falls and middle easterners are at the mercy of extreme heat and drought, it is imperative to secure the basic, precious resource of water. Our Israeli guide Yehuda...
The importance of water
posted on Saturday January 06 2018 at 12:55 am UTC
Today’s Journey took our group mostly around the lower part of the Dead Sea and into the Negev. These regions in particular tend to be dry receiving about 2-4 inches of rain per year. It so happens that today was the day in which those inches decided to fall. Our first stop of the day was to the site...
The Shephelah
posted on Friday January 05 2018 at 12:06 am UTC
Our day began before the sunrise. Many of us spent the night tossing, trying to adjust from the jetlag from yesterday’s travels. However early it was, it was beautiful to watch the sun rise over the hill country of Israel. Our hotel was near Kiriath Jearim, in the central hill country of Israel. We...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Wednesday December 20 2017 at 7:55 pm UTC
Our trip to Israel will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground in Israel, we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family,...