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Israel Study Tour - Indiana Wesleyan Univ
June 18 - July 7, 2014
Led by Brian Bernius
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Trip Blog Posts
Trip Wrap Up
posted on Wednesday July 09 2014 at 12:49 am UTC
Now that we've returned from our study tour you'll hopefully be able to talk to one of us in person about what we saw, heard, learned, and experienced! Below is a wrap up video that serves as a nice summary of the trip and a reminder of all that we did. Leave us a comment below or head over and...
Heading Home
posted on Monday July 07 2014 at 6:17 am UTC
We’ve arrived at the final touring day of our trip. We said “good-bye” to the Holy Land Trust interns and archaeological diggers earlier this afternoon. The rest of us will be departing for Ben-Gurion Airport at 4 AM tomorrow. We will have a full day of travel ahead! After eighteen days in Israel...
Living in the shadow of the wall
posted on Saturday July 05 2014 at 12:56 am UTC
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so complicated it taxes the mind to even begin to comprehend the situation. I believe the Jewish Settler that we spoke with recently put it best, you are either A) Pro-Israel, B) Pro-Palestine or C) So confused you don’t touch it. If you were to ask me my point of...
The history of the Jews
posted on Friday July 04 2014 at 12:44 am UTC
Today we had to wake up really early again. At this point I am used to 6:30 breakfast, but I loved the days when we enjoyed a later breakfast. Well anyway, we started the day with a trip to Mount Herzl to see the national cemetery. We ended up getting there a little early, so we had time to talk through...
Practical Actions
posted on Wednesday July 02 2014 at 11:43 pm UTC
At this point in the trip I am feeling torn in many ways and am still in the middle of processing a lot of information. I feel myself being pulled in two different directions as I sympathize with the stories we have been hearing from Jews and Palestinians. I also find myself constantly wavering between...
Mount Carmel
posted on Tuesday July 01 2014 at 11:59 pm UTC
Try to imagine reading one of your favorite Bible stories while sitting on the mountaintop where the story took place. Today I had that unique opportunity. Our group visited Mount Carmel today, and as we climbed the stairs of the church located on top of the mountain, I felt anticipation at seeing...
Dipping our toes in Bethlehem
posted on Monday June 30 2014 at 11:51 pm UTC
Everyone was rejoicing as we all got to sleep in today. Breakfast was at 8:30 instead of our normal 6:30 this morning. We had our first breakfast in the Alexandria Hotel. Our table was filled with eggs, pita, jam, veggies, and of course some wonderful juice. After breakfast, we had a short meeting...
Commerce, knowledge, and innovation
posted on Sunday June 29 2014 at 11:18 pm UTC
Today's travels took us all the way from the shores of the sea to the hilly town of Bethlehem. We left our hotel in Tiberias eeeaarrlyy in the morning (zzz) and headed straight to the ancient Roman/Byzantine city of Beth Shean. We entered in the "back door" of the site and hiked up the hill to get...
Hazor, Caesarea Philippi, and Dan
posted on Sunday June 29 2014 at 12:52 am UTC
Today we went to the Biblical sites of Hazor, Caesarea Philippi, and Dan. Hazor is a city located north of the Sea of Galilee, and is also credited with being completely destroyed by Joshua in the Bible. Though a burn layer was found, supporting the idea of destruction, there was also Canaanite remains...
The Breath on His lips
posted on Saturday June 28 2014 at 12:40 am UTC
What a morning! Up early and on the road, we left by 7:15. I always laugh at the time difference, because it sometimes means that you who are reading this haven't gone to bed yet. Anyway, our first stop was around the lake and up a hill. Yehuda, our guide, told us that this was the traditional...
Masada and Ein Gedi
posted on Friday June 27 2014 at 12:52 am UTC
Today was most likely the hardest day of the trip physically, but it was certainly an incredible day! First thing this morning we drove to Masada on the tour bus. On the way, we saw a classic picture of camels walking in a group on the top of a ridge (I love being able to see those classic picturesque...
From Jerusalem to the Mediterranean
posted on Thursday June 26 2014 at 12:32 am UTC
Leaving Jerusalem this morning feels like a millennium ago with all of the things we did today, but what an adventure! Beginning our bus tour portion of the trip, our first stop was Beth-Shemesh. We were on higher ground, looking down into the Sorek Valley. Across the valley we pointed out Zorah,...
Hezekiah's Tunnel
posted on Wednesday June 25 2014 at 12:57 am UTC
The indomitable world super power of Assyria was bearing down on Judah. Having subdued and deported Israel, Judah's sister kingdom in the North, Assyria was now at their doorstep. Hezekiah, the king of Judah had rebelled against Assyria, declaring Judah no longer to be its vassal state. Some scholars...
Artifacts & Experiences
posted on Tuesday June 24 2014 at 1:08 am UTC
We took a taxi service van up to the Mount of Olives, which was the first time we rode in a vehicle since arriving in Jerusalem. As buff as my legs are getting from walking everywhere, I appreciated having transportation provided for a change. We made it to the top of the mountain and looked over Jerusalem...
Testimonies Get Heated
posted on Monday June 23 2014 at 12:43 am UTC
By Evan Hoekzema What an incredible end to an incredible day!! Today was a very special day as it was our first Sabbath in country. We were lucky enough to worship with two differing congregations, one in the day and one in the night, both of which were on almost opposite sides of the spectrum. The...
Jerusalem
posted on Saturday June 21 2014 at 10:45 pm UTC
After walking the path of the crucifixion, we had some free time to explore the city. On our way to a pottery shop in the Armenian Quarter, two Orthodox Jews, Elliot and Samuel, struck up a conversation with us. We walked with them towards the Jewish Quarter. They explained that they were both originally...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Friday June 06 2014 at 5:02 pm UTC
Our trip to Israel will be here before you know it! Once we’re on the ground in Israel, we’ll post updates, photos, and more about once a day. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. Half the purpose of sharing our travel experiences through this...