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The Friends of Israel
March 13-23, 2015
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An incredible first taste
Today was a great start to what promises to be a life-impacting trip! After a 10 hour flight, we landed mid-morning in beautiful Tel Aviv. It was 60 degrees outside and it felt great to stand up and stretch out our legs again. We boarded our 2 busses shortly thereafter and began our tour. Our first stop was the Ayalon Institute, which tells a fascinating story in the history of the struggle for the establishment of the State of Israel. It's here that, underground and right under the nose of the British, a factory was created for the production of 9mm bullets which was the main type of ammunition used in the wars of independence. The site operated under complete secrecy from 1945 until 1948, a period in which over four million bullets were produced.
Our next stop was the port of Joppa, well known as the port city that Jonah came to as he ran from God.
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
The biblical town of Joppa is today known as Jaffa. This was the main port of the coast before the Israelis constructed the ports of Haifa and Ashdod. The modern city of Tel Aviv was founded on the outskirts of Jaffa in 1909 and today it encompasses the ancient city. Tel Aviv means “the Hill of Spring” and it is the same name as the city of a settlement in Babylon during the Exile (Ezek 3:15). Today the Tel Aviv area is the largest metropolitan area in Israel.
Walking around in Joppa was an incredible first taste at many adventures and awesome sights still to come. The atmosphere and the sense of the Biblical history that took place here was palpable. It's only been one day of touring, but the Bible is already coming to life for me in a whole new way!
- Steve
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