Israel Familiarization Trip

January 4-15, 2016

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Juxtaposition

The word that embodies today most is contrast. Everything we saw today was a strange juxtaposition: ancient and modern, Judaism and Islam, worship and politics, Israel and Palestine, hubris and humility. It was an overwhelming day to process to say the least.

We started our exposition into Jerusalem by visitng the temple. Everywhere we've gone thus far has had some sort of commercializations in the form of a souvenir shop or coffee place at the entrance, but not at the Temple Mount because the Temple Mount is for worship. All around you see people in fervent prayer, but in the midst of all this worship you have armed guards. Because while this is a place of worship, it is also a place of politics. Our guide attempted to give us the cliff notes version of how to understand how the various events and groups have levied the temple into their agendas and how the Temple both keeps the peace and is the strongest point of contention.

Western Wall

The Western Wall is the most holy place accessible to the Jewish people because of Muslim control of the Temple Mount. Known in recent centuries as the “Wailing Wall,” this was built by Herod the Great as the retaining wall of the Temple Mount complex. The plaza was created as an area for prayer when Israel captured the Old City in 1967. At times tens of thousands of people gather here for prayer.

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From there we moved to the Herodian to see yet another great work of Herod to his own honor. This is where the wise men would have met him when seeking the baby Jesus. You are presented with this momunment one man made to himself just because he could, and yet the creator and savior of the world is born just six miles away in obscurity. It goes to show us God's wisdom, power, and ways are completely different than what man would choose.

Herodium

Herodium is 3 miles southeast of Bethlehem and 8 miles south of Jerusalem. Its summit is 2,460 feet above sea level.

Herod built or re-built eleven fortresses. This one he constructed on the location of his victory over Antigonus in 40 BC.

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Lastly, we entered into Bethlehem. This is where CNN would have you believe is the most dangerous place in the world. Yet what you see are people trying to live normal lives, with normal families, and normal businesses. There is a desire for real peace but politics and human grasps for power and oppression prevent that. We were able to support a Christian Palestinian business who is a minority among minorities.

Life is complicated in Israel but God is good and always working.

Bethlehem

Biblical scholars believe Bethlehem, located in the "hill country" of Judah, may be the same as the Biblical Ephrath which means "fertile", as there is a reference to it in the Book of Micah as Bethlehem Ephratah.[17] The Bible also calls it Beth-Lehem Judah,and the New Testament describes it as the "City of David". It is first mentioned in the Bible as the place where the matriarch Rachel died and was buried "by the wayside" (Gen. 48:7). Rachel's Tomb, the traditional grave site, stands at the entrance to Bethlehem. According to the Book of Ruth, the valley to the east is where Ruth of Moab gleaned the fields and returned to town with Naomi. It was the home of Jesse, father of King David of Israel, and the site of David's anointment by the prophet Samuel. It was from the well of Bethlehem that three of his warriors brought him water when he was hiding in the cave of Adullam.

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