In the place it took place

Hello friends and family.

After a long flight yesterday from Huston to Istanbul and then on to Israel we finally arrived. Our Israeli guide and driver met us at the airport and then drove us directly to our hotel for a much needed night of sleep. This morning we started off by visiting the biblical gardens at Yad Hashmonah. Our guide Yehuda walked us around and talked about the importance of agriculture in the Bible. We spent time looking at scripture associated with threshing floors, wine and olive presses as well as watch towers and the different trees and plants in Israel. The Bible is written to an agricultural society so a lot of the writings focus on the different harvests as well as seasons in the land of Israel.

Next we spent time at Bet Shemesh, which is the hometown of Samson. As a group it is pretty amazing to read a story that you were taught as a child but to see it in the place it took place. This was all just a small set up for visiting the place where David fought Goliath. We stood on a hill looking down at the Valley of Elah and were able to see as we were reading where it all happened. From there we made a quick stop at the creek to pick up five smooth stones.

The day was finished with a visit to Bet Guvrin with it’s amazing underground city. As we showed up at the site we had no idea the vast maze of rooms that were underneath our feet. Our guides discussed with us how this was the hometown of Herod the Great and we learned about the Hasmonean’s and the Maccabean revolt.

As we finish the day we are now in the Dead Sea region, which just so happens to be the lowest place on earth. We look forward to a good nights sleep and continuing to walk the land of the Bible tomorrow.