Help support our friends in Israel in their time of need.
Israel Study Tour with Grace Hills Church
November 18-29, 2019
Subscription options are no longer available for this tour.
The Road to Jerusalem
We left the resort at Ein Gev on the Sea of Galilee around 7:45am and traveled to the amazing ruins of the city of Beth She’an (The house of rest). The city was one of the decopolis cities and the only one west of the Jordan River. Strategically located along the Via Maris, control of the city was very important yet it wasn’t conquered by Israel until the time of David. Beth She’an was where the Philistines hung Saul’s body after he was killed.
Beginning in the first century, Rome gained control and developed it into the most important city in Israel. The incredible ruins included a hippodrome, theater, temple dedicated to Zeus, bath houses, a marketplace, pools, spas, sewer system, running water and housing spread out over hundreds of acres.
Pastor Mike reminded us that this Roman city was located in the midst of Israel and that their natural tendency was to conform to this new world. Romans 12:2 tells us that rather than conforming to this world, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Beth Shean
Located 17 miles (27 km) south of the Sea of Galilee, Beth Shean is situated at the strategic junction of the Harod and Jordan Valleys. The fertility of the land and the abundance of water led the Jewish sages to say, “If the Garden of Eden is in the land of Israel, then its gate is Beth Shean.” It is no surprise then that the site has been almost continuously settled from the Chalcolithic period to the present.
Our next stop was the stronghold of Megiddo. On the way we passed the Spring of Gideon and then toured the site of the ancient city. Megiddo’s location along the Via Maris, the major trade route between Egypt and the rest of the world made its control important as well. Originally a Canaanite City, Megiddo was conquered by the tribe of Manasseh and reached its height under King Solomon.
We toured the city gate, the temple, the palace and the waterworks built by King Ahab that provided a fresh water source inside the city.
Pastor Mike read from Revelation 16 of the battle of Armageddon believed to be fought at Megiddo. There is coming a time when Jesus will return again to rescue his people, judge the world and set up his kingdom.
Megiddo
From the earliest times (EB) to the earliest historical records of the area (Thutmose III) to the future (Revelation 16), Megiddo assumes a prominent role. This is largely owing to its strategic location astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Ara) and inside the busy Jezreel Valley.
After a quick lunch at Liali Al-Carmel Restaurant, we came to Mt. Carmel (The Vineyard of God). We toured the site where Elijah challenged King Ahab and the prophets of Baal in front of all the Nation of Israel. The Lord sent fire down from heaven to show Israel He was their one true God and Elijah destroyed the prophets of Baal.
Pastor Mike shared how the people of Israel were forced to chose between the God of Israel or something else and that each one of us has the same decision to make. Many times we would rather play it safe and make no decision at all, but ultimately we will all chose to follow Jesus or not.
Mt. Carmel
Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: “your head crowns you like Mount Carmel” (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4).
Our final stop for the day was at Caesarea Maritima. The city harbor built by Herod the Great beginning in 22 BCE. It included a stunning theatre, a theodrome that held the only Olympic Games to ever be held in Israel, a court and the palace where Herod and his family would stay.
The court in Caesarea was where the Apostle Paul appealed to Caesar to escape the Jews who spoke against him. It was also where the Lord sent Peter to save the house of the Roman Centurion. God used his people living under the control of the Roman Empire to spread the gospel throughout the entire world and as we walked among the ruins of Caesarea, it’s amazing to know He still does the very same thing today.
We traveled to Jerusalem to end our day staying at the Dan Hotel. What a day!
--John and Pam Aldridge
Caesarea Maritima
The city and harbor were built under Herod the Great during c. 22–10 BC near the site of a former Phoenician naval station known as Stratonos pyrgos (Στράτωνος πύργος).[2] It later became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina and Byzantine Palaestina Prima provinces. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early center of Christianity during the Byzantine period, but was mostly abandoned following the Muslim conquest of 640. It was re-fortified by the Crusaders, and finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
Upcoming Signature Tours
With 30 years of experience creating trips for other ministries, we've prepared our own signature study tours featuring some of our favorite itineraries and compelling teachers! If you've never been on a GTI Study Tour, take a moment to learn more about what you can expect.