Help support our friends in Israel in their time of need.
Israel Pastor's FAM Trip - Presented by GTI Tours
January 2-13, 2020
Subscription options are no longer available for this tour.
Who do you say that I am?
The rain did not stop us today from learning more about the biblical context surrounding Jesus’ time and that of 1st century Jewish life. It was insightful to experience the olive press and the preparation of bread in a traditional format. We squeezed into a first century style home and read the passage from Mark 2 where the paralytic is lowered into the home where Jesus was teaching and Jesus heals him of both physical and spiritual need. It was striking to imagine the commotion that would have occured as the paralytic’s friends scratched and clawed away at the mud roof.
Katzrin
The ancient Jewish farming village of Katzrin was built around a spring, which still flows. Although there were standing ruins on the site, archaeological excavations have increased the number of accessible ancient buildings. An ancient synagogue was discovered in 1967 and excavated between 1971 and 1984. Other parts of the village were excavated beginning in 1983. Some of the buildings have been reconstructed on their ancient foundations and furnished with replicas of household goods and tools
We also traveled today to nearby Caesarea Philippi (about 25 miles north of Galilee, at the base of Mount Hermon) and looked at the passage in Matthew 16 where Jesus asks His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” The context of this question by Jesus buttesses the importance and magnitude of Peter’s response proclaiming “thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Here, a confluence of Roman religion and worldview serve as the backdrop to Peter’s declaration of the deity of Christ. It was sobering to think that Jesus, who was “the Son of the living God” had walked the very hills that we traveled through today.
Caesarea Philippi
This abundant water supply has made the area very fertile and attractive for religious worship. Numerous temples were built at this city in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
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.