Israel!! Days One through Three

Day 1 Tue May 30 &  – Day 2 Wed May 31 Depart U.S. from Chicago-Ohare – you will need to book flights to and from Chicago – flight to Zurich will depart at 2:20p -arrange your flight to arrive at least three hours before departure time. We transition from Zurich to Tel-Aviv and arrive in Tel-Aviv at around 2:30p the next day.  – After an afternoon Arrival in Tel Aviv. Stroll and/or Swim in the Mediterranean. Overnight in Tel Aviv.

Everything went pretty good considering being up for 24hours to get to Tel Aviv.  We flew Swiss Air from Chicago, through Zurich and onto Tel Aviv.  We were really impressed with the service from Swiss Air who served us Swiss chocolates after each meal.  The stewardess brought Tammy a plate of assorted chocolates for her birthday. We checked into our hotel and had a great dinner.  We checked into our hotel in Netanya and finished the day walking along the boardwalk on the Mediterranean sea.  The sea h was much larger than we thought as it looks like it goes forever.   

Day 3 Thu June 1 - Caesarea by the Sea; Haifa, Megiddo; Mt. Carmel, Rosh Hanikra/ Mt. Arbel overlook; Sea of Galilee

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and followed the Via Maris along the Mediterranean to the ruins of King Herod’s ancient seaport at Caesarea.  We walked into the theater which actually is still is used today for concerts.  This was our first impact that we were really were in Israel and the bible was appearing right before our eyes.  The theater was where God struck down King Agrippa for his pride.  We watched a film of the history of the area and how the seaport King Herod the Great designed was so majestic and powerful.  After his death and over time it eventually crumbled into the sea.  Like the failure of the seaport, Herod failed at killing Jesus when he ordered all male firstborn two years and younger to be killed.   This area also is where Paul was imprisoned and stood before the Roman courts to testify his faith and about Christianity.  We walked into the Hippodrome where games of competition, chariot races and gladiators fought. I found my first piece of pottery to tag as Pastor Joe had explained how pottery is found among these areas.  We viewed the aqueduct that carried fresh water over 10 miles to Caesarea. We finished our tour at Caesarea and headed north beside the Via Maris driving by Mount Caramel and stopping at Megiddo.  Megiddo was unbelievable.  The area has been excavated to expose 25 civilizations that inhabited this area, each stacked on top of the other.  It was constantly fought for as this was a major pass through from Egypt and Babylon. Megiddo overlooks the valley of Armageddon.  It is enormous and so much larger than we thought.  Splitting the country in half the valley runs from Galilee to the Mediterranean.  It is around 65 miles long and emotional to imagine standing at the final battle field.  We walked through the tunnel that was carved through the rock for a water source.  We took 180 steps down to the bottom of the cistern which all was carved through solid stone. After lunch we traveled to Nazareth to an area call Nazareth Village.  This replicated what the area looked like during the life of Christ.  They explained what the area looked like during the time, what the Roman soldiers wore and what they were armed with and how they crucified prisoners.  The crucifixions were nothing like the movies have portrayed as they were crueler to the prisoners and very close to all the public to experience and be threatened by.  We saw how tools were made, wool was sheared and spun and wine being stomped.   We walked into a replica synagogue of the size and setting that Jesus would have taught in.  We watched the olive presses at work and ended the tour with each of us receiving our own oil lamp from our host.  To end the day we have checked into our hotel at the Sea of Galilee.  We had 9 hours of lessons and experiences today and tomorrow brings a new day.