Jordan River

It is neat to realize just how much doctrine we learn from Primary songs. There is a spot along the Jordan River where thousands of Christians flock to be baptized because they believe it is the spot where Jesus was baptized. But as kids we all sang "Jesus came to John the Baptist in Judea..." Judea is much further south in the Jordan Valley, closer to Jericho. You can also read in Luke 3:21 that Jesus went unto John and further study will show that John lived in Judea, not in the northern area we visited. But then I'm not really one who cares much where the exact spot was. To me figuring out exactly where Christ was baptized is not nearly as important as figuring out how I can live up to the covenants I made when I was baptized.

That aside, it was fun to see all the people being baptized. There is a gift shop there (of course) and they sell everything from t-shirts to magnets that say "I was baptized in the Jordan River!" It is always inspiring for me to see people of all religions enjoying their religion and having excitement and passion for it. I mean it's not my style, but I am always happy when people are able to find a little more light in their lives.

The BYU Jerusalem Center

On the Sabbath we went to church at the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. Because the rest of Israel observes the Sabbath on Saturday, the LDS branches in Israel do so as well. So on Saturday we went to church at the Center. It is such a beautiful building! All of the buildings in Jerusalem have to be built with limestone and the Jerusalem Center blends right in. It has beautiful archways. My favorite part is that from the chapel where you go for Sacrament Meeting you can see right out over Jerusalem. The picture here is the view from where we sat for the meeting. I lived at the Center for 2 months when I was in Israel in 2000 and I will never forget singing "There is a Green Hill Far Away" while looking out over that very hill.

You can see more (and better) pictures of the Center at http://ce.byu.edu/jc/ It is an 8-story building. There are a couple floors of student housing, a couple floors of classrooms, a cafeteria, a chapel, a floor for security, and then the top floor is the administration center and library. I just remember that there was only one elevator and students weren't allowed to use it. You really think twice about eating when you know you have to climb six flights of stairs to get to the cafeteria! The floors inside are limestone as well. Limestone is pretty soft so we were not allowed to roll our suitcases on the floor because it could damage them. I can remember a brigade of all the guys in our class going up the stairs tossing our suitcases up and up and up. But now this is turning into a blog about my trip 8 years ago...sorry.

The grounds are beautiful as well and lots of local couples come there to have their engagement and wedding photos taken. The chapel has a lovely organ and that room is used for community concerts on a weekly basis. There is no prosyletizing from the Center, but they still make sure they are a positive presence in the community.

The Palace of Caiaphas

After being betrayed by Judas, Jesus was arrested and taken to the High Priest, Caiaphas. Both his arrest and subsequent interrogation were illegal according to the law at that time. We visited two rooms, 2,000 years old, where prisoners (including Jesus) where held. We could see holes in the rock walls that were used to tie the ropes that held the prisoners hands and feet for scourging. You should be able to see two of those holes in the picture here. There was another area in the basement where we went down lots of stairs into a deep pit. There is no record that Jesus was ever put into this pit. It was a dark, cold basement and it was sad being there and seeing where they would have tied up the Savior. It made His suffering so much more real to me.

Hezekiah's Tunnel

Since Jerusalem is on a mountain, it is naturally defensible from almost all sides, but its weakness is that its major source of fresh water, the Gihon spring, is on the side of the cliff overlooking the Kidron Valley (the valley many believe to be the Valley of the Shadow of Death). Since the spring was outside the high city walls King Hezekiah had this tunnel built around 701BC to bring water into the city. One team of men started at each end and they met somewhere in the middle of the 533 meter long tunnel. You can see a few spots in the tunnel where they started going the wrong direction and had to change course. You can also see the spot where they met in the middle because the chisel marks reverse directions. In some places the tunnel is quite tall, but in others even short little me had to duck. It made for a refreshing end to a long hot day. Our guide told us the water would maybe go up to our knees, but I guess that was just for people with regular length legs...

Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock is the third holiest site for Muslims. It is on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and I think it's a really cool looking octagonal building. The dome itself is covered in gold leafing and the outside of the building is covered in intricate tiled patterns. Most mosques face toward Mecca, but this one has a beautiful dome to draw attention to heaven. Muslims believe Abraham was going to sacrifice Ishmael not Isaac. This mosque was built to commemorate that event. This rock is also the place where they believe Mohammed ascended to heaven for a day.

Visitors are not currently allowed in the building, but I was able to go inside the last time I was there (in 2000). It's a pretty building inside. I stood in line forever to get to this place where you put your arm into a little box-like thing near the floor and you can touch the rock itself...it was a little anticlimactic. It just felt like any other rock, except coated with the germs of the last million visitors. If you want to feel the spirit of the story of Abraham and Isaac you'd do well to read the scriptures rather than touch this rock. At least in my opinion. I'm sure some have gone there and had wonderful spiritual experiences. But for me some of these sites just felt dead or empty and left me longing for the living spirit I am blessed to know.

Jerel & Goliath

We stopped in the very hot valley of Elah. Even after 40 days of being badgered by the Philistines the Israelites simply would not give up this valley. It was an important valley because it led up to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. David had faith enough to face the giant man sent by the Philistines. He chose five smooth stones out of the river, took his slingshot, and struck Goliath in the head.

Similarly, Jerel selected several smooth stones, took his slingshot, and struck himself in the foot.

I didn't even attempt it. There were too many people around and I have such unreliable coordination that it just wasn't worth the risk. Jerel actually got pretty good at it. The slingshots they used back them were different from the ones kids have today. It is bascially a rope abotu 18" long with a loop on each end and a place in the middle to hold the rock. You loop one end on your finger, hold onto the other end, and put the rock in the middle. Then you swing it around and at just the right time you let go of one end of the rope and the rock flies out. It was fun to watch everyone testing out the slingshots. It was amazing no one was hurt!

The Western Wall

I am always fascinated by this site. It is so noisy and chaotic, and yet to many Jews is a sacred and holy place where they come to pray and in some way commune with the Spirit. Jews don't think the wall itself is holy but since Othodox Jews feel they can't go on the temple mount because the priesthood was lost, this wall is the closest thing to the temple they have. At the Western Wall today men and women are kept separate, just as they were in ancient temple practices. There is a wall that runs perpendicular to the Western Wall to separate the sexes. The men's side is much larger and there were many more men there than women.

We were lucky to see several Bar Mitzvahs happening while we were there. Even at the Bar Mitzvahs the men and women are separated. On one side you could see the young boy and his father and other family and friends right up by the wall separating the women. The women of the family would be just over the wall standing on plastic chairs so they could watch the ceremony and take pictures. It was fun for me to watch over the wall too, but I didn't stay long since there were only so many chairs and it seemed like the family members and friends of those boys should be the ones able to watch.

Up at the Western Wall itself you could see lots of religious Jews praying and chanting. Some were sitting and rocking while they prayed. Others were standing and quite loud in whatever it was they were saying. There were some who walked backwards away from the wall when leaving because the site is so sacred to them they consider it offensive to turn their back on it. It is also common for people to write down prayers and then fold up the paper very small and squish it in the cracks between the blocks. My boss is Jewish so I wrote a prayer and put it in the wall for her. I'm not sure exactly what it means to them but it seemed like the thing to do.

Over on Jerel's side they got to go right up where the Bar Mitzvahs were happening. Jerel was stopped by a guy who offered to give him a special blessing but then indicated he would expect to be paid for such a blessing. It was just such an interesting place. In some ways it made me think that the Jews really have so much truth; at the same time it was a little sad to see how much is missing from their religion. It makes you want to stand up on the wall and tell them all that they don't have to wait for Jesus anymore because He's already come. Still, I am quite impressed with their dedication to their religion and the integrity with which they live their lives.

Caesarea

This was another place with lots of cool ruins. Jerel says "Caesarea is where we had that gross lunch." Herod built this city about 2000 years ago and named it after his ruler, Caesar. It is a really beautiful place right on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Caesarea is the place where Paul was questioned by Herod Agrippa who was "almost persuaded" to believe. Caesarea was occupied by Jews, then Christians, and then was completely destroyed by Muslims in the 6th century.

There is a great restored theater in Caesarea and while we were there we read through Saul's speech to the king. After that we all looked around in the dust and gravel because there are still ancient pottery shards and coins just laying around. Jerel and I found nothing but trash, but some folks in our tour group found some cool pieces of pottery and coins.

Mount of Beatitudes

This is another peaceful place (although HOT--over 100 degrees again!) It is a beautiful hillside with a Catholic church at the top. The landscaping is lovely, complete with palm trees. We had a nice time reading the Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus taught the higher law to the 12 disciples. I love this sermon. It reminds me to have perspective. Life can be difficult in many ways, but the promised blessings always come. It also reminds me that everyone is dealing with their own tests and trials. Neal A. Maxwell taught (although I can't find the exact quote) that in life there is more equality in the testing than we realize.

Here is Daniel's summary:
The Sermon on the Mount invites all people, whether rich or poor in spirit, happy or mourning or persecuted, to come unto him. He promised that they would be filled with the Holy Ghost if they come unto Him. Jesus indicated that the Law of Moses was fulfilled in Him, that he was giving a higher law, one that was governed and dictated more by the spirit than by the letter of the law which was given at Mount Sinai.

Capernaum

Capernaum has some of the coolest ruins I've seen. It is so well preserved that you really get a sense of what the place looked like back in the day. There was a church discovered in Capernaum that dates back to the first century. On top of the remains a modern church has been built that is suspended over the ancient building. If I was smart I'd figure out how to post a picture of it. It's funny to me how different religions are so anxious to lay claim on these ancient sites. I keep thinking if they knew that Christ's church lives today maybe the dead places of the past wouldn't seem so important. But I guess it's good because they do preserve those sites for us to see.

Here's a brief summary of Capernaum provided by our guide, Daniel Rona:

In recent times, excavations have uncovered the ruins of a once thriving city of Romans and Jews. Capernaum may have had ten thousand inhabitants. It was a Roman toll station (Matthew 17:24), and it was the home of Peter and other apostles (Mark 1:29). Jesus lived here for eighteen to twenty months of his three-year ministry.

The name Capernaum may come from the Hebrew word for "solace" or "consolation." Most of His miracles occurred at Capernaum or at nearby Chorazin or Bethsaida. Sadly, these three cities were cursed by Jesus and only their ruins are visible today (Matthew 11:20-24).

Jesus must have made many friends here, after all, thousands followed him. In an area nearby He fed them with loaves and fishes, five thousand at a time, not counting women or children (Luke 9:11-17). Of the children one recalls the account of a twelve-year-old girl who was ill. On the way to bless her, Jesus noted that a woman had touched is garment (Mark 5:21-43). Religious Jews today wear a garment of wool called a "tallith," the name is derieved from the Hebrew word for lamb, "taleh." The woman who touched the garment (probably the "tallith") was healed. However, by the time Jesus arrived to bless the girl, she had died. He sent all the mourners away, then with Peter, James, and John, "...he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel...and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unter her, Talitha cumi." The endearing term, Talitha, may have been Jesus' way of saying "my little lamb" or "curly locks" and "cumi" means get up. "and straightway the damsel arose, and walked."

Galilee

Galilee is 700 feet below sea level and is formed from the waters of the upper Jordan River. There are so many beautiful stories that happened on this sea. My favorite has always been the story of Christ calming the storm. Spencer W. Kimball said "There are depths in the sea which the storms that lash the surface into fury never reach. They who reach down into the depths of life where, in the stillness, the voice of God is heard, have the stabilizing power which carries
them poised and serene through the hurricane of difficulties." When I was here in 2000 we stayed in bungalows right on the shore of Galilee. I didn't realize until coming back what a connection I felt with that lake.

We had a great fish lunch in Tiberias. Well, I had a fish lunch. It was fabulous because they serve the fish with its head still on. I had to put my napkin over that part so I wouldn't have the fish staring up at me while I ate it. Long after we'd all eaten our fish, and I'd eaten more than my fair share of hummus, they finally brought out Jerel's chicken. Which was basically raw so he couldn't eat it anyawy.

After lunch we went on a boat ride on the sea. I have always loved being on the water, but especially in Galilee. There is a stillness in my soul when I am on the Sea of Galilee. Truly the Savior has power not just to calm the troubled waters but to calm my anxious soul as well.

I love this comment by Jeffrey R. Holland: No, it is not without a recognition of life's tempests but fully and directly because of them that I testify of God's love and the Savior's power to calm the storm. Always remember in that biblical story that He was out there on the water also, that He faced the worst of it right along with the newest and youngest and most fearful. Only one who has fought against those ominous waves is justified in telling us--as well as the sea--to "be still." Only one who has taken the full brunt of such adversity could ever be justified in telling us in such times to "be of good cheer." Such counsel is not a jaunty pep talk about the power of positive thinking, though positive thinking is much needed in the world. No, Christ knows better than all others that the trials of life can be very deep and we are not shallow people if we struggle with them. But even as the Lord avoids sugary rhetoric, He rebukes faithlessness and He deplores pessimism. He expects us to believe!

Masada

Masada is one of my favorite places in Israel. I love the courage of the people who were willing to take their own lives (or more accurately, the men took the lives of their families) rather than be raped and sold as slaves. Our guide, Daniel Rona, provided a different perspective. He explained that the Bible teaches us to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and that we believe in being subject to kings and rulers. His view is that if the zealots at Masada had submitted to the political authority, the ending could have been so much better for them. I still like to think of them as courageous people full of integrity, but Daniel makes and interesting point.

Here is a summary of the story of Masada as it is generally told (there are those academics who believe the whole thing has been exaggerated, but it's still interesting.)

During the first Century of the Common Era, The nation which we now call Israel was held as a Roman colony. The Jewish people who lived in this area, however, refused to succumb to the religious practices of Rome and decided rather to remain true to the religious practices which there ancestors had practiced. This Jewish faith was incompatible with that of the Romans, and for this reason, the Jewish people began to revolt in 66 C.E. This revolt would mean the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state, as the Romans proceed to destroy every stronghold of Judaism throughout the area.

The last area where the Jewish people had power was an old fortress known as Masada. From this mountain fortress, these people known as Zealots lead raids on neighboring Roman towns and remained the only Jewish stronghold within Israel. As the war came to a close, the only place left for attack by the Romans was Masada. A Roman general laid siege to Masada in hopes of taking this last stronghold. The Zealots prepared themselves for a long siege by rationing food and water. The Roman forces were strong, and they broke through the outer wall. The Zealots had made there last attempt at survival, and knew that death was their only end. Rather than give the glory of victory to the Roman soldiers, these Zealots committed mass suicide, seeing this as the best way to avoid slavery and death by the hands of Romans.

Masada is a big rock mountain that Herod the Great chose to build a palace. It's 1500 feet above the Dead Sea and totally isolated. When we were there we saw the ruins of lots of buildings, pools, baths, and fountains. It isn't just a one-building palace, it's a whole slew of different buildings surrounding the main palace. It was a hot sweaty day for us as it was well over 100 degrees, but I'm still fascinated by this place. More than 960 men, women, and children died at their own hand rather than surrendering to the Romans. When they realized they were about to be captured, the men in the town cast lots and 10 were selected to take the lives of the other men after they had taken the lives of their families. Of these ten one was selected to kill the other nine and then take his own life. In the end one woman and a couple of children were found hiding in a cistern but the Romans quickly took care of them.

There is a spirit of identity at Masada for Israelis. Children and soldiers visit Masada at least once in their careers. Some boys come to Masada for their bar mitzvah. Soldiers used to come to Masada to take their oaths and would cry out "Masada shall never fall again!" but they don't do it much anymore. It seems the old glorified legend is giving way to the supposition that the mass suicide was driven more by political ambition than by anything else.