Flight was fairly uneventful except for the fascinating prayer times for the Hassidic Jewish men on board. Three times throughout the flight, including once during sunrise, the men gathered at the back of the plane, in full garb, to pray. It is incredible how the traditions of Judaism have been passed down nearly seamlessly for thousands of years.
Upon arrival we were met by our tour guide for the week, Avi Ben-Hur. Avi is a New Yorker by birth who immigrated to Israel after graduating from high school in 1983 and is now one of the most well-renown guides in Israel. He introduced us to his home land as we headed by bus to our first stop on a long-days journey. We toured Neot Kedumim, which is a ‘Biblical Landscape Reserve,’ meaning that the park is modeled after biblical times. From the reserve I got my first glance at the uniqueness of Israel’s situation geographically.
Israel Fact #2: At its most narrow point, Israel is only 9 miles wide. As we looked out from a 1700 year old cistern on the side of a small hill, we could easily see the security fence along the West Bank to our right and Tel Aviv on the coast to our left. No wonder this country is hard to constantly defend.
As we drove North along Route 6, we followed the security fence, which in some sections has been built into a concrete wall in order to prevent terrorists from literally sniper-ing Israeli cars as they drove to and from work along the highway.
In Caesarea, we toured Roman ruins of the city built by the infamous King Herod. The three smoke stacks from Israel’s main power plant in the background stand in stark juxtaposition to the ancient theater to the right. This theme of modern infrastructure and advancement blossoming alongside world-changing ancient sites will be a common theme of the trip, no doubt.
Upon arrival we were met by our tour guide for the week, Avi Ben-Hur. Avi is a New Yorker by birth who immigrated to Israel after graduating from high school in 1983 and is now one of the most well-renown guides in Israel. He introduced us to his home land as we headed by bus to our first stop on a long-days journey. We toured Neot Kedumim, which is a ‘Biblical Landscape Reserve,’ meaning that the park is modeled after biblical times. From the reserve I got my first glance at the uniqueness of Israel’s situation geographically.
Israel Fact #2: At its most narrow point, Israel is only 9 miles wide. As we looked out from a 1700 year old cistern on the side of a small hill, we could easily see the security fence along the West Bank to our right and Tel Aviv on the coast to our left. No wonder this country is hard to constantly defend.
As we drove North along Route 6, we followed the security fence, which in some sections has been built into a concrete wall in order to prevent terrorists from literally sniper-ing Israeli cars as they drove to and from work along the highway.
In Caesarea, we toured Roman ruins of the city built by the infamous King Herod. The three smoke stacks from Israel’s main power plant in the background stand in stark juxtaposition to the ancient theater to the right. This theme of modern infrastructure and advancement blossoming alongside world-changing ancient sites will be a common theme of the trip, no doubt.
Next- Armageddon. Another 45 min bus-ride north brought us to Megiddo (aka Armageddon in the Greek translation- aka the place talked about in Revelation as the site of the last battle on earth). Standing on the top of the Tel (layer-cake of civilizations progressively built on top of each other, forming a hill) it becomes clear why this location has been home to countless battles over the course of history. The Tel overlooks the Jezreel Valley below and is located in a strategic corridor through hills in northern Israel.
Israel Fact #3: before the Jews returned to the land, the Jezreel Valley was a malarial swamp and the surrounding land was virtual desert (Mark Twain quote). In the past 80+ years, the Jewish landowners have drained the swamp and cultivated the land. It is now blossoming with abundant crops, flowers, and trees. Anyone who knows my love for the farmland of Hickman County and the mountains of North Carolina understands my fascination with this transformation.
As an unbelievable finally to our first day in Israel, we were hosted by Ofer Aviran and his family for dinner at the Moshav Nahalal. Nahalal is the first settlement of its kind in the world and represents a spin-off of the Kibutz settlement system. Basically, this farming community is a collective of 75 families, each with equal land parcels arranged in a circle (see pic). Each family has independent land rights yet all other institutions are run collectively by committee. To be frank- this place was utopia. Imperfect, I’m sure, yet there seems to be an incredible harmony of life within their collectivism. Upon arriving, we were toured through the community cemetery which rests on a hill overlooking the blossoming valley and settlements below.
Israel Fact #4: Israel follows a system of conscription. Each highschool graduate serves a mandatory 3 years of service in the Israeli Defence Force (dominant army). Ofer allowed us the privilege of visiting the graves of all of the sons and daughters of the Moshav community who have been K.I.A. He did this with grace, dignity, love, and clear pangs of a deep hurt.
Next our group was served a delicious, kosher meal. The dishes seemed to be never ending, and with each piping-up to talk that Ofer offered, we felt more and more like a part of his family. Its pretty hard not to gain an attachment to these Israelis as they began to tell us their stories and offer us a taste of their way of life.
Sleeping by the Sea of Galilee tonight. Following Jesus’ footsteps tomorrow. Peace out till the flip side- thanks for reading. More facts to come.
Carver! I love, love, LOVE reading your writing. Are you sure you're not majoring in some sort of writing degree?! :)
ReplyDeletePraying that God would continue to rock your world as he shows you new landscapes, new people, new Stories.