Our Exodus Tour of the Middle East, September 2008
Rose and I decided to do something special for our 30th wedding anniversary in 2008. We took a trip to the Middle East called “The Exodus Tour” with a group of brothers and sisters through Meander Travel. Just a word about Meander; this is a group of brothers and sisters located in London, England, who also do a tour called “Paul’s Missionary Travels” as well as extremely educational and upbuilding tours of the British Museum. Their web site is http://www.meander.co.uk. We HIGHLY recommend these brothers, for reasons we’ll briefly go into at the end of this Blog.
Full videos of the trip now available in four parts, the first two being Egypt and Jordan in one video, the third and fourth parts being Israel and Cyprus in the second video below. We highly recommend that you view these in full screen mode by clicking the four arrows in the lower right corner of the video window, next to "Vimeo".
We took off from Newark Liberty Airport in NJ at 6:40PM, Friday August 29th 2008, landing at London’s Heathrow at around 6:45AM Saturday. After spending Saturday at beautiful Kew Gardens, and getting a good night’s sleep, we returned to Heathrow to meet up with our brothers and sisters and depart for Cairo with a brief layover in Larnaca, Cyprus. Once in Cairo, we checked into a luxurious Swiss hotel called Mövenpick that’s set up as a sort of large village with many units surrounding abundant pool areas. After another well deserved good night’s sleep, our tour actually started the next morning at the Cairo Museum.
Our first wake-up call was 7AM Monday, September 1st. We enjoyed an excellent breakfast buffet, including fresh dates, figs, what I refer to as a Danish breakfast table (cold-cuts, cheese, etc), salad ingredients, fabulous omelets made to order, and cereals and other things we’re all accustomed to. We then boarded the bus for our first excursion of this tour, the Cairo Museum. Each day’s bus ride started with a discussion of the daily text, a prayer, and then an interview with one or two brothers or sisters. Our tour was mainly led by Emmanuel, an 80 year old Greek Cypriot brother who was born and raised in Cairo, but who now lives in London. Emmanuel’s knowledge of and love for the Bible was infectious and stimulating, and one of the main factors that made this tour so incredibly encouraging and enlightening. The 90 of us took up two buses, and on each bus was a married couple who were assisting Emmanuel. Also, in each country we visited there was a worldly tour guide on each bus who explained various facts about the country, geography, and so on.
It is most logical to start the Exodus Tour at the Cairo Museum in order to get a feel for the environment Moses was raised in and had to contend with when he asked Pharaoh to let Jehovah’s people go. The Egyptians of that time period worshipped many gods, and they are often depicted as triune gods with Pharaoh at the center, Pharaoh’s mother to his one side (remind you of anyone?), and the third god of choice to his other side. However, especially during the Old Kingdom, Pharaoh was usually depicted by himself, but sometimes with Horus, god of light, hidden BEHIND him so that only Pharaoh was visible in the sculpture. An audience with Pharaoh would typically have the visitor shielded from Pharaoh himself by the colossal statue, creating a certain aura and awe for this imperfect human – vaguely reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz. This is the climate that produced the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Not only was Pharaoh considered to be a god, he was THE GOD of all gods. It comes as no surprise that this most haughty of puny men would have the audacity to say “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send the sons of Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all…”
To the right, take a good look at this statue of one of the Pharaohs, and notice his wide hips and thighs, and slightly distended belly. Other statues also reveal enlarged, almost female, breasts. It seems that due to inbreeding, this “royal” bunch often suffered from diseases that caused these distorted features, and it is thought that the young King Tut died during an operation to relieve his enlarged head of fluid caused by encephalitis that can also be traced back to royal incest. Not only were these men imperfect like the rest of us, but they had their own particular weaknesses that made their claims of godship particularly absurd. Nevertheless, it was the show-down of show-downs when insignificant Moses asked Pharaoh to let the sons of Israel free. Only the true god Jehovah could prove to the world what a speck of dust this great world power, the first of Bible history, would prove to be.
Next we took a relaxing boat ride down the Nile River. I was able to dip my hands in the water, and found it to be very warm, so not particularly refreshing. Our boats left us off at a Pharaonic village created in the 1970’s. We then boarded smaller boats that ferried us around the village for full costumed dramas that depicted ancient Egyptian life, and sported a number of statues of Pharaohs and other gods. The drama of baby Moses being extracted from the Nile with Miriam observing from a distance was depicted. Before returning to our hotel, we made a brief visit to the Papyrus Museum, where we witnessed a lesson in making paper from the papyrus plant.
The next morning we set out for the pyramids and sphinx of Giza, then Memphis, the capital of Moses’ day. There are 84 pyramids throughout Egypt, all of them tombs for Pharaoh and sometimes his queen only, except for dwarf pyramids for royal children who did not ascend to kingship. One of the the three main pyramids at the site we visited, the 2nd largest built for Khafre (being only a few meters smaller than his father Cheop’s, out of respect), has an entryway that is open to the public. Since our Egyptian tour guide warned us that anyone with asthma, claustrophobia, high blood pressure, or heart problems, NOT go in, it’s no surprise that only ten or so from our entire group dared go in, including me but not Rose. Do you know what you see inside a pyramid? Nothing. Contrary to Hollywood’s depictions of secret chambers and passageways and large rooms with numerous sarcophagi, when one finally reaches the interior of this enormous tomb, one finds an unlit room (but dimly lit by modern means) about 46’x15’ with a 22’ ceiling, and a rectangular wall a few feet high that once housed pharaoh’s sarcophagus. (The rest of the pyramid is entirely solid stone, but some pyramids have been found to have small shafts leading from the tomb itself to various points in the sky, shafts that can be measured in inches, and which were apparently created for Pharaoh’s ascent to the afterlife.) But for a tourist to get to the inner room is the trick! From the initial entryway to the room itself is a walk of about 344’. The walk first descends rapidly, then levels out, then ascends in equal proportion to the initial descent, until one finally reaches the goal. BUT, all of the descent is a downhill tunnel about 3.5’ wide x 4’ high where one walks down a slightly slippery plank with crosspieces of wood for every step or so. Therefore, one has to walk downhill bent over double, while the air becomes increasingly difficult to breathe as it becomes more and more hot and close within the tunnel. The level mid-way point is higher, so that even I could stand erect with my 6’2” frame, but only to have to once again act like a half-folded walking jackknife for the final ascent. It is possible to turn around and go back at any point, but not advisable, as it would no doubt create confusion and congestion in a completely unsupervised environment full of tourists, some of whom may begin to panic. So, while this particular adventure yielded virtually no results as far as seeing anything interesting is concerned, I’m glad I did it, rather than years later rue the fact that I missed an opportunity that may never come again. But I don’t recommend it for anyone with asthma, claustrophobia, etc… The downside of this experience was that I virtually destroyed my quadriceps, and so compensated by putting more pressure on my calves for the rest of the day, which did nothing to help me prepare for the next day’s climb up Mt Sinai.
The sphinx is no more than a monument to Pharaoh, in the vicinity of his tomb, with an entrance to the area via a temple edifice. By the way, some of these buildings are on the outskirts of the huge city of Cairo, hence are easily visible at various locations throughout the city.
A little more about pyramids: The first one was a “step” pyramid, built with the lowest level in the ground, and six separate layers, or “mastabas”, of diminishing size built on top, until the peak reached a rather narrow plateau, not a point. These existed in Joseph’s day. Then came the “bend” pyramid, which was constructed as one total unit, without layers, but was not strictly trapezoidal in shape. One side has a visible bend in it, hence the name. The pyramids we are most familiar with today are strictly trapezoidal in shape with pointed peaks, and those are the ones we visited. In later years, after the Egyptians got tired of invading hordes raiding their pyramids for the treasures they were sure were inside, the Egyptians began burying their kings in the ground, so as to not be so obvious and inviting for many miles around. Forward thinking, indeed.
On the way back to our hotel for dinner and a good night’s sleep in preparation for the rigors of day three, we stopped at a carpet weaving school. There are countless carpet weaving schools on this strip. It was interesting to observe carpets being woven by young boys using the knotting technique as well as the loom technique, and variously using silk, wool and cotton.
The next day was a highlight of the trip for me, but not because it was in any way a physical pleasure. After earlier in the week spending a day walking around Kew Gardens with no sleep the night before in atypical English heat, I knew I had to have a good night’s sleep to climb from Mt St Catherine (about 4,000’ above sea level) to the Mt Sinai peak of 7,500’ above sea level, a climb which takes an average of 2.5 to 3 hours, and is about three or four miles long.
Along the way to Mt Sinai we made numerous stops. Leaving Rameses, after all, was the actual beginning of the Exodus. Moses and Aaron and perhaps a few others left from Rameses, just north of Memphis, whereas the rest of the sons of Israel left from Goshen, which was a distance away, north of the capital in the Nile Delta. They probably met somewhere near the wilderness of Succoth, which was our first stop. Everywhere we stopped along the way we were reminded of the terrain of Egypt. Except for the banks of the Nile and the vast delta that empties into the Mediterranean, Egypt is miles and miles and miles of dessert-like terrain. Sand and rocks, sand and rocks, and more sand and rocks. Mountains poke up out this terrain without any vegetation. Just more shades of the same color – brown. Yet, as we will see, the sons of Israel were well provided for during their some forty years in this otherwise forbidding wilderness. Just traveling in the comfort of a bus with our water bottles and occasional brief stops in the 100°F+ heat was difficult for US, just imagine the sons of Israel doing this by foot for years if they didn’t have Jehovah’s protection and blessing.
Where the sons of Israel (not the nation of Israel quite yet) eventually crossed the Red Sea is actually at the very top of the western arm of the much larger Red Sea to the south. The western and eastern arms form the borders of the Sinai Peninsula, and on the map look like donkey ears atop the sea proper. The western arm, where they crossed, is today referred to as the Gulf of Suez. We crossed onto the Sinai Peninsula through a tunnel across the Suez Canal. It was not as simple for the sons of Israel. They previously had actually taken a path around the top of the Red Sea on dry land, so they were already either on the Sinai Peninsula or well on their way there, but were instructed by Jehovah to go back toward Pihahiroth, where they found themselves trapped against the Red Sea by Pharaoh’s approaching armies. Jehovah would there teach them a lesson about what his great name means that would stand for all time.
There is no part of the Red Sea that we observed that can remotely be considered shallow or narrow, which is the argument that Bible detractors will use – logic alone tells us that the sea must have been vast and deep, since Pharaoh’s entire army was vanquished in it, but it was reassuring to see this with our own eyes. Interesting that, rather than attempt to deny the fact of the Exodus in general, they will instead use specious arguments about its details. But logic, and physical and historical evidence prove them wrong every time. As we saw in other sites on our tour, Bible critics start from the position that the Bible must be wrong, and work backward towards proving that. For all their intelligence they are colossal fools.
Somewhere around here is possibly where the sons of Israel miraculously crossed the Red Sea, up onto a beach like this:
And later on, in an area called Mareh farther south down the western border of Sinai, the Sabbath law was first established (predating the Mosaic law covenant), and manna was first provided, along with a large flock of quail to provide meat for the sojourners. (You may note that up until this point, i.e. the point of the Sabbath law’s institution, the sons of Israel are seldom referred to as “Israel,” and when they are, it’s usually in connection with ownership, as if referring to Jacob, or it’s from the mouth of the Egyptians.) Here is also where they showed selfish longing by greedily taking more quail than they could eat, and some even gathering manna on the Sabbath. And this not long after Jehovah manifested his superiority, godship, and loving care in the ten plagues and the Red Sea miracle. This trip brought home powerful lessons for us, who are poised at the brink of the new system, not to ever mistrust Jehovah’s ability and desire to provide for us, and to ever remain LOYAL. In fact, LOYALTY was probably the dominant theme of our entire trip. We rail at the abject stupidity of the ancient Israelites when they so often disobeyed their creator, but how often do we act in a similar, yet perhaps more subtle way?
After eating a bag lunch, we had a study of that week’s Watchtower lesson on our respective buses, given in the review style we’re accustomed to at our circuit assemblies.
The next stop was Rephidim. Here is where Israel vanquished the Amalekites, when Moses’ arms were propped up by stones at the top of this mountain.
And finally we come to Mt Sinai itself. At the base of Mt Sinai is St Catherine’s monastery, where the Codex Sinaiticus was discovered. This volume has been indispensible in proving the authenticity and unchangeableness of God’s word. But more is to follow later. Here is also where the “original burning bush” is supposedly housed. As our tour guide so often pointed out, if you can believe that, you can believe anything. As Christians, we are not dependent upon shrines, relics and other objects of veneration. That’s a good thing, since it takes enormous credulity to believe that the burning bush is still living in some monastery run by an organization that hates Jehovah. Please remember this point when I wrap up this blog at the end.
Upon arriving at the base of Mt Sinai, we first checked into our hotel, then proceeded to the climb. Camels are readily available at the base of the mountain. (By the way, the mountain we climbed is MOST LIKELY the same mountain referred to as Mt Sinai in the Bible. There is not 100% certainty about this, though. Mt Sinai is part of a small range of mountains sometimes referred to collectively as Mt Horeb, or sometimes Mt Horeb is used synonymously with Mt Sinai.) I opted for a camel, since my legs were still aching from top to bottom from the previous day’s pyramid adventure. Rose decided to hoof it along with others in our group. The camels only go about 2/3 or so up the mountain, leaving the most difficult part to be negotiated on foot. So I thought I’d spare whatever sinew I had left in me for the final climb. Of course, straddling the camel produces a unique pain that only complements the existing muscle pain, but did not really enhance it. So I think I made the right choice.
It was around 7PM by the time we reached the highest point the camels would take us, having started at the base around 5PM or so. So we did not make it to the peak to witness the sunset, an event many trek here for. But from our vantage point, it was not a spectacular sunset anyway, it being a relatively overcast night. Rose opted to make this the highest point she would climb to, but I was set for more, since I wanted to walk off the camel ride anyway. It was actually a relatively short walk to the next major point on the mountain, somewhere near where Moses received the Ten Commandments, and there is a little hut that sells water, tea, snacks, and things like that. (Just imagine the shopkeeper’s daily commute!) That’s as far as I made it, since I was alone at this point, and the trail seemed to have disappeared, or at least I couldn’t find it. Others later informed me that there about 500 steps to go, very steep and windy, but all that’s up there is a little monastery of some sort. But no sunset for us anyway.
From the many blogs I looked at in an attempt to research weather conditions at the summit, it’s evident that most people make this climb during the early morning hours to be at the summit in time for sunRISE. Given that we were a group of 90 consisting of folks from 8 to 80 years old, I’m glad we opted for a sunSET trek instead.
Now I’ll diverge for a moment with a little information for anyone reading this blog who is looking for vital details relative to making such a trip successful and survivable. I tried in vain for days to find out with some degree of precision what the climate might be like at the time of year and time of day we were climbing, since preparing for exposure to the elements can be critical to surviving the experience. Every one of them said things like “it’s cooler at night at the top.” Well, I think no matter where you go on earth, it’s cooler at night, and cooler at higher elevations. Tell me something I don’t already know, please. We were advised to dress in layers, but an experienced brother told me to put on the layers AFTER some climbing, not DURING, otherwise you may get so sweaty that hypothermia may set in once you stop for a rest. Here’s what we experienced, for what it’s worth: Everywhere you go in the Middle East in September is hot, hotter, and hotterer. Even riding a camel, hence expending little energy, up the mountain into the early evening darkness, did not bring the temperature down enough to merit putting on one layer beyond my shirt that I wore with no undershirt. Walking down was no different. I would say the temperature at the base when we started was probably around 90°F, and the top may have been 70°F. Those are just estimates, mind you. So there you have it.
The blogs I’ve read also mention the surreal sight of looking back down the trail and seeing a long line of flashlights. Well, we didn’t experience that going UP the mountain, but we did going down. I’d post a picture, but it doesn’t capture the etherealness of being there in person.
By 10PM we were back at the base of the mountain. Next came the walk to the restaurant. I thought I had done enough walking for two lifetimes, when I approached the stairs to the restaurant.
Couldn’t we just BE there by now? Well, if Moses could climb to the top of that summit and back twice around the age of 80, I suppose I could muster the strength to get to where the food is. And hey, the Israelites didn’t exactly have a restaurant waiting for them. Another nice meal of mixed western and eastern aliments. I’ve always liked falafel and pita bread with hummus, but it tastes so much better when eaten in the Middle East. Could it be they know something we don’t?
Our accommodations at St Catherine’s Village were relatively austere, but not as bad as I expected. I initially expected to see Fred Flintstone hurled out of one of the windows by his pet saber tooth tiger, but more modern conditions awaited us. We even had a TV and an air conditioner, although not everyone in the group had both of those items. Anyway, we were so pooped by now that we just collapsed in bed. I think we could have slept through anything at that point. The next morning, however, I was reminded of the difference between men and women when Rose was repulsed by assorted but unidentifiable bugs in the bathtub. She even left some in the drain, since that was as far as she would go towards their removal. While I would much rather bathe in a shower that’s devoid of insects, I just shrugged my shoulders and proceeded as if everything were normal. After all, it’s not as if they were the snakes and scorpions we’ve heard dwell in these parts.
After breakfast, we assembled again at the base for another Bible lesson. We considered the logistics involved in some three million Israelites camping in this and other areas, and having enough water and other provisions. It is quite evident from where we stood, and from this 360° panoramic video, that the entire “nation” could easily have been accommodated here.
Back in the bus by 9AM on our way to Jordan. We’re glad to be leaving Egypt, as much as we were enriched by viewing the sites and receiving excellent Bible instruction: Cairo is a very dirty place, and the rest of Egypt seems to be all hot and forbidding desert. But Jordan is a few hours away. First we stop at Hazeroth, where Miriam was stricken with leprosy for showing disrespect for Moses’ appointed position. And another opportunity for us to buy some trinkets from the Bedouins. Along the way, in the far distance we can see Saudi Arabia on the eastern shore of the eastern arm of the Red Sea.
We crossed into Jordan by boat across the eastern arm of the Red Sea at Aqaba, where we met our Jordanian guides, Fathi and Mohamed.
On to Petra to see the ruins of a city built and rebuilt many times, but now uninhabited for many centuries. This is the area anciently occupied by the Edomites. We checked into another Mövenpick hotel, and had a fabulous dinner. I had some lamb that was absolutely the best I’ve ever tasted. I made a mental note to ask someone for the recipe, but somehow missed the opportunity. Wonderful food, and the usual company of various brothers on the tour with us.
The following morning our text discussion was conducted in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms, so all 90 of us were together for that. Very encouraging. Then onto the ruins of Petra.
Petra has a sordid history, not unlike much of the Middle East, where the area was overrun by various nations along the way. We saw evidence of Roman rule, for example. At one time, the god Doshera was worshipped here. This god did not have a human form, but was the god of mountains. Look at this picture, and notice this triune god of mountains, the middle head of this trinity being the biggest and most prominent. It’s inescapable. It seems that virtually every culture has trinities of gods, which predate Christendom’s false god by many generations. Do you wonder where Christendom got the idea from?
As we walked along this rocky path that’s 100 or so feet below current ground level, we suddenly came to a breathtaking opening that boasted a large building built into the rock called The Treasury. Actually, it’s nothing more than a tomb, as are nearly all of the buildings along this long walk, but the Bedouins thought for sure that they would discover valuables there, so they mistakenly called it The Treasury. It does look like some sort of official building on the outside, doesn’t it?
More tombs:
Roman theater, bath house, and ancient sewer system:
What did we learn at Petra? This is where the ancient Edomites lived. Although they were direct descendents of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob being the brother of Esau (Edom), when some Israelites later fled the Babylonians, the Edomites actually captured and sold them back to the Babylonians, treating them cruelly as well. Hence Jehovah’s judgment at Jer49:18. True to Jehovah’s word, “no man will dwell there, and no son of mankind will reside in her as an alien.” And no one does to this day. The actual ruins are not even Edomite in origin, but Nabatean with other cultural influences along the way. So there is nothing reflecting ancient Edomite presence in this area.
The following morning, as we travel toward Mt Nebo, right near where Israel finally crossed into the promised land, we contemplate their gross disobedience and foolishness as they succumb to the lures of the Moabite women on the Plains of Moab, not only immorally attaching themselves to them, but actually worshipping their gods! We can literally see the promised land from here as we look across the Jordan, and yet they committed something so flagrant and wicked. It reminds us how close to the end of this system we are, yet how many of our brothers have succumbed to the lures of materialism, immorality, or just plain leaving the truth over some perceived slight in the congregation. It helps to actually visualize the new system.
Mt Nebo is of course where Jehovah gave Moses a view of the promised land before he died. It was probably a much clearer day for Moses than it was for us.
This shouldn’t be a new thought for us, but physically being here makes us realize that Moses could not possibly have literally seen ALL of the promised land, which from this point spanned about 80 miles west to the Mediterranean, and at least twice that distance to the north of the Sea of Galilee. While it may have been extremely clear on that ancient day, and it was good for Moses to physically see some of what the Israelites would soon inherit, much of the view must have been experienced in a miraculous way. The point is to not doubt the Bible when it says at Duet34:1 that “…Jehovah went showing him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan…”.
Crossing the border into Israel is much more complicated than any border I’ve ever crossed before. Not only do we have to go through the usual customs and security, but there is for some reason an unusual delay that our tour guide is dealing with. At least we’re insulated from many of these problems by the excellent organizational and negotiating skills of our brothers at Meander. Also, the border was set to close at 11AM due to the convergence of Ramadan with the Sabbath (although the Sabbath doesn’t begin until sundown – go figure). At least we made it in time, but we were worried when we didn’t actually cross until closer to noon time. Then there were several military checkpoints approaching and crossing the King Hussein bridge, which is called the General Allenby Bridge on the Israeli side. We were informed that, before Israel and Jordan brokered a peace agreement in recent times, Jordan would not let anyone into the country that was either an Israeli citizen or had Israel stamped on his passport. No exceptions. That is still the case with a number of other Arab countries, but not with Egypt or Jordan. Of course those countries incurred the wrath of their neighbors when they made peace with Israel. There seems to be more than enough hatred to go around in this world, but it is no more evident than in the Middle East.
Just a few miles into Israel is the city of Jericho. Our Israeli tour guide, Jan, informed us that, since this area is now under Palestinian control, albeit still part of Israel since the Palestinians have yet to form a state of their own, she as an Israeli citizen is not permitted to enter. This is ostensibly because Israel fears having any of their citizenry kidnapped or killed. The laws governing what documentation one needs depending upon one’s citizenship and nationality, and what area one lives in or is traveling to, are so complex that even the residents don’t understand them. So it’s beyond any tourist to figure out this mess. Satan is a great manager, isn’t he? I wouldn’t trust him to referee a game of tiddlywinks.
These views from Jericho should give you some idea of the lushness of Israel; compared to where the Israelites came from. And there is more to come. Virtually everywhere we went in Israel, with the exception of the Judean wilderness, we saw beautiful greenery, gorgeous flowering plants, and bounteous fields of a wide variety of crops. Yet the ancient Israelites had pined for the watermelons, leeks and garlic of Egypt. Sure they’d have those things, but at what price? Slavery? No ability to worship Jehovah? Of course they had no idea how lush the promised land would be, but did they need to know? Would they have even believed it? With what could they compare it? But then, do we have ANY IDEA how exquisite life in the new system will be? Do we need to know all the details? Isn’t it enough that Jehovah promises an end to all the suffering of Satan’s world, and that in the new system there will be zero ignorance about who the true god is? What are we willing to trade those promises for, the temporary enjoyment of a few of this world’s rotten watermelons?
This is of course the first city the Israelites took after crossing the Jordan. Having traveled the vast distance from Egypt to Jericho, we get a sense of how wide a reputation Jehovah had made for himself by rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, particularly by parting the Red Sea. The residents of Jericho knew about those events, and feared the Israelites as a result. Given the approximate size of the ancient city, the Israelites had to walk probably around 35 miles or so to circumnavigate the city seven times on the seventh day as commanded. Yet walk they did.
We then rode to Jerusalem, where we would spend the next three days and nights. It is a climb to get to Jerusalem, the modern evidence of that being the traffic jams created by vehicles with different climbing abilities sharing the road. So it’s no surprise that the expression going “up” to Jerusalem is used throughout the Bible, even though Jerusalem is actually south of most of Israel. Modern Jerusalem is roughly divided between what is called Old Jerusalem, roughly the area of 1st century Jerusalem, and New Jerusalem (NOT the New Jerusalem spoken of in the Bible – that’s in heaven!). So the modern city is far larger than the ancient. And the City of David in David’s time was much smaller than even the city in Jesus’ day, consisting only of the area bordered by the Tyropoeon Valley to the west, the Kidron Valley to the east, and Mount Moriah to the north, where the temple was located. (The southern boundary was formed by the joining of the two valleys already mentioned.) Yet the world has it that David was buried to the extreme southwest of the city as it existed in Jesus’ day! You could fill the distance between the City of David of David’s day and the western boundary where he is thought to be buried with around FIVE of the old cities! 1Kings2:10 simply says “Then David lay down with his forefathers and was buried in the City of David.” That’s a pretty simple statement. How did the world get it wrong? Again? More on that at the end of this blog…
Now onto the temple area. Approaching Mount Moriah, we saw many examples of new on top of old. But the old stones we saw could not have been actual stones from the temple, since Jesus said at Matthew 24:2 that “By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” This was fulfilled in 70 CE, even though General Titus ordered his soldiers to burn the city, but leave the temple alone. (By the way, “BCE” and “CE” are used throughout Israel, as opposed to the inaccurate “BC” and “AD”.) There are a number of theories on how the temple was destroyed against Titus’ orders, the most reasonable of which was the soldiers’ lust for the melting gold flowing into the cracks of the rocks due to the heat of the burning city. But another scripture had to be fulfilled, that of Daniel 9:26, which says “And the city and the holy place the people of a leader that is coming will bring to their ruin.” Since when do the PEOPLE get credit and not the LEADER? What is the likelihood that all these events would transpire to the letter when Titus specifically ordered otherwise? So the stones that we saw that are claimed to be from Herod’s temple may be foundation stones of the much wider temple mount, but not the temple itself. Above you can see the variety of stone types that roughly comprise the old and newer structures.
Before arriving at the Dung Gate, where we eventually went through elaborate security, we were prepared for entry by our guides instructing us to NOT BRING ANY BIBLES – they are NOT ALLOWED at the temple mount, brothers must wear long pants, and have sleeves at least down to their elbows, and sisters must have their shoulders, upper arms, and legs covered. Also, men and women, even husbands and wives, must not touch each other in anyway. Why? This area is controlled by Moslems, not Jews. If anyone is caught teaching anything considered contradictory to Islam, they are in trouble. Although the Orthodox Jews have absolute control over the Ministry for Religious Affairs, there are 24 or so distinct groups of Orthodox Jews that can’t agree on anything, and the Moslems, Palestinians, and Franciscan monks have control over various sites in Israel. So although the Orthodox make the laws regarding all things religious, the Moslems enforce different laws where they want to, the Franciscans enforce their own laws, and… Are you confused yet? Welcome to Satan’s world. You won’t see religious disunity and confusion anywhere on earth as acutely as you will in Jerusalem. The Moslems lay claim to this area because they claim that Abraham attempted to offer up Ishmael here. Of course it was Isaac that he offered up, and no one knows the exact spot, but who’s counting anyway? AND since no one knows exactly where the ancient most holy was, but they have a rough idea, Orthodox Jews will not walk anywhere near this area lest they tread on the spot where only the ancient high priest was allowed. Hmm…
At the Wailing Wall, which is nothing more than a retaining wall at the base of the temple mount, it was interesting to see the variety of religious people worshipping in their own individual ways. Some wore phylacteries on their foreheads and stayed for what seemed like forever, others just yarmulkes, still others just whatever was on their heads, including baseball caps. There is a table with paper yarmulkes at the entrance for any that dare make the mistake of entering without a head covering. Leaving was unique to each individual as well. Some walked backward from the wall until they reached a ramp leading out of the area, others started walking backward once they reached the ramp, turning around at the top, and still others pirouetted mid-ramp.
My favorite site of our trip was the Garden of Gethsemane. While we don’t know the precise spot where Jesus prayed, where the angel ministered to him, and where he was arrested, we do know that all these things took place somewhere in this garden, which today is separated into two halves with a church dominating. This area is controlled by the Franciscan monks, and it took some negotiating on the part of our tour guide for the presiding monk to let us in. We have no idea what the problem was, but are very glad it was resolved.
To go this far and not experience one of our Lord’s favorite places would have been a crime. The garden is indeed a most relaxing place, although its vegetation consists almost entirely of olive trees. This garden is on the side of the Mount of Olives facing Jerusalem, looking westward across the Kidron Valley over Jerusalem with the temple at the front of the city boundary. Somewhere on this mountain is where Jesus gave four of his disciples the most famous and significant prophecy of all time, the sign of the last days. The Dome of the Rock (anciently the temple) is in full view from this point about 100 feet or so above it (depending upon exactly where Jesus was when he spoke that prophecy). So earlier pictures in the Society’s publications were corrected when it was learned that they were not quite so high above the elevation of the temple as had previously been depicted. Isn’t it heartening to know that our organization does not stubbornly stick to ignorant traditions like the rest of Babylon the Great, but rather is willing to make revisions in even small matters as facts and truths are revealed?
Monday, September 8th, we took a bus trip down to Socoh and the low plain of Elah, where David slew the giant Philistine Goliath. At this showdown, the Philistines were perched on the higher hill, while the Israelites were camped on the lower plain across the torrent valley. Most of the year these valleys were dry, but in ancient times this valley may well have been a more formidable barrier between the hill and the lower plain; it’s even hard to discern where the valley is in these pictures. The Bible says that David picked up the five smoothest stones from the torrent valley, and with one of them he slew Goliath. The Philistines obviously had the superior position in every way; they were at a higher elevation, may have outnumbered the Israelites, and had a giant champion that was striking fear in the hearts of the Israelites with his incessant taunting. Not only did it take courage for David to act the way he did, but tremendous faith as well. We too face giants in this world in the form of persons of high station that may oppose us, be they representatives of the religious, political or commercial sectors of Satan’s world. But we can remain faithful to Jehovah in the face of whatever they put in our way, if we’re confident in Jehovah’s saving ability.
Just a short drive from this spot in the beautiful Shephelah is Lachish, where Assyrian king Sennacherib had set up shop in a vain attempt to conquer what remained of Judah, having already sacked the northern 10-tribe kingdom and laid siege to a number of Judean cities. It was to here that King Hezekiah sent some temple treasures to appease Sennacherib, but it was a little farther north at Libnah that 185,000 of Sennacherib’s army were killed in one night by one angel.
Traveling through the Shephelah on our way back to Jerusalem, we’re struck by the beauty of the promised land. These are just a few of the many pictures we took making the quick trip north.
After lunch on a kibbutz, we visited the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a misconception that the only portion of the Bible contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls is a portion of Isaiah. Actually, the ENTIRE book of Isaiah was found in an 80’ scroll, along with portions of every book of the Hebrew scriptures except Esther. There are different theories as to why this book was not found. One possibility is that they just didn’t find it – how are we to know that EVERY scroll the Essenes copied was found? But there is a more popular theory: if the Essenes made one mistake in copying, the entire new scroll was to be burned up and started all over. But any scroll that contained the divine name Jehovah could not be burned. Since Esther does not contain the tetragrammaton, it could be burned, and may have been. But those are only theories. Usually what are on display at the museum are merely copies of the original scrolls found, but since George and Laura Bush had not too long ago visited Israel, part of the original Essene transcription of the scroll of Isaiah was still on display.
There we also saw a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem of Jesus’ day. It was easy to picture almost exactly the route Jesus took on the last night of his earthly life. It would take some doing to convey this in picture form in this blog, but just imagine Jesus having his last supper with his disciples at a home somewhere west or perhaps northwest of the temple area, in the heart of the residential part of the city. After that he descends into and across the Kidron Valley, and back up the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethemane, which is a pretty significant after-dinner climb. Here he is arrested, and led back across the Kidron valley, past the old City of David, to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, which is at the extreme southwest of the city. From there to the Sanhedrin Hall, which is at the base of the west side of the temple. Then to Governor Pilate (either at the Tower of Antonia that adjoins the temple area on the northwest side, or at the Governor's palace nearby). Then to the westernmost border of the city where King Herod is staying, and back again to Pilate. Finally after a night without sleep, and after severe physical torture that would cause any other man to buckle, he is made to carry his torture stake to Golgotha. The location of Golgotha is uncertain, but it may have been outside the city walls to the northwest, or perhaps even farther away outside the northern extremity of the city. Walking around parts of Jerusalem, and reaching other parts by bus, gave us some sense of just how much distance Jesus must have covered that night over varying elevations. What an experience!
The following morning we left at 7:30AM to travel to Masada, the site of the last holdout of the Zealots against the Romans. Masada is near the banks of the Dead Sea’s southwest reaches. We had to ride by cable car and then walk up some steps to get to the top, which is actually still below sea level, but quite elevated compared to the surrounding area. Before the Zealots took up residence here, Masada was actually quite a developed little city in the days of Herod the Great, complete with bath houses and an ingenious system for getting water to the top. From the peak we got a glimpse of the profile of Herod’s palace. Masada held no strategic importance to the Romans, but they knew it housed the last band of resistance in Israel, so they laid siege to the mountain, built an enormous ramp over a period of three years to reach the summit, and battered and burned their way in. They then discovered that all but seven of the inhabitants were dead. The Zealots preferred death to submission to the Romans, but since they viewed suicide as morally wrong, they drew lots to determine who would have the task of killing everyone, then himself. The only survivors were two women and five children, whom the Romans found hiding in a cistern. They lived to report the tale to the ancient Jewish historian Josephus.
The bus then took us back toward Jerusalem, stopping at the northwest extremity of the Dead Sea at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin shepherd boy in 1947. The picture to the left is actually of the fourth cave where about 80% of the scrolls were found, including Isaiah. Once the shepherd made his discovery known, and an investigation was made, there were eleven caves found with various scrolls written and deposited in earthenware jars by the Essenes.
To the right is a picture of a bomb depository across the parking lot from the main building at Qumran. As you might have guessed, if a bomb is found anywhere on the site, it can be quickly deposited in this hole in the ground for safe keeping or detonation. What a world we live in.
Now to the Dead Sea itself. This woman, like many others who visit this body of water, has smeared herself with the mud that forms the bottom of the Dead Sea. Many people find it therapeutic, at least as a beauty treatment. It does tend to soften ones hair at least. But the water in the Dead Sea is anything but refreshing. It is not far off from the outside air in temperature, extremely murky (being the color of the mud at the bottom), and of course extremely salty. If you get a drop or two of water in your eyes, you may be in considerable pain at the sting it causes. Anyway, the popular thing to do on the Dead Sea is float. So float we did. But just for a couple of minutes, then it was time to leave the water to get cooled off, if that makes any sense. But climbing out of the water has its challenges as well. It seems that there are holes in the sea bed at unpredictable intervals. If you find one, you will sink in up to your thighs, although the water depth may only be up to your ankles or shins at that point. Well, at least it provided some comic relief.
Wednesday AM, the 10th, we got a 6AM wake-up call in order to take in Joppa, Caesarea, Megiddo and Nazareth on the way to our next hotel at the large city of Tiberias. A number of Bible events occurred in Joppa, the two most memorable for me being the resurrections of Tabitha, or Dorcas, and the calling of Peter to the house of Cornelius to use the 3rd key of the kingdom, opening the way for gentiles to be members of the Christian congregation. As you may notice, the landscape keeps getting more beautiful as we head north.
Caesarea is where Cornelius lived at the time of his aforementioned conversion. Herod the Great built Caesarea after the Roman pattern. The Roman theater below is being prepared for a concert. In the ancient past, this theater was used for plays and other entertainment.
Below left is a copy of a stele discovered here that mentions Pontius Pilate. Bible critics had for many years maintained that Pilate never existed, since he is only mentioned in the Bible, and the Bible can’t possibly be right. Wrong again, fellas. Below right, somewhere in this hall is where Paul appealed to Caesar.
Now, an interesting thing transpires on the way to Megiddo. The name of the uninhabited ancient place is Megiddo, but as you get near it, the road signs point to Tel Megiddo, which means “Mound of Megiddo”. However, our Israeli tour guide continually refers to it as Harmageddon, or Armageddon, which means “Mountain of Megiddo”. And indeed, when once at the site itself, one does see signs for Harmageddon, but only when connected with sales of merchandise to hapless tourists. Why do you suppose that is? Touring this site it becomes abundantly clear to any thinking person that it does not by any means fit the definition of a “mountain”, and in fact barely qualifies as a small hill. It is so insignificant in dimension it’s amazing. Yet certain religionists of this world believe that this is the actual site of the “final battle,” where presumably all the nations will gather and duke it out. Well, I guess there will be an awful lot of people standing on top of each other with no breathing space between footprints; how else will they fit? Oh, and then there are the tanks, missiles, and other equipment. Apparently someone is going to have to perform some major logistical miracles to get all of this stuff to fit. This “mountain” rises all of 70’ from the valley plain below, and occupies an area of about 10 acres. Our bus ride to the top was not very different from going up someone’s driveway. And in order to get down from the top, we opted to descend down a stairway into a water tunnel that led to another parking area at street level. Anyone that didn’t want to take that route simply walked down the other way and met us at the same time anyway. That descent probably took no more than five minutes, and did not include switchbacks and winding paths to help navigate an otherwise steep climb. This is a HILL, folks, and a very unimpressive one at that. Rolling off the side might generate a few moments of fun and laughter, but would not be the least bit dangerous. So why is this mound of dirt used in Revelation as a symbol of the great day of God the almighty? Because of its strategic location. It lies at the intersection of two important routes between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee that facilitated trade from Assyria to Egypt, and is at the bottom of a bee line for the important port of Tyre. Hence some key battles have been fought here. But that’s it. If there is ANYWHERE on this earth where ALL THE NATIONS could gather for battle, it certainly would not be Megiddo. But the religious fundamentalists of this world have once again got it completely wrong, and the Israelis sell a lot of jewelry and other stuff as a result. <
Now, having said that, we did learn some powerful lessons here. The worship of Molech was thriving here when the Israelites arrived in the promised land. They were instructed by Jehovah 1) to destroy the Canaanites’ altars and idols, 2) to not form marriage alliances with them, and 3) to destroy the inhabitants. The worship of Molech consisted in part in sacrificing their babies to this atrocious god by placing the child in Molech’s hands, which were extended forward from this giant idol statue to form a kind of table, then the arms would by some mechanical means pivot at the elbows and raise up, gradually lowering the baby into the statue’s belly, where a raging fire was burning. Drums would play to drown out the horrific screams of the tortured infant, but if the mother or father were heard to scream, cry, or offer any objection, the sacrifice would be invalidated. That meant starting all over with a new victim. Such is the evil the Israelites were instructed to clear out of the land and have nothing to do with. In Leviticus 18, after listing many grossly immoral acts, including various forms of incest, bestiality, and homosexuality, Jehovah said in verse 24, “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, because by all these things the NATIONS whom I am sending out from before you HAVE MADE THEMSELVES UNCLEAN.” All those detestable things were practiced by the locals, therefore they had to be removed from the land. Did the Israelites obey? Sadly, no. By not completely destroying those false gods, and having mercy upon an incorrigibly wicked people, the Israelites started practicing the same things. There is a lesson here for us. Since Jehovah is going to destroy the wicked at Armageddon, is it time for us to accept their immoral behavior as just an “alternate lifestyle,” reasoning that “it’s not for me, but what they do is their business”? We need to reject such behavior and never let it enter our minds and hearts. And never, ever, ever even THINK about marrying out of the Lord. To do so would be an act of disobedience that would cause us to lose Jehovah’s favor, make it difficult if not impossible to worship him, and perhaps lead to our destruction at Armageddon. These are not my words, but were emphasized to us on our tour.
So for two reasons I’m glad I went to Megiddo. 1) To see firsthand the folly of the fundamentalist religionists who think that Armageddon will be fought among the nations at a specific location in the Middle East, 2) we learned a powerful lesson in obedience to Jehovah.
This picture is of poor quality, but it shows the possible location of where Jesus
was reared. If you look toward the bottom center of the picture, you will see a cluster of trees, and a large building with an orangeish roof jutting up from behind them. To the left of that building, you’ll notice a kind of round steeple, sort of like a capitol. That is a church that contains a well. Unlike rivers and other geographical features, wells don’t move, erode, or change direction over time. Since this is Nazareth, that is likely the well where Mary would daily draw water for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, and so on. So Jesus probably grew up somewhere around here. To say we know the exact house is the height of absurdity, but it was probably around here somewhere.
Then on to Capernaum, referred to in the Bible as Jesus’ “home,” where he “took up residence” during his earthly ministry. No one currently lives in this part of Israel Jesus called home, not because it’s uninhabitable like Petra or Babylon, but simply because Jesus said “And you, Capernaum, will you perhaps be exalted to heaven? Down to Hades you will come.” But it is a visitable site. In fact, this is where the synagogue that Jesus worshipped in that town is located. The current synagogue is not the actual structure that Jesus stood in, but was built upon the remains of the one that does have that designation. So as we stood there, we realized that the current structure is a bit higher than the original one. We also experienced a view of the Sea of Galilee as Jesus might have seen it in the 1st century.
Where did Jesus deliver his Sermon on the Mount? We can’t say for sure, but we have a general idea of the area. As you can see, there was plenty of room for the many people that came to hear Jesus’ sermons.
We then boarded a boat that they call a “Jesus Boat,” since it’s patterned after the remains of a boat thought to have been the kind Jesus’ disciples used for fishing, hence Jesus used for his sea-side speeches. Whether or not there’s any accuracy in all that, it was very pleasant sailing across the sea from the Capernaum area back to our hotel in Tiberias. But the calmness of the water prompted me to ask our guide whether or not there are ever any storms on this sea, without explaining where I was going with my question. I of course wanted to verify the account when Jesus calmed the sudden storm to the astonishment of the disciples in the boat, but didn’t want to prejudice her. She said that in the winter, boats are not allowed on the water because of the likelihood of sudden, unpredictable tempests. Ta-da!
That night we had our Watchtower study in a meeting room in the hotel, conducted with the conventional question/answer method, and the reading of the paragraphs. While the study was of course encouraging and instructive as always, it didn’t fully hit home what had happened until one of the brothers mentioned something later that day or the next. 90 people from all over the world, including the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Germany, and Curacao, most of whom never met anyone in the group before the previous week, got together and studied the same magazine, and got the same understanding out of it. Surely everyone had a unique way of expressing his or herself, as is the case in any congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But we all spoke in agreement. I might as well have been home in Sussex NJ, or visiting a congregation in Brooklyn NY, or wherever. It’s as if we had formed our own little congregation of 90 people overnight, and were instantly organized to do the same activity any congregation in the world accomplishes. Is there even a scintilla of such unity in this world’s religions? Certainly not in a city like Jerusalem, where Orthodox Jews battle among their 24 some-odd flavors for control of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to the exclusion of Conservative and Reform Jews, where Moslem’s have their own version of the Abraham account and are militant about enforcing it, where so-called Christians teach that one must except Christ to be saved, yet somehow the modern Jewish state of Israel is monumentally important in God’s purpose. Not in any church, synagogue, mosque, or temple. Not in any world capital, statehouse or local municipal building. Not in any corporate boardroom. Only among Jehovah’s people. What a precious blessing.
9/12/08, our last day in Israel, we went to the Golan Heights. They don’t call it the Golan HEIGHTS for nothing. We nearly had mass motion sickness in our bus, winding up the road to the top. From atop the Golan Heights, we could see the entire Sea of Galilee without moving our necks. That gives you an idea of how great the view is, but also how limited Israel’s water supply is. The Sea of Galilee is their only freshwater lake, hence their only source of water aside from ground water and a few springs here and there. That and the fact that they wanted a buffer zone to stop the constant shelling from Syria prior to the 1967 6-day war gave us a good idea of why Israel will not negotiate to give this area back without a guaranteed peace. Of course, the only thing that will actually solve that problem is the kingdom, not machine guns, tanks, and mortar rounds, and not even state diplomacy. But it did give us some insight into the various motives of these nations that are in very close proximity to one another. Standing where we were, we learned that we were technically in Syria, at least according to Syria and nations that recognize Israel’s presence there as an illegitimate occupation. But we didn’t need to show passports and such because Israel controls the area, and considers it part of their country.
We then completed our wide circle around the Sea of Galilee, as we saw Shunem from a distance while at Harod’s well. Shunem is where the Shulamite maiden’s story took place. And Harod’s well is where Gideon’s army was reduced to 300 in order to demonstrate that victory does not depend upon human force, but on Jehovah’s blessing. This is the well where the water test was performed. Only the 300 who remained alert to their surroundings while drinking were selected. I waded into this water with my sandals on – it was the first time in two weeks I had stepped in water that was actually refreshingly cool, because it is spring-fed, moving water.
Beyond the bushes are the Plains of Moreh, where the Midianites were camped against Israel:
The last site we would see in Israel would be Mt Carmel, where Elijah led the showdown between Jehovah and Baal. Somewhere around here is where Elijah restored an altar with a 10,000 square foot trench, (possibly 100’x100’), and showed Baal up to be a worthless fraud. He then led the prophets of Baal down to the plain for their execution. Where did he get the water from that filled the huge trough and drenched the altar? A look at an area map will reveal that Mt Carmel is right on the Mediterranean Sea. We don’t know exactly how high up Mt Carmel the altar was, so we can only imagine the effort it took to tote the water to the proper spot.
Back to our hotel for our last night in Israel. The hotel hosted a cocktail hour at 5:30 for us, which gave us another opportunity to mingle with our new-found friends of two weeks. Then after a 6:30 dinner, at 7:30 we proceeded to the same room where we had the Watchtower study the previous evening. This time it was for some entertainment and encouragement amongst ourselves. Earlier in the week I had been asked by one of the tour organizers to put something together for this evening. There was little time for organizing, since there was only a few days to do it, and those days were packed from early morning to the evening. But once you put the word out, there are usually at least a few that will respond with offers and suggestions. So, in a nutshell, here’s what we did. We opened with a Kingdom Song done a little differently than usual (with sisters and brothers alternating in the chorus), followed by a prayer, a few general announcements, then some poetry reading. Two of our friends from Texas each read a poem they had written a few days previous, and then I read Alien’s Heart, a song I had written seven or eight years ago, and that I thought actually read pretty well as poetry – very few songs really do, and I never set out to write poetry strictly, so I was glad it worked. Then I read the lyrics to Be-Bop-A-Lu-La as a poem in the style of Steve Allen. I think the audience enjoyed that, I heard a couple of chuckles here and there. We sang some more songs, each with a bit of a twist, and at one point a sister from England led us in singing a traditional Israeli song sung in a four part round with the lyrics: Shalom chaverim, Shalom chaverim, Shalom, Shalom, Le-hit-ra-ot, Le-hit-ra-ot, Shalom, Shalom. That basically means “Peace, my dear friends, may you go in peace, until we meet again, may you go in peace.” Perfect sentiments for this bittersweet occasion. Then followed a little comic relief, as we did a theocratic version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? The first scenario was a house-to-house situation. The publisher is placing a magazine with a title like War- Will it Ever End? in Israeli territory, and is greeted by a householder wielding an Uzi. The trick is that the opening line has to start with “A,” the second “B,”, then “C,” “D,” and so on to “Z”. The results were quite funny. The second scenario was David and Uriah meeting in the resurrection, then being interrupted by an Armageddon survivor who offers a Bible study. Another funny routine. Then after a couple from Wales led us in a version of song 79 that consisted of sisters starting, then brothers starting two measures behind, I offered some final words, which basically consisted of a reading of Numbers 6:24-26 to all in the group, but especially to our tour organizers, and ESPECIALLY to our dear brother Emmanuel, who had to fly to Turkey a few days earlier, and so couldn’t be with us through the tail end of the trip. We closed with what else but song 212, We Thank You Jehovah, then a prayer. Nobody seemed to want to leave the room, but we HAD to, since it was by then 9PM, and our wakeup call was for 1:15AM!!! We had to be at the airport 2 hours away in Tel Aviv by something like 4 or 4:30AM in order to make the plane back to Larnaca.
Rose and I didn’t sleep a wink that night. All right, maybe I slept 15 minutes or so, but it didn’t count for much. I did manage to get some shuteye on the bus, a little more at the airport, and still some more on the one hour flight. Still not enough, though. We were met at the Cyprus airport by a brother from the branch named Nick, and another for the other bus whose name escapes me – this day was sort of a blur for me in some ways due to the lack of sleep.
We were supposed to 1) visit the branch, 2) have lunch with some of the island’s pioneers, and 3) see some of the territories Paul visited in his ministry. Numbers one and two happened, but three never materialized, which was a big disappointment, but understandable given the time constraints, and made up for by some very nice association with our brothers.
Upon arriving at the Cyprus branch, we were led into the Kingdom Hall, where we heard a brief history of the work in Cyprus by two brothers on the branch committee. Even though it was an excellent presentation, it was hard for a lot of us to stay awake due to our lack of sleep the night before. After some refreshments offered by the branch we got on the bus to head toward one of the beach areas of Cyprus. By the way, the refreshments were quite a generous provision, since the branch supports only seven full-time family members and a few additional temporary or commuter workers, and there were NINETY of us foreigners.
We had a nice leisurely stroll down to and on the beach, and stopped to watch a bit of rehearsal for some sort of folk dancing show; a Ukranian troupe entertained us. Not too much free time, because we were scheduled to have lunch with the pioneers and a few from the branch.
We had a very nice lunch at another buffet restaurant, and some very nice association with folks we never met before. But after lunch there was a surprise. They put on some Greek music, and started dancing. This music is so infectious that people kept pouring onto the dance floor. The first song was one everybody knows; it was featured in Zorba the Greek. But after that it was less familiar territory, and the dancing was led by the local brothers. This all ended way too soon, and we had to say goodbye and beat a hasty retreat in order to make our plane. Another bittersweet occasion.
All but a few in the group flew back to London, but that’s where we all went our separate ways. Rose and I checked into the same Sheraton we had stayed in two weeks previous, and left the following morning for our return flight to NJ. All went without a hitch.
Our tour was not only pleasurable, but completely in step with Bible truth and therefore most encouraging. To put it in a nutshell, it was the highlight of our lives. If you ever plan such a trip, I suppose there are at least three ways of doing it, all with their advantages and disadvantages: 1) Book it through any travel agency you choose. While you may be able to save some money this way, you will almost certainly NOT see actual sites of Bible events and be told the truth about them. The Bible lands of the Middle East are peppered with sites that are SUPPOSEDLY the actual sites of various people and events, for example:
a) The actual birthplace of Jesus.
b) The actual burning bush of Moses, that’s still living.
c) The tree that Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus.
d) The site where Abraham attempted to offer up Isaac.
And on an on and on. There is no way in the world these sites can be identified with any degree of accuracy, yet the world has made virtual shrines of some of them. It is no different than reading supermarket tabloids for news, except that Bible truth is so much more important. Our tour guides took pains to use expressions like “somewhere around here,” “possibly this is where x happened,” and so on. Where a site can be identified with certainty, such as the synagogue in Capernaum, they noted that as well.
2) Make all the arrangements yourself. Unless you know quite a bit about Middle Eastern cultures and laws, this may be a big mistake. The Middle East can be a dangerous and uncertain place, and you can be easily stripped of your money if you’re not aware and careful. Worse yet, a few in our group may have accidentally stepped on a land mine by the Red Sea left over from the 1973 war with Israel had they not been warned by our tour guides to not walk too far on the beach - the Egyptian authorities have not seen fit to post such warnings in an area that is open to the public and unattended. Also, the sites you will visit will not have nearly the significance as they will if someone who has been there can explain them in full detail to you. AND you may not get into some - at times it took some negotiating with the fickle people that guard the various sites to be allowed in. How disappointing it would have been to not get into the Garden of Gethsemane because of a Franciscan monk’s whim!
3) Book through a group like Meander. There may be other outfits run by brothers, but I’m not aware of who they may be. What I do know is that our tour guide/organizer and his assistants possess knowledge that is indispensible; not only Bible knowledge, but extensive knowledge of the terrain, local customs, legal requirements, and so on. In all the busloads of tour groups we saw, and there were many every step of the way, we didn’t see ONE BIBLE being used either by a tourist or a tour guide. What does that tell you?
I would urge anyone who is contemplating such a trip to strongly consider only going with a witness led and witness attended group. Why waste your money and time on the equivalent of a supermarket tabloid when you have quality brothers that can show you around? Again, the website of the tour group that sponsored our particular trip is http://www.meander.co.uk.
Thanks for taking your time to read this blog. I know it’s long, but we just can’t seem to stop talking about this wonderful trip. Everything else is downhill from here.
We took off from Newark Liberty Airport in NJ at 6:40PM, Friday August 29th 2008, landing at London’s Heathrow at around 6:45AM Saturday. After spending Saturday at beautiful Kew Gardens, and getting a good night’s sleep, we returned to Heathrow to meet up with our brothers and sisters and depart for Cairo with a brief layover in Larnaca, Cyprus. Once in Cairo, we checked into a luxurious Swiss hotel called Mövenpick that’s set up as a sort of large village with many units surrounding abundant pool areas. After another well deserved good night’s sleep, our tour actually started the next morning at the Cairo Museum.
It is most logical to start the Exodus Tour at the Cairo Museum in order to get a feel for the environment Moses was raised in and had to contend with when he asked Pharaoh to let Jehovah’s people go. The Egyptians of that time period worshipped many gods, and they are often depicted as triune gods with Pharaoh at the center, Pharaoh’s mother to his one side (remind you of anyone?), and the third god of choice to his other side. However, especially during the Old Kingdom, Pharaoh was usually depicted by himself, but sometimes with Horus, god of light, hidden BEHIND him so that only Pharaoh was visible in the sculpture. An audience with Pharaoh would typically have the visitor shielded from Pharaoh himself by the colossal statue, creating a certain aura and awe for this imperfect human – vaguely reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz. This is the climate that produced the Pharaoh of the Exodus. Not only was Pharaoh considered to be a god, he was THE GOD of all gods. It comes as no surprise that this most haughty of puny men would have the audacity to say “Who is Jehovah, so that I should obey his voice to send the sons of Israel away? I do not know Jehovah at all…”
To the right, take a good look at this statue of one of the Pharaohs, and notice his wide hips and thighs, and slightly distended belly. Other statues also reveal enlarged, almost female, breasts. It seems that due to inbreeding, this “royal” bunch often suffered from diseases that caused these distorted features, and it is thought that the young King Tut died during an operation to relieve his enlarged head of fluid caused by encephalitis that can also be traced back to royal incest. Not only were these men imperfect like the rest of us, but they had their own particular weaknesses that made their claims of godship particularly absurd. Nevertheless, it was the show-down of show-downs when insignificant Moses asked Pharaoh to let the sons of Israel free. Only the true god Jehovah could prove to the world what a speck of dust this great world power, the first of Bible history, would prove to be.
Next we took a relaxing boat ride down the Nile River. I was able to dip my hands in the water, and found it to be very warm, so not particularly refreshing. Our boats left us off at a Pharaonic village created in the 1970’s. We then boarded smaller boats that ferried us around the village for full costumed dramas that depicted ancient Egyptian life, and sported a number of statues of Pharaohs and other gods. The drama of baby Moses being extracted from the Nile with Miriam observing from a distance was depicted. Before returning to our hotel, we made a brief visit to the Papyrus Museum, where we witnessed a lesson in making paper from the papyrus plant.
This volume has been indispensible in proving the authenticity and unchangeableness of God’s word. But more is to follow later. Here is also where the “original burning bush” is supposedly housed. As our tour guide so often pointed out, if you can believe that, you can believe anything. As Christians, we are not dependent upon shrines, relics and other objects of veneration. That’s a good thing, since it takes enormous credulity to believe that the burning bush is still living in some monastery run by an organization that hates Jehovah. Please remember this point when I wrap up this blog at the end.
I initially expected to see Fred Flintstone hurled out of one of the windows by his pet saber tooth tiger, but more modern conditions awaited us. We even had a TV and an air conditioner, although not everyone in the group had both of those items. Anyway, we were so pooped by now that we just collapsed in bed. I think we could have slept through anything at that point. The next morning, however, I was reminded of the difference between men and women when Rose was repulsed by assorted but unidentifiable bugs in the bathtub. She even left some in the drain, since that was as far as she would go towards their removal. While I would much rather bathe in a shower that’s devoid of insects, I just shrugged my shoulders and proceeded as if everything were normal. After all, it’s not as if they were the snakes and scorpions we’ve heard dwell in these parts.
We’re glad to be leaving Egypt, as much as we were enriched by viewing the sites and receiving excellent Bible instruction: Cairo is a very dirty place, and the rest of Egypt seems to be all hot and forbidding desert. But Jordan is a few hours away. First we stop at Hazeroth, where Miriam was stricken with leprosy for showing disrespect for Moses’ appointed position. And another opportunity for us to buy some trinkets from the Bedouins. Along the way, in the far distance we can see Saudi Arabia on the eastern shore of the eastern arm of the Red Sea.
Petra has a sordid history, not unlike much of the Middle East, where the area was overrun by various nations along the way. We saw evidence of Roman rule, for example. At one time, the god Doshera was worshipped here. This god did not have a human form, but was the god of mountains. Look at this picture, and notice this triune god of mountains, the middle head of this trinity being the biggest and most prominent. It’s inescapable. It seems that virtually every culture has trinities of gods, which predate Christendom’s false god by many generations. Do you wonder where Christendom got the idea from?
As we walked along this rocky path that’s 100 or so feet below current ground level, we suddenly came to a breathtaking opening that boasted a large building built into the rock called The Treasury. Actually, it’s nothing more than a tomb, as are nearly all of the buildings along this long walk, but the Bedouins thought for sure that they would discover valuables there, so they mistakenly called it The Treasury. It does look like some sort of official building on the outside, doesn’t it?
What did we learn at Petra? This is where the ancient Edomites lived. Although they were direct descendents of Abraham and Isaac, Jacob being the brother of Esau (Edom), when some Israelites later fled the Babylonians, the Edomites actually captured and sold them back to the Babylonians, treating them cruelly as well. Hence Jehovah’s judgment at Jer49:18. True to Jehovah’s word, “no man will dwell there, and no son of mankind will reside in her as an alien.” And no one does to this day. The actual ruins are not even Edomite in origin, but Nabatean with other cultural influences along the way. So there is nothing reflecting ancient Edomite presence in this area.
The following morning, as we travel toward Mt Nebo, right near where Israel finally crossed into the promised land, we contemplate their gross disobedience and foolishness as they succumb to the lures of the Moabite women on the Plains of Moab, not only immorally attaching themselves to them, but actually worshipping their gods! We can literally see the promised land from here as we look across the Jordan, and yet they committed something so flagrant and wicked. It reminds us how close to the end of this system we are, yet how many of our brothers have succumbed to the lures of materialism, immorality, or just plain leaving the truth over some perceived slight in the congregation. It helps to actually visualize the new system.
These views from Jericho should give you some idea of the lushness of Israel; compared to where the Israelites came from. And there is more to come. Virtually everywhere we went in Israel, with the exception of the Judean wilderness, we saw beautiful greenery, gorgeous flowering plants, and bounteous fields of a wide variety of crops. Yet the ancient Israelites had pined for the watermelons, leeks and garlic of Egypt. Sure they’d have those things, but at what price? Slavery? No ability to worship Jehovah? Of course they had no idea how lush the promised land would be, but did they need to know? Would they have even believed it? With what could they compare it? But then, do we have ANY IDEA how exquisite life in the new system will be? Do we need to know all the details? Isn’t it enough that Jehovah promises an end to all the suffering of Satan’s world, and that in the new system there will be zero ignorance about who the true god is? What are we willing to trade those promises for, the temporary enjoyment of a few of this world’s rotten watermelons?
Now onto the temple area. Approaching Mount Moriah, we saw many examples of new on top of old. But the old stones we saw could not have been actual stones from the temple, since Jesus said at Matthew 24:2 that “By no means will a stone be left here upon a stone and not be thrown down.” This was fulfilled in 70 CE, even though General Titus ordered his soldiers to burn the city, but leave the temple alone. (By the way, “BCE” and “CE” are used throughout Israel, as opposed to the inaccurate “BC” and “AD”.) There are a number of theories on how the temple was destroyed against Titus’ orders, the most reasonable of which was the soldiers’ lust for the melting gold flowing into the cracks of the rocks due to the heat of the burning city. But another scripture had to be fulfilled, that of Daniel 9:26, which says “And the city and the holy place the people of a leader that is coming will bring to their ruin.” Since when do the PEOPLE get credit and not the LEADER? What is the likelihood that all these events would transpire to the letter when Titus specifically ordered otherwise? So the stones that we saw that are claimed to be from Herod’s temple may be foundation stones of the much wider temple mount, but not the temple itself. Above you can see the variety of stone types that roughly comprise the old and newer structures.
Before arriving at the Dung Gate, where we eventually went through elaborate security, we were prepared for entry by our guides instructing us to NOT BRING ANY BIBLES – they are NOT ALLOWED at the temple mount, brothers must wear long pants, and have sleeves at least down to their elbows, and sisters must have their shoulders, upper arms, and legs covered. Also, men and women, even husbands and wives, must not touch each other in anyway. Why? This area is controlled by Moslems, not Jews. If anyone is caught teaching anything considered contradictory to Islam, they are in trouble. Although the Orthodox Jews have absolute control over the Ministry for Religious Affairs, there are 24 or so distinct groups of Orthodox Jews that can’t agree on anything, and the Moslems, Palestinians, and Franciscan monks have control over various sites in Israel. So although the Orthodox make the laws regarding all things religious, the Moslems enforce different laws where they want to, the Franciscans enforce their own laws, and… Are you confused yet? Welcome to Satan’s world. You won’t see religious disunity and confusion anywhere on earth as acutely as you will in Jerusalem. The Moslems lay claim to this area because they claim that Abraham attempted to offer up Ishmael here. Of course it was Isaac that he offered up, and no one knows the exact spot, but who’s counting anyway? AND since no one knows exactly where the ancient most holy was, but they have a rough idea, Orthodox Jews will not walk anywhere near this area lest they tread on the spot where only the ancient high priest was allowed. Hmm…
Just a short drive from this spot in the beautiful Shephelah is Lachish, where Assyrian king Sennacherib had set up shop in a vain attempt to conquer what remained of Judah, having already sacked the northern 10-tribe kingdom and laid siege to a number of Judean cities. It was to here that King Hezekiah sent some temple treasures to appease Sennacherib, but it was a little farther north at Libnah that 185,000 of Sennacherib’s army were killed in one night by one angel.
The bus then took us back toward Jerusalem, stopping at the northwest extremity of the Dead Sea at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a Bedouin shepherd boy in 1947. The picture to the left is actually of the fourth cave where about 80% of the scrolls were found, including Isaiah. Once the shepherd made his discovery known, and an investigation was made, there were eleven caves found with various scrolls written and deposited in earthenware jars by the Essenes.
To the right is a picture of a bomb depository across the parking lot from the main building at Qumran. As you might have guessed, if a bomb is found anywhere on the site, it can be quickly deposited in this hole in the ground for safe keeping or detonation. What a world we live in.
Now to the Dead Sea itself. This woman, like many others who visit this body of water, has smeared herself with the mud that forms the bottom of the Dead Sea. Many people find it therapeutic, at least as a beauty treatment. It does tend to soften ones hair at least. But the water in the Dead Sea is anything but refreshing. It is not far off from the outside air in temperature, extremely murky (being the color of the mud at the bottom), and of course extremely salty. If you get a drop or two of water in your eyes, you may be in considerable pain at the sting it causes. Anyway, the popular thing to do on the Dead Sea is float. So float we did. But just for a couple of minutes, then it was time to leave the water to get cooled off, if that makes any sense. But climbing out of the water has its challenges as well. It seems that there are holes in the sea bed at unpredictable intervals. If you find one, you will sink in up to your thighs, although the water depth may only be up to your ankles or shins at that point. Well, at least it provided some comic relief.
Wednesday AM, the 10th, we got a 6AM wake-up call in order to take in Joppa, Caesarea, Megiddo and Nazareth on the way to our next hotel at the large city of Tiberias. A number of Bible events occurred in Joppa, the two most memorable for me being the resurrections of Tabitha, or Dorcas, and the calling of Peter to the house of Cornelius to use the 3rd key of the kingdom, opening the way for gentiles to be members of the Christian congregation. As you may notice, the landscape keeps getting more beautiful as we head north.
Now, an interesting thing transpires on the way to Megiddo. The name of the uninhabited ancient place is Megiddo, but as you get near it, the road signs point to Tel Megiddo, which means “Mound of Megiddo”. However, our Israeli tour guide continually refers to it as Harmageddon, or Armageddon, which means “Mountain of Megiddo”. And indeed, when once at the site itself, one does see signs for Harmageddon, but only when connected with sales of merchandise to hapless tourists. Why do you suppose that is? Touring this site it becomes abundantly clear to any thinking person that it does not by any means fit the definition of a “mountain”, and in fact barely qualifies as a small hill. It is so insignificant in dimension it’s amazing. Yet certain religionists of this world believe that this is the actual site of the “final battle,” where presumably all the nations will gather and duke it out. Well, I guess there will be an awful lot of people standing on top of each other with no breathing space between footprints; how else will they fit?
Oh, and then there are the tanks, missiles, and other equipment. Apparently someone is going to have to perform some major logistical miracles to get all of this stuff to fit. This “mountain” rises all of 70’ from the valley plain below, and occupies an area of about 10 acres. Our bus ride to the top was not very different from going up someone’s driveway. And in order to get down from the top, we opted to descend down a stairway into a water tunnel that led to another parking area at street level. Anyone that didn’t want to take that route simply walked down the other way and met us at the same time anyway. That descent probably took no more than five minutes, and did not include switchbacks and winding paths to help navigate an otherwise steep climb. This is a HILL, folks, and a very unimpressive one at that. Rolling off the side might generate a few moments of fun and laughter, but would not be the least bit dangerous. So why is this mound of dirt used in Revelation as a symbol of the great day of God the almighty? Because of its strategic location. It lies at the intersection of two important routes between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee that facilitated trade from Assyria to Egypt, and is at the bottom of a bee line for the important port of Tyre. Hence some key battles have been fought here. But that’s it. If there is ANYWHERE on this earth where ALL THE NATIONS could gather for battle, it certainly would not be Megiddo. But the religious fundamentalists of this world have once again got it completely wrong, and the Israelis sell a lot of jewelry and other stuff as a result.
The worship of Molech consisted in part in sacrificing their babies to this atrocious god by placing the child in Molech’s hands, which were extended forward from this giant idol statue to form a kind of table, then the arms would by some mechanical means pivot at the elbows and raise up, gradually lowering the baby into the statue’s belly, where a raging fire was burning. Drums would play to drown out the horrific screams of the tortured infant, but if the mother or father were heard to scream, cry, or offer any objection, the sacrifice would be invalidated. That meant starting all over with a new victim. Such is the evil the Israelites were instructed to clear out of the land and have nothing to do with. In Leviticus 18, after listing many grossly immoral acts, including various forms of incest, bestiality, and homosexuality, Jehovah said in verse 24, “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, because by all these things the NATIONS whom I am sending out from before you HAVE MADE THEMSELVES UNCLEAN.” All those detestable things were practiced by the locals, therefore they had to be removed from the land. Did the Israelites obey? Sadly, no. By not completely destroying those false gods, and having mercy upon an incorrigibly wicked people, the Israelites started practicing the same things. There is a lesson here for us. Since Jehovah is going to destroy the wicked at Armageddon, is it time for us to accept their immoral behavior as just an “alternate lifestyle,” reasoning that “it’s not for me, but what they do is their business”? We need to reject such behavior and never let it enter our minds and hearts. And never, ever, ever even THINK about marrying out of the Lord. To do so would be an act of disobedience that would cause us to lose Jehovah’s favor, make it difficult if not impossible to worship him, and perhaps lead to our destruction at Armageddon. These are not my words, but were emphasized to us on our tour.
was reared. If you look toward the bottom center of the picture, you will see a cluster of trees, and a large building with an orangeish roof jutting up from behind them. To the left of that building, you’ll notice a kind of round steeple, sort of like a capitol. That is a church that contains a well. Unlike rivers and other geographical features, wells don’t move, erode, or change direction over time. Since this is Nazareth, that is likely the well where Mary would daily draw water for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, and so on. So Jesus probably grew up somewhere around here. To say we know the exact house is the height of absurdity, but it was probably around here somewhere.
We then completed our wide circle around the Sea of Galilee, as we saw Shunem from a distance while at Harod’s well. Shunem is where the Shulamite maiden’s story took place. And Harod’s well is where Gideon’s army was reduced to 300 in order to demonstrate that victory does not depend upon human force, but on Jehovah’s blessing. This is the well where the water test was performed. Only the 300 who remained alert to their surroundings while drinking were selected. I waded into this water with my sandals on – it was the first time in two weeks I had stepped in water that was actually refreshingly cool, because it is spring-fed, moving water.
The last site we would see in Israel would be Mt Carmel, where Elijah led the showdown between Jehovah and Baal. Somewhere around here is where Elijah restored an altar with a 10,000 square foot trench, (possibly 100’x100’), and showed Baal up to be a worthless fraud. He then led the prophets of Baal down to the plain for their execution. Where did he get the water from that filled the huge trough and drenched the altar? A look at an area map will reveal that Mt Carmel is right on the Mediterranean Sea. We don’t know exactly how high up Mt Carmel the altar was, so we can only imagine the effort it took to tote the water to the proper spot.
Upon arriving at the Cyprus branch, we were led into the Kingdom Hall, where we heard a brief history of the work in Cyprus by two brothers on the branch committee. Even though it was an excellent presentation, it was hard for a lot of us to stay awake due to our lack of sleep the night before. After some refreshments offered by the branch we got on the bus to head toward one of the beach areas of Cyprus. By the way, the refreshments were quite a generous provision, since the branch supports only seven full-time family members and a few additional temporary or commuter workers, and there were NINETY of us foreigners.