Blogs from Israel, Middle East - page 131

Imagine the widow's grief when her only son dies. To be left with no husband and no son, this was devastating. The townsfolk carry her son's body outside the city to be buried at the graveyard pictured here. But the funeral procession did not complete its journey that day. While we may imagine the widow's grief, we cannot imagine her joy at what happens next. A Teacher is approaching the city with some of his followers. He approaches the widow, and kindly tells her to stop weeping. Then, addressing the dead boy, he commands in a firm voice "Get Up!" At that, the boy sits up! The Teacher gives the boy to his mother, and proceeds on his way. Word is spread far and wide, "A Great Prophet walks among us." In the video above, you ... read more

After a good nights sleep at Wadi Rum it was off to Israel - it was Ma'a Salaama Jordan and Shalom to Israel. I had to bid farewell to Aina and Martin who had acompanied me over the last 4/5 days and was back to solo travelling. I had to get a taxi from the bus station in Aqaba to the border crossing with Israel which is when the fun began. First of all I had to get an exit visa which was new one on me as it is an economic free zone and all visa should be wavered but anyway went in to the Jordanian office and they gavce me a stamp for my passport but I didn't have any change so they told me to get some, anyway I decided to make a ... read more

Today we embarked on a day long tour of Galilee. A few highlights: 1.) Many of the Bethel family came out onto the sidewalk to greet us. There are 30 members, serving about 1,300 Witnesses, but they had 2,800 at the Memorial. They gave us back issues in Hebrew. 2.) In Caesarea, we saw the Hippodrome, Herod's Palace, and the very room where Paul appealed his detention to Caesar. 3.) Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel. After they failed to arouse Baal to accept their sacrifice, Elijah drenched his altar with fire. Then, with a single prayer, fire from heaven devoured the offering and the altar itself. Elijah and his men then executed the false prophets of Baal. 4.) An army of 32,000 was reduced to 10,000, then down to ... read more

Today we were up with the dawn, passing through security, and before we knew it, we were standing on the Temple Mount. In the sky above our heads, 3,000 years ago, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night indicated the presence of Jehovah. Under the Golden Dome lies the peak of Mount Moriah, the rock where the Ark of the Covenant lay within the Most Holy, where Abraham likely bound Isaac for the sacrifice, and where tradition says Adam was created at the very center of the Universe. Ok, I don't know about all that, but this is was, for many many generations, the very center of true worship, and symbolic of heaven itself. That is enough to make anyone tremble. Jesus himself visited here, throwing out the money changers ... read more

Jewish Tradition states that when Messiah comes, he will enter Jerusalem through the Golden Gate. So the Muslims blocked the gate, and planted a graveyard in front of it, preventing the Messiah from crossing impure ground if he tries to access the temple mount. When asked about it, our Jewish guide shrugged his shoulders, "If Messiah comes, he will just resurrect those people anyway." I thought this was a very mature viewpoint, and not that inaccurate, either. Golgotha, Calvary, Skull Place...there is disagreement regarding the exact location. However, since about 500 CE, tradition has held that this was the location of the execution, the preparation of the body of Christ, and the burial. So on the site is now the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The inside of the church prompts a wild mixture of emotions. ... read more