Last Day and Long Trip Home

---

February 19 and 20, 2014

Today began the longest day in history beginning with a full day of touring followed by 26.5 hours in airports and on planes coming home. The day began driving to Capitol Hill (and other Israeli government buildings). Near Capitol Hill is the Israel Museum. We visited two major parts of the museum. One had an outdoor 1:50 scale replica of the ancient City of Jerusalem 40 AD-70AD at the time of the Second Temple. The detail was outstanding and really put in perspective everything we had been visiting by foot during the week. Next door was the Shrine of the Book, a building in the shape of a Torah, with the scroll knob at the roof. Inside were hundreds a scrolls and pieces of scrolls from the Dead Sea Scroll collection. An interesting feature of the building is that they constantly spray water on the roof to remind visitors that God's Word is “living water.”

We then visit En Kerem the location of the Church of St. John the Baptist and his birth site. The most somber part of our trip came next with a visit to Yad Vashem Memorial, the Holocaust Museum of Israel. The children's portion was particularly moving with 1.5 million mirrored lights to represent the 1.5 million children who died in the holocaust. On the grounds of Yad Vashem they continue to plant a goal of 6 million pine trees to memorialize those executed by the Nazi's.

Our last stop of the day was a very moving experience. The Garden Tomb is one of two tombs claimed to be the burial place of Jesus. The Garden Tomb does not have as much historical documentation on its side, however, the appearance, location, and description better fits the biblical depiction better than the other tomb. It certainly fits our childhood images of what we would picture the tomb to look like, with the groove for rolling the stone and all. Also 75-100 yards from this tome is a rock with a skull-like face offering another location alternative for Golgotha.

Our closing worship together was a beautiful communion service in one of the garden chapels near the Garden Tomb.

After dinner on the the airport in Tel Aviv and a very tiring trip home. I even had a surprise change of airports which sent me in a treacherous cab ride from JFK to LaGuardia Airport. I was back in Tulsa a 5:30 pm Thursday, ready for a bath and bed. I slept all day Friday.....all afternoon and evening on both Saturday and Sunday. Today I am catching up on some personal business and writing this last belated blog.

I will be doing an expansion and revision of my blog writings as more complete account of my journey. What a great experience this was! Thank you for sharing it with me!

---