 |
 |
|
| News & Information | ||
Blog by PTS Alumnus Dave DavisJune 15Today is our last day! We leave tomorrow morning for a twelve-hour flight which arrives in Newark at 4:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. in body time). We are having a nice dinner tonight at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem. It will be our farewell celebration. Early this morning we set out to see an active dig of the Pool of Siloam. Remember in John 9 Jesus heals a man who was born blind by spitting in some mud, rubbing it in his eyes, and then telling him to go and wash and be made clean. The chief archeologist on this dig, Professor Robby Reich, guided us through and showed us parts not open to the public. The initial discovery came when the city was trying to repair a sewer line! Three years later they have found first-century steps and columns. The pool could be as big as fifty by seventy meters! Most exciting are the steps that have been unearthed that head back up the steep hill toward the Temple. We had the chance to walk into the tunnels where these steps are still being worked on. After our visit to the Pool of Siloam, we went to see the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum. Here is where Israel stores the Dead Sea Scrolls that it owns. We were received by Dr. Adolfo Roitman, the curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He proudly showed us a brand new exhibit of a scroll that is on loan from none other than Professor Charlesworth. It is a parchment believed to be from the “silent period.” That would be a text between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the first Masoretic texts of the Hebrew Bible. Professor Charlesworth dates it around the seventh century. Of course no pictures were allowed in the Shrine of the Book, though I have to tell you how pleased the curator was to show us this new exhibit and give thanks to Princeton Theological Seminary for its work on the Dead Sea Scrolls. We then had some free time in the Old City for more shopping or just walking around. My group decided to go for the view from the steeple of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. From up there we could see all over the Old City. What a view. We ended the day with Dr. Shimon Gibson who is supervising a dig at Mount Zion. I thought Mount Zion and Jerusalem would be synonymous. Actually Mount Zion is just outside the current city walls. He is working on what could be the ruins of houses from many different periods. In current Jerusalem both Mount Zion and the City of David refer to specific locations. So our trip has come to an end. If you have been following along, you know that we have traced the historical and archeological evidence available to us from the first century, from the time period of the life of Jesus. Of course, there have been other time periods and sites tossed in along the way. But from Galilee to Jerusalem, Professor Charlesworth has been pushing us to see from two perspectives: what we see now, and what we can imagine about then. There are some common themes that keep coming up when we close the day with devotions. Our preaching of these stories of Jesus will be deeply enriched and will probably not sound the same to our listeners. Our own faith has been sparked in fresh and transformative ways. This has been a journey that we have taken together and the relationships established are deeply meaningful to us. We continue to grieve with Ruth Ann Christopher over the loss of her mother. Ruth Ann had to leave last weekend. We have found ways to support each other along the way. We have listened to each other share about the joys and struggles of ministry. We have been living together, eating together, walking together. We will continue to pray for one another. The things we have seen and shared will remain with us, by God’s grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, for a long, long time. Speaking for all of us, we are deeply grateful to the CF Foundation and to Princeton Seminary. You have given us a gift of immense proportion both financially and spiritually. We must also thank Professor Jim Charlesworth. He has taught us, challenged us, laughed with us, and cried with us. He has share his life’s work with us in a way that few teachers and students ever get to do. He has a boundless energy that only sparks when he is here and that was evident to all of us. Thanks to Jonathan Soyers and Matt Novenson. May God bless both of you in your studies and in your preparations to teach others. And lastly, thanks to Toby our bus driver for two weeks, and Vered, our tour guide. She shared a deep knowledge and love of Israel and its history with us. She did it with patience and grace. Leading twenty-two pastors, two grad students, and one professor—all of whom think they know better and are used to being in charge, well, that couldn't have been easy! Thanks for reading, and pray for us and our travels home! June 14I’m not sure what I was expecting when it came to weather in Israel. We have had stunningly beautiful days and cool nights. Today we traveled south to the Dead Sea. Yes, it was hot. Very hot. When the wind was blowing the cool breeze could make you forget how scorching the sun really can be. I think we were all careful both in drinking lots of water and with sun protection. We went to Qumran today. Qumran is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. It is difficult for me to describe to you the energy we experienced with Professor Charlesworth as he shared twenty-five years of his career. It would be difficult to tour Qumran with anyone who knows more. Once again, he challenged us to engage our imagination. As we walked the ruins and saw ritual baths, aquaducts, and the room where they worked on the scrolls, we learned more than we ever knew about the Essene community. Then we sat and talked more about John the Baptist and his experience with the Essenes. And of course, we imagined connections to the life and teaching of Jesus. We also had the chance to see some of the caves from a distance. You remember that a Bedouin shepherd first discovered the jars and fragments by accident in 1947. The Essene Community at Qumran existed from around 142 BC to 68 AD. In addition to the sense of history and discovery, the topography, the view, and the sense of the Dead Sea are all breathtaking. After lunch at Qumran, we continued south to Masada. It is an absolutely amazing combination of God’s majesty and human ingenuity. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Masada is the site of the final defeat of the Jewish revolt by the Romans in 74 AD. It was built by Herod the Great, but he was long gone by the time of that defeat. Words and pictures cannot adequately describe the size, the wonder, nor the horrors of the battles fought there. Josephus would be the one to turn to for better descriptions. We traveled by cable car to get up to Masada and here the sun and the heat pushed us to the brink. We looked out for each other and stuck together all the way. By consensus, we all knew when it was time to head down the mountain. Consensus has worked for us all along—maybe taking a page from the Peace, Unity, and Purity Report. We did make a brief last stop to Ein Gedi. It is an oasis in the desert by the Dead Sea. I learned today that the term “oasis” is a relative one! There was more vegetation and a waterfall. We also saw some animals along the way too. Ein Gedi is the site mentioned in the I Samuel 24. David hid from Saul in a cave here. By then it was almost 5:00 p.m. A long, full, and memorable day again. I’m off to have dinner. We will have group devotions tonight and maybe an evening cab ride into Old City Jerusalem. Tomorrow we’re going to see and hear about new discoveries related to the Pool of Siloam (John 8). June 13, 2007I know you won’t believe this, but we have had another moving and memorableday. Our day started in Bethlehem. We had a different bus for the day. This was an Arab-owned-and-operated bus so that we could cross over into Palestinian territory in Bethlehem. The checkpoints and the sight of the wall were startling to all of us. The economic devastation to Bethlehem resulting from the current situation is also very clear. Our first stop was the Shepherd’s Field. Once again the PTS Alumni Choir broke into song. This time we sang Christmas carols at the church on the site. A stranger who wandered into our singing happened to be Dr. John Kampen, the dean of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. The time of singing was both refreshing and meaningful to all of us. The next stop was the Church of The Nativity. I have provided a picture of the small door into the church. If you look carefully in the stonework above you can see how the door has been made smaller throughout history. Professor Charlesworth points to the need for increased security through the ages. Inside the sixth-century church we could see the remains of a fourth-century church in the floor. We then went downstairs to the grotto that the tradition names as the birthplace of Jesus. In that same basement of the church, we also were able to see the office of St. Jerome. It is where he translated the Vulgate. We stopped for lunch and shopping at the Kando store. The family has owned the store for many years. Grandfather Kando was the first to receive the jars containing the Dead Sea Scrolls. He became the antiquities dealer that contacted scholars because he thought it might be important! Much shopping, fellowship, and food was had by all! Incidently, the Kando store is just feet from the wall that has been built. Business is barely survivable. In the afternoon we headed over to the Herodian. It is an incredible archeological site that was a southern palace for Herod. He literally built a mountain to support his palace. The site contains the ruins of large pools, baths, a synagogue, and more. The mountain itself is full of tunnels intended to provide safety in case of attack. We were led through the entire site by Professor Ehud Netzer. Only last month, he believes, he has uncovered the remains of Herod’s tomb. He explained his rationale as we looked at the active dig and he even let us climb around. An unexpected highlight for all of us came tonight when we were able to hear from Stefano de Luca. He is the archeologist in charge of the Franciscan digs back up in Galilee. Beyond the status and the findings of the work, we were moved beyond words by Stefano’s description of his Christian faith. He described his work as a calling. He believes that among all of the difficulties and challenges of trying to do archeology in the Holy Land, God has gifted him with an experience of Jesus. In a very apt metaphor from a man who works with stones, Stefano told us how “concrete” Jesus is to him. This conversation happened in our evening devotions and sharing. I haven’t told you much about that. Our singing, sharing, eating, praying, and worshipping has only grown in importance for each one of us. It is in the discovered relationships that we are able to support one another in ministry, in our frustration, in our doubts, and in the overwhelming sense of gratitude that we have been given this marvelous gift by Princeton Seminary and the CF Foundation. Tomorrow we head to the Dead Sea and Qumran! June 12, 2007Our plan for today called for a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Professor Charlesworth prepared us by sharing his thoughts on why he believes it is historically valid to consider this the site of the crucifixion of Jesus. The reasons are several, and too many to mention here. As part of our pilgrimage we entered the city through the Lion’s Gate and walked the Via Dolorosa (the way of sorrow). We followed the footsteps of Jesus as he bore the cross on his way to Golgotha. The visit to the church had many parts. We went down to the lowest level to see what was clearly a first-century quarry. The rock at the center of the church, believed to be the site of the crucifixion, rises up from the quarry. Several stories above, at the very top of the rock, an ornate altar has been built. People wait in line and kneel to touch the top of the rock and pray. We also went down into the depths of the church to see a first-century tomb. You can easily see the channel for the “rolling stone” that would have been used to close the tomb. We each took time to go in and see the two places for ossuaries carved into the stone. No one tries to argue that this is the tomb of Jesus. In fact there is a shrine in another part of the church that makes that claim. No archeological or historic evidence exists. All of us, however, were moved by the experience of simply seeing a first-century tomb first and and having a better vision of what it meant for the stone to be rolled away and for Mary to go in to the tomb and for Peter to stoop and look in. The church itself is a rich combination of altars, many faiths, and pilgrims from around the world. I found that the crowds made it a challenge to reflect and to pray. Yet, the history there and the volume of pilgrims that have come to this place throughout history make it something I will never forget. The church was our only official group visit. We then split up to explore the Old City. We all had lunch together in an Armenian Quarter. Then several of our group went to see the Holocaust Museum in the new city. Others of us went to the Temple Mount so we could get a closer view of the Dome of the Rock. No one is currently allowed into the Dome who is not Muslim. But we did appreciate seeing the expanse of the Temple Mount and the peace and quiet that abides there, quite in contrast to the rest of the old city. We also visited the archeological site of Bethesda (John 5). At the pools of Bethesda Jesus healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. There on the site is the church of St. Anne. The acoustics in the building more than give Miller Chapel a run for the money. We enjoyed singing together there. All of us deeply appreciated a rather spontaneous moment of worship in the midst of a fast-paced day. The unofficial Princeton Seminary Alumni/ae Choir made two appearances today. A few of us sang at St. Anne’s, and earlier in the day, a group broke into “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It has been another full day. Tonight we will enjoy a lecture from a friend of Professor Charlesworth’s, Magen Broshi. He is curator emeritus of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Wow! June 11, 2007We have finished Monday in Jerusalem! I have invited Neal Presa, Class of 2004, to serve as our guest blogger for the day. This is a land of stories, many rich stories. Today began our journey into the story world of Jerusalem’s stones. What if the rocks could speak? We would hear from the massive, carefully chiseled, well-placed boulders placed atop the Old Jerusalem walls by Herod the Great in the first century BC tell the stories of the finest artisans and craftsmen summoned to build a great city fit for a king. We would hear the struggles of God’s people and their devotion to God in the Temple, which was utterly destroyed in 70 CE; remnants of the Temple are lost, but vestiges of the once great city and wall that surrounded it dotted the various roads we walked. We would hear of the stories of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, who live with the modus vivendi of the towering golden Dome of the Mount, surrounded by mosques, synagogues, and churches. But then we lifted our own stories to God and heard the story of God. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Joe Roberts proclaimed God’s story in Christ through the power of prayer and the gift of silence; that silence is itself a prayer-story unfolding as it precedes events of either sorrowful or celebratory proportions. Jesus’ prayer in the Garden would precede the rest of his own passion en route to Golgotha. All of us were moved to lift up our lives in the Garden, to hear God’s voice, to be still and know that God is God. There is storytelling everywhere on the streets of Jerusalem: little children running around, including two little boys wearing yarmulkes on their heads walking with their arms on each other’s shoulders; armed Israeli officers and young cadets gathered in clusters; street vendors selling their wares; the scheduled calls for prayer emanating from the four or so minarets; and the throngs of people we joined at the Western Wall of the Temple (The Wailing Wall, with the men on the left and the women on the right. To the hundreds of prayer sheets inserted into the cracks of the wall put there by many pilgrims before us, we added our own; we touched the Wall, we heard the voices of God’s people praying. Going underground, we entered the subterranean history of an excavation tunnel running parallel to the city walls. The strata of the stones—Old Jerusalem (about forty feet below the present structure), Herodian, Arab, Byzantine, modern (rocks that had been “dressed” or restored)—tell the story of conquest, conflict, and faith. It was fitting that we ended our day around the table at our hotel. The twenty-four of us gathered to hear the question posed to us by Emily Rosencrans—what are you looking for and where have you seen Jesus? To those questions, the stories are far from being completely told—both within this great city, and within this community of pilgrims. This is a land of stories, many rich stories. June 10, 2007This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! I was honored to preach this morning from Matthew’s Gospel on the baptism of Jesus. It can be difficult having worship gatherings as other tourists are coming and going. At one point it was difficult for people to hear me because of the tenor in a group not far away offering a rousing rendition of “Put Your Hand in the Hand...” Those who know me will find that volume issue hard to believe! After worship we headed down the Jordan Valley through the West Bank. We were traveling to Jerusalem along the way that Jesus must have traveled. Jordan was to the west as we headed south. We did stop along the way at a wonderful dig that was over 400 acres. The temperature was close to 100 degrees, but we toughed it out! We had a guided tour from the chief archeologist on the dig, a friend of Professor Charlesworth. The site is now a national park in Israel. We went south just past Jericho. We were told that Jericho just isn’t safe these days. Just below Jericho, with the Dead Sea in sight, we headed east to Jerusalem. Or as Professor Charlesworth stressed, we “ascended” to Jerusalem. We went from well below sea level, came through Bedouin villages, and then headed into Jerusalem. Our first stop was the campus of Hebrew University and at the Mount of Olives. There we had a wonderful view of the sunset over Jerusalem as Professor Charlesworth pointed out various sites. Tomorrow a busy day starts here in Jerusalem. June 9, 2007 Our Saturday began with some very difficult news for our group. During the night Ruth Ann received a phone call from home that her mother had died. Before we were even awake, Ruth Ann was off to the airport to catch the next plane home. Ruth Ann is the pastor of Faith United Presbyterian Church in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania. Please join us in praying for Ruth Ann and her family in their grief. We trust that God will give them comfort and peace and sure and certain knowledge of the resurrection. We headed off right after breakfast today to the traditional site where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. Professor Charlesworth reminded us that there is no archeological evidence to indicate the location. But tradition has spoken for hundreds and hundreds of years. Right nearby we visited the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. This site commemorates the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John where the risen Christ served breakfast on the beach and asked Peter three times if he loved him. We were led in worship at this site by Neil Presa and Professor Charlesworth. There in a beautiful chapel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee we remembered our baptism and we celebrated eucharist. A young man who lives there on the site at the church joined us at the table. It was a moving experience for all of us as we welcomed a stranger to the table who spoke no English. As the service came to a conclusion another busload of visitors arrived making some substantial noise. At first it was rather annoying. Then I realized it was the sound of children’s voices speaking in a language that I couldn’t readily identify. My experience of the Lord’s Supper was only magnified as it is indeed a joyful feast and we know how Jesus welcomed the children. Our visit to the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter ended with most of us stepping into the Sea of Galilee. The rocks are hard on the feet! From there we traveled north and west to visit Caesarea Philippi. The topic, of course, was Peter’s confession to Jesus that he was the Son of God. We visited two possible territories there in the Golon Heights. The more well-known site is at Banias and includes ruins of a temple built by Herod the Great to honor Augustus Caesar. There is also a shrine to the god Pan. A remarkable amount of water here at Caesarea Philippi flows into the Jordan River and down the whole valley. The more exciting spot to visit was an active dig being led by Macalester College. It is the village of Omrit. Here they have found three temples from different time periods. The quality of what has been found is spectacular. The temple to Augustus Caesar is dated to 14 BC. Remembering that the gospel narrative tells of Jesus and Peter having the conversation “along the way to Galilee,” perhaps the confession took place here! Lunch was a highlight in a Lebanese restaurant right on the water with an incredibly gracious host. The afternoon included a whirlwind visit to the Old Testament town of Dan where the city has been excavated and what is thought to be the largest city gate in all of antiquity unearthed. Another memorable day ended with a spectacular dinner at Auberge Shumalit in the hills of Rosh Pina looking over the Galilee region as nightfall came and the lights from various villages came to life. We could see as far as the Golon Heights. None of us will soon forget this day. June 8, 2007It has been a very exciting day for us on this memorable journey. Late last night Professor Charlesworth introduced us to two archeologists from Israel, Dr. Aviam and Dr. Overman. Both men shared an overview of their life’s work digging on sites not only in Israel and but all over the world. It was very fascinating to hear about the financial, political, and scientific challenges. We spent a bit more time hearing about the digs that have been done in the Galilee region. Dr. Aviam then announced that we would be the first ones to help him start a dig in the morning at Khirbet Beza. They are hoping to find a first-century synagogue there that was destroyed by the Romans in 66 CE and never occupied since. The last thing we were told was to bring water, a strong back, and a pair of gloves. This morning as we headed out on the bus bright and early, I remembered that my gloves were still in my suitcase. Oh well! You will hear more about the dig from our guest blogger for the day, Emily Rosencrans, Class of 1987. I forgot to mention that yesterday on the dig at Bethsaida, I met a retired man from Arizona who has come over to volunteer for several weeks. He asked me what we were doing and I explained the trip and that we were being led by Professor Charlesworth. His face lit up and he told me how much Professor Charlesworth’s books had meant to him. I was pleased to be able to introduce the two men to one another. Not related to our presence in Israel, I want to tell you what a joy it has been for me to have the privilege to get to know the Reverend Dr. Joseph Roberts. He is pastor emeritus of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Yes, that Ebenezer Baptist Church! I wish dinner last night would have lasted for several more hours. I am learning and seeing a whole lot of history here that is so fresh and powerful to me, and my conversations with Joe have been like that as well. His gracious willingness to tell me of his experience as pastor at Ebenezer and as pastor to Mrs. King, and his memories of Dr. King, well, I won't soon forget it. Joe is here as a representative of the CF Foundation. Everyone here on our trip is extremely grateful to the CF Foundation for their vision and generosity! Please keep reading to find Emily’s reflections..... We will take the weekend off from the blog and catch up on Monday (which will be Sunday night for you!). Here are some thoughts from our second guest blogger, Emily Rosencranz. We went on an archeological dig today at a new first-century site. Archeologists Dr. Aviam and Professor Charlesworth took us to Khirbet Beza. As we drove there, the beauty of what seemed like a hundred hills, and the awareness of how significant this trip is, and how significant this dig could be, all led me to write a prayer in my journal: Oh God, let us find treasure today. Let this experience be important, Luke 19:37–40 describes Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Verse 40 is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees wanting his disciples to stop shouting. “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.“ Stones do shout out! This is a rocky land. The rocks tell stories. At the archeological sites we have visited in Capernaum, Bethsaida, Tiberias, Hamat Teverya, Korazim, and today, we have seen that the position of the rocks, their shape, size, whether they are carved or inscribed—they are all significant. This is a rocky place. Today was a dream come true for me as we participated in a dig at a new site. Professor Charlesworth asked me to pick up “surface” material while my colleagues were digging a possible corner of a first-century synagogue. At first, I thought gathering from the ground was a raw deal. But then, while looking under the branches of a tree, I realized there was a cave behind the tree. I climbed down into what I thought was a small cave. There were many large stones at the bottom of a ten-foot rounded depression. Several stones were carved or chiseled. They were rectangular, and looked as if they had fallen in on each other. Then I noticed there were openings under the stones at the bottom and began to move a few to reveal a deeper bottom of the rounded cave-like structure. Professor Charlesworth, who is a treasure himself who so obviously enjoys teaching, crawled down into my “cave.” He noticed how the stones had fallen in and how the upper rim was round, and he proposed that this was probably a large cistern—a first century well! The dirt inside could be from sandstorms and would have to be removed to see how deep the well is, or was. It would be sifted to see if it contains anything of value. On the way out of our possible synagogue where we uncovered part of a pillar and a corner of a building today, I saw a piece of clay with a rounded shape. Kevin Park helped dig around what eventually revealed itself to be a large handle on a large clay jar—still intact and from the first century. The broken pieces were still together, like puzzle pieces. Two finds! My prayer was answered, because it was important, memorable, and one of the best days of my life! Other groups uncovered the threshold of a house, the beginning of an abandoned ritual bath, and a fragment of a small first-century oil lamp! June 7, 2007 We have had another great day of following in the footsteps of Jesus. We remain up in the region of the Galilee. We are able to spend time and reflect every place we go; we have the advantage of not rushing. Today I am overwhelmed by the peaceful beauty of the region. It is almost a peace that asserts itself despite tourism and the reality of violence and struggle these days. I wonder if that isn’t the kind of peace Jesus was trying to describe. Here are some thoughts from our first guest blogger David Widmer, Class of 1994. After a wonderful lunch, the group encountered the ruins of Korazim, one of the three ancient cities where Christ taught and which he eventually cursed. A very touching experience followed a tour of the ruins, as every pilgrim expressed what they had experienced thus far and what they were looking for in their spiritual journey in Jesus. Finally, the group visited Hamat Teverya, a national park, and the ruins of the old city of Tiberias. Already many are finding that the trip serves as a way to encounter Christ, to rekindle faith in God, and to replenish the soul. Overall, the sites where Jesus taught and preached are touching and moving, and I have found the places we have visited spiritually uplifting and a wonderfully refreshing way to encounter God and rekindle the alive presence of God in my spirit. Thanks for reading...tomorrow we put on gloves and go to work at a dig! June 6, 2007Some of us woke up early this morning with the aftereffects of jet lag. The earliest risers enjoyed the sun rising over the Sea of Galilee, scenes of fisherman working from their boats, and even some early morning swimmers. Everyone boarded a boat after breakfast and we set sail on the Sea of Galilee. Once out in the lake, the boat stopped and we had the chance to ponder the scenes along the the shoreline and listen to the water hitting the boat. Here, at the start of the day we thought about how much of Jesus’ ministry took place on, in, and around the Sea of Galilee. We then docked and went to see the exhibit of a first-century fishing boat that was discovered only a few decades ago. It was discovered by Yuvi Lufon. Because of his relationships with Professor Charlesworth, Yuvi told us what he considered to be a deeply spiritual experience. Hearing his story and then seeing the first-century boat will be something we remember for a long, long time. Professor Charlesworth then led us to Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene. We were able to walk through an ongoing dig project. Professor Charlesworth showed us the ruins of houses, streets, the Via Mara (road to the sea), and the public square. We then had the chance to reflect upon Jesus and his challenge to those who stood to lose when it came to his teaching about power, purse, and prestige. Then it was off to Capernaum. While not the birthplace of Jesus, Capernaum is thought to be the home of Jesus. Professor Charlesworth skillfully avoided the crowds so that he could tell us about the sixth-century synagogue, and the remains of many houses. The most famous ruin here is the house of Peter. In the church that is literally built above Peter’s house we had a time of worship. Neal Pressa enjoyed that church so much that he remained for a while as mass was beginning. He was introduced as a special guest and then found himself locked inside the courtyard! We finished the day at Mt. Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the various towns along the northwest edge of the lake where Jesus healed the sick, preached the gospel, and lived his life. In the next few days I will be asking some of my colleagues on this pilgrimage to share some of their highlights of the day. I look forward to sharing them with you! June 5, 2007After a ten-hour plane ride through the night our traveling group arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning at around 10:00 a.m. Everyone arrived with their luggage and we were met by our tour guides. Of course, the term “tour guide” isn't quite fitting since Professor Charlesworth is our tour guide. We left Princeton after several hours of orientation on the purpose of our trip. This is a spiritual pilgrimage whereby we will explore the archeological, topographical, and geographical background to the life of Jesus. While we could go in many directions, Professor Charlesworth has invited us to focus on the life of Jesus specifically. We went directly from the airport to Caesarea Maritima. It is on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. There we saw incredible ruins of an ampitheater, Herod’s Royal Palace, and the beautiful harbor that was crafted by Herod out of huge stones. The highlight of the day was our stop just above Tiberias as we looked out over the Sea of Galilee. We read the Scripture together of Jesus calming the storm and we each stood and thought about the numerous scenes in the life of Jesus that came to mind. It has been a long twenty-four hours. We have a full day set for Wednesday. So the twenty-five of us are off for some much needed rest. |
| |