Jerusalem

On the Nile

Egypt is the most exotic place I have ever been, and I've been to some interesting places. Cairo is a filthy city. The smog is so bad. It makes Mexico City look like a clean air city. As we landed we could see brown dust just hanging in the air. From the air, everything is monochromatic brown. They only get 2 inches of rain a year. It needs to rain just to clean off the buildings. Luxor is about 300 miles away and they get any rain at all. None. Isn't that wild. They are both right on the Nile river, so they irrigate and are able to grow crops like cotton and rice. They have the biggest vegetables you have ever seen.
I can't wait to upload the picture of the Diane and I on the camel! It's great!!! That was the most fun $6.00 can buy. I haven't laughed that hard in forever! They have camels, burrow drawn carts, and horse drawn wagons all over the place. They are just a part of the normal flow of traffic. The only place I've seen worse drivers is China.
The ruins are amazing. They are more interesting than I imagined. It makes the Tower of Babel seem so much more realistic. The pillars in these temples are enormous. What impressive engineering.
Tonight we are staying in Luxor. We flew in this morning (after our 3:00am wake-up call). Tomorrow's wake up call is 5:30am. We get to sleep in. Tomorrow we spend the day in Cairo again and go to the Cairo Museum and the Perfume Shop and the Papyrus Shop.
Pray for the Christians here. The city of Cairo has 30% Christian population according to our guide (who is a Christian), but the government is controlled by 100% Muslims. With our new administration it has emboldened them and they are beginning to persecute the Christians more. You can never outwardly criticize the the Muslim religion. The Muslims are converting many of the young people in the country to the Muslim faith. The church here needs our prayers as they become more and more persecuted.
Uploading pictures is a problem because I have messed up my computer. But, internet availability is scarce as hen's teeth and very expensive so it is fine. You'll just have to wait until I get home to see the pictures.

A Window at Masada

This photo was taken from a window in the ruins at Masada. The best photos at Masada would be from the air. Masada rises nearly 1000 feet high. Herod the Great built a palace and refuge here in 37-31bc. Later Masada became a refuge for 960 Jewish rebels who were surrounded by Roman troops. The Romans spent three years building a ramp up the side of Masada to capture the Jews. Rather than be taken captive, the Jews commited mass suicide. Only two women and two children survived to tell the story.

The Dead Sea

Here we are at the Dead Sea. It seems so odd to look at the beautiful clear water that looks so inviting and yet it isn't a refreshing body of water. However, they say the salt and mud are great spa treatments. It's shores are 1,378 feet below sea level; the lowest point of dry land on earth. It is 1,247' deep and continues to sink about 13 inches a year. The Dead Sea also played an important role in the defeat of the Jews by the Romans in 73ad at Masada (right next door). Arrows soaked in the chemicals found in the water from the Dead Sea were lit on fire and shot into the wooden barricades.

Ptolemais or Akko

Akko is located in western Galilee of northern Israel. It is near the modern-day city of Haifa. In Judges 1:31, this was listed as belonging to the tribe of Asher. Josephus calls it Akre. The na;me was changed to Antiochia Ptolemais shortly after Alexander the Great's conquest, and then to Ptolemais.
THE BUS IS LEAVING, I'VE GOT TO RUN!! MORE TO COME.

Mary's Home Town - Zippori

Saturday - This morning began with a short trip to Zippori which is Mary's home town. There are ruins here dating back to around 200bc. The Romans built incredible public buildings, baths, residential areas, a 4,500 seat Roman amphitheater, market, etc. The sidewalks where mosaic and many of the floors of the buildings were done in beautiful mosaic. The mosaic shown is from a larger mosaic. This is considered the "Mona Lisa of Galilee". Most of the tiles in the mosaics are about 1/4". Amazing!

Bethshan

Our itinerary really changed today. Today we crossed out of Jordan into Israel. You would not believe all the military checkpoints we had to go through. First you go through two or three Jordanian checkpoints. Then you go through Israeli checkpoints and then go through Israeli border security. It's pretty secure. There are still Palestinian settlements scattered in places, but apparently there was an agreement that Israel would be managing the boarder security.
We also went to Bethshan. It was a city of the Canaanites. It was the city where the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were attached to the wall of a Temple after their deaths in battle to the Phillistines. The temple remains are now being excavated and you can see pieces of it being revealed. The Romans came in later and made an amazing city with columns and bath houses and an amphitheatre, fountains, under-street sewage ducts, a music hall, gladiator arena. So much is still standing. It must have been beautiful when it was first built.
We also went on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Pretty cool.
Jet lag has finally caught up with me and I'm in serious need of bedtime.
Blessings to you,
Cheryl