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Home , Jordan River

Ministry Trip

Let’s continue to prepare our hearts and minds for our Israel adventure by reading some scriptures associated with places we’ll be visiting on the last four days of our tour.

The River and the

The

John baptized in the wilderness and all came out to him. After Yeshua’s , he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. Qasr el-Yahud is the traditional site of the baptism of Yeshua. Today, the river is the international boundary between Israeli controlled territory and the country of Jordan, and pilgrims from both countries come to be baptized at the same spot in the river, just on opposite banks. In this area, and children of Israel crossed the Jordan (on dry land) and entered the (Joshua 3). and also crossed the Jordan on dry land in this area (:8, 13, 14). The Dead Sea

Over 30 miles long and 9 miles wide, and about 1300 ft below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth. It is 9% saltier than sea water, allowing visitors to enjoy a relaxing float. The waters are rich in sodium chloride, sodium bromide, potash and magnesium, all of which are extracted for use in pharmaceuticals, agriculture and the car industry (respectively). The health benefits of Dead Sea water have been made into cosmetics, and exported world-wide. :1-10, depicts Living Water flowing from the Temple in Jerusalem bringing life to the Dead Sea.

Masada

Herod’s magnificent cascading fortress became the last refuge for a small group of Jews who held out against the Roman siege in 72 AD (two years after the Romans had destroyed the temple in Jerusalem). The Roman’s built a siege ramp to bring up battering ramps and ballista ball throwers to gain access to the rebels, only to find that the defenders had taken their own lives rather than be slaughtered or enslaved by the Romans. From here we can also reflect on a battle that took place, not so far away, between King Jehoshaphat and a mighty invading army ().

Ein Gedi

The name means the “spring of the little goats”. It is a wilderness oasis where and his men hid from King (1 Samuel 24). Enjoy a short hike through the beauty of God’s creation, with a chance to splash in the small waterfalls that cascade through the nature reserve. The park is home to Hyrax (biblical “shephanim” Proverb. 30:26) and Ibex (wild goats; biblical “Yaelim”). The fresh flowing water from the four springs in the area contrasts with the salty waters of the Dead Sea below, where no fish can live. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for the shephanim. (Psalm 104:18) Exploring Jerusalem – Some Highlights

We first encounter the city of Jerusalem in the in Genesis 14: 18-20. Melchizedek, the king of Shalem came out with bread and wine to meet Abram after Abram defeated the five kings who had captured Sodom and . Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. “Shalem” comes from the Semitic root for peace or wholeness (Shalom in Hebrew and Salaam in ). In ancient texts it is called “Rushilimum” (Egyptian Execration texts, 1900 BC) or “Uru-salim” (14th century BC el-Armarna correspondence between the Canaanite king of Jerusalem and the Pharaoh.) In scripture, it is also called “Jebus” (i.e., the city of the Jebusites, who lived in Jerusalem until David conquered it about 1000 BC), the city of David, the City of God (“My city”, “My holy mount”) and “the holy city.”

The walls of Jerusalem’s Old City date to the time of the Ottoman Turks who rebuilt the city walls in 1538.Until 1860 the entire city of Jerusalem was inside these walls.

Mt. of Olives

The Mt. of Olives flanks the east side of the Old City of Jerusalem. Yeshua often stayed with Mary, Martha and Lazarus at on its eastern slopes, and would walk over the mountain each day as He came into the Temple courts to teach. Often he would stop there to teach his disciples about the things to come ( and 25). The week before Passover he descended the mount from the village of Bethpage riding on a donkey, stopping to weep over Jerusalem (:41-44). Here he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was betrayed. From here He ascended to His Father and will return.

“This , who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

As it was prophesied by the prophet Zechariah: Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east… (Zechariah 14:4)

Whose feet? The LORD’s feet? This is a very puzzling passage from a Jewish point of view… how can the LORD have feet? The rabbis answered… the ’s feet…

The Garden Tomb

Jerusalem was the city of God’s provision: provision to of a sacrifice in place of Isaac on Mt. Moriah (today’s Temple Mount); and provision of a savior, for the sins of the world. As we begin our time in Jerusalem, we’ll take time to tour the Garden Tomb, and remember together his sacrifice that was accomplished in this city on our behalf.

Sites in the Jewish Quarter

The Jewish Quarter is full of history. We’ll pass by the wall constructed by King Hezekiah to protect Jerusalem from the Assyrian attack in 701 BC ( 22:8-11 and , Isaiah 37). In the 6th century Jerusalem’s primary street, the “Cardo” will pass through this area. Pray at the Western Wall.

The South-Wall Excavations

Excavations in the decade after the Six-Day War uncovered the streets and monumental staircases from Herod’s magnificent temple. We can hear the echo of Yeshua’s disciples “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (:1). The Davidson Center which is located in one of the old stone buildings in the area holds a small collection of finds – including “Widow’s mite coins”, oil lamps (the parable of the wise and foolish virgins) and other artifacts from the time of Yeshua. For additional information: http://www.rova-yehudi.org.il/sites/the-davidson-center/

Temple Mount

Mount Moriah was the site of both Solomon’s (first) temple and Zerubbabel’s (second temple). Herod completely renovated the temple and expanded its courts by means of a massive retaining wall. Some of this wall still stands and has been used as a Jewish prayer area, the Western Wall, for nearly 400 years. During some periods, the Muslim rulers of the city only allowed Jews to pray here on the 9th day of Av, the anniversary of the destruction of both temples: a day of fasting and lamenting over the sins of the people that had led to the destructions of the temples by first the Babylonians and then the Romans (thus the nick-name “Wailing Wall”). Today the mount is the third holiest place in Islam – housing the “Dome of the Rock” and the “El-Aqsa ”. Excavations from the 1970s until present allow us to walk along the face of the wall of Herod’s platform through the “Western Wall Tunnel.” Israel Museum

Nearly 2000 years ago a Jewish sect that hid their scrolls and documents in the surrounding caves, just prior to being conquered by the Roman army in 68 AD. The Dead Sea scrolls, as these documents are known, include fragments from about 900 different parchments, including Biblical texts and commentaries; Jewish writings from the intertestamental period and works unique to the sect itself. Considered the most important Biblically-related archaeological find of the twentieth century, the Dead Sea scrolls provide a window into the Jewish community of the time of Yeshua. The Biblical scrolls, in particular, allow scholars to analyze how accurately the texts were copied by Jewish scribes from the first century BC until our earliest complete manuscript in the tenth century AD.

The Knesset

The Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, has 120 members from ten or more parties. In the outgoing Knesset, the largest party is the , headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, with 30 seats. Netanyahu’s coalition had 66 members from six parties (three secular parties and three Jewish religious parties). Eighteen members were Arabic-speakers including , Christians, Druze, Bedouin and secular. As Israel prepares for elections in April, we’ll have the opportunity to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in the garden between the Knesset and the Supreme Court building, across the street from the Prime Minister’s office, the Foreign Ministry and the Bank of Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, may they prosper who love you (Psalm 122:6)