2016

Israel Trip Journal

 Joe and Jenny Emert
Israel Trip 2016

Day 1 – Tuesday, December 6

We Landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, where we were processed through
Customs quickly thanks to the aid of a representative of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the
official Sponsor of our tour. We also met our tour guide, Eli Meiri, who we grew to love and
have a deep appreciation of his grasp of both Christian and Hebrew scripture and history.

We immediately drove north on Rt 2

to Caesarea. We saw the ruins of
one of King Herod’s palaces,
beautifully situated on the shores of
the Mediterranean Sea. In the day,
this was a thriving port city and very
important to Roman trade. We saw
where the Apostle Paul stood in the
ampitheater and made his appeal to
the area Governor, Festus, and then
eventually appealed to Caesar. It
was moving to see where he may
have been imprisoned,
underground, for two years before
he was transferred to Rome. We
had lunch in a delightful outdoor
café overlooking the Mediterranean.
We then drove northeast to
Megiddo where we saw
excavations of an ancient
fortified city, overlooking the
Jezreel Valley and the
probable site of biblical
Armageddon. Megiddo is a
high “Tel” overlooking a vast
valley on all sides. Many of the
ancient Biblical sites were
located in man-made hills,
which were fortified and
equipped with water supply,
gates, high walls, and other
protection measures. The Tel
was usually a city, and before
the Israelites each such city
had a King. The city contained
the palaces and houses of the citizens, as well as their armies. There are hundreds of such
“Tels” in Israel and the Middle East. Their sizes ranged from small to others quite large, like Tel
Megiddo. Usually, there are many layers of different civilizations found at these Tels.

One of the most important archaeological

sites in Israel from the time of the Bible, Tel
Megiddo is a beautiful and impressive
national park near the town of Afula. King
Solomon fortified the city, which reached the
heights of its powers under King Ahab
around 2,900 years ago. Ahab built
impressive water works there. Israelite
Megiddo fell to the Assyrians in 732 BC and
was finally demolished by the Egyptians in
609 BC. Amazingly, this site has had 25
civilizations uncovered in archeological
excavations!

We continued to drive northeast to Nazareth, through Caanan, and briefly stopped at “Mary’s
Well”, in the center of the town of Nazareth. The site is where Mary, was visited by the Angel
when the Enunciation was made about the birth of Christ. The well is still there. There is no
direct biblical reference that the Angel met Mary at a well, but it is suggested that it may have
been that way since the city Well was a necessary and popular meeting spot in any town. The
Catholic controlled Church of the Enunciation was closed but we went into a very old Greek
Orthodox Church, also called the church of the enunciation. It is very old, and built during the
time of the Crusades.
We then continued to drive northeast to the city of Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee. (Tiberias is
also the hometown of our guide) We were taken to a restaurant called “Pagoda” and located
on the Sea of Galilee. What an amazing meal with everything being made fresh on site. We
had a multi-course meal starting with onion straws with a sweet BBQ sauce, fresh hummus
with bread and a huge salmon filet, big enough to more than feed the 8 of us. They also served
sweet potato with mushrooms and brought a huge platter of steak, ribs and chicken. We were
stuffed, since we did not know how many courses they were going to bring out!

Finally, we were delivered to the Rimonim Hotel in Tiberias and our hotel room overlooked the
Sea of Galilee. Was it ever good to get a bath and hit the bed. Quite a first day!!

Day 2 – Wednesday, December 7

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise over the

Sea of Galilee and enjoyed a huge
breakfast in the hotel dining area. The
Israeli people do enjoy a large breakfast
and we had quite a spread. Cheeses,
breads, jams, juices, salads, pizza, eggs
fixed any way you liked them, waffles,
pancakes, pastries, and very strong
“Turkish” coffee. Wow!

Following breakfast we boarded our van

and Eli, our guide, shared some information
about Tiberius. It was founded by one of the
sons of King Herod, following Herod’s
death. It is a place of Jewish scholarship
and the place where scholars established the use of “dots” in the Hebrew written language.
They do not use vowels but use “dots” to express the language better.

We saw a 1st century fishing

boat that had been found in
the mud in the 1980s, near
Magdala. It took several
years to preserve it and a
museum has been built just
to house the boat, called
“The Jesus
Boat”. From the
site of this museum we set sail on the Sea of
Galilee. Here is Eli, Jenny, Joe, Christina and
Don Allen from WWEV, Cumming GA, Brenda
and Scott Biegle from Faith Radio,
Tallahassee, FL and Robert Potts of the Israel
Ministry of Touism.
 While waiting to board
our boat we saw a large
group of Nigerian people
joyously praising the
Lord as they got off of
their boat. It was so
exciting to feel their loud
and emotional
excitement! We were
on our boat for about an
hour. While on the Sea
(lake) we could look
across to the eastern
shore. This area is
Jordan and the Golan
Heights. It was a very
beautiful day. No one
walked on water but we
felt like it!

Next we were on to the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was taught by
Jesus and where the feeding of the 5,000 may have taken place. Joe did one of his radio
interviews from that site, interviewing Robert Potts, our team leader from the Israel Ministry of
Tourism. Robert read the Beatitudes from Matthew 5. Robert is about 30 years old and Joe
made the observation that it was very moving to hear the Beatitudes in this special place from
a young man about the age of Jesus. We walked through a Catholic church built in the 1930s
on the site where a church previously built by the Crusaders had been built.
We then went into the little village of
Magdala, A first-century Jewish town. A
Synagogue and fishing village has been
unearthed and ongoing excavations are
taking place there. The small Synagogue
is clearly a place where Jesus would have
taught. It is the town where the woman
with an issue of blood touched the hem of
the garment of Jesus. Original paving
stones from a plaza during the time of
Christ have been uncovered. It was very
moving to realize we were walking on the
same plaza where the crowd of people
may have been when the woman was
healed.

A beautiful new church has been built on the site

with detailed murals on the walls telling these
stories of Jesus. It is called “Duc In Altum” from
the Latin which draws its name from Luke 5:4
where Jesus instructs Simon Peter to “launch into
the deep” or “put out into deep water”. Although a
Catholic Church, Catholics, Jews, Moslems, and
Evangelicals work at this dig-site. We were taken
by the Senior Guide, Ms. Hermona Viljoen (whom
Joe interviewed) through the church, which has 5
small chapels and a large main sanctuary. Each
chapel represents a different miracle of Jesus. The
pulpit in the main sanctuary was built into a replica of the “Jesus” fishing boat found nearby. It
was quite impressive.
Hermona was
quite a loving and
passionate
Christian lady.
The first chapel
she took us to is
located on the
lower level of the
church and is built
over part of the
original stone
plaza where
Jesus walked.
She very movingly retold the Biblical account of the woman with the issue of blood and
dropped down on the stone floor (plaza) as she acted out that event and what it must have
been like when the woman was healed. She made the point that Jesus had a tremendous
respect for women and motherhood. With real passion she referenced “Zionism”, the right of
the Jewish people to have their own nation and be able to live in Israel. Eli, our Jewish guide,
seemed emotionally moved during this exchange, as we all were!

We learned that Synagogues were not

necessarily a place of worship but a gathering
place for meetings, teaching, and reading the
Tora. It was so interesting to see the “Magdala
Stone” which was discovered in the
Synagogue in Magdala. It is one of the most
significant recent archaeological finds in the
Holy Land, the Magdala Stone holds clues
that will help scholars establish a more
complete picture of first century Judaism. The
Magdala Stone is likely the earliest known
artistic depiction of the Second Temple. It is
thought by some that this particular
Synagogue may have been considered a “Lesser Temple”, meaning it was considered a very
influential Synagogue during the period when it was built and used.

We had a quick lunch in Magdala and ate a Shawarma

sandwich for the first time. Then it was on to Capernaum!

In Capernaum we saw the ruins of a small house

traditionally believed to be the house of Peter’s mother-in-
law. Jesus lived with them for a while and it’s not far from
Tiberius or Magdala. At Capernaum we saw the remains of
a large Jewish synagogue that had been reconstructed
many hundreds of years ago.

Eli then took us to a nearby field area, called “Tabgha” where he believes Jesus multiplied the
loaves and fishes. This is quite near the Mount of Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount
occurred, and is another possible site where the feeding of the 5,000 could have occurred.
Both sites are very near each other and either site would have been large enough.

We then went to “Yardenit”, a modern baptismal site for pilgrims on

the Jordan River, but not the site where Jesus was baptized by John.
Scott Biegle and Robert Potts,
members of our travel group,
baptized each other in the Jordan
River. All around “Yardenit” there
are over 100 large plaques
containing the scripture reference of
the baptism of Jesus in different
languages.

It was then on to Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Poriya. This is a very interesting Israeli
hospital dedicated to care for all those injured and sick, even the enemies of Israel. There is a
very large underground hospital with various “wards”. The underground portion of the hospital
is bomb proof and designed with a separate and sealed HVAC system, in case of biological
warfare. The possibility of war is always present on their minds.

Christina Allen, the wife of Don Allen, was able to visit the neo-natal area of the hospital. This
was a highlight for her as she is a neo-natal nurse. We were escorted around the hospital by
the deputy director of the medical facility whom Joe and Robert did a radio interview with.

Following the tour it was back to Tiberius for another fantastic meal at the Magdalena
Restaurant. Here again, a beautifully presented and delicious meal. Some items served were:
seasoned cauliflower, bread with olive oil, olives, lamb, shrimp, and steak. Happy and full,
were went back to the same hotel on the Sea of Galilee for a peaceful night.

Day 3 – Thursday, December 8

We had another wonderful breakfast at the hotel before leaving for the day. We drove south on
Route 90 to the ancient town of Biet She’an. There, we saw archaeological excavations of a
Roman-Byzantine city of Scythopolis, one of the
primary “Decapolis” cities of the Roman Empire.

An amazing Roman amphitheater is still there and

at least two entire streets and their related ruins.
There were layers of different civilizations and
periods. Beit-She-an, as it is called today, is the
capital of the Decapolis mentioned in Matthew 4:
23-25 and in Mark 5:1-10. It was a huge place
and seems without doubt where Jesus walked
and taught. We had our picture taken on the
actual Roman street where Jesus ministered.

It was
at
nearby
Mt.
Gilboa (seen in the background of these two photos) that
King Saul was wounded in an epic battle with the
Philistines in the 10th century B.C. Rather than
allow himself to be captured by the victorious
Philistines, Saul chose to fall on his sword. The
Philistines then cut off his head and hung his body,
and that of his sons on the city walls. (I Samual 31:9)
Today, Beit She’an’s main street is named after the
King.
 Then, it was further on south to
Qasr el Yahud, the traditional
site where the Israelites forded
the Jordan River into Canaan
and where Elijah the Prophet
ascended to heaven. It is the
spot on the Jordan River where
Jesus was baptized by John, his
Cousin. Since the Jordan River
is currently the dividing line
between Israel and Jordan it
was interesting to us that on
each side of the river there are
facilities where people can be
baptized. There were border
guards on each side and it
would have been very easy for
anyone to simply swim across
the 50 foot wide river and be on the other side. If anyone got close to the “swimming rope”
area the guards would wave them back. It was done kindly, with no problems. Joe washed his
face with the muddy water and Jenny put her hand in the water. We weren’t healed of anything
that we know of. 

We saw another group on the Jordan side

preparing for baptism. Joe waved and shouted,
“Hello!” They waved and shouted back, “Hello!”
Then Joe threw both arms in the air and shouted
“Hallelujah!” and they did the same from the
Jordanian side. It was a moving experience for
Joe. Jesus knows no boundaries and world
peace is only available through HIM!

Then it was on toward the Dead Sea as we

continued to follow the Jordan River southward.
We passed some camels in the field and lots of
good looking crops. This is considered “dessert”
area, although it is far from barren. Many of the
crops were covered in a kind of netting over
frame structures. We were told it provides some
protection from the wind and sun.

We were quite surprised to see that the Dead

Sea is actually quite clear. At least near the
shore you could clearly see the bottom, with all
its accumulation of salt and minerals.
Some deposits of salt are even large enough to
stand on! The seabed seems to “crunch” under your
feet! Oh, by the way, this was near the site where
Lot’s wife turned to salt! Really!

Joe, Robert, Scott and Christina went out into the

water to float. The water is 6 to 10 times saltier than
the ocean water and the salt and minerals simply
“buoy” you up and it is impossible to sink. Joe said it

was a really unusual feeling. Jenny just waded out a

little way. Fun fact: 1 gallon of fresh water weighs 8
pounds. 1 gallon of Dead Sea water weighs 12
pounds.

We had a little time to clean up before supper, which

was another beautiful buffet there in the Dead Sea
Crown Plaza Hotel, where we were staying just one
night.

Day 4 – Friday, December 9

Up again for breakfast at the Crown Plaza by the Dead Sea, then boarded our tour-van by
8:30. We drove a short distance to Masada, the most visited place in Israel. Masada is a
mountain top fortress inaccessible from all sides. Back in the days of King Herod the Great the
only way to get up to the top was through the “snake path” and through a very narrow opening.
We took the cable car!

King Herod built a palace and fortress there between 37

and 31 B.C. Some of the original structures are still there,
while some others have been reconstructed. Archeologists
often place some kind of “marker line” between original
construction and what has been re-constructed on top of it.
Sometimes this is simply a painted line, and sometimes
they place shells or markers permanently into the mortar as
they rebuild, creating a line. According to the respected
Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, the siege of Masada by
troops of the Roman Empire at the end of the First Jewish–
Roman War ended in the mass suicide of 960 people – the
rebels fighting against the Roman Empire.
 Just before we left Masada a few in our
group bought a snack bag of what
looked like cheese puffs, except they
were peanut butter puffs. We took them
outside to a sitting area where there
were some picnic tables. As we started
eating the snack, numerous birds quickly
gathered. They are called the Tristram’s
Grackle and are native to Israel, Jordan
and Egypt.

They were so bold we had to be careful

they wouldn’t swoop in and take the
snack right out of your hand as you
moved it from the bag to your mouth! They were so aggressive that we had to eventually go
back into the building.

As we left Masada we were now driving back toward the

north and to the Springs of Ein Gedi, the area where David
hid from King Saul in caves. It is also the place, in those
caves, where David cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. The
name Ein Gedi is composed of two Hebrew words: “ein”
means “spring” and “gedi” means “goat-kid.” Ein Gedi then
means “Kid Spring” or “Foundtain Of The Kid”.

David hides in the desert of Ein Gedi (1 Samuel 24:1-2)

and King Saul seeks him "even upon the most craggy rocks, which are accessible only to wild
goats" (1 Samuel 24:2). Those particular kind of goats are seen, even today, in this area and we
saw some of them! As we were driving on the main highway near Ein Gedi our guide was
telling us about the goats and their history in the area. He no longer said this when we went
around a curve and there they were along the side of the road! Amazing! Don Allen wanted to
go hunting, much to the dismay of Eli, our guide.  These goats have inhabited this area for
who knows how long!? God knows!
 We drove past an area where Eli (our guide)
said a fresh water area was actually creating
“sink-holes” and that the fresh water was
dissolving the salt and mineral laden soil on
the banks of the Dead Sea. He explained how
much the Dead Sea is receding each year.
Environmentalists believe the Dead Sea is
dying. This related link (below) is worth
checking out! Those who believe the Bible will
believe Ezekiel 47:10
And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it
from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; there shall be a place to
spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds,
as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

The waters of the Dead Sea (or Salt Sea) will one day be healed!! This was really astounding
to us to see happening first hand! Scripture seems to indicate that fresh, healing waters will
one day flow from Jerusalem, into the Jordan River, and then into the Dead Sea.

This is an interesting link regarding the changes occurring at The Dead Sea….
https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/72711/fulfillment-dead-sea-prophecy-
begun/#0FoLGPYKsxRUZCfC.97

From Ein Gedi it was on to more caves…the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls
were found in 1947! We toured the small area, only being able to look across a ravine where
most of the Scrolls were found.

We had lunch there, shopped a little

and Jenny bought 2 small oil lamps
made from local pottery material.
Then onward, with a brief stop for a
camel ride along the way! Scott and
Joe both rode “Shu Shu”, which may
mean “one speed” or “over the
hump”! 

We were soon back on the

road for the 45 minute drive
to Jerusalem! Eli took us
first to an overlook giving us
a great perspective of the
Old City of Jerusalem, parts of the wall around it,
various “gates” to the city, and a view of the
Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. Eli,
with heart-felt emotion, formally welcomed us to
Jerusalem. We took a group photo then drove to
the Mount Zion Hotel where we were scheduled to
be for the next 4 nights.
We got settled into our room, then Joe and Jenny took a short walk around the Hotel, then
across the street to “Bible Hill”. This barren hill is called “Bible Hill”, since it is identified as a
Biblical landmark for the border of the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:8): “And the border went up by
the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same as Jerusalem:
and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom
westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward.” A few items of ancient
history have been discovered on the hill and it is now a protected piece of rocky field in urban
Jerusalem. It is also the site of a Scottish Church, built in 1927.

That Friday afternoon was the

beginning of Shabbat
(Sabbath). During Shabbat a
lot shuts down in Jerusalem
and across Israel. Even in our
Hotel, (and most hotels) the
one elevator is a “Shabbat”
elevator. Those stop on every
floor so no one has to “work”
on the Sabbath by pushing a
button. 

Day 5: Saturday, December 10

We got an early start with another delicious fresh-squeezed-orange-juice breakfast at the

Mount Zion Hotel, and then drove a short distance to the Mount of Olives. From this
panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, and its surrounding walls, we could very clearly
see the Eastern Gate as we looked across the Kidron Valley. The valley itself is rich in Biblical
history and is also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat.

The Eastern Gate to the Old City is sealed over and

unused. It is also called The Golden Gate,
in Christian literature, is the only eastern gate of
the Temple Mount, and one of only two that used to
offer access into the city from that side. The other
smaller gate is The Lion Gate.

The Eastern Gate has been walled up since 1541

AD, in fulfilment of prophecy.
(Ezekiel 44:1-3)
The Hebrew name of the Golden Gate means “Gate of Mercy”. According to Jewish tradition,
the Shekinah (Divine Presence) used to appear through the Eastern Gate, and will appear
again when the Anointed One (Messiah) comes through that Gate!

Closed by the Muslims in 810

A.D., reopened in 1102 A.D. by
the Crusaders, it was walled up
by the Muslims after regaining
Jerusalem in 1187 A.D. The
Ottoman Sultan “Suleiman the
Magnificent” rebuilt it together
with the city walls, but walled it
up in 1541, and it has stayed that
way until today. While Suleiman
may have made this decision
purely for defensive reasons,
in Jewish tradition this is the gate
through which the Anointed One
(Messiah) will enter Jerusalem,
and it is suggested that Suleiman
the Magnificent sealed off the
Golden Gate to prevent the Messiah's entrance. The Ottomans also built a cemetery in front of
the gate, in the belief that the precursor to the Anointed One, Elijah, would not be able to pass
through the Golden Gate and thus the Anointed One would not come. This belief was based
upon two premises. First, according to Islamic teaching Elijah is a descendant of Aaron,
making him a priest. Second, that a Jewish priest is not permitted to enter a cemetery. This
second premise is not wholly correct because a priest is permitted to enter a cemetery in which
either Jews or non-Jews are buried, such as the one outside the Golden Gate, as long as
certain laws regarding purity are followed.

As we looked across the Kidron valley from

the Mount of Olives it was pointed out to us
where Absalom, one of King David’s sons,
built a monument to himself and is
supposedly buried there. We also visited
the Garden of Gethsemane. There is a very
old Catholic church at the site where Jesus
prayed before his crucifixion. In the church
is a slab of stone where it is believed He
prayed but there is some dispute as to the
accuracy of this. Actually, there is another,
private, garden across the street where
some believe he prayed and could have
had a more clear view straight into the
Eastern Gate of the Old City.
According to
Christian teaching,
Jesus entered
through the
Golden gate on
the Sunday before
Passover (“Palm
Sunday”) riding on
a donkey, an event
that further
angered the
Jewish religious
leaders and
eventually led to
the crucifixion
several days later.
Later on our trip,
when we were
able to go up to
the Temple Mount we walked over to view the inside of the Eastern Gate. We were astounded
at how large the gate area is on the inside of the wall, seen here.

After leaving the Mount of Olives area, and the

Garden of Gethsemane, we drove a short
distance across the Kidron Valley, parked, and
entered the Old City.
We were taken to “The Western Wall” a very
holy site in Jewish tradition. It is the closest
location to the original Temple, and “Holy of
Holies” and it is the place where Jews come to
pray, read scripture, and weep over the
destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.
Because of the crying and weeping observed,
Christians have for many years referred to the
Western Wall as “The Wailing Wall”, or “Wall of
Wailing.” It is very common for people to pray
at the wall and insert small pieces of paper,
containing prayers, into the cracks and
crevasses of the Wall.
Men and women pray in separate areas at the
Wall and Joe noticed that men covered their
heads. He was given a small white “Kippah” to
wear as symbolic of having his head covered.
Covering one's head, such as by wearing a
kippah, is described as "honoring God".
From the Western Wall we walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is also called “The
Church of the Resurrection” by Orthodox Christians. It is extremely ornate and very old!

Constantine the Great, the first Roman

Christian Emperor, ordered in about
325/326 that a church be built at this
site, replacing a pagan temple built by
one of the Roman Emperors to cover
the place where Jesus had been
buried and where he rose from the
dead. The church was built starting in
325/326, and was consecrated on
September 13, 335 AD.
The church contains, according to
traditions dating back at least to
the fourth century, the two holiest sites
in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, known as "Calvary" in Latin
and "Golgotha" in Greek, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he was buried and resurrected.
Control of the church itself is shared between
several Christian denominations and secular entities
in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged
for over 160 years, and some for much longer.
The main denominations sharing property over parts
of the church are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian
Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and to a lesser
degree the Egyptian Copts, Syriacs and Ethiopians.
Meanwhile, Protestants including Anglicans have no
permanent presence in the Church and they generally
prefer the Garden Tomb, elsewhere in Jerusalem, as
either the true place of Jesus' crucifixion and
resurrection.
We visited the Garden Tomb later during our trip.
Following our visit to The Church of the Holy
Sepulchre we departed for Bethlehem! However,
since our trip was an official government sponsored
trip (by the Israel Ministry of Tourism) our guide, Eli
Meiri, was not permitted to take us into Bethlehem, now currently under the control of the
Palestinians. So, arrangements were made for a taxi to pick us up at our hotel and take us into
Bethlehem where we were met by a Palestinian authorized guide.
We had lunch at a place designed almost like a banquet facility, typically used by large bus
groups of 50 or 60. They may have had seating for two or three bus loads. We were the only
customers as our lunch was arranged by a tour group especially for the Israel Ministry of
Tourism for us. We felt kind of special and the lunch was very good!
Following lunch we were taken to Shepherds’ Field, in the little town of Beit Sahour just about
3 miles east of Bethlehem. This is the traditional site where the angel appeared to the
shepherds announcing the birth of Christ. Protestant services are conducted there during the
day. The site has several grotto (cave) chapels, which have been used as places of worship
for centuries. It is thought that they originally were the caves in which the shepherds lived as
they watched their sheep by night.
The chapel at the center of the site,
dedicated in 1954, has a raised dome
circumscribed with the words in Latin,
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace among men with whom He is
pleased;” the very words spoken by the
multitude of angels that appeared before
the shepherds on that sacred night. Its
walls are adorned with fresco alcoves
depicting the birth narrative. The acoustics
of the small chapel are particularly well
suited so our little group sang “Silent Night”.
It sounded so good Joe wondered when we
would be offered a recording contract! The natural reverberation was amazing.

As we looked over the valley below the Shepherds’ Field

we were told it was the same farming area where the love
story of Ruth and Boaz took place. In Bethlehem, Ruth will
begin a new life, marrying Boaz and becoming the great-
grandmother of King David, and is then in the lineage up to
the birth of Jesus. Of course, Kind David was from
Bethlehem and it’s where Joseph and Mary had to return
for the census-taking. The rest is HIS-Story!
We had our 2016 Christmas picture taken at The
Shepherds’ Field just before we left to drive the three miles
to The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Our guide pointed across the little valley to Bethlehem
and to the Church of the Nativity which is currently under
a lot of re-construction and restoration by the Palestinian
Authority. It would have been quite a walk across the
hilly country. As we drove the few miles our guide
humorously pointed out the KFC they have in Bethlehem
with the comment that, for them, it means “Kentucky
Fried Camel”!
He seemed proud to also point out their popular version
of Starbucks Coffee….”Stars and Bucks Cafe”.
American “coffee” and a Chinese Food place in the heart
of Bethlehem! Another international city, for sure!

Commissioned in AD 327 by Queen Helena of

Constantinople to commemorate the birth of Christ, The
Church of the Nativity is the oldest continually
functioning church in the world. While many of the other
basilicas in Israel were destroyed through history and
later rebuilt, the Church of the Nativity was spared in the
7th Century, legend says, because its walls were adorned
with images of the three wise men wearing traditional
Persian garb. The conquering Persians so identified with
the images that they preserved the church. The original
mosaic floors of Helena’s church may still be seen below the main floor of the church, and the
design of the ceiling is from the Crusader period. The church has undergone numerous
renovations and repair through the ages, but there have been continual worship services on
that site since AD 333. Astounding! http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-
church-of-the-nativity
 This seems very clearly to be the place
where Jesus was born and laid in a
manger. The link above is well worth the
visit. We were taken around the large
crowd, down some very narrow steps,
into the cave where Jesus was born.
We had the opportunity to sit in front of
the place where Jesus was laid, in the
manger, following his birth. Whew!!
It was a very crowded small space with
various languages being spoken by
people from around the world. We sang
again and the music, in English,
seemed to catch the attention of the
crowd with lots of smiles all around.
Christians quickly sense the spirit of Jesus in each other, no matter what language they speak!

In the exterior photo of the church you might look

closely just to the left of center and notice the small
door into the church. It’s a small door, only about
four feet tall and two feet wide. You have to bow
down to go through it. The threshold is surrounded
by three large stones.

For security reasons, there is usually an armed

soldier standing next to it. They call it “The Door of
Humility. Some say the door was made small to
prevent horsemen from entering the basilica during the Ottoman period. Others say, the tiny
door causes everyone who enters to bow before they come in, as a check to our own pride
and egos. So now all pilgrims who visit the sacred site of Jesus’ birth, must bow down to
enter. Once inside, it becomes a huge
area and is one of several large
chapels or sanctuaries.

In 1852 shared custody of the church

was granted to several ancient
denominations including Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and
Armenian.
We left the church and on our way out of Bethlehem we visited a very nice gift shop operated
for the benefit of Palestinian Christians. We bought a small nativity set made of local olive
wood. As quickly as heavy traffic would allow we were driven back the six miles to Jerusalem
where we met up again with Eli, our Israeli guide. We went quickly back to the Western Wall so
we could take some pictures, which were not allowed the day we were there previously due to
it being Shabbat (Sabbath). We just happened to pass by where they were taking photos
following a wedding. Just after Joe took this photo the groom covered his bride’s head in the
traditional white and blue Jewish wedding prayer shawl for another “private” kiss. The Western
Wall can be seen in the background.

Soon we were sitting down for another Israeli

feast at the Chakra Restaurant in Jerusalem
then back to our room at the Mount Zion
Hotel. A saggy bed never felt good!

Day 6: Sunday, December 11

Up for another breakfast at the hotel, but ate

light due to so many good things to eat the
day and night before. Wow! Do they know
how to eat! We departed about 8:30 to
explore the ancient City of David. Being expected we were taken on a private tour by the
Director of this rather new “dig-site”, which is the original and ancient city of Jerusalem, called
“The City of David”. Our tour guide, AnaRina Heymann, is Director of the Jerusalem Watch
and is so very passionate about seeing this ancient city come to life through the ashes. It is
very clearly a calling and mission from God for her. She is seen here with one of her co-
workers and our guide, Eli, on the right.

The Ancient City of David extends down from

the southern city walls of Jerusalem's Old
City. The remains at the site include several
water tunnels, one of which was built by
King Hezekiah and still carries water. We
walked down the tunnel pictured here and
just before we turned left, Joe went to the
right and reached down into the flowing
underground stream to wash his hands and
get his face wet. These tunnels are an
amazing feat even today! (II Kings 20:20)
 The City of David (before it was called that) is also the
place near where Abraham talked with Melchizedek,
King of Salem. (Genesis 14:18 and Hebrews 7:1-2)
There are also several pools including the Pool of
Siloam known from the Old and New Testaments and
we were privileged to see where the original street was
to the Pool of Siloam. Ancient civilizations, 10 in all,
have been discovered in this area, one built on top of
another. 6,000 years is a long time!
City of David archaeologist Eilat Mazar believes that a
so-called Large Stone Structure she has discovered at
the upper area of the site and tentatively dated to the
tenth to ninth century BC, may be the palace of
King David. Not far from that excavation area a number
of bullae (seal impressions) were unearthed, bearing
the names of Yehucal son of Shelemiah and Gedaliah
son of Pashhur, two officials mentioned in the Book of
Jeremiah. The area is one of the most intensively
excavated sites in the Holy Land. As part of the tour we
saw part of the original city wall reconstructed by Nehemiah. THAT was inspiring!
Joe noticed that the wall actually looked like it had been built quickly, which it had been. In 52
days! The Israelites built with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other!
Nehemiah 4:15 “When our enemies heard that their plot
was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all
16
returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day
on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half
held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the
leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of
17
Judah, who were building the wall. The burden-bearers
carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on
the work with one hand and with the other held a
18
weapon. And each of the builders had his sword
strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded
19
the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles, the
officials, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is great
and widely spread out, and we are separated far from
20
one another on the wall. Rally to us wherever you hear
the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.’

21 “So we laboured at the work, and half of them held

the spears from break of dawn until the stars came
22
out. I also said to the people at that time, ‘Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for
23
us by night and may labour by day.’ So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took
off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand.”

16
Nehemiah 6:15 “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of
it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with
the help of our God.
 While nearly exhausted by a huge
number of steps, and hills, we were
whisked back across a few streets
and back into the Old City. A very
special private tour of the Western
Wall Tunnels had been arranged
for us. We were taken several
levels below the current street level
to the very foundations of the
original Old City Walls, built as part
of the Second Temple period and
built by King Herod. The many
layers and depths of civilizations,
now underground, are simply
astounding.
Finally at the very bottom we could see what is believed to be the very bottom foundation and
where the Western Wall actually merges into Mount Moriah. The biggest stone in the Western
Wall, often called the Western Stone, is also revealed within the tunnel, and ranks as one of
the heaviest objects ever lifted by human beings without powered machinery. This single stone
has a length of 45 ft, a height of 9.8 ft, and an estimated width of between 11 ft to15 ft. Its
estimated weight is 520 metric tons. One stone!!
In 19 BC, (think of that!) King Herod undertook a project to double the area of the Temple
Mount in Jerusalem by incorporating part of the hill (Mount Moriah) on the Northwest. In order
to do so, four retaining walls were constructed, and the
Temple Mount was expanded on top of them. These
retaining walls remained standing, along with the
platform itself, even after the Temple was destroyed by
the Romans in 70 AD.
Since then much
of the area next to
the walls became
covered and built
upon. Part of the
Western Wall remained exposed after the destruction of
the Temple. Since it was the closest area to the
Temple’s Holy of Holies that remained accessible, it
became a place of Jewish prayer for millennia.
We eventually exited from the tunnels through a small
door on the Via Dola Rosa, the street where Jesus
carried the cross to Calvary. The archway over the
street in this photo is where Pontius Pilate stood as
Christ carried the cross to Calvary.
Following lunch at a small local restaurant nearby,
owned by friends of Eli, we were soon again on our way,
this time to “Yad Vashem”, or “The Holocaust Museum.
While this was not a very pleasant part of our trip, it is not intended to be. It is important to
remember what the unchecked evil of mankind can do when not stopped by justice and
righteousness. The terrible attempt to eradicate the earth of all Jews, by Hitler and Germany,
during World War II is vividly shown. Over 6 million people were killed. May we never forget!
As part of the Holocaust Museum we
were taken through the children’s
Museum of Light. It was like walking
through the night sky, surrounded by
stars. Each light represents the many
thousands of children who died just
because they were Jews. Actually, only 4
candles are reflected thousands of times
through many mirrors to create these
lights.
On our way to dinner, Eli took us on a
short side trip to the home town of John
the Baptist, “Ein Karem”. The site is
known as far back as the time of the prophet Jeremiah, who exhorted the children of the tribe
of Benjamin to “set up a signal-fire in Beit ha-Kerem” as foreign invaders were approaching
Jerusalem (Jeremiah 6:1). Yet for
Christian pilgrims, Ein Karem has special
significance as the home town of
Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of
John the Baptist, and the place of the
Visitation, where Mary the mother of
Jesus visited her cousin Elizabeth before
John’s birth. There is a spring, and well,
there which is actually called “Mary’s
Spring”. It is thought that Mary, the
mother of Jesus, visited this town to visit
with John’s mother, Elizabeth.
Then, it was on to dinner, at “Mona
Restaurant” in Jerusalem and to the
conclusion of our 6th day in Israel.
Day 7: Monday, December 12

Up early, breakfast at the hotel, and a quick trip to “The Garden Tomb” and “The Place of the
Skull”, known as “Golgotha”. This location, unlike the much more developed and visited
“Church Of The Holy Sepulchre”, is the second location in Jerusalem where Jesus could have
been buried and where he rose again. The traditional site, since the 4th century, has been the
Church Of The Holy Sepulchre, now located inside the Old City Walls.
In Jerusalem for a visit in 1883, General Charles Gordon
spied a prominent rocky crag which looked to him like it
could be the “place of the skull” mentioned in the Bible as
where Jesus was crucified.
Around the corner Gordon identified an ancient tomb and
putting the two together he located the hill of crucifixion
and the nearby burial place.
Since 1894 the Garden Tomb and its surrounding
gardens have been maintained as a place of Christian worship and reflection by a
Christian non-denominational charitable trust based in the United Kingdom named The
Garden Tomb (Jerusalem) Association. As such, the Garden Tomb stands as a popular site
of pilgrimage for many Christians, especially Evangelicals and other Protestants.
Our group had a brief
communion service there,
led by Pastor Don Allen,
one of our group members
from WWEV near
Cumming, GA. We then
visited a small gift shop and
purchased 2 more books, 2
CDs of music for the radio
station, 2 candle holders, and gifts for Grandchildren.

As Joe was selecting the

music he wanted, he was
assisted by one of the
volunteers at the site.
She was letting him hear
samples from several
CDs. One that he picked and liked very much just happened to
be sung and produced by a local Messianic couple. The
volunteers said, “You picked a good one! Right here is the
artist who sang on the CD”! Joe turned and met the lady who
was singing on the CD!
It was quickly on to “Magen David Adom” the
national emergency medical service and blood
bank for the Nation of Israel. Following a tour,
Joe did a radio interview with the International
Director. He had hoped to actually donate
blood but there was no time. Ambulances
have been donated by many organizations,
including The Billy Graham Association and
Samaritan’s Purse.

We were quickly on our way back to the Old

City and the area of the Western Wall again.
However, this time was special and very
different. The Temple Mount is presently controlled by Muslims. It is “managed” by the
Jordanian Hashemite Kingdom. (King Hussein) This is an arrangement sanctioned and
permitted by Israel to help keep the peace. Only one hour per week is allocated for non-
Muslims to be permitted to visit the Temple Mount and this was that hour!
We went through a special line, with special security provided by the Israel Defense Force
(IDF), to have access to the Temple Mount. We were able to take pictures of the “Dome Of
The Rock” and another mosque called “The Black Mosque”, or “Al Aqsa Mosque”. Both are
extremely old, but certainly not as old as Solomon’s Temple! Amen to that!!

Built atop the earlier location of the Temple,

the Dome of the Rock was erected by the
Muslim ruler Abd el-Malik in 688-691.
Because of its situation on bedrock, the
numerous earthquakes over the centuries
have not caused significant damage to the
structure (unlike its neighbor Al Aqsa
mosque).
The Dome of the Rock was covered by a
lead dome from 691 until it was replaced
with a gold-colored covering in the early
1960s. Because of rust, the anodized
aluminum cover was again replaced in
1993 with a gold covering.
The Mount of Olives overlooks the Temple Mount from the east and gives a picture of Jesus’
weeping over the city from the Mt. of Olives (Luke 19:41). From the Temple Mount Jesus
delivered the famous “7 Woes” against the Pharisees” (Matt 23), probably pointing at tombs on
the Mount of Olives in his discourse (v. 27). Jesus’ ascension probably took place some
distance behind the tower of the Russian Orthodox Church, seen here as a three or four small
gold-topped church to the left of the Dome of the Rock. That is the Eastern side of the Temple
Mount
 Sometimes referred to as the “Mosque of Omar,” actually the
Dome of the Rock is neither. Omar built an earlier structure,
but not the Dome of the Rock. This building is considered a
shrine and not a mosque. Muslims believe that this is the
place where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Ishmael (Jews,
Christians, and the Bible says Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac
and not Ishmael.) Others believe it is the place where the Ark
of The Covenant stood, in “The Holy of Holies”. Certainly, it
has been a place of great controversy and has caused many
wars over the many centuries. Both Joe and Jenny covered
their heads as a sign of humility and respect. Also, when we
stood together for a group picture we were sternly told that
men and women could not touch. Kind of like being back in
Bible College when we were dating! 

Eli walked us to the inside portion of the Eastern Gate,

which is currently sealed and has been closed for
hundreds of years. (See the earlier photo) This is where
Christians believe Jesus will come through upon His
return, or “the second coming”. Jews believe the Messiah
will also come through this gate.
Eli then took us around to a different side of the Dome to
an unguarded structure made of marble, much like a
gazebo, covering an exposed piece of rock. (below) It is
called “The Dome of Tablets” or “Dome of the Spirits”.
This would be an exposed portion of Mt. Moriah, and
some scholars claim it is the actual “Foundation Stone”
rather than the one covered by the Dome Of The Rock.

It has a very
distinguishable
crack on the surface
of the rock. Some scholars believe this crack actually
split during the earthquake which occurred during the
crucifixion of Jesus. Some believe it may well be the
more accurate location of the original Holy of Holies.
There is no proof even though there is intense and
respectable scholarship on this opinion.
It didn’t seem like long but our hour was soon over and
we departed this very sacred and holy site for both Jewish and Muslim religions. It brings an
entirely new focus to the Christian concept that Christ dwells within each believer, who is
empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our very bodies are, in fact, the Temple of the Holy Spirit of
God. Thank you Jesus!
We had one last site to visit. We drove
about an hour to “Tel Azekah”, the area
where David fought Goliath.
On our way we ate the only American meal
we had on the entire trip, McDonalds! The
fries tasted the same, using potatoes from
Israel, and the burger was HUGE! Probably
the size that Goliath would enjoy! Delicious,
but not as good as the fantastic Israeli food
we had been eating every day! 

Tel Azekah was very interesting, and a very high

location! We were taken up to the site that looked
out over numerous valleys, where it is strongly
believed the Army of Israel fought the Philistines,
and where David killed Goliath. (Joe picked up a
small stone to bring home). It was a beautiful
sunset enjoyed by all as we descended the
mountain and started our drive back to
Jerusalem.

We were taken to Satia Restaurant for our

final dinner in Jerusalem and were met there
by a representative of the Ministry of Tourism.
She was very nice and, actually, was the
person who had approved our trip. It’s possible
that she will someday soon be sent to work at
the Ministry of Tourism office in Atlanta. One
can only hope. It was a pleasant evening and
included a discussion about how safe it is in
the modern part of Jerusalem at all hours of
the day and night, unlike many cities of the
world…like Chicago and Atlanta!

Quickly back to the hotel where we knew we only had about 5

hours of possible rest before we had to leave to depart Israel
early the next morning. We said our goodbyes to our guide, Eli,
who has become a friend we all grew very fond of. He
autographed the books we had purchased for our family and
we invited him to come for a visit to Georgia. Then it was
quickly to bed.
Day 8: Tuesday, December 13

We left the Mount Zion Hotel about 2:00 AM and a driver took us to the Ben Gurion Airport in
Tel Aviv. We had a 4 hour flight to Frankfort, Germany and had to very quickly go to our next
gate to make our flight to Atlanta. We made it with just a few minutes to spare as they were
starting to board the flight. We had a very smooth 10 hour flight HOME!

Conclusion

We are almost speechless about this trip to Israel, but cannot stop talking about it!
It has been a life changing experience and, as a follower of Jesus the Christ, it has more than
cemented, hardened, and solidified our support for the Nation of Israel. Did we say we support
Israel?!
After reading the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, studying Biblical history, and hearing
thousands of “sermons” preached from God’s Word over our lifetime we both agree that
nothing can compare or replace this visit to The Holy Land. Some have asked, “What was
your favorite place?” Anyone who visits Israel, the Land of the Bible, knows that IT’S ALL SO
GOOD!
We are indebted to the Israel Ministry of Tourism for making this trip possible for us. But, not
just for us. As we share with friends, family, and radio listeners about the spiritual fulfillment
and how a trip like this seems to satisfy a deep longing of the soul, we trust many others will
plan a trip to THE LAND OF CREATION….THE LAND OF THE BIBLE! We will work hard to
help make that happen.
LeHitra'ot and Toda. Shalom!
(Goodbye and thank you) (Peace!)

Joe and Jenny Emert

For more inspiration visit www.land-of-the-bible.com.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to Mr. Eli Meiri and various websites for the historical information in this trip
journal. In particular, www.bibleplaces.com and www.Magdala.org. Some of the photo scenes were re-created
from stock photos available on the Internet but are from the actual places we visited.