Our trip to Palestine and Israel took off from Chicago on Tuesday, but we didn't make it to Jerusalem until Thursday because of a volcanic ash cloud from Somalia. After a 24-hour detour to Amsterdam, we arrived here at the Jerusalem Hotel in the West Bank. We are just a few steps away from the Garden Tomb, which was our first stop. This may be the place where Jesus was crucified and buried, and it was amazing to stand inside a rock tomb to feel what it was like for the first disciples to find an empty tomb on Easter morning.
We stopped by the American Colony Hotel, founded by Horatio and Anna Spafford of Chicago as a Christian mission in Jerusalem. I mentioned Horatio in a sermon last fall, and he was the writer of the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul." We also walked to the Damascus Gate, an ancient site that is now the home of a hundred food stalls, clothing shops and cell phone stores.
Today we visited Masada, the site of King Herod's fortress a few decades before the birth of Christ. It looks out over the Dead Sea and Jordan, and it was later the encampment for a group of Jewish rebels who were fighting against Roman oppression. Over the centuries, it was home to a huge public bath, a synagogue, and later a Byzantine Christian church. Today it stands as a monument to Zionism -- inspiring Jewish militants to stand strong in their cause.
On the way home, we swam in the Dead Sea -- where everyone floats due to the very high salt content. Then we spent time in Jericho to see a 900-year-old sycamore tree (like the one Zacchaeus climbed) and a store run by Palestinian and Bedouin natives. We heard a great talk at dinner from Jeff Halper, who works with the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. A great analysis of the seemingly intractable problems in this small but significant part of the world.
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