Jesus said
"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
Mark 2 v 27
A DAY ONE TOUR OF ISRAEL—SEPTEMBER 2008
Paul Williams
On September 16th 2008, forty-five people met at Heathrow Airport to begin an eleven-day tour of Israel. They came from places as far apart as Honiton in Devon and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and many other places in between.
How did it come about? A couple of years ago, two Day One authors independently expressed the need for an evangelical publisher like Day One to produce an Israel Travel Guide. Clive Anderson and Paul Williams soon began work on ‘Travel Through Israel’. While the book was being prepared for publication, plans were also put together for an Israel tour.
With its being the first tour, we decided to try and follow the outline of the book ‘Travel Through Israel’, beginning in Galilee.
The first full day in Israel was spent around the ‘gospel triangle’ of Capernaum, Korazim and Bethsaida—the small area on the northern side of the Sea of Galilee. Few Christians realise that approximately 75% of Christ’s ministry took place in this very small triangle.
Visiting Capernaum enables us to appreciate the significance of our Lord Jesus starting His ministry here. It is situated on the ancient route of the Via Maris, which runs from Africa, through Israel and branched out into Europe and Asia. Therefore, this was an ideal ‘launch pad’ for the gospel into all the world. The Via Maris milestone can still be seen among the wealth of archaeological exhibits in Capernaum. The remains of the 4th Century ‘white synagogue’ are clearly not the same building in which our Lord Jesus performed miracles, but the black basalt foundations can be seen, identifying this place with the site of the original synagogue.
Being in Galilee also gave us the opportunity us to sail on the water. From the vantage point of a boat on ‘the Lake’, it was helpful to get a bigger picture of the geography of the whole area. Many of those present would also say how profoundly moving it was to read and pray with other believers in such a setting.
The tour continued further north, with a walk through Dan National Park, stopping at the site where Jeroboam I built his altar. The ancient Gate of Dan gave an impressive insight into the significance of city gates in Old Testament days. But one of the most rewarding parts of the tour was the visit to Caesarea Philippi, providing us with a clear picture of the context in which the Lord Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘But who do you say I am?’ In a place associated with gross idolatry, Peter made his wonderful confession, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’
Although I had led several Israel tours before, walking up to Nimrod’s Castle was a new experience for me. It was certainly well worth it, because the views from the top were simply stunning. Travelling back through the Golan Heights, we were able to stop at the viewpoint looking into Syria towards Damascus.
While staying in Galilee, we travelled west to the coastal town of Caesarea-by-the-sea, visiting Nazareth on the way. Without question, one of the highlights was the tour of the Biblical Village in Nazareth. We agreed that every tour should include this in the itinerary. It is owned and operated by evangelical Christians, as a kind of living museum. We saw ancient customs being demonstrated here, much as they would have been during our Lord’s earthly ministry, with a vineyard, watchtower, cistern, olive press, synagogue, house and so much more. It is highly recommended.
Tel Megiddo is one of the many places of great archaeological interest, with its ancient Canaanite altar and the water tunnel. It also offers spectacular views for miles around, looking towards Nazareth, Mount Tabor and the Jezreel valley.
Arriving at Caesarea-by-the-sea, it is surprising how much it is being developed as an archaeological site year by year. There is a fine amphitheatre and hippodrome. The steps going down to an ancient harbour can still be seen—a place that would have been familiar to the Apostle Paul.
En route back from Caesarea to Tiberius, we briefly visited Muhraqah, the site of Elijah’s victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel.
We travelled on Day 5 from Galilee down through the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. On the way, we detoured slightly to Gideon’s Spring, the natural water source at En Harod where God directed Gideon in his choice of 300 men. It sits at the foot of the Mount Gilboa mountain range, looking out across towards Gilead. Beth Shean was also quite spectacular.
For Christians visiting Israel, it is invaluable to see all of these places whose names are so familiar from our Bible reading. We have no interest at all in visiting shrines, but seeing the land and locating places of biblical significance enriches our understanding of God’s word.
Almost all Israel tours available tend to regard the Lord’s Day like any other day. But we planned the tour with the aim of setting the Lord’s Day apart as different. So we met together to worship God both morning and evening, in a conference room at our hotel in Jerusalem. We were so thankful for this opportunity, and the Lord blessed us. It also gave us a welcome break, and a time to stop and rest in the middle of the tour.
One day was set aside for visiting the Dead Sea region. The mountain fortress of Masada was one of several huge projects of ‘Herod the Great Builder’. Like most people, we all took the cable car. It seems that Herod was determined to surpass even Solomon’s greatness as a builder.
On the return journey we had plenty of time to relax, floating in the Dead Sea at En Gedi. And despite the high temperature, we were still able to stop at Qumran and view the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and realise their significance in illustrating the principle of biblical inerrancy.
A visit to Tel Lachish and to Bethlehem later made way for the rest of our time to be spent in Jerusalem itself. There is too much to write about Jerusalem and too little space in which to do so here. But one of the highlights would be the walk through ‘The Kotel’ or Western Wall Tunnels. Having only been opened to the public in relatively recent days, this again is a must for the visitor—if only to see the size of the stones that Herod used in constructing the supporting walls of the Temple Mount. But actually there is a superb model in the tunnels of Herod’s Temple and the surrounding site.