ISRAEL: From Dan to Be'er Sheva

March 8- 21, 2023

— Abraham's Gate at Dan —

"When Abraham heard that his relative [Lot] had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan" (Genesis 14:14)

— Beit She'an —

The foreground shows the reconstruction of Roman Scythopolis.

Tel Beit She'an is where King Saul's body was hung (1 Samuel 31:1-13).

The Bell Caves at Beit Guvrin / Maresha National Park are beautiful and a great place for a group to sing.
The Pool of Bethesda wher Jesus healed a paralized man (John 5:1-9).
When we arrived at Caesarea Maritima, Anton Farah spoke about the history of the site.
These remains of the synagogue at Capernaum are possibly from the 4th or 5th century AD. They are built upon the foundation of a previous synagogue believed to be from the time of Jesus.
Calvin Warpula leads a devo at Mount Carmel where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:16-45).
The Church of the Annunciation with its distinctive cupola celebrates the traditional place where Gabriel visited Mary.
By the shore of the Sea of Galilee around which Jesus ministered
Some of our folks as we stopped at Qumran to learn about the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls
Jeries Farah, our guide, stands in front of the foundational walls of the City of David.
Ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane
While on the Sea of Galilee, our Colorado group got together for a photo.
In 1993, this stele fragment was found at Dan and is known as the Tel Dan Inscription. It is from the 9th century BC and references the House of David.
Mark gave a thought-provoking devo when we stopped at the Valley of Elah where David fought Goliath.
Listening and learning about the excavations at Jericho
Discovered by Austen Henry layard in 1945-1846, the Tel Lachish inscriptions portray the conquest of the city by Sennacherib.
The Model of Jerusalem is a 1:50 scale of the city as it might have appeared in 66 AD.
Max and Ann near the Western Wall before going upon the Temple Mount
With a Jewish cemetery in the foreground, we take a few minutes to discuss the day's tour of Jerusalem.
Michael and Jeannie paused for a photo with the Dome of the Rock in the background.
I interrupted Frank and Sue to get this photo of them at the Caesarea Maritima aqueduct.
The Western Wall, also referred to as the Wailing Wall, is a most sacred spot for people of Jewis faith.

Ryan was with me all the way making sure I knew what I was doing!