Somewhat surprised and excited, I explained my travel schedule and said I could certainly be in Israel between October 22nd and November 6th. The wedding date was finally set for November 4th and Carolyn Groves and I flew out of Paris to begin a 16-day trip in Israel.
I had not been to Israel in over 40 years. When I graduated high school I traveled to Israel with a youth group and worked on a kibbutz for a summer before starting college. I was excited to go back and was looking forward to meeting my future son-in-law. Because I had not been to Israel in so many years, and the country has changed dramatically, I set up a 10-day tour by private car. My cousins, Irwin and Josephine Furman, joined Carolyn and me for the tour, and of course, stayed for the wedding.
Heather and Rob met us at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and we had a joyous reunion. I was delighted to meet Rob and hear all about the wedding plans. We had a wonderful dinner and were sad when they headed back to Jerusalem; Rob is finishing his studies at the Yashiva (school) and Heather is working as a special events coordinator with AISH, an American company with offices in Jerusalem.
We spent the night in Tel Aviv and early the next morning met our guide and driver, Brenda, to begin our tour of the Holy Land. The term Holy Land is usually referred to as a Christian tour. Since half of our small group was not Jewish, I combined an Israel tour and a Holy Land tour. Our guide was well versed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, which provided a wonderful and meaningful experience for us all.
We left Tel Aviv in the morning and drove to Jaffa, an ancient port near Tel Aviv where Jonah set sail and where Peter had his housetop experience at the home of Simon the Tanner. As we walked along the cobblestone streets, now filled with charming boutiques and galleries, it was hard to visualize what it looked like 2000 years ago.
We drove along the beautiful Mediterranean coast to ancient Caesarea, a walled city built by King Herod over a twelve year period between 23-13 BC. King Herod wanted to build a monument to show his gratitude to his Roman patron, Caesar Augustus. In the year 10 BC, he launched one of the largest building campaigns ever conducted, turning Caesarea - named after the Roman emperor - into one of the most striking cities of its time in the world. When the Romans assumed direct control over Judaea in 6 CE, Caesarea became not only the capital of the province (a role it played for the next 500 years), but the headquarters for the Roman legions stationed in Judaea. Caesarea is an important site in both Jewish and Christian history.
The highlight of the day was our visit to a Druze Village, high in the Carmel Mountains. I was not at all familiar with the Druze religion and was surprised to learn that over 100,000 Druze live in Israel, have Israeli citizenship and even serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (the Israeli army). According to our guide, the Druze religion was founded in the eleventh century by al-Hakim, 6th Fatimid Caliph, as a reform movement within Islam. The Druzes are strict monotheists. They revere Hakim as an incarnation of God, and expect him to return one day. Druze are also unitarian, believing all mankind to be divine. They believe in reincarnation and the spiritual superiority of women. One must be born into Druze in order to be initiated. One cannot convert into the religion.
We arrived into Haifa in the early evening and were totally beat from a very full day of touring. Join me next week as we visit the Persian Gardens and the Bahia Temple in Haifa on our way to Nazareth.
I had not been to Israel in over 40 years. When I graduated high school I traveled to Israel with a youth group and worked on a kibbutz for a summer before starting college. I was excited to go back and was looking forward to meeting my future son-in-law. Because I had not been to Israel in so many years, and the country has changed dramatically, I set up a 10-day tour by private car. My cousins, Irwin and Josephine Furman, joined Carolyn and me for the tour, and of course, stayed for the wedding.
Heather and Rob met us at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and we had a joyous reunion. I was delighted to meet Rob and hear all about the wedding plans. We had a wonderful dinner and were sad when they headed back to Jerusalem; Rob is finishing his studies at the Yashiva (school) and Heather is working as a special events coordinator with AISH, an American company with offices in Jerusalem.
We spent the night in Tel Aviv and early the next morning met our guide and driver, Brenda, to begin our tour of the Holy Land. The term Holy Land is usually referred to as a Christian tour. Since half of our small group was not Jewish, I combined an Israel tour and a Holy Land tour. Our guide was well versed in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, which provided a wonderful and meaningful experience for us all.We left Tel Aviv in the morning and drove to Jaffa, an ancient port near Tel Aviv where Jonah set sail and where Peter had his housetop experience at the home of Simon the Tanner. As we walked along the cobblestone streets, now filled with charming boutiques and galleries, it was hard to visualize what it looked like 2000 years ago.
We drove along the beautiful Mediterranean coast to ancient Caesarea, a walled city built by King Herod over a twelve year period between 23-13 BC. King Herod wanted to build a monument to show his gratitude to his Roman patron, Caesar Augustus. In the year 10 BC, he launched one of the largest building campaigns ever conducted, turning Caesarea - named after the Roman emperor - into one of the most striking cities of its time in the world. When the Romans assumed direct control over Judaea in 6 CE, Caesarea became not only the capital of the province (a role it played for the next 500 years), but the headquarters for the Roman legions stationed in Judaea. Caesarea is an important site in both Jewish and Christian history.
We toured the Crusader fortress, the aqueduct (originally built by Herod in the first century BCE, which conveyed water to the city from springs at the foot of Mt. Carmel, over 7 miles away), and the ancient amphitheater where concerts are still being held on a regular basis.
The highlight of the day was our visit to a Druze Village, high in the Carmel Mountains. I was not at all familiar with the Druze religion and was surprised to learn that over 100,000 Druze live in Israel, have Israeli citizenship and even serve in the Israeli Defense Forces (the Israeli army). According to our guide, the Druze religion was founded in the eleventh century by al-Hakim, 6th Fatimid Caliph, as a reform movement within Islam. The Druzes are strict monotheists. They revere Hakim as an incarnation of God, and expect him to return one day. Druze are also unitarian, believing all mankind to be divine. They believe in reincarnation and the spiritual superiority of women. One must be born into Druze in order to be initiated. One cannot convert into the religion.
It was a wonderful afternoon. We had lunch at a private home in the village. The food, mostly salads, humus and freshly made pita bread was fabulous. A member of the family joined us for the meal and we were able to ask questions about their lifestyle and religious beliefs. Basically, Druze accept the Koran, the Judeo-Christian bible, and the writings of Hakim as meaningful.
After lunch we continued through the mountains to Muhraka where, according to the bible, Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. On top of the mount is a dramatic statue of Elijah, sword raised to heaven, and a lovely Carmelite monastery. From the top of the monastery, on a clear day, you can see the entire Carmel Valley and the mountains near Nazareth. The name 'Muhraka,' or 'place of burning,' refers to a time when this extraordinary vista point was a sacred high place for burned offerings and sacrifices in Canaanite and early Israelite.
We arrived into Haifa in the early evening and were totally beat from a very full day of touring. Join me next week as we visit the Persian Gardens and the Bahia Temple in Haifa on our way to Nazareth.
No comments:
Post a Comment