Exploring Israel-Palestine

From Ancient Stones to Living Stones: A Week in Eilabun

Hanna and Lena Eid with yours truly in Eliboun.

A Galilean Ministry

Our journey through the Heartland took a turn from the ancient to the personal this week. After a slow, sun-drenched stop at the summit of Tell Rehov—where the ruins of the world’s oldest apiaries overlook the Jordan Valley—we continued north into the heart of the Galilee.

A Saturday Night to Remember

Eilabun is a place where history isn't just under your feet; it's lived out in the community. Because their congregation meets on Saturday night, we had the distinct privilege of joining them for an evening of worship and encouragement.

There is something moving about sharing a meal and a song in the Galilee. The Eids are truly wonderful people, pouring their hearts into a ministry that serves as a lighthouse in this region. Worshipping with the “living stones”—the people who make up the modern church here—is more profound than the “old stones” that we excavate from the ground.

Partner in the Ministry

If you’ve been following our journey and feel a tug to learn more about the vital work being done here in the Galilee, I encourage you to check out their ministry. Hanna and Lena are doing incredible work through the Christian Holy Land Foundation.

Want to learn more about their ministry? See www.chlf.org

Jerusalem: The Final Press

Our group is seated on the front stair of the Church of All Nations.

Our group is wrapping up an incredible journey in Jerusalem, preparing to board the bus for the long journey home. For me, this marks the end of an entire tour season—two months abroad that have been as rewarding as they were exhausting.

We spent our final day at the Church of All Nations, which stands in solemn remembrance of the Garden of Gethsemane. The name Gethsemane itself means “oil press,” a place of “pressing.” It felt like a fitting theme as the Mosaic Christian Church group “presses” toward the finish line of their study tour today.

After weeks on the road, I’m ready to trade my backpack for my own front door.

Northern Palace, Masada

The Northern Palace at Masada is a magnificent three-tiered “hanging” palace built by King Herod the Great between 37 and 31 BC. It cascades dramatically down the northern edge of a steep cliff. A modern metal stair transports our pilgrims from the Mosaic Christian Church down dizzying heights.

The Dead Sea stretches off in the distance.

Explorers walk the stair down to the lowest tier of the Northern Palace, Masada.

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Josephus knew about it and them

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Josephus knew about it and them

For those who are curious about the landscape of the biblical world, the Rhine River may seem to be a stretch, a reach, a foul ball. The Rhine (Grk Ρήνος, Lat Rhenus) is an unlikely entry in a Bible dictionary or atlas. It is unrecognized in the biblical text. And yet, this waterway and those who peopled its banks were known in the New Testament world, more by reputation than experience.

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A Christmas card

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A Christmas card

What a year! We saw lions rise from the tall grass to begin the hunt. We listened to the soaring of prayers and the whistle of an icy wind rising over the cusp of Kilimanjaro. We sang carols in the church where Jesus was born. We walked across Galilee—twice. And we stroked the face of the dying.

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One full bus, many full hearts

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One full bus, many full hearts

The challenge of moving 48 people through the land of the Bible is felt most acutely in Jerusalem’s Old City. Here, the rhythm of life lived within these walls collides with the press of new arrivals. Together, residents and pilgrims rush, gawk, worship, shop and gossip. The result can be chaotic, or at least have that appearance for first-timers. There is no tutorial for this school; one must simply dive in. 

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Then his bowels fell out

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Then his bowels fell out

The promised thing happened two years later. YHWH struck Yehoram with an incurable sickness. His mĕʻiy slowly oozed out and he died in great agony. Was it an abdominal hernia (gosh!) or rectal hernia (yowl!) that got infected? Either way this is divine judgment, Old Testament style.

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Naturally I lost my bearings

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Naturally I lost my bearings

Gordon lifted the oversized compass to his face. The transparent plastic flexed in his hands, making his nose appear to wiggle. His voice was less animated. His words came out deliberately.

“Turn the bezel until the arrow is in the box.” He turned the disk on his plastic demonstration model. His nose wiggled again.

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Jesus trail 2019

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Jesus trail 2019

There are many ways to experience the biblical Heartland. One of them is to hike the Jesus Trail. Unlike the turnpike of millions, the Jesus Trail is the road less traveled. Here the groups are small, the pace is slow, and the priorities are different. Read more about out 2019 hike.

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Wisemen wafers

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Wisemen wafers

We are busy here at the Bible Land Explorers’ headquarters chewing the magoi. So far we’ve noted how Jesus was born in a Cold War (see here) and how the magoi were savvy politicians with a reputation for king-making and king-breaking (see here). As Christmas morning approaches, however, we lean toward something more festive: wisemen wafers!

Enter the idea of the eulogia.

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Rabies is not the way to go (part 6)

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Rabies is not the way to go (part 6)

The treatment for rabies is not what it used to be. 

Not so long ago it consisted of twenty or more painful shots into the abdomen delivered by a needle the size of a fencepost. This treatment is now obsolete, as I have (thankfully) discovered.