Israeli Halfway Over Already?!

It’s Sunday, June 29^th and my time in Israel is almost halfway over. On one hand, I can’t believe it’s already halfway over; on the other hand, I can’t believe it’s only halfway over. Having had a two-week study tour and almost a full week of working at the dig site, it’s hard to comprehend all that’s happened in the last few weeks.

The second half of the study tour* was expectedly busy but just as exciting as the first half. On Wednesday, June 18th we visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, which is one of those places you can’t not visit when you’re in Israel. The exhibit took you through the tragedy chronologically, starting with Hitler’s party losing the election in 1933 and ending with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. For many Jews, particularly those known as Zionists, the establishment of the State of Israel was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy; the prophecy of the creation of a Jewish state, but more so that Jews would return to the Promised Land. After touring the exhibit we had the chance to hear from a Holocaust survivor, which was powerful and moving. It made it seem so real and tangible—more than some historical event in a textbook.

As we wrapped up our final days in Jerusalem we visited the Mount of Olives, the Pools of Bethesda (I was commissioned to lead a cappella worship in the church there, which had amazing acoustics!), the Via Dolorosa (the way that Catholic tradition holds Christ carried his cross), and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (where tradition holds Christ was crucified and buried). The last five days of the tour were spent in the Galilee region; the hotel we stayed at was right on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee (fun fact: it’s actually a lake!). Sites we visited while we were there included Caesarea (a major port city of Herod the Great), Mount Carmel (where Elijah had the prophets of Baal killed in 1 Kings 17), Bet She’an (the capitol city of the Decapolis mentioned in the New Testament), the Spring of Harod (where God narrowed Gideon’s army down to 300 men based on how they drank the water; cf. Judges 6:1-8:3), Nazareth (Jesus’ hometown), ancient Migdal (where Mary Magdalene is from), the Mount of Beatitudes, and Capernaum. We ended our second-to-last day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee; it was definitely one of the highlights of the tour. On our last day we visited Bar’am (the abandoned town where Elias Chacour, author of Blood Brothers, lived; I definitely recommend the read!), Tel Dan (it has the largest spring in the Middle East), and our final site was ancient Caesarea Philippi. We ended our time there by having communion together and everyone received a certificate certifying them as a “Jerusalem Pilgrim.” It was a great way to end the tour and an incredible two weeks that I will surely never forget.

On a boat ride in the Sea (Lake) of Galilee

As soon as the tour ended, the archaeological dig began. The tour ended last Tuesday and the dig started on Wednesday. I’m here on the dig for a total of four weeks, which is the entire dig season this year. We are digging at Abel Beth Maacah, which has many biblical references, the most prominent being 2 Samuel 20:13-22. If you’d like to follow what we’re doing at the site as the season goes along, check out the website here and/or like the site’s Facebook page here. We dig Monday through Friday and have the weekends off…thankfully! Also, during the week we dig from 5am-1pm, having the rest of the day off and avoiding the heat of the day. They really take care of us and make sure we’re not too overworked—just worked hard enough. ;)

My team and I at Area F, one of the three excavation sites on the tel

All in all, I’ve had an incredible time in Israel so far. From traveling the entire country to working at a dig site, I’d say I’ve had a good variety of experiences here. Although I don’t desire that my last few weeks go by quickly, I’m looking forward to going home and being able to see how my time here has changed me. This trip isn’t just about me but also God’s Kingdom and how my experiences can be used to benefit others in someway. On the second day of the study tour we spent some quiet time under some trees in the Wilderness of Zin. It was during that time of silence and listening to God’s voice that I first considered furthering my education and teaching Bible academically. I’m not sure what will come of that, or if it was just from my own thoughts, but I know that seeds have been planted and God is at work. It’s amazing what can happen when we take the time to “be still” and listen to God’s voice; I feel like there’s so much God wants to say to us that we don’t always hear because we’re so caught up in the busyness of life. God wants so much for us!

Thanks again for your support as I’ve been on this journey. I hope hearing about my experiences has encouraged or benefitted you in some way, not because of who I am or anything I have said but rather because of the power of the Spirit who is at work within you.

Many blessings as your summer continues!

Gary

*I will blog about my first week on the study tour later. These last couple of days have been the first two days I've had free since before I left... I'll get to it soon though! :)