Leaving Jordan - Entering Israel

January 10 (Saturday)
Daryl felt no better when it came time to get up and moving. We had a 5:00am wakeup call because Dr. Tuttle wanted to add a spot to our itinerary - Mt. Nebo. I had to have the luggage all packed and out the door by 5:30am so we could leave by 6:00am. We took our breakfast with us in boxes to eat on the bus and decided to do our morning devotional on location. Fortunately our bus hosts helped us clear out the last long row of the bus from its usual occupants so that Daryl could stretch out there and rest. Usually Daryl gets carsick unless he rides up front, but we decided he'd probably be more miserable trying to sit up while not feeling well.

It took three hours in the bus before we got to Mt. Nebo and it felt like the driver hit every pothole on the way! Daryl didn't feel up to getting out at Mt. Nebo so I went and took some pictures. Mt. Nebo is where God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land, since he was not going to get to enter into it (remember why? Check it out here!). The views from Mt. Nebo of Israel's Jordan River and the valleys and mountains are just beautiful! And to think that Moses only got to see it, but we were going to get to enter in was one of those "wow" moments.

Of course, there was also a monastery there but the chapel was under renovation. So they had moved some of the beautiful floor mosaics out underneath some tents and we got to see those as well as a couple monument to Moses.

Afterwards, we crossed the border from Jordan into Israel at the north end of the Dead Sea. There were several checkpoints spread out over a mile or so that we had to go through and at the second one we had to say goodbye to our guide Mischel. Our driver was able to go with us as far as the customs building to drop off our luggage. Then we had to submit our passports for a stamp and also give them our big luggage to be x-rayed. Then you went inside and waited at another line for the metal detectors and xrays for backpacks, followed by another line where we had to show our passports. Then after walking through the building to the other side, we could pickup our big luggage off a carousel and then go out to load it onto the bus. Thankfully the Fosters helped me with getting Daryl's luggage through as he was really to weak to stand up for very long. Outside the building, we met our last driver and our new guide Avi. This was the third time in four years that Avi had guided Dr. Tuttle's tour group from Asbury.

Then we crossed over the Jordan River at Jericho and headed south about an hour's drive following along the coast of the Dead Sea.

We went to Qumran for lunch and to see the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. While he didn't eat with us, fortunately Daryl was able to get up and go slow with us out to the site.

Here's the actual cave below where the shepherd boys found the scrolls. The large hole on the side was cut into the rock by the archaeologists - the original entrances were the two holes seen above it and slightly to the right.

Then it was back on the bus again to head further south. Here's a view of the Dead Sea - note the white haze on the shoreline which is salt!

Our next stop was at Masada. Masada was the location of one of King Herod's fortified palaces (he was very paranoid about people trying to kill him). Later after the temple was destroyed in Jeruasalem, Jewish rebels overtook Masada and it was the last Jewish stronghold to fall to the Romans in 73AD. All of the inhabitants committed suicide rather than be taken captive. Masada is a huge archaeological site and a very impressive city on top of a mountain - we had to take a cable car to get there.

Everything below the line here is original and that above the line is recreation.

After spending a few hours at Masada, we got back in the bus to drive north to Jericho. Jericho is a Palestinian Authority city which means it has a wall around it and access is restricted. Palestinians really can't leave and Israeli Jews can't enter. It was dark by the time we got there and we didn't get off the bus - just drove around for a while, past Zaccheus' tree and the remnants of the old city wall from Joshua's day. It was really sad to see the poverty and some people who are living in what look like barracks near the fence and cooking over open fires. We did see some fancy houses and resorts but many are empty.

Then we proceeded two hours further north to the Sea of Galilee and to our hotel, the Royal Plaza Hotel in Tiberias. We were directly across the street from the Sea of Galilee and had a great view from our hotel room window. It was time for dinner when we arrived, but Daryl headed right up to sleep. Afterwards, we had our evening meeting which this night was a healing service since there were several who had been sick and having some difficulties. I got to sit in a chair as a proxy for Daryl while folks laid hands on me and anointed me with oil and prayed. It was a very special service.