Holy Land Tour
1/11/00 - 1/22/00
My mom waiting to get onto the bus right outside of the airport after more than an 8-hour flight from New York City to Amman, Jordan
Having a short service near the Jabbok River in Jordan, where Jacob wrestled with God.
(Genesis 32: 22-32) " So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip, so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.' But Jacob replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.' The man asked him, 'What is your name?'. 'Jacob', he answered. Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.' "
The remains of the entrance gate to the ancient Roman City of Jerash.
My dad pointing to the Jordan River which flows by the foot of the Gilliad Mountains. The Gilliad Moutains is known for the story of Judas chasing his son through the forests in a chariot and his hair caught on a tree, and died as he hung in the limbs.
This is a Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in the Jordan city of Madaba also referred to Medeba in the Bible. This church has an amazing mosaic which is said to tell the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.
Here I am atop Mount Nebo, where Moses climbed to see the Promised Land but was forbidden by God to go into. This was the last stop for Moses in which Joshua led the remaining tribes into Israel. From here you can see most of Israel on a clear day. Even though there were hardly any skies, it was difficult to see through the haze.
This is inside the memorial that was build for Moses. Inside are several mosaics, all along the floor and along the walls.
Here I am at Qumran, the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. I the caves beyond me is where the scrolls were found. The scrolls were found by a shepherd boy who was looking for a sheep that had gone a stray. While trying to find the sheep, he threw a rock into one of the caves and surprisingly he heard the sound of pottery breaking.
This is called the Tree of Zacchaeus, which is a Sycamore tree estimated to be about 2000 years old. As told in the stories, Zacchaeus was a short man and he climbed a Sycamore tree to see Jesus. (Luke 19: 1-9)
