We climbed Masada this morning. The ladies took the tram, and the men took the Snake Trail. It was quite a steep climb, but an enjoyable experience. Could this mountain have been a rock and fortress for David? We saw the ruins of Herod’s palace and guard buildings. When the Zealots moved in they wouldn’t … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 5

We arrived at the Dead Sea on a breezy, foggy gray evening. Not exactly the kind of weather we expected to find here in the desert 1412 feet below sea level! But nobody wanted to pass up the chance to float in this water, 34% salt. Because of the salt, you can’t sink. Even people … More The Dead Sea

We spent the night at a great hotel in Beersheva, and enjoyed another wonderful breakfast buffet. We drove southward through the desert for about 2 hrs this morning, views reminiscent of the Badlands or Grand Canyon. A “makhtesh” is a huge hole in the ground formed by water and weather. The dominant color is yellow-tan, … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 4

Today is Shabbat (Sabbath), which officially began at sunset last night. The hotel was filled with people who came out to celebrate. The celebration begins with a candle-lighting ceremony; there was a tray of votive candles set out, with matches. Women, young and old, singly and in small groups, came in, lit a candle, and … More Shabbat

We’re enjoying Israeli cuisine on this trip. The hotel had buffet suppers and breakfasts for us. Such a variety of unusual (to us) foods, as well as familiar staples, such as scrambled eggs. At Tel Arad we saw the remains of a temple that dates back to the first temple era. It may have been … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 3

Our first day to walk in the land! And walk we did – over 5 miles! We visited Tel Gezer. The ruins of a city gate are from Solomon’s era. Joe talked about the significance of the gate in those days. It was a place of safety for those coming in. The Church should be … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 2

We arrived in Amman, Jordan after a 10 hour flight. A short layover, where we heard for the first time the Muslim call to prayer coming over the loudspeaker. (Notice the prayer room sign in the picture above.) Then we were in the air to Tel Aviv. We landed at Ben Gurion. We’re on the … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 1

From Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, we converged at the JFK airport with anticipation. We arrived by air, train, and pickup truck. Our group leader, Joe Mullet, had all of our tickets and took care of numerous details. Joe gave us a brief lesson on Middle East geography. He also gave us advice on relating to … More Taste of Honey (Leadership Study) Day 0