Greetings and Salutations!
This post relates to April 5th because I have fallen behind (apologies!)
Gan Hashlosha National Park
Our first stop was at a stunning natural spring site which has since been enlarged. It is considered one of the most beautiful places in Israel and I have to agree! The water here remains around 27 degrees Celsius all year round and is home to some very friendly fish (safe to say my feet were sufficiently nibbled).
The Jordan River
It is known that Jesus was baptised along the banks of the Jordan river although not precisely where along the river. Nevertheless, there is a site which is believed to be the spot and our group visited the spot and read the account mentioned in Luke chapter 3. The site itself was not as inetersting to me, but importantly it looked directly across to the Jordanian border. In fact, the Jordanians have their own "Holy site" about 2 meters across the river and Israeli soldiers are stationed at one half of the site to stop people from swimming across the river.
Tel Jericho
We visited the site of what is believed to be the ruins of Jericho! The site is also home to some other ancient city ruins and was quite fascinating. There was in fact an all-female excavation team working on the site taking measurements while we were there and it was a privilege to watch them at work. It was here that I made friends with my new bestie Sam the camel. I chose not to opt for a camel ride because it is very expensive and I feel bad for the poor camels who march tourists around all day on the hot tar. The guide was extremely friendly though and insisted that I pose for some selfies and a very prickly camel kiss. The site is also located next to an interestingly named tourism shop. There is a proper story behind its name, but I prefer my personal version that it is clearly named for its contents: tourist traps in the form of chocolate covered dates and Halva (a personal weakness).
The Negev Desert lookout at Wadi Quelt
We stopped to read Luke's account of the tempting of Jesus in the desert. There were a couple of things I had not noticed about the passage before which I found encouraging. One was that Jesus is not completely abandoned by God during this time-- God's timing in sending the angels to attend Jesus is simply not the same as what we (and Jesus) may have wanted. It is comforting to know that Jesus too was dependent on God's timing in His suffering and learned patience in trials just as we do. Also, looking at the sheer size and rough terrain of the desert made me appreciate how tiring the period must have been, and how we can know that He identifies with our temptations and weaknesses.
Our tour group arrived in Bethlehem as the day drew to a close and that is where I will be based for a little longer. This is officially recognised Palestinian territory and the contrast is fairly obvious in more ways than one. The history boffins among you will be aware that Bethlehem is a walled-in city and Palestinians are not permitted to exit without a permit. I will have a little more to say about this in a following post since it was only today (April 6th) that I was able to visit a museum which explained a few things more clearly. For now, all I can say is that this is a saddening place and one in which peace is so desperately prayed for. Please join me in praying for the new friends I have made here chatting with the locals. Their names are Sammi, Rema, Elias and Ahmed. I will be able to tell you a little more about them all tomorrow.
Here is the photo compilation!
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Gan Hashlosha Springs
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Jordan river looking across to the Jordanian border
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Quote from the Bible at the Jordan River
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Aptly named Tourist shopping centre in Jericho
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My new friend Sam
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| Negev Desert views from Wadi Quelt |
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