by Pastor Patrick Cho

It is hard to believe that we have been in Israel for about a week now. It’s strange how in some ways it feels like time is flying by, and in some ways it feels like we have been here forever. This morning, we began the day at the Menachem Begin Center. We didn’t look around too much, but this was a helpful stop because the museum has examples of First Temple period tombs. This would have been the way well-to-do people were buried in the days of David and Solomon. These would be different than the Second Temple period kind of tomb that Jesus was buried in, but there are some similarities and it was still fascinating. There were a group of tombs that were discovered and (pretty carelessly) dug up that we could examine. Some of our team members even took turns lying where the deceased would have been laid. It made for some fun(?) pictures.

From the Menachem Begin Center, we took the bus to Bethlehem. It was interesting crossing over the Green Line into the Palestinian city. Of course in Bethlehem you can visit the Church of the Nativity, and that was the main reason why we went. The door to the church, called the Door of Humility, was designed very low so that you have to stoop to enter. Inside, the place looked like a typical Catholic Church with all its decorations and gilded furniture. I believe three different religious groups help run the church, so that explains why it seemed like there were three times as many decorations in the apse. We walked through the church quickly, but didn’t take the time to wait in line to visit the “navel of the earth.” There is a hole that you can put your hand in to touch the air in the recesses below the church where Jesus was supposedly born.

After the Church of the Nativity, we drove over to the Herodium, which is also very close to Bethlehem. This was a very impressive fortress/palace built by Herod the Great, and it is also the place where he was laid to rest. From afar, we could see that the Herodium was constructed on a hilltop. After the building was complete, Herod had servants bring up mounds of dirt to cover the outside walls so that as someone would approach, it would look like a normal hill. There is a giant swimming pool and race track at the base of the hill, and the palace itself was pretty amazing. As much as Herod was not liked during his time (and even to today), you have to admit that he was an ingenious designer/builder. Not only did he build these impressive palaces, of course he also rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem.

We left Bethlehem and then headed over to Hebron to visit Ma’arat HaMachpela, or “The Tomb of the Cave.” This is the location where Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Leah are buried (Rachel is buried in northern Bethlehem). Because of historical tradition, we are pretty sure this is the actual location. It is an interesting place because it is a Jewish synagogue and Muslim mosque in one building. Because of the history of the politics, the Jews maintain the half of the building over which Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Leah are buried. The Muslims maintain the half of the building over which Isaac or Ishmael was buried (we don’t really know for sure who is on the Muslim side, though they claim it is Ishmael). We were not allowed into the Muslim side of the building so we only saw the Jewish side. There were four rooms dedicated to each of the patriarchs and matriarchs, and several Jews walked the corridors reading the Scriptures or Talmud as they passed by.

It was sad to see how people had thrown money or written prayers into the rooms. The Jews are a very superstitious people who believe that God’s blessing is greater at these kinds of holy sites. How awesome it is to consider that God is ever with us and that we don’t have to make pilgrimages to holy places to get any nearer to Him. He meets with us where we are and we can draw near to Him.

After Hebron, we headed back to the hotel and are going to enjoy a free day tomorrow. After the free day, we are going to pack up and leave for the Negev. I’m not sure what the internet situation is going to be, but I will try to update this journal as often as I can while we are down there. I really miss the my family and the church, and can’t wait to be back to share more stories and fill in some of the blanks that I have deliberately skipped in this journal for the sake of keeping the length short.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Today was another bus day, but the schedule was jam packed. We began by heading east over the Mount of Olives into the Judean wilderness on route to Jericho. This was a fascinating stop, and thankfully it wasn’t brutally hot out there. There is a major ridge route called the Ascent of Adummim that would have taken travelers roughly along the course of the Wadi Qilt from Jerusalem to Jericho. This route is the setting for Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). It was really helpful to see how treacherous that journey would have been especially with all the caves and nooks in which robbers could have hidden. This wilderness was also the place where John the Baptist lived while eating locusts and honey (Matt. 3:1-4), and somewhere in the wilderness is probably where Jesus was led by the Spirit to be tempted (Matt. 4:1).

From the wilderness, we continued traveling northeast to Jericho. There are actually two Jerichos in existence today. The northern Jericho (also Tel es-Sultan) is the city that Joshua conquered in the Old Testament. The southern Jericho is from New Testament times, where Herod built Cypros, a fortress in honor of his mother. Walking around Tel es-Sultan was surreal. I couldn’t believe I was standing on the ground of Jericho! (And I couldn’t help but sing the VeggieTales song, “Keep Walking.”) I learned a few things from visiting the city. First, the city actually had two walls, an outer wall and an inner wall. They probably both came tumbling down when Joshua defeated the city. Rahab’s house would have been built into the outer wall. Second, the vast majority of the city surprisingly has not been excavated. It kind of made me want to get on my hands and knees and start digging! And third, the city of Jericho with its walls that reached to the heavens, was not a very big city. It would take about fifteen to twenty minutes to walk around its perimeter. But for where the city is located (off the beaten path) and for Bible times, I suppose it was a significant city.

From Jericho, we went west to the area of Geba and Michmash. This is the setting of the story when Jonathan defeated the Philistine garrison (1 Sam. 14:1-15). There is a significant canyon separating Geba and Michmash simply called “the pass” in Scripture. Geba is where the Israelites were camped, and Michmash is where the Philistines were camped. Jonathan and his armor bearer climbed down one side of this enormous and incredibly steep canyon and back up the other side before meeting the Philistines in battle. He quickly killed twenty men (after climbing that canyon on hand and foot), and the rest of the Philistines retreated. Needless to say, Jonathan is the man (and his armor bearer was pretty much manly, too). I was tired just climbing to the lookout from the bus!

After a couple more stops to see the Central Benjamin Plateau and learn about the significant biblical events that took place there, we ended our day in Gezer. A couple significant archaeological finds are worth noting from Gezer. First, at the city wall there is a six-chambered gate. This was a significant advancement because most cities only had four chambered gates. This is important because these six-chambered gates could be associated with Solomon. Several other cities that we know Solomon worked to rebuild also had these gates. Second, archaeologists discovered the Gezer calendar in this city. It looked to be a primer for school children about the harvest, but evinces one of the earliest forms of alphabetic writing.

While most of the locations we visited are not as well-known to believers as other major cities like Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the significance of the Central Benjamin Plateau can’t be missed. It provided a major crossroads both north/south and east/west and really was the front door to Jerusalem. It is no wonder we see so much happen in this area, particularly in the Old Testament. Possession of this area was strategic for controlling the land. It was a long day, but a fascinating day of learning.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Today was a bus day! Instead of walking everywhere we went, an air-conditioned bus picked us up in the morning and dropped us off at our location. It then picked us up and took us to our next destination. My legs were so grateful for this gift of grace! I appreciate so much more how much walking the people in Jesus’ day must have done. For example, Jerusalem and Bethany are on opposite sides of the Mount of Olives. Jesus probably stayed in Bethany during Passover, which means He walked over the Mount of Olives almost every night during the Passion Week! We took a bus.

So our first destination was the Mount of Olives. The bus took us to the top of the hill and we walked down. Walking downhill, we came first to the Jewish cemetery that pretty much covers the entire south side of the hill. Although this is not the exact cemetery that Jesus would have referred to in Matthew 23:27, it provided a great picture of what Jesus was saying. The Jews buy plots on the Mount of Olives facing the Temple Mount. The view from up there is absolutely breathtaking! Because of the view, it is prime real estate for dead people. A plot could easily cost a few hundred thousand dollars, and sometimes over a million! So, it’s not an average Joe’s burial ground. It is understood by some that they want to be buried there so that they can have front row seats when the Messiah comes to establish His kingdom. It’s so sad to consider that He did come already and that He won’t be coming to save them when He comes again.

The hill is literally covered with graves. On most of the graves, there are stones that people have piled on the grave markers to remember the deceased. An example of this is seen at the end of the movie “Schindler’s List,” when the Jews walk by and put stones on Oscar Schindler’s grave. Some of the graves have a lot of stones on them, which may indicate that the person there was very important, like Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, the inventor of Modern Hebrew, and Menahem Begin, former prime minister of Israel.

From the cemetery, we headed to the sanctuary of Dominus Flevit. This is a church deliberately designed to look like a tear drop or upside-down mourner’s cup. Back in Jesus’ day, professional mourners would collect their tears so that if real emotions could not be mustered up, they could artificially add some tears to their faces. The cups were also given to the survivors of the victims as mementos. Dominus Flevit is supposedly the location where Jesus mourned over Jerusalem. The location is possible, but there is no way to really know for sure. But it was helpful to see the view that Jesus would have had as He came up over the Mount of Olives from Bethany. When He saw the city out across the horizon, He wept for the lost people of the city (Luke 19:41-42).

Our next destination down the hill was the first of two possible sites for Gethsemane. The first was the Roman Catholic site, which was a very beautiful and lush garden filled with olive trees and various flowers. Of course, there was also a huge church there with a mass service. The place was really crowded with tourists. There were also vendors at the entrance trying to sell goods and souvenirs to the crowds walking by. The honking cars and buses also stole away from the serenity of the location.

The second possible location is probably more likely given the historical data, but both locations don’t have a ton of support. Really Jesus could have prayed anywhere, but the name Gethsemane means “a press of oil” and some oil presses were discovered in both areas. When the Crusaders first came to this second site, they believed it to be the likely spot. Through various circumstances, the Eastern Orthodox Church was able to secure the location. At least with this one, the Roman Catholics got the second choice. There isn’t a garden here but a grotto next to the giant Orthodox Church. We only took a brief look around because they were conducting mass at the grotto.

We then jumped back on the bus and headed to the Israel Museum. This was a bit of a disappointing stop because we did not know the museum was going to close for Sabbath as early as it did. By the time we got around to actually entering the museum, it was closed. Still, out in the center open air area of the museum, they have a giant model of Jerusalem as it would have looked in the days of Herod and Jesus. This was a very impressive sight! The model isn’t entirely biblical, but still very effective. It was also inspired by the Talmud and Josephus, so there are buildings there that are not mentioned in the Bible. It was helpful to give our group an overview of the topography of the city and the distances of locations in relation to each other. It was also helpful to see which walls and gates would have been around in Jesus’ day.

From there, we got back on the bus and headed to the city outside the Damascus Gate to visit Gordon’s Calvary. This was a beautiful and serene location, but very unlikely as the actual location for the crucifixion. Still, it served as a helpful picture of the events that took place around Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is funny though how growing up, this was the location that the churches I attended emphasized. It is from this location that Sunday School children are taught that the stone that was rolled away was over six feet in diameter and up to eighteen inches thick. In reality, the stone for Jesus’ tomb was probably more like four feet in diameter. Given all the historical details, an overwhelming case can be made that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the actual location. This was a bit disappointing because Gordon’s Calvary is a much prettier and serene location.

That pretty much concluded our day. We walked back to the hotel and had a chance to briefly do some shopping before having dinner. After dinner, we had class time together with the folks from Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for tomorrow. We will be visiting the Central Benjamin Plateau, which was a very strategic area for the nation Israel because of its topography. I’m super excited because we will begin the day by heading out to Jericho via the eastern wilderness. I have been looking forward to that for months now.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Today was probably the most brutal day of walking so far during the trip. At times, I didn’t think I was going to make it! When we got back to the hotel, John and I took our showers and went straight to sleep. I was so exhausted, I didn’t even want to wash up. Only after considering how dirty we were from the day’s events, I thought it would be a good idea to get cleaned up. I’m sure John is thankful for that decision.

We began the day earlier than usual because we wanted to get over to the Temple Mount before it opened. Even though we got there fairly early, there was still a pretty long line. I don’t think anyone in the group cared because we were so excited to be there. The Temple Mount is where Solomon originally built the Temple. The Dome of the Rock, which is a decorative, non-functioning, Islamic mosque, sits on the likely spot where the Temple used to be.

Solomon built the Temple on Mt. Moriah, which is the location where Abraham was asked to offer up his son Isaac (Gen. 22:2). You would normally think that Abraham did this off in the far wilderness, but it would have been fairly close to the Canaanite settlement of Jebus. It was on Mt. Moriah where David built the altar at the threshing floor of Araunah (2 Sam. 24:11-25). And it was this city of Jebus that David eventually captured and renamed Jerusalem because it was never taken during the days of Joshua and the Judges of Israel (1 Chron. 11:1-9; 2 Sam. 5:6-12; cf. Josh. 15:63; Judg. 1:21; 19:10-12).

So, it was cool being on the Temple Mount considering all the historical significance of the place. I tried to imagine the Temple sitting there with its golden walls, beams, and doors. I imagined the priests walking through their daily routines of worship and sacrifice. It was amazing to consider that this was the place where the Shekinah (Heb. for “dwelling” or “resting”) Glory of the Lord rested on the Ark of the Covenant, and where He met with the people.

No Jews are allowed to go up to the Temple Mount, because they are not sure where the Holy of Holies used to be. They don’t want to accidentally step on holy ground and incur the wrath of God. The area is run by Jordanians today and is the site of three Islamic mosques. On Muslim holy days, apparently the entire area is covered with worshipping Muslims around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the functioning mosque on the Mount.

From the Temple Mount, we headed to the Wohl Museum, which is an excavated area that is now a museum. It shows an area of homes that belonged to the aristocratic and wealthy inhabitants of Jerusalem during the days of Jesus. These would be fine homes even with some of today’s standards of fine living. Some of the buildings had Mosaic tiled floors and ornately decorated walls. It certainly was not the living place of common people. It was fascinating to see how many mikva’ot (or ceremonial cleansing pools) there were in the place. Dr. Grisanti explained that this was the kind of residence for the priests of the Temple who gained great wealth through their corrupt practices of selling animals for sacrifice in the Temple.

We went next to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, which is wrapped around the Southern perimeter of the Temple Mount. It is here that you can see the foundation stones of Herod’s Temple and the devastating damage caused by the Romans in the destruction of the Temple (70 A.D.). You can see where the Romans threw giant stones down to the street level below leaving the Temple in ruins. They quite literally did not leave one stone upon another, thus fulfilling Christ’s prophecy to His disciples (Matt. 24:1-2). Even the concrete below the wall is shattered in places where the giant stones fell.

From the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, we headed into the City of David area south of the Temple Mount and walked through Hezekiah’s tunnel (2 Chron. 32:30; 2 Kings 20:20). Hezekiah originally dug this tunnel in anticipation of an Assyrian attack on the city by Sennacherib. It not only channels water from the upper Gihon Spring to the Siloam Pool on the southernmost end of the city, but it also would have been served as a secret escape route in case of an attack. The tunnel was very cramped and the water at times came up to the thighs, but Dr. Grisanti said it was a must-do activity for our time in Jerusalem. There was also a water shaft inside the tunnel where Joab possibly snuck into Jebus to originally conquer the city for David (cf. 2 Sam. 5:8).

At the end of the tunnel, we ended up at the area of the Siloam Pool where Jesus healed the man who was born blind (John 9). This was a massive pool that is still mostly not excavated because most of it lies underneath a Greek Orthodox Church. Dr. Grisanti taught a lesson from John 9 and helped us to consider the importance of that healing in the ministry of Christ and sovereignty of God. When we were done at the tunnel, we looked forward to the long uphill climb back to the hotel. But instead of taking the main roads and pathways, we climbed up an ancient drainage route that leads straight up to the Temple Mount. It isn’t used as a drainage sewer anymore, but it is scary to think of all the things that would have travelled through there in Jesus’ time (i.e., water, blood, and whatever else from the Temple sacrifices).

The walks in the tunnels are what made the day so intense, besides the brisk pace that we have been trying to keep up throughout the hills of the city. Parts of the tunnels were low so that we needed to stoop in order to move forward. Needless to say, we were dirty, sweaty, and gross by the end of the day, so showers were necessary. But so was sleep.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

We have only been in Israel for two days, but it feels like we’ve been here for over a week. I’m so thankful for how Dr. Grisanti has thought through how to maximize our time while we are here. This of course means we walk a lot (I don’t think I’ve ever walked so much in my life!), but the exercise is actually starting to feel good. I may be able to come home in much better shape than when I left (physically and spiritually!).

We began the day with breakfast at the hotel and class at 7:30am. Along with the sightseeing, all that we have been learning has been a bit overwhelming. It really is like drinking out of the proverbial drinking fountain. We have been learning about Old Testament history, New Testament history, modern Israeli history, geography, manners and customs, etc. Class this morning was about getting a better grasp of the city in general. We reviewed its major hills, valleys, gates, water sources, and history. We ended our time of instruction learning some Hebrew songs.

A little after class, we walked along the perimeter of the city, on the city wall (called the Rampart Walk) travelling from the Jaffa Gate to the Zion Gate. Although these were not the original city walls, it was interesting to see the city from that vantage point. Looking down from the walls, it was clear to see how they gave defenders an advantage from sieges and attacks. It will be interesting to go to Jericho later on this trip to learn more about the wall there.

From the Rampart Walk, we headed out to the probable site of the Upper Room and Last Supper. Of course, the original room has been buried over time and a new building has been built in its place, but it was still really cool to know where the room was in relation to other parts of the city and to review what happened there. It was there that Jesus broke bread with His disciples and instituted communion (Luke 22:7ff). He also washed His disciples’ feet and instructed them to humbly serve one another (John 13). The Upper Room was also where Judas left to betray Christ after Jesus offered him bread (John 13:26-30).

From the Upper Room, we went to another high perch overlooking the city from the south. This was at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. This allegedly is the location of Caiaphas’ house. Historically, this would have been where Jesus was tried and Peter denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed twice. Gallicantu literally means “rooster crow” (the Spanish word for rooster is “gallo”), and we could actually hear some roosters in the distance. There really isn’t any archaeological evidence that this site is authentic, but it did offer an awesome view. From the vista, we could see the Temple Mount, the supposed site of the Potter’s Field, and pretty much the entire city south of the Temple. Of particular interest was when Dr. Grisanti walked us through Solomon’s coronation. It was fascinating to see geographically how Adonijah’s failed coup played out with Solomon’s coronation (1 Kings 1). While Adonijah prepared to declare himself king, he would have audibly heard the trumpets blow announcing Solomon’s reign.

After a quick lunch, we headed up the Via Dolorosa (or “The Way of Suffering”) to St. Anne’s Basilica. This is the site of the pool of Bethesda where Jesus healed the man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. The pools were surprisingly deep (almost 40 feet!) and you could see where the porticos (or patios) were. The local tradition of the area was that an angel would come and stir the waters and whoever was the first to climb in the pool would be miraculously healed. This man being an invalid was unable to enter the waters first, but Jesus miraculously healed him demonstrating His power, authority, and lovingkindness, but also authenticating His message as God’s Messiah. Of course, the Pharisees were more concerned that this man was carrying his bed on the Sabbath, and they overlooked the entire miracle and Miracle Worker.

From Bethesda, we had to quickly get over to the Museum of the First Temple. This place had artifacts and information about Solomon’s Temple and was absolutely fascinating. It also houses the oldest discovered facsimile of the Old Testament from Numbers 6. It was written on a thin sheet of silver and rolled up as an amulet! This is also the location of a pomegranate that was quite possibly used as a decoration on the priestly gown of Solomon’s Temple. On the pomegranate is engraved, “For the priest of the Temple of —-.” The blank is for the name YHWH. Since the Jews are careful about taking the Lord’s name in vain, you are expected to enter in the blank the word adonai (Lord), Jehovah, or ha shem (the Name).

After the museum, we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. There is heavy historical and archaeological evidence that this is the actual site of Jesus’ crucifixion and the empty tomb. The entire church was built in the days of Constantine by his mother Helena, destroyed in an invasion in the 600’s, and then rebuilt by the Crusaders. Inside it evoked mixed feelings in me. It was absolutely humbling and sobering to stand on the ground of the crucifixion and to see the site of the empty tomb. Just to consider historically what took place there was a worshipful experience that I will never forget. But the church is also a gaudy monstrosity of false worship. There are relics and decorations everywhere you see. Everything is covered in gold. But the saddest thing was to see the people there placing their faith in those relics and routines and trying to find God’s grace through them.

We actually didn’t go into the empty tomb because there is about an hour and a half wait just to see it for about a few seconds. But people do it! They wait in line just for the chance to touch the place where Jesus was laid. Dr. Grisanti was quick to remind us that Jesus was only in there for three days. We could certainly look forward more to when we will actually see Him on that last day.

There is a rock at the entrance of the church cut from Golgotha where people kiss the rock and rub their handkerchiefs on it as a way of taking some grace with them. It’s said that those handkerchiefs could aid in healing people or evoking blessing from God. It was just sad to see people weeping over this piece of rock and rubbing their handkerchiefs as if it is going to do some good. To see how greatly lost and misled these people were broke my heart.

At the end of the day, we headed back to the hotel for dinner before visiting a pedestrian district to see some modern shops. We ended up spending some time with team members at a McDonald’s. This was another very full and tiring day, but one that was also full of blessings. The devotionals that Dr. Grisanti has been sharing along the way have been truly encouraging and inspiring. Set against the backdrop of the city, the Word of God truly comes to life.