Day 9: Caesarea and home

An early start – even earlier for those of us whose other halves managed to set the alarm for 6.15 rather than 6.45! But it did mean that we were able to see the sunrise! After the last delicious breakfast at the Ron Beach, we set off with the coach all packed with our belongings as we wouldn’t be returning.

It was quite a long drive to Caesarea, but the sight of this port, built by Herod, was truly impressive. Built in a most unsuitable location, it didn’t last for long, but there is still plenty to see. David told us something about it and after the bible reading – which David read – we sang ‘How great thou art’ then had a little free time to explore - enabling some to dip their hands in the Mediterranean, and others actually to paddle!

We gathered together and all bought coffee or an ice cream, then drove on to take a look at the Aqueduct, built to serve Caesarea. A substantial portion of this still remains.

We drove on to Jaffa for a last meal in Israel, then Rabea drove us through part of the old city.

Then it was on to Tel Aviv to the airport. After a little confusion over which Terminal we were supposed to go to – not McCabe’s fault at all – we said goodbye to Rabea and David, our excellent driver and guide. David told us that we were like a family, and that this had made his job easy. He also told us that we should be an open book – sharing the stories of Jesus with others. He asked us to tell others about Israel – the fifth gospel – and to encourage them to go and visit. Hopefully, some who read this will want to do so.

Flying Easyjet meant that we came into Luton so we didn't have to put up with Heathrow and we had a shorter journey home.

We plan to take another party, probably in January/February 2013. Who knows, some of you might want to come with us! If you want to register an interest contact us on Mike@Bossingham.com

8th Day: Around and on The Sea of Gaililee

We were allowed the luxury of a lie-in this morning, as we did not have to leave until 8.30! Our first stop was at the site of the feeding of the five thousand. We had a look inside the church at some very old mosaics, then shared in Holy Communion by the lakeside. I (Ann) presided, using a liturgy which I had specially written for the occasion. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Our next stop was Mensa Christi, where we saw the lovely statue depicting Peter’s reinstatement, took a look in the church, and had the chance to dip our hands in the sea. We heard the reading telling that story from John’s Gospel, and sang ‘Spirit of the living God.’

We then went on to Capernaum, site of much of Jesus’ ministry. In the synagogue, we heard a reading telling about that ministry, but did not sing as another group was sharing in bible readings. The lakeside area there is very peaceful, and it was lovely to have the chance of a few quiet moments.

Lunch was at the convent of the Beatitudes, where we all enjoyed St Peter’s fish and some more delicious fresh dates. Before the meal, we heard the Beatitudes read from Matthew’s Gospel, and sang ‘Blest are the pure in heart.’ Afterwards, we had a brief look at the gardens, and inside the church.

Our next trip was down to the lake side, where we had the chance to do a little shopping and have some coffee. Then a highlight of the holiday: a trip out on the lake in a boat, similar in construction and size to the ones that would have been used for fishing. At first, we thought that we might be sharing a boat, but we had one to ourselves which was lovely. We heard the story of Jesus teaching from the boat and calling the fishermen, and sang ‘Dear Lord and Father of mankind.’

On docking, some of our party elected to walk back, whilst others took the bus. A very brave group swam in the sea – none of them by the name of Bossingham! An early start in the morning means packing tonight – but what a wonderful stay we have had!

In the evening we had an interesting question and answer session with our guide, David.

7th Day: Cana, Nazareth and Mount Tabor

Our first breakfast at the Ron Beach was excellent, and we all set out ready to enjoy the better Galilean weather. However, today gave us a new insight into the life of Jesus. It wasn’t always sunny!! We had a fine trip to Cana where we saw the church celebrating the miracle turning the water into wine. We also went below the church to see the foundations of the earlier church which was, like most of the churches in the Holy Land, destroyed by the Byzantines.

As we travelled to the church our driver, Rabea, revealed that he had come originally from Cana and been married in the Greek Orthodox Church there last August. So while we were visiting the church, he popped home to see his mum, and brought his wedding DVD for us to see!

From Cana, we drove on to Nazareth, where our first stop was Mary’s well, the sight of the spring in Nazareth which would surely have been from where Mary fetched water, probably with the infant Jesus. Some of us had a sip of the water, and admired the glorious frescoes, some of which were very familiar, like the one of the Holy Trinity, or of the visitors coming to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre.

After this we walked to the synagogue church, the site of the synagogue where Jesus read from Isaiah in Luke 4. It was on the Byzantine design and very plain in comparison with the previous one, but very lovely too.

We were now having to put up umbrellas in between visits, our next one being to the church of the Annunciation, where we had our reading from Luke 1 and sang ‘Tell out my soul’, but quietly, which was hard!

We then grabbed a very quick coffee, and walked through the colourful bazaar to the bus, which took us to Nazareth village, a reconstruction of a village in Jesus’ time built on the site of a farm. First, we were taken round an indoor display to set the scene, then we went outside. There were people there in biblical dress, working, such as the shepherd, the watchman, the weaver and the carpenter. This we found very helpful as it enabled us to see what village life must really have been like for Jesus and his contemporaries.

Following this visit, we went to St Margaret’s Convent where we enjoyed a lunch of salad, beef patties and vegetables, and delicious fresh dates.

The afternoon was set aside to visit Mount Tabor, and here we had a truly biblical experience, as the cloud descended, the mist enveloped us, and we saw nothing of the magnificent views. But we all enjoyed the beautiful church where we heard the story of the Transfiguration and sang ‘Shine Jesus shine’.

On the journey back, the sky cleared and we saw the top of Mount Tabor very clearly! The return journey was enlivened by more of the video of Rabea’s wedding, then a lovely hot chocolate at the hotel to warm us up.

6th Day; Journey to Galilee

Our final breakfast at The Golden Walls! We had had a very good stay there, and had been treated very well indeed. Our luggage was brought downstairs and after we had identified it so that it could be placed in the bus, most of the party set off to walk along the walls of Jerusalem. Brenda and I (Ann, that is) decided that this would not be a good idea for us, so David walked with us to St George’s Cathedral, where we sat outside in the sun until it was time for the service.

In the meantime, the rest of the party really enjoyed their walk, which some of them had very much wanted to do.

The service was an Anglican communion, conducted in English and Arabic, with some parts in one language, some in the other, and other parts with us all just chiming in in our own language! It sounded strange at times, but it was a lovely service, and very special to be in the presence of the people of God.

After the service, we had coffee with the congregation, and then set out on our drive to Jericho. First of all, we went to see the Sycamore tree – not the very one, since sycamores do not live that long- but possibly one on the same site! Then we went to lunch in a garden restaurant outside, since in Jericho it was much warmer, and we were all discarding our coats. The lunch was simple, with a salad course, kebab and chips, and a banana; not too big, and just right for travelling.

After lunch, we went to the Hebron trading shop where we made some purchases – although not so many as the very persistent salesmen would have liked – then David took us to take a look at the site of ancient Jericho. Jericho is one of the oldest cities in the world, and the gates that David showed us were from just after the Stone Age. From the old city we could see the mount of Temptation, and St George’s monastery. Of course, no one knows where Jesus was tempted in the desert by the devil, but it’s an interesting spot; and of course, if it were there, then to be tempted within sight of the oasis in which Jericho is built would make the temptation that much harder to withstand.

We then began the long drive to Tiberias. It was punctuated by a little excitement as we were pulled over by the border guard. But nothing came of it, and after a pause, they soon let us go, to everyone’s relief.

We were greeted at the Ron Beach Hotel by a cold drink, and our cases were collected and taken to our rooms – with which everyone was delighted. There was an hour or two to spend unpacking, resting or going for a walk before dinner – a splendid selection in a lovely dining room. With the prospect of Mount Tabor and Nazareth tomorrow, everyone went off to bed looking forward to the next day’s events.

5th Day - The Upper Room and Bethlehem

After a very good breakfast and taking opportunity to taunt the Welsh party just a little, we set off for Mount Zion, in order to view the Upper room, the site where traditionally Jesus and his disciples ate the last supper, and where the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Beneath it is a synagogue, where David is supposed to be buried. It was odd having to split up into male a female subgroups.

After this, we left for Bethlehem going to the Shepherds fields for Holy Communion conducted by Mike in one of the smaller caves there. We then visited the church, before going to the Bethlehem co-operative, where we all bought locally made souvenirs.

Lunch was eaten at the Bethlehem Arab Society for Resettlement, a hospital catering for all kinds of needs. We heard an inspiring talk by the deputy director and then there was the opportunity to buy souvenirs.

We then visited the church in manger square, queuing to see the reputed birth place of Jesus, and being hurried along the way by a very stroppy monk because there would be a service taking place upstairs. It’s hard to understand what part of the Christmas message this is intended to convey! But we went to a very quiet little chapel dedicated to St Jerome, and there heard the Christmas story, said a prayer and sang ‘O Little Town.’

The journey back through the checkpoint was long and laborious, but it gave a wayside salesman chance to sell us pashminas!

On our arrival back at the hotel, some of our number went for a walk into the old city. Then we enjoyed our last dinner at the Golden Walls, and retired, looking forward to he trip to Galilee tomorrow after church.

4th Day: Qumran, Masada and the Dead Sea

After the Sultan’s night – great fun, by the way – an early start this morning, the coach leaving at 7.30! David explained that we were driving out into the Judean desert, a place of refuge for kings, prophets and others fleeing persecution or other enemies. For a time, we followed the route to Jericho and were all reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan.

We reached Qumran and after a video presentation, we walked around the ruins of the dwelling place of that most extraordinary sect, the Essenes. We saw the sight of cave 4, where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. At this point, we were well below sea level.

We then travelled on to Masada, and after a video presentation, and a take away coffee, very welcome, we travelled up to the top of Herod the Great’s fortress stronghold. David explained how it had been built by Herod the Great, occupied by Jews in revolt against Rome, who when the situation became hopeless, killed their families and each other rather than face slavery. Later, monks had a monastery there and built a Byzantine church. Before looking round we heard Psalm 2 read, sang ‘O worship the King’, and reflected upon how human greatness passes away, but that of God, never.

We all felt that we could have spent longer there, but it was time to go and have lunch at the Premier, by the Dead Sea. Then, we prepared for our great adventure – floating in the Dead Sea! All of us went in in the end, and thoroughly enjoyed the strange sensation of being able to float easily without any effort at all.

It must have been tiring, as after that, most of us fell asleep in the bus coming back to Jerusalem. A very different, but most satisfying day.

We have a very noisy party of Welsh people in the Hotel watching the Rugby, but England seem to be putting them in their place (well at half time anyway)

3rd Day: Yad Vashem and Bethany

Today was a later start, as we were to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. It commemorates the lives of the 6,000,000 Jews who lost their lives in the death camps and ghettoes established by the Nazis in the Second World War. The story was told though pictures, words, artefacts and video. None of us, I think, could say that it had been enjoyable, but it was a memorable experience, and none of us would have missed it. Three hours was too short, but a full day would have been too harrowing. If Mike and I take another party, we’ll try to concentrate on different sections. (You cannot take pictures here, so there is no video of this)

After this, we went to the Jerusalem Hotel where we had a very nice lunch of salad, followed by chicken and a small sweetmeat.

In the afternoon, we went to Bethany where we visited Lazarus’s church, then Lazarus’s tomb. This was quite a scramble down, but well worth it and we marked the occasion by singing ‘Thine be the glory’.

Following this, we went on to the Al Jameel boys’ home, where we were warmly welcomed, shown around and were able to leave our gifts.

Tonight at the hotel was Sultan’s night, with a special Eastern menu and dancing. The food is always delicious, but it was extra specially nice tonight. All in all it was a very fun occasion, much enjoyed by all.

2nd Day: Temple Mount, Pool of Bethsaida and the Via Dolorosa

On drawing back the curtains, it was obvious that the weather was going to be much better than on the previous day, which was very encouraging. After another excellent breakfast, we met David in the lobby of the hotel, in preparation to catching our coach. I (Ann) was wearing my cassock in readiness for the Stations of the Cross later, but we were all warned not to wear crosses as this would prevent our entry onto the Temple Mount.

After a short wait, David received news that there was a problem with the bus, so we set off to walk through Old Jerusalem to the Western Wall. This was very interesting, and a welcome contrast to our walk later in the day, as at this time, the streets were quite quiet, and many shops were not yet open.

As we walked, David pointed out some of the very old slabs in the ground which had been uncovered and which were certainly 1st Century, so may even have been trodden on by Jesus. We walked through a tunnel which was partly 13th Century, and partly 1st Century, with Roman foundations, so again, Jesus would certainly have walked though the latter tunnel, as it brought us out right by where the Temple would have been. We were all permitted to go to the Wall, and to touch it and pray. Then it was through a metal detector and onto the Temple Mount, to view the Dome of the rock at close quarters. We were not allowed inside. We left at 10.00am in accordance with the Moslem authority instructions, and then saw the Sheep gate, which is the one through which Jesus would have come on Palm Sunday.

After a comfort stop, David found us a café where we could have a coffee break, after which we went to the Church of St Anne, which marks the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. The church has wonderful acoustics, and our party sang two verses of ‘And can it be’, then joined in with another church group as they sang ‘All hail the power of Jesu’s name’.

On that site was also situated the pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed the paralysed man (John 5) We spent a little time walking round and looking at it.

David then led us to the Ecce Homo convent, another convent of the Sisters of Zion, where we were to have lunch. First, we went up to the roof, where David pointed out the whereabouts of the Antonia fortress and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Lunch was delicious, a salad starter followed by turkey in a savoury sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetables, then a cinnamon spiced carrot cake and coffee.

Following lunch, we walked the Stations of the Cross, with each person of the party doing one reading, and Mike filming them all, whilst I did a reflection and a prayer. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was not too busy, and everyone had the opportunity, if they wished, to touch the rock beneath the altar, and go into the tomb, and also touch the stone of anointing. David explained that these sites have received a good degree of authentication; but whatever may be the case, they have been soaked by the prayers of countless pilgrims; and to touch base in the very land, the very city, where Jesus died for us all is very precious.

After we had concluded our visit, we walked back through the market to the Garden Tomb, which is just round the corner from the hotel. Whatever may be its degree of authenticity, the fact of its being in a garden, in a quiet spot, gave it a lovely atmosphere, which we all enjoyed. But after quite a hard day walking-wise, we were all glad to get back for a sit down, a cuppa, and a well deserved rest.

1st Day: Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane and Ein Kareem

We began our first day in Jerusalem with a wake-up call at 6.45, for breakfast at 7.00! The trick, I find, is simply to avoid looking at your watch for the first couple of hours. Breakfast – a buffet with cereals, fruit, juices, all kinds of continental breads, eggs in various forms, and cold meats, not to mention tea and coffee, was excellent, and enjoyed by all the party. At that point, we met our guide, David, for the first time.

We got on the bus at 8.15 and drove to the Mount of Olives, where we visited the Pater Noster chapel, which commemorates Jesus teaching the disciples to pray. Whilst at Pater Noster David read the Lord's Prayer in his native tongue - Coptic

After hearing the gospel account of this, saying the Lord’s prayer and singing ‘Seek Ye first’. Around this church there are many different versions of the Lord’s prayer and Mike was pleased to spot that one of them was in Cornish.

We then walked on to the Dominus Flevit chapel, which commemorates Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. David pointed out various features of interest to us, as we looked across at the view of Jerusalem from the other side of the Kidron valley. We could not go into the chapel unfortunately as mass was going on, but instead walked down to the Church of all Nations, situated next to the Garden of Gethsemane. Our party was very impressed t the age of the Olive trees, some parts of which would have been there when Jesus was alive.

The church itself is very dark inside, deliberately so, as it commemorates the prayer of Jesus in the garden, which was by night. After hearing the Gospel account of this and singing ‘The Servant King’, we were picked up by the bus once again, and taken to the Church of St Peter Gallicanto (which means cock crow). This is built on the site of the High Priest’s house, where Jesus was imprisoned and flogged. We were shown a prison cell, where it is thought Jesus was kept. Not all of us ere convinced that this could be guaranteed, but there in the dark, it was easy to imagine the scene, and there in the cell we sand ‘When I survey.’ We also had an excellent cup of coffee in the cafeteria there, where the man serving was David’s cousin.

After visiting the church, we drove to the convent in Ein Kareem, where we were to have lunch. This was delicious, various salads with chicken in a spicy sauce, potatoes, cauliflower and carrots, then fresh fruit salad or sponge cake, followed by tea or coffee.

After lunch, David showed us the church where the nuns worship, which was very plain, and with beautiful, clean, simple lines.

The church of John the Baptist was a real contrast. It is supposed to mark the birth place of J the B, and is ornate, and decorated with white and blue tiles, which remind one slightly of a municipal swimming bath!

After this, the rain came down and continued unremittingly throughout our visit to the Israel museum. This was a pity, because it meant that people were not able to linger by the model of Jerusalem in the time of the second temple. But the shrine of the book, with the display about the Dead Sea scrolls was much appreciated. Then back to the hotel, after a tiring and very informative day with our excellent guide.

We shared an excellent dinner and then sat as a group chatting in the lounge which overlooks the walls of the Old City.