Israel

After leading the 2013 official study tour we decided that it was time we visited the Holy Land. Of course, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, but there is something special about that land where Jesus himself, God incarnate, "dwelled among us".

Having spent the last couple of weeks on a coach tour, unpacking each night and packing up each morning, we decided not to take a coach tour through Israel. We arranged an apartment in Tel Aviv and also booked three 'one-day tours' from a pick-up spot just round the corner.

The first 'one-day tour' was to the Dead Sea area and Masada; the second was a day trip to Jerusalem and the third involved a day exploring Galilee, including Nazareth.

Jerusalem is, of course, the scene of many happenings in the life of Paul, so our visit carried that significance as well. On another day, using local public transport, we made our way to Caesarea Maratima.

The apartments where we stayed had bicycles for guest use and it was a very pleasant ride down the waterfron to the old port of Jaffa (Joppa), which also features in the Acts narrative. (Acts 9-11)

The fact that I did not arrange to visit Antipatris and Ptolemais strongly suggests that my plan to visit every Pauline site had not really come into focus by this time! A return to Israel will be required!

Because we used commercial one-day tours I didn't pay as much attention, as I otherwise might have, to the routes of our journeys. Rather than attempt to describe the journeys below, I have chosen to just share a few photographs from each day.

Masada and the Dead Sea

Jeruslaem (Acts 8:1-3 and others)

Caesarea Maratima (Acts 18:22 and others)