N - Women of the Holy Land:Walk Where They Walked

Psalm 122:6a Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Nain The woman of the city of Nain was weeping at the casket of her dead son on the way to the burial when Jesus stopped in his travels and raised him from the dead. She did not approach Jesus to ask for the miracle. He never indicated that she had any faith. He had compassion on her, saw her sorrow, and raised her son. Many people were witnesses of this event and were amazed (Luke 7:11-17).

Nazareth First settled 1500 B.C. Nazareth is way between Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. Hometown of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. During the time of the life and ministry of Jesus it was considered an insignificant town, with a population of less than 1,000. Nathanial said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth to announce the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Today there is a church built over the site of a well that has been used since the time of Jesus. It is considered by many as “Mary’s Well” and the site where the angel appeared to Mary. There is no mention of the well in Scripture.

After Mary visited Elizabeth at En Karim, she returned to Nazareth until she left with Joseph to travel to Bethlehem (Luke 1:57-59).

Mary and Joseph were parents to Jesus who, ‘grew in wisdom, statue, and favor with God and man’ ( in Nazareth - Luke 2:52). Mary became a widow in Nazareth. Townspeople reject Jesus (Luke 4:16-31). Mary and Joseph had sons and daughters in Nazareth (Mt. 13:55-56; Mk. 6:3).

At the last recorded visit of Jesus to his home town, the men and women(including his relatives) of the city rejected Him after He taught in the synagogue. They drove Him out of town to the brow of a cliff, intending to throw Him off to His death (Mt. 13:54; Mk. 6:1ff; John 7:1ff; and read Isaiah 61:1-2; 58:6). Nazareth only became of note because of the life of Jesus. (See note on Synagogue). See: Mary’s prayer (Lu.1:46-56)

Negev Part of the Negev was given by Caleb to his daughter Achsah (Acsah)(Josh.15; 1 Chr. 2:49).

Nimrod’s Fortress Northern Galilee near Mt. Hermon. Has nothing to do with the
Biblical Nimrod. This is ruins of a Muslim fortress from the 12th century built to stop the Crusaders. The fortress was built and refortified several times. The view of the Hula Valley and the Golan is worth the stop.

M - Part I

Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed."


Machareus, Machaerus Eastern side of Dead Sea in Jordan (Moab), not far from Arnon
River. Ruins, El Mashnaka, of one of the major building projects of Herod the Great reveals what seems to be a castle dungeon. A fortress/palace. John the Baptist may have been imprisoned and beheaded here when Herodias asked for his head on a platter. According to Mosaic law marriage to a sister-in-law was forbidden and John preached against it. “Salome” is never named in the Scripture. The ancient writer, Josephus, states her name. An ancient coin has preserved the appearance of Salome along with that of her husband, Aristobulus. The coin bears the inscription, “ King Aristobulus-Queen Salome.” Salome must have been about nineteen years old when John was beheaded. Major building projects of Herod included the Temple, his Winter Palace in Jericho, Masada, Machareus, Heroidan and the fortress at Megiddo. (Matt. 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19)

Machpelah, Cave lies on a slope opposite ruins of Biblical Hebron. Caves were often used as burial sites (Gen. 49:29-32). See Hebron.

Madaba, Eastern side of Jordan River in Jordan. Home of Ruth and Oprah. Famous mosaic of ancient Jerusalem at the time of the Roman Cardo was found in Madaba.

Magdala, Migdal At the time of Jesus this was a very prosperous fishing village also
known in Greek as Tarichaea, or ‘pickle town.’ Home town of Mary Magdalene
of whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Lu. 8:1-2). No where in Scripture does it ever state that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She is seen as a devoted follower of Jesus, and possible leader of the women. Magdala served as the base for the Zealots during the Great Jewish Revolt (66-70 ad.) Franciscans have unearthed a central square, streets and buildings. Midgal is the present day Arab village adjacent to the ruins of Madgala. (See Jesus Boat)

Mamre Main area of habitation for Abraham and his family. Famous for its oak trees.
Burial site. Now Ramet et-Chalil, two miles north of Hebron. (See Hebron).

Masada Site where Jews took their stand against the Roman military 66-73 A.D. Nine
hundred and sixty men, women and children chose death before surrender to the Romans. One woman and two children lived to tell the story. Major building projects of Herod included the Temple, his Winter Palace in Jericho, Masada, Machareus, Heroidan and the fortress at Megiddo.

Megiddo Major archaeological excavation site. Seventy foot mound with twenty layers
of ancient civilizations has been unearthed. Many different civilizations and people groups lived on this site. Many battles fought in this area. Where there were battles and armies, there were women. Deborah and Barak fought near this site (Judges 5). One of Solomon’s major building projects. Scripture indicates that the Battle of Armageddon will take place near Megiddo (Ezekiel 38; Rev. 16). With modern standards, women will be part of the army at Armageddon. Twelve miles south of Nazareth, twenty five miles from the Mediterranean Sea in the Jezreel Valley (1 Kin. 4:12; 19:15-19; 2 Kings 23:29).

Megiddo, along with Hazor, has recently been named a World Heritage site by UNESCO, as an honor that recognizes its cultural and historical importance. In 2005, at a prison near the ancient site of Megiddo, the ruins of a 4th century A.D. church were unearthed.

This may have been one of the earliest Christian places of worship in ancient Israel. Mosaics indicate the name of Jesus. Prison officials state that the ruins of the church are more important than the prison, and the prison will be moved. Israel hopes to develop this site into a tourist attraction.

Migdal See Magdala.

Mizpah of Gilead Jephthah killed his daughter after vowing to kill the
first person to come through the doors of his house, in exchange for God providing a victory over the Ammonites (Judg. 11:34ff). She asked to be allowed to live two months to wander in the mountains (Judg. 11:34-40). This site is Ramath-mizpeth (of the tribe of Gad), east of Jordan River ( Josh, 13:26).

Moab Land of Ruth and Orpha in Madaba. Read about Ruth and Orpha in the book of
Ruth (Matt. 1:5). Western side of the Jordan.

Moreh, Hill Area of Jezreel Valley. North side of Harods Springs. Biblical Shunem was
on the slopes of Mt. Moreh. Here Elijah raised the Shunammites son (2 Kin.4:8ff). Midianites who fought with Gideon camped on hill of Moreh (Judg. 7:1). Present day Jebel Dahy, North west of Mt. Gilboa.

DAILY JOURNAL #6

One of the most moving sites on this trip is the “pit” of the church of St. Peter of Galluctu. This is where Jesus was brought from the Garden of Gethsemane to the home of the High priest. He was probably lowered down a narrow shaft that opened up into a small area used as a cell. (See the photos of the mosaic depicting this.) As we stood in the cave-like space, I tried to imagine what it was like for Jesus –dark and isolated. Pastor Crisp read Isaiah 53 – I could not help to be moved. Many in the group cried. To visit here is to have a visual reminder of how the Lord Jesus must have suffered for us. We turned off the lights and were in total darkness. When we visit the pit it is warm, dry and lighted. It smells good. We are able to come and go as we choose. We are surrounded by friends and family. Jesus had none of this.

Next was a drive across town to the Shrine of the Book. After seeing Quamran where the Scrolls were found, now we get to see some of the actual scrolls, housed in this building that, architecturally, looks like a clay jar from the time of Jesus. God worked a special set of miracles to bring us His Word. Thousands of small miracles, all linked together to give us our Scripture today. We take it so for granted.

The Holocaust Museum is without description. Every Christian, no, every human being should see it. God calls the Jews, “the apple of His eye,” yet this happened. When we get to heaven we will have to ask God, “Why?”

We saw many other things today.

DAILY JOURNAL #1

Lets take a break from our A-Z travel log and go on to something new.

For the next few days I will post my journal from a trip that I took to Israel in 2005. As part of course work for my MRS (Masters in Religious Science) at the Harvest Institute for Biblical Studies in Knoxville TN, we had to not only go to Israel, but submit a journal of our day to day experiences during the trip.

(I have taken all photos.)

Most of my trips to Israel have been taken through TLC Holy Land Tours. Dr. Crisp has led numerous groups to the Holy Land. TLC Holy Land tours offers excellent pricing, experienced guides and scholarly teachings at each site. (www.tlcholylandtours.com)

Day 1-2
Left Knoxville at 2:10 p.m. This is my seventh (blessed) trip to the Holy Land. It is hard to imagine that I am going to Israel again! Some people only go once in a life time; some never get to go.

Sitting for several hours in the airport is good for me- I begin to think about the trip and what it means in my life. With each trip I spend much time reflecting on the past and the future. How blessed I am to be saved and to be walking the Lord. And He has blessed me with a deep love for the land and the people of Israel.

Because I “have to” write this journal for a class project, I have decided to have a focus, a ‘theme’, for me to see the sites from a different mindset. Each trip is different. I do see many of the same sites, but I also always do see a new site. Dr. Crisp and the tour guide are sensitive to the fact that several people have made this trip more than once, and always arrange for something new.

My term paper for my class will be “Jesus and the Women.” As I set out on this trip my focus will be on the women of Israel in Biblical times, in the Old Testament and New Testament.
At Newark NJ the four members of our group from California joined with us. That brings the total to 28. This is an ideal number to have in a group.

As I read Scripture in the airport, my readings took me to the books of Malachi and Zechariah. God brought these verses to my sight to prepare me for this trip:

Zechariah 2:8, 12, 13
…for he who touches you Israel)touches the apple of His (God’s) eye….and the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land and will again choose Jerusalem…..Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation.
And from Malachi 3:12:

…And all nation will call you blessed (Israel), for you will be a delightful land, says the LORD of hosts. Thank you LORD for these verses today as I begin our trip.
10:50 pm left Newark for Tel Aviv. Plane very crowded. Ninety eight young Jewish people from all over US and Mexico going over to Israel for a four month study trip. God bless these young people. May they meet Jesus in the Holy Land.

Arrived Tel Aviv 4:22 p.m. on Tuesday. No Biblical reference to Tel Aviv. The Biblical city of Joffa is south. (The photo above is of modern-day Tel Aviv.)

Drove 1 ½ hours to Tiberias/Sea of Galilee..
Thoughts on Tiberius. A Roman colony in the time of Jesus. We have no record of his visiting Tiberius. He must have. Perhaps his family traveled there from Nazareth in his early years for shopping or business. In the years of His adult ministry He probably did pass through this busy commercial/governmental city, but did not make His presence known.

All the cities that surrounded the Sea of Tiberius must have heard of Jesus and his ministry. Perhaps some of the women of Tiberius went out to see this man. Perhaps some of the women of Tiberius were among the crowds at the feeding of the 4,000 and 5,000, or there when Jesus spoke the “Sermon on the Mount.” It does not seem a stretch of the imagination to visualize women of Tiberius in the crowd of faces that so often encircled Jesus.

We saw too many things to write down. I hope I will remember them.

J - Part I

Jabbock, River On eastern side of Jordan river in present day Jordan. Site where Jacob,
wives and children camped, and Jacob wrestled with “the man”(Gen. 24:22ff).

Jebel Dahy. Biblical area of Hill of Moreh.

Jabesh Gilead, Jerash., tel-Abu Kharaz. East of Jordan River across from Beth Shan.
When Jabesh Gilead refused to join in the punishment of the tribe of Benjamin, their men were killed and four hundred virgins were taken to be wives for the remaining men of Benjamin so the tribe would continue. (Judg. 20-21).
People of the city took the bodies of Saul and his sons from Beth Shean and burned them in Jabesh Gilead. The bones were buried there. As a sign of respect the people would have fasted and mourned (1 Sam. 31).Today there remains the ruins of Roman city are similar to Beth Shan (large city with many women and children). (Also see Gibeah).

Jabel Arkyela Capital of Ammonites of the Old Testament, and Philadelphia in the New
Testament. May be one of the cities of the Decapolis. Place where Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, was killed in battle.

Jattir Ten acre mound in southern Judah. Located between Hebron and Beer-Sheva,
west of the Dead Sea. Listed among the cities of Joshua and the Levites(Josh. 15:48; 21:14 1 Sam. 30:27; 1 Chro. 6:57). Many civilizations lived here. See Khirbet or Kirbet Yatti.

Jericho Rahab the harlot helped Joshua’s men escape. The walls of Jericho came down
and the people of the city were killed. Many women were made widows. Rahab and her family were spared their lives. She became the wife of Solmon and the mother of Boaz. She is later mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. (Josh. 2:15-21; Matt. 1).

Blind man healed by Jesus as the crowds watched (Mt. 20:29-34; Luke 18:35-43) in Jericho. The “people praised God.”
Jesus went to have dinner with Zacchaeus. His wife and other women must have been present (Luke 19ff).
King Herod’s Winter Palace overlooking Jericho was where he and his family came to get away from the cold of Jerusalem. Archaeological ruins: tel es-Sultan. Major building projects of Herod included the Temple, his Winter Palace in Jericho, Masada, Machareus, Heroidan and the fortress at Megiddo.

H – Women of the Holy Land: Walk Where They Walked.

Hazor See Tel Hazor.

Hebron City of Abraham and wives on their journeys (Gen. 13:18). First capital of the Davidic Kingdom. Caleb was given Hebron by Joshua (1400 B.C.)(Josh 14:13). Caleb’s daughter, Achsah, and wives lived here. Achsah was given as wife to Othniel for taking the city of Debir. She later requested land and water springs from Caleb (1 Chr. 2:49; Josh. 15:13-17; Judg. 1:12-13).
Family burial plots of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob(but not Rachel-see Rachael’s tomb) in a cave of Machpelah. The first recorded burial in Scripture is that of Sarah in a cave of Machpelah. (Gen 23:2, 9; 25:7-11).
David had seven women that gave him sons in Hebron: Ahinoam of Jezreel, Abigal (widow of Nabal), Maacah (daughter of King of Geshur and mother of Tamar, David’s only named daughter), Haggith, Abital and Eglah (2 Sam.3:2-5; 5 :13-14; 1 Chr. 3:1-9; 14:3-7). There is no record of Michal having any children; see Rachel’s tomb).
Near Rehab, also called Abdon/Ebron. Kiriath Arba. 22 miles south of Jerusalem in a rocky but fertile area. Now El Khulil. According to tradition, Adam and Eve are buried in Hebron See Tel Rumeida, and Mamre.

Herodium Herod the Great built a fortress on built on top of a mountain south east
of Bethlehem. Easily seen as a cone shaped mountain. A home with pool and tunnels built at the base. In Arpil 2007 Israeli archaeologist found the tomb of King Herod the Great. Hebrew University archaeologist Ehud Netzer said the tomb was found at Herodium, a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert where Herod the Great built a palace compound. Netzer has been working at the site since the 1970s. Modern name is Jebel el Fureidis (“Hill of Paradise.”) Major building projects of Herod included the Temple, his Winter Palace in Jericho, Masada, Machareus, Heroidan and the fortress at Megiddo.

Herodium House Mansion (Wohl Archaeologic Museum) in Jerusalem Ruins of a
priest’s house in the Upper City. Excavated rooms, mosaic floors, water cisterns, baths etc… A visit to this site teaches about the daily, routine life of families in ancient times.

Herodium Street Ruins of street during the days of King Herod and Jesus. Located on the western edge of the wall of the Temple Mount area. When Jerusalem was destroyed by General Titus is 70 AD, the large stones of the Temple Mount wall were pushed down unto these streets. Excavations have uncovered these streets that must have been well traveled by the populace of Jerusalem. Part of Archaeological Garden Ophel excavations.

Hezekiah’s Tunnel Channel cut through solid rock to channel water into the City of
David. Starts at Gihon Springs and feeds the Pool of Siloam. Where there is water there are men and their families. Built by King Hezekiah whose mother was Abi (2 Kin. 18:2). See Gihon Springs, Siloam Pool.

Hippos, Sussita.. One of the cities of the Decapolis east of Sea of Galilee.(Mt. 4:25; Mark. 5:20; 7:31). Archaeological excavation has revealed a main street, fountains and shops. Hippos survived as a city from third century B. C. through eighth century A.D. An important city of the Roman era. Near present day Kibbutz En Gev. Ongoing archaeological excavations at this site.

Hinnom Valley - south west boundary of Jerusalem/Temple Mount. This is an area where human sacrifices were performed. It will be called the Valley of Slaughter at the end times.
(Jer:7:31-31; 2 Kings 23:10

Holocost Museum Dedicated to the 6,000,000 Jewish men, women and children killed
by Hitler during WWII. Many women mentioned in “Avenue of the Righteous,” dedicated to “Gentiles’ who aided the Jews in WWII, such as Corrie ten Boom. Children’s Memorial Museum is a very moving reminder of the many children that were killed. Memorabilia of Anne Franke, and items found at concentration camps is on display. Not to be missed.

Hulda Gate Gate on southern side of Wall of Temple Mount. Probably named after
Hulda the prophetess. Archaeological Garden Ophel excavations.