Shalom and Chag Sameach from Israel

(Greetings and Happy Holidays)


Well I have arrived in Israel. I got here early Thursday morning and was picked up by Jay and Meridel Rawlings (my Uncle and Aunt) and taken to their place in Mevaserret Zion. In the afternoon we went into Jerusalem and saw a few of the places where Jesus spent his last days. Then we went to Skull Moutain which a lot of people believe is the actual location of Golgotha and the Garden Tomb.


Now these sights aren't for sure the actual places. With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and the subsequent two millenia since a lot of these biblical sights have been buried under rubble and recollections to their exact location have been hazy. Its only been in the past 100 years where they have really tried to find a pinpoint these sights. Still we went to Caiaphas' house, where Jesus prolly spent his last night in the dungeon below the house. It is also the place, in the courtyard, where Peter denied Jesus three times.


Yesterday, Meridel and I did a little shopping while Jay was off getting his phone fixed. In the mall we happened to run into my cousin Chris who was out birthday shopping for his little niece's birthday. Now when you go into a mall in Israel because of the hightened security there are security checkpoints and metal detectors into each entrance. If you park the car in the parkade there is another checkpoint. It is just a part of life here in Israel. Because it is Pesach (passover) here all the products with leaven are forbidden to be sold in keeping with the scriptures. You will go into the grocery store and all that stuff will be covered up in plastic. Right now the big thing is Matzah Bread, which is flat crackery type stuff that you can put jam or hummus or whatever else on. It is prolly pretty good to put something on cuz it is pretty bland otherwise. Anyway, I gotta run but much love from the Holy Land, here are some pictures that I've taken so far.


1. View from my window 2. Inside the Tomb 3. Skull Mountain (possibly Golgotha) 4. My Uncle Jay by St. Peter's Church (Caiaphas' House) 5. Temple Mount (looking from the South) 6. Statue in the courtyard of Peter denying Christ 7. Me in front of the Garden Tomb