Photo Blog: Israel and Jordan 2018
Tour Name: Israel and Jordan
Dates: November 6-17, 2018
Tour Director: Patti Olson
BNT Tour Director Highlights: “If you ask anyone who has visited Israel if you should make the trip to tour the Holy Land, they will all answer positively that it is a must-see at least once in your lifetime. So 31 of us from the Lancaster area traveled to Tel Aviv, joining with Christian Tours there for a fantastic, full exploration of the two countries. We covered both countries from north to south, and in Israel, from east to west, to just about every place of importance mentioned in the Bible. For me, the most eye-opening experience was to travel so many days through such vast wilderness with not a sign of life anywhere and consider that Moses led over 2 million people with their families and animals through this rugged landscape for 40 years, being obedient to God’s direction. Days were full, the terrain at times was challenging, but we all agreed that it was an awesome journey. If you have never visited Israel, Bob Neff Tours offers this trip each year. I highly recommend it.”
[Click on any photo for Slideshow mode.]
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- The first look at the Promised Land from Mount Nebo…it sure doesn’t look that promising today!
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- We loved visiting sites and taking lots of photos!
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- Some days were quite challenging, walking over the rocks for a better view of the landscape.
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- These modern houses have a dramatic view of the valley below. Note the winding road we had to drive down to get to the valley floor below.
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- The border crossing near Aqaba, Jordan.
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- We had to change buses at the Israel-Jordan border, rolling our suitcases through customs and immigration before reboarding.
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- This large cruise ship was in the Red Sea near Aqaba. Some 2500 of its passengers were among those trapped by flooding in nearby Petra.
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- Wadi Rum was like the surface of Mars. The red sand was deep and made for a challenging climb to the to of this tall hill.
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- The view from the top was worth the climb. Below are the pickup trucks that took us deep into Wadi Rum, 6 people to a truck on benches in the truck beds.
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- The dramatic, tall outcroppings of red rock are a picturesque backdrop for camels wandering through Wadi Rum.
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- We all rode in the back of pickup trucks to explore the dramatic Wadi Rum.
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- Many Bedouin homes are tents erected in the bleak landscape. Each one had a small pickup truck parked beside it!
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- Our group enjoyed many delicious Mediterranean meals.
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- The village of Petra clinging to the mountainous landscape.
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- A Bedouin home built into the rocky landscape in Jordan.
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- Our group at Little Petra. We visited a similar, but smaller, site to Petra since Petra was closed to catastrophic flooding that trapped 3500 people.
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- A Bedouin lady inside Little Petra invited us to take her picture. Notice the tree above jutting out of the dry, rocky cliff.
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- The narrow passageway into Little Petra mimics the Siq at Petra.
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- We loved walking through the narrow opening to Little Petra – dramatic and so much shorter than the Siq at Petra itself.
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- The Treasury’s twin in Little Petra.
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- Exploring Little Petra and its rooms carved into the pink stone mountains.
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- An Arab man and woman in typical dress.
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- Far below are many tour buses outside Petra. The ancient city is nestled deep inside these rocky hills.
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- This mosaic mural is as close as I got to Petra since it was closed due to catastrophic flooding. Maybe next time…
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- The Jordanian flag.
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- Our own Moses (and Carolyn) atop Mt. Nebo, where Moses got his first view of the Promised Land.
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- Behind us is Mount Nebo. Scott, our leader with Christian Tours, is giving a short devotional relevant to the site.
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- The Dead Sea from Mount Nebo.
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- We learned about the ancient art of stone and ceramic mosaics, which is still being taught today.
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- Mural marking the site of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
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- There are several churches near the banks of the Jordan River at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This is the Greek Orthodox church.
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- The interior of the Greek Orthodox church near the Jordan River was covered entirely with beautiful murals portraying Bible stories.
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- The Mount of Temptation, viewed from Jordan.
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- Many tropical fruits were in season, including these beautiful, red pomegranates.
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- This boy near the Mount of Temptation was hoping for a customer interested in a camel ride.
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- Remains of the temple in Capernaum, a place where Jesus would have visited many times.
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- We had knowledgeable guides in Israel and Jordan who lectured us on the significance of each site we visited.
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- Ancient mosaic at the Church of the Loaves and Fishes.
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- Sunset along a very calm Sea of Galilee. It’s hard to imagine a severe storm on it that threatened to capsize the disciples’ boat.
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- We enjoyed a serene nighttime cruise on the Sea of Galilee.
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- The captain raised the American flag and played our national anthem. Tiberias can be seen in the background.
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- Tiberias with its shining lights reflecting on the Sea of Galilee.
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- The beautiful Jordan River further downstream where it is deeper and not muddy.
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- Several in our group were baptized in the Jordan River, on the Israeli side further downstream from Bethany Beyond the Jordan.
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- An ancient olive press using donkey power was demonstrated in Nazareth.
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- The women on tour were especially interested in the process of spinning and dying wool at the living history museum in Nazareth.
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- Several sites had models to give an overview of the archeological remains of places like Masada.
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- The Israeli flag flies proudly over verdant fields below.
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- Climbing down the many stairs to Hezekiah’s Tunnel.
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- Entering Hezekiah’s Tunnel beneath Jerusalem. It was excavated as an aqueduct to bring water into Jerusalem.
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- It was always welcome to find a place to sit and rest along the way.
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- So exciting to see an ancient watchtower in Caesarea Maritima.
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- The Mediterranean Sea at Caesarea Maritima. We had a long day and did not arrive until after dark.
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- The southern Dead Sea and its salt flats could be viewed from out lovely hotel.
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- Such a barren landscape around the Dead Sea. Masada is in the distance at the left.
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- Our group crawled over, around, and through many archeological sites.
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- The ruins atop Masada and the dramatic view far below with the Dead Sea in the distance.
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- The Dead Sea is called a “sea” because there was no word in Hebrew for “lake.”
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- Ein Gedi was a refreshing break from the wilderness around it. This is where David hid from Saul in the nearby caves.
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- Qumran area.
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- First cave at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
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- The Western Wall. The perpendicular low wall separates the men from the women.
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- We climbed many steps during the tour. These lead up to the Dome of the Rock.
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- Walking through the old, narrow streets of Jerusalem to get to the Western Wall.
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- Outside the old city walls in Jerusalem.
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- So many short, narrow doorways!
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- The new American Embassy in Jerusalem!
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- The Garden Tomb. We were able to crawl inside to see the stone benches where bodies were laid.
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- Entryway to the Upper Room in Jerusalem, accessed by walking through ancient, narrow passageways between buildings.
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- The Upper Room, scene of the Last Supper, was much larger than I had imagined.
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- A view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
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- Olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
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- Underground dungeon where Jesus may have been held before His crucifixion.
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- We crawled through several narrow entryways to visit ancient sites.
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- Many grops hold worship services down in the dungeon below the Galle Canto church near Jerusalem.
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- Beautiful artwork in the church near the Shepherds’ Field outside of Bethlehem.
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- An older street in Bethlehem.
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