Tour Guidebook

Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 7 Herod the Great ............................................................................ 7 Antipater ...................................................................................... 7 King Hyrcanus ............................................................................... 8 Alexander Jannaeus ....................................................................... 9 Pompey the Great ........................................................................ 10 Fall of Jerusalem ......................................................................... 10 Crassus ...................................................................................... 11 Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus ................................................. 11 Marc Antony ............................................................................... 13 Augustus Caesar ......................................................................... 15 Herod’s trouble............................................................................ 15 Herod’s Temple ........................................................................... 17 Day One: ..................................................................................... 21 Air Travel Day ............................................................................. 21 Day Two: ..................................................................................... 23 Lod ............................................................................................ 23 Jaffa .......................................................................................... 24 Plain of Sharon ............................................................................ 25 Cornelius .................................................................................... 25 Day Three .................................................................................... 29 Caesarea Maritima ....................................................................... 29 El Maharrakah ............................................................................. 77 Megiddo ..................................................................................... 83 Mount Tabor ............................................................................... 87 Arbel Cliff ................................................................................... 91 Yardenit Baptismal Site ................................................................ 92 Tiberius ...................................................................................... 93 Day Four ...................................................................................... 95 Sea of Galilee .............................................................................. 95 Capernaum ................................................................................. 97 The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter ......................................... 113 The Mount of the Beatitudes ....................................................... 117 Chorazin/Bethsaida .................................................................... 119 Caesarea Philippi ....................................................................... 125 Dan or Laish ............................................................................. 129 Hazor ....................................................................................... 131

Day Five..................................................................................... 135 Cana ........................................................................................ 135 Sepphoris ................................................................................. 139 Nazareth................................................................................... 142 Beth She’an .............................................................................. 149 The Jordan River Valley .............................................................. 157 Day Six ...................................................................................... 159 JERUSALEM ............................................................................... 159 Walls and Gates ...................................................................... 159 Sections of the City ................................................................. 161 St. Stephen’s Gate .................................................................. 161 The Pool of Bethesda ............................................................... 163 St. Anne’s Church ................................................................... 167 The Fortress Antonia ............................................................... 168 Stations One and Two of the Cross ............................................ 169 The Ecce Homo Arch and the Lithostrotos .................................. 169 Stations Three, Four, Five and Six of the Cross ........................... 169 Stations Seven, Eight and Nine of the Cross ............................... 170 Church of the Holy Sepulcher ................................................... 170 Joppa Gate ............................................................................. 175 St. James Church .................................................................... 176 The Cardo .............................................................................. 177 Zion Gate ............................................................................... 177 The Upper Room ..................................................................... 177 The Tomb of David .................................................................. 181 St. Peter’s in Gallicantu............................................................ 181 The Garden Tomb ................................................................... 181 Day Seven ................................................................................. 183 THE MOUNT OF OLIVES .............................................................. 183 The Chapel of the Ascension ..................................................... 183 The Church of the Pater Noster ................................................. 184 The Palm Sunday Path ............................................................. 184 Dominus Flevit Chapel ............................................................. 185 The Garden of Gethsemane ...................................................... 186 The Temple Mount ..................................................................... 188 The Ophel Garden Archeological Park ........................................... 189 Bethlehem and the Shepherd’s Field ............................................ 191 Herodium.................................................................................. 201

Day Eight ................................................................................... 205 The Dead Sea ........................................................................... 205 Masada .................................................................................... 205 The Oasis of Ein Gedi ................................................................. 208 Qumran and the Essenes ............................................................ 209 Jericho ..................................................................................... 213 Bethany and the Tomb of Lazarus ................................................ 216 Day Nine---free day ................................................................... 219 The Damascus Gate ................................................................... 219 The Kidron Valley ...................................................................... 220 Kidron Valley Monuments ........................................................... 222 Absalom’s Pillar ...................................................................... 222 Tomb of Bnei Hezir ................................................................. 223 The City of David ....................................................................... 224 The Gihon Spring ....................................................................... 225 Hezekiah’s Tunnel ...................................................................... 225 The Pool of Siloam ..................................................................... 226 Warren’s Shaft .......................................................................... 227 The City of David Archeological Park ............................................ 228 Day Ten ..................................................................................... 231 Air Travel Day ........................................................................... 231

INTRODUCTION

Our journey through the Holy Land will primarily focus on the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, even though we will visit many sites associated with the apostle Paul, the apostle Peter, and many events that occurred during the Old Testament era. However, two pieces of background information must be examined if we expect to gain a full understanding of the time in which Jesus lived. In the first place, we must consider the life of a man known as Herod the Great, and in the second place, we must examine the temple in Jerusalem as it existed in the time of Jesus.

Herod the Great In terms of Herod the Great, this man would be the absolute ruler of the kingdom of Judea for forty years, in spite of the fact that he would only be able to wear his crown at the behest of the Roman government and its emperors. During his long reign, he saw many changes in the political structure of the world. He would watch the rise of the Roman despots, the emperors, and he would watch the final eradication of the power of the vaunted Roman republic. During the time of Herod, the Roman Empire would also be torn apart by a series of deadly and costly internecine civil wars and he would be forced to wrestle with his allegiances as the Senate of Rome and its emperors battled one another for control. On more than one occasion, Herod would be forced to make alliances with people that could have led to his political demise. However, Herod understood the mechanics of power and he managed to navigate these treacherous waters of political change with brilliance. He would, indeed, prove to be a political genius. So, who was Herod the Great, and from where did he come? Herod was born in the year 70 BC to a man whose name was Antipater, a powerful Nabataean Arab. Nabataea was a kingdom with long and established Aramaic roots. It was located in the lands once identified as Edom and its capitol city was known as Petra. The Nabataeans spoke Aramaic, as did most of the other people of the Levant. The kingdom had become fabulously wealthy due to the spice trade.

Antipater Antipater had moved from Petra, and took residence in the kingdom of Judea at the request of the king of Judea at the time. The name of this king was Hyrcanus II. He had invited Antipater to come to Judea to serve as his “chief of staff.” Antipater agreed to accept this position and very quickly he proved to be such a capable administrator that he soon came to the attention of the Romans. The Romans lauded him at every opportunity. For this and other reasons, more and more power began to fall into his hands. Israel Tour

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However, as far as the Jewish populace of Judea was concerned, this man was of Gentile blood and his Gentile ethnic background would always be considered a strike against him by the people of Judea, even as it would later be a strike against his son, Herod. In fact, of all the Gentiles that lived in Judea at that time, the Nabataeans were particularly hated. This animosity had to do with the fact that the Nabataeans were the direct descendants of the Edomites, an ethnic group considered by the Jewish people to be their sworn enemies. These Edomites had descended from Esau, the eldest son of Isaac ben Abraham and throughout the entire history of the two nations they struggled against one another, just as Esau and Jacob had struggled in the womb of Rebecca. In fact, the two nations had frequently made war against each other during the Old Testament era. Antipater attempted to live above this ethnic antipathy. As the chief of staff in the government of King Hyrcanus, Antipater remained focused upon one objective alone, and that objective was this: to appropriate as much political power he could possibly amass for himself and for his family. And in pursuing this goal, Antipater proved to be a true genius. Through endless political intrigues, he was able to remain the closest friend and confidant of King Hyrcanus and of the Roman governor who was stationed in Syria at the time.

King Hyrcanus King Hyrcanus, on the other hand, had descended from the most distinguished family in all of Judea. He was the eldest son of Alexander Jannaeus, the most powerful Jewish king to rule Judea since the reign of Solomon ben David. Alexander Jannaeus belonged to the great Hasmonaean family, which meant that he was a direct descendant the five legendary brothers, known as the brothers Maccabaeus. In 166 BC, these brothers, the sons of Mattathias, the Hasmonaean, had led a military rebellion that liberated Judea from the control of the Syrian Seleucid dynasty. At the time of the revolt, the Seleucid Empire was ruled by an infamous tyrant known as Antiochus IV. By defeating this tyrant, the brothers helped to create an independent Judean kingdom once again. The oldest brother, Judah would rule Judea first. Unfortunately, he was killed in battle in 160 BC, and was succeeded by his youngest brother Jonathan, a man who had been serving as High Priest under his brother, Judah. Jonathan Maccabaeus, thus became Judea’s very first priest/king. Then, in 142 BC, Jonathan was assassinated and was succeeded by another brother, Simon, the only brother who was still living. However, Simon was murdered by his own son-in-law in 134 BC, and was succeeded by a man known as John Hyrcanus I. Upon his death, Alexander Jannaeus, the grandson of Simon Maccabaeus and younger brother of John Hyrcanus, became king of this nation in 103 BC, seizing power following the death of his brother.

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Alexander Jannaeus Alexander Jannaeus would prove to be a giant among the men of his day. Under his leadership, Jewish territories were expanded to their widest extent in the entire history of the nation. In fact, his kingdom was even larger than the kingdom that had been ruled by the great David ben Jesse. But near the middle years of his long and prosperous reign Alexander made a serious mistake. It all began in 90 BC, when Alexander decided to expand his territories deep into Syria. He believed his armies to be invincible. However, his armies were confronted and then soundly defeated by the people from whom Antipater and Herod would descend, the Nabataeans. This would be the only military defeat that Alexander Jannaeus would ever suffer. However, this Nabataean victory would eventually have one serious repercussion: it would open the doors of the kingdom of Judea to Nabataean political influence for years to come. The Nabataean influence would even become stronger once Hyrcanus I had come to the throne. This man was a horribly weak ruler. That is why Hyrcanus needed a man of action with great leadership skills, a man like Antipater. And through palace intrigue and gifted decision making, he quickly worked his way into the confidence of the Hasmonaean royal family. The political intrigues of Antipater were not the only power games being played in Judea at that time. Various religious parties were also wrestling to secure a place of authority. That was especially true of the religious parties known as the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Prior to the reign of Alexander Jannaeus, these two opposing religious groups had emerged as major power blocs within the kingdom. In fact, the growing power of these religious factions deeply troubled the political leadership at that time. It was becoming more and more clear that the general population of Judea tended to be more loyal to one or another of these two religious parties than they were to their king. As a result, Alexander Jannaeus kept a heavy hand upon both groups. But when the powerful king died in 67 BC, both sects made a concerted effort to obtain power for themselves. What they did was this: each of these two religious parties attempted to crown a king who would bend himself toward their points of view. However, there were only two persons of royal lineage in the land of Judea who were qualified to sit on the throne. These were the two sons of Alexander Jannaeus. The eldest son, as we have seen, was named Hyrcanus. The younger son was named Aristobulus. These two sons could not have been more different; in fact, they were polar opposites. Among the two powerful religious sects, the Sadducee party was the largest. They understood that the throne legally belonged to Hyrcanus, but they literally despised this man. They saw him as being weak and ineffective, which he was. So, they lent their supported to the stronger, more opinionated younger brother, Aristobulus. The Pharisee sect, on the other hand, supported Hyrcanus who tended to be more pious and godly than Aristobulus. After much political maneuvering, Hyrcanus was eventually given the crown. The Sadducees did not Israel Tour

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take this defeat easily. As soon as Hyrcanus was crowned, the Sadducee party participated in an armed revolt against him and his throne. The rebellion was led by his brother, Aristobulus. Soon, chaos began to reign in the Jewish homeland.

Pompey the Great Then, within a few months of the outbreak of hostilities, an event occurred that would alter the political situation in the region known at the time as SyroPalestine, forever. Pompey the Great, the powerful Roman general, arrived in Judea with several of his legions. He was on his way to Egypt to confer with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. Hyrcanus and Aristobulus were both aware that Pompey would feel constrained to align himself with one side or the other in their on-going conflict. They knew that this great military leader would not march into Egypt leaving a chaotic situation behind him. The two men also knew that the one who gained Pompey’s support would be firmly established on the throne of Judea. So, before Pompey arrived in Judea, both men sent envoys requesting his support in their struggles to wear the crown. It did not take the politically astute Pompey very long to analyze the situation. He could see that Hyrcanus was weak and docile, while Aristobulus was strong and aggressive. In the end, Pompey would make the decision to side with Hyrcanus. As Pompey correctly assessed the situation, the docile Hyrcanus would be much easier to control than the strong and opinionated Aristobulus. When Aristobulus received this news he flew into a rage. He called together his supporters, and they seized the entire city of Jerusalem and barricaded themselves in. This, of course, was nothing less than a slap in the face of Pompey. So, the Roman general responded. He marshaled all of his legionnaires and marched on Jerusalem. He quickly surrounded the city. Three months later Pompey breached the walls of Jerusalem, and the Holy City fell to the Roman legions.

Fall of Jerusalem The fall of Jerusalem was the beginning of the end of a truly independent Jewish nation. From this point forward, it would be the Romans who would determine the fortunes of Judea. Before Pompey left Jerusalem, he had realigned the entire power structure of Judea. He would allow Hyrcanus to retain the title, King of Judea, but he would be king in name only. From that point forward, Hyrcanus would rule in behalf of the Senate and people of Rome. Pompey also vastly reduced the area of Hyrcanus’ realm. Much of the northern territories that had been conquered by Alexander Jannaeus were quickly returned to Syria. Then, to add insult to injury, Pompey made Gabinius, the Roman governor of Syria, the virtual overlord of the entire state of Judea. The appointment of Gabinius led to a period of serious political unrest. An armed revolt finally erupted in Judea in 57 BC.

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The exasperated Roman governor, Gabinius, savagely crushed this uprising. Then, he took drastic political action. He divided the Jewish state into five selfgoverning districts. The oversight of these five districts was taken away from Hyrcanus I and given to Antipater, the father of Herod the Great. Gabinius did not give Antipater the crown itself, but Antipater began to rule Judea just as if he did wear the crown. Two years later, in 55 BC, a decision was made in Rome that would further change the history of Judea. At that point in time, political power in the Roman Empire came to be divided between three men; Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Lucinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. These three men came to be known as the Roman triumvirate. Crassus, a money grubbing, power mad, miserly Roman aristocrat was given the Middle East. Caesar was given Italy, Spain, and Gaul, and Pompey was given North Africa.

Crassus Crassus immediately established his headquarters in the city of Antioch, the capital of Syria. Within months of arriving in Antioch, Crassus decided to use his Roman legions to subdue the powerful and wildly wealthy Parthian Empire (the Persians). Crassus had long coveted the wealth of the Parthians. Wars, of course, have always been very costly, and that was especially true of a war that would be fought as far away from Rome as Parthia. To finance such a conquest, Crassus made a bold move. He had been told of the great wealth being kept within the precincts of the temple in Jerusalem. So, he decided that he would loot this temple, and he did. He took a legion of soldiers to Jerusalem and he stripped the temple of its gold and jewels. That act, in itself, was egregious, but then he chose to desecrate the ultra -sacred Holy of Holies. God would make Crassus pay dearly for these abominable actions. In fact, the wrath of God fell heavily upon him. His dreams of conquest and treasure in far-away Parthia would never be realized. In the end, his entire army would be utterly destroyed by the Parthians, and Crassus himself would be killed.

Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus Within months, the Roman Empire would be divided between the survivors, Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus. At the time of the redistribution of the Empire, Julius Caesar was engaged in a bitter civil war with Rome’s powerful republican faction. These aristocrats had come to be known as the Optimates. Pompey, who was in Rome at this time, chose to side with these republicans against Caesar, so Caesar began his famous march on Rome. He broke the sacred oath of all Roman generals by leading an army of Roman legionnaires across the Rubicon River on his way to seize control of the Eternal City. To Caesar’s surprise, he was able to capture the city with relative ease. He subdued the republican threat in the Eternal City, and then quickly secured the remainder of the Italian peninsula. But, before Caesar could arrive in Rome, Israel Tour

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Pompey, who was still in Rome when Caesar crossed the Rubicon, had seen the handwriting on the wall. He sensed that he would never be able to defend Rome against a charismatic leader like Caesar, so he fled with his legions. They crossed the Adriatic Sea to Greece. Caesar quickly pursued Pompey. When Caesar and his legions landed in Greece, Pompey began a long retreat across the Greek peninsula. By taking evasive maneuvers, Pompey hoped to wear down the much smaller army of Julius Caesar. In time, however, Pompey could run no further. He could see that he would have to fight so he opted to meet Caesar on a broad plain in central Greece near the town of Pharsalus in 48 AD. There, in a vicious bloody battle, Caesar defeated Pompey and his republican cohorts soundly. Pompey escaped and retreated to Egypt, where he was captured and beheaded. Caesar, being unaware of the assassination of Pompey, marched his army toward Egypt to finish the conflict. While all this military and political intrigue was occurring, Antipater, the Nabataean, had stood strong in his support of Julius Caesar. So, when the great man arrived in Alexandria and established his headquarters, he called for Antipater to report to him. Antipater quickly responded to the summons. When he arrived in Alexandria, Caesar rewarded Antipater with the title “Procurator of Judea” for his devoted loyalty. Hyrcanus would still be allowed to bear the title of king of Judea, and he would still wear the crown, but the real power in Judea had now fallen into the hands of Antipater. As a result of his new position, Antipater was able to give important positions of responsibility to his two sons, Phasael and Herod. In fact, Antipater appointed Herod to be the new governor of the entire district of Galilee. Politically, Herod was now on his way. Throughout the remainder of his life, this man would never be satisfied. He would always lust for more and more power. However, before he would be able to wield any power at all, he had to overcome some awesome hurdles. One of those hurdles was his bloodline. Another was his autocratic leadership style. Because of these tendencies, Herod would prove to be a very unpopular national leader, especially among the religious Jews in Jerusalem. Both the Sadducees and the Pharisees utterly despised this man, and they did so from the day he took power in Galilee. And the longer this man governed the more hated he became. He never learned anything and as time passed, he grew more and more autocratic, and the more autocratic he became the more his subjects came to despise him. Eventually, the situation reached a head. The Sanhedrin Council in Jerusalem summoned Herod to appear before them in Jerusalem. Herod was terrified. He believed with some justification that his life was in real danger. So, he refused to appear before the Council. Instead, he fled to Syria. Meanwhile, on the Ides of March, 44BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated in Rome. This event created a state of enormous political instability, not only in Israel Tour

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Rome, but throughout the empire. Various powerful men began to vie for power in the Eternal City. Back in Judea, this power vacuum in Rome encouraged the rivals of Hyrcanus to make a bid to seize the power that was now in the hands of Antipater. To attain this objective, the plotters murdered Antipater. Meanwhile, Antigonus, the son of Hyrcanus’ younger brother Aristobulus, invaded the country with the support of the Parthians. Here, Herod would show his true metal. He bravely helped to repel this invasion at a risk to his own life. Later, a grateful Hyrcanus offered a gift to Herod that would establish Herod’s power for years to come. Hyrcanus offered Herod the hand of his beautiful daughter, Mariamne. This was a “coup” for Herod. He did not have one drop of royal blood in his veins, but Mariamne did. She was of Hasmonaean descent, and by marrying her, Herod could become a legitimate king of Judea. There was only one problem, and this problem was massive. Herod could not marry Mariamne immediately, because he was already married. His wife was a very plain woman named Doris. She had born Herod a son to whom he had given the name of his father, Antipater. Herod, ever the opportunist, knew how much he needed a royal wife, so he decided to correct his problem, and acted quickly. He divorced Doris and then sent her into exile along with his son, Antipater. With Doris out of the way, Herod was now free to marry Mariamne, and he did.

Marc Antony At this point, in Judea’s history, a new power broker appeared on the Middle Eastern scene. The name of this power broker was Marc Antony. Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Antony was given control of the Eastern Roman Empire. Meanwhile, Julius Caesar’s adopted son and heir, Octavian, was given control of the Western Roman Empire. As the brilliant Octavian gained more and more power, Antony began to feel vulnerable. Therefore, he began to enlist the support of certain client kings in the region. These client kings included Herod of Judea and Cleopatra of Egypt. Cleopatra was slow to respond to Antony’s appeal, but Herod quickly jumped at the offer. He gladly became a client of Antony, and in return for his support, Antony gave to Herod the title of Tetrarch. However, Herod would eventually realize that he had not made a wise decision by allying himself with the volatile Antony. He soon discovered that Antony would not able to defend his new clients if war erupted in the east and it did. The powerful Parthians invaded and overran Syria, and then launched an attack into Judea. Herod learned that Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, was at the head of this invasionary force. This attack was so successful that Antigonus and his troops had soon surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Herod was once again forced to flee for his life. He hurriedly made his way to the desert fortress of Masada on the Dead Sea. Once he had safely secured his family behind the walls surrounding Israel Tour

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this impregnable desert cliff, Herod hurriedly made his way across the Sinai Peninsula to the Egyptian metropolis of Alexandria. From there, he sailed directly to Rome. When Herod’s ship docked in the Roman port of Ostia, he discovered that his Roman protector, Antony, was also in Rome and he had been there for some time. Antony had gone to the Eternal City to marry Octavia, the sister of Octavian, in order to mend the breach between Octavian and himself. Antony did not love Octavia at all. He only agreed to marry her to avert another Roman civil war. While he was in Rome, Herod engaged in several high-level talks with Antony. He convinced Antony that he (Herod), and not the rebel Antigonus, was the only legitimate ruler of Judea. Anthony agreed, so he convinced both Octavian and the Roman Senate of the legitimacy of Herod’s credentials. As a result, Herod was acknowledged as the legitimate king of Judea. Herod then returned by ship to the port of Akko, where his troops were awaiting him. He immediately loaded his soldiers on ships and sailed with them from the port of Akko to the port of Joppa. When Herod reached Joppa, the port was still in the hands of the forces of the rebel, Antigonus. Herod attacked and defeated these forces. The port was now secure! Next, Herod liberated the fortress of Masada. With that task completed, Herod planned to march from Masada and storm the city of Jerusalem, but the Roman commander in Judea refused to cooperate. He warned Herod to stay away from Jerusalem. So, unable to lay siege to the Holy City, Herod decided to clear Galilee of anyone who opposed his throne. He immediately attacked the city of Sepphoris. The rebels who had entrenched themselves there fled to the cliffs of Arbel and Herod quickly dislodged and slaughtered them. Then, in 38 BC, Herod experienced a huge stroke of luck. The Romans, under Marc Antony, were able to defeat the hated Parthians. A victorious Antony and his legions then marched through Judea on their return to Egypt. While in Judea, Anthony gave Herod two of his battle hardened legions to command. Herod, in turn, used these two legions to attack and defeat the troops of Antigonus at the battle of Isana. Herod and the Roman general, Sosius, then laid siege to Jerusalem. The rebels fought well, but Jerusalem fell after only eight weeks. Antigonus was executed, and the Hasmonaean dynasty was ended forever in 37 BC. At the time that Jerusalem fell to Herod, the Sanhedrin Council, the religious authority of the Jewish people, was totally dominated by the Sadducees. These men had been the chief supporters of Antigonus. So, as soon as Herod had taken the city, he executed forty-five members of the council of seventy. He then reduced the power of the Sanhedrin to overseeing religious issues only.

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Augustus Caesar Soon, however, trouble began to brew again for Herod when a schism developed between Antony and Octavian, the man who was soon to become known as Augustus Caesar. Octavian had become infuriated with Antony when he discovered that Antony was having an affair with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. His anger was aroused because Antony was married to his sister, Octavia. But Octavian became apoplectic when he discovered that Antony had actually married Cleopatra without informing Octavia. Immediately, Octavian began to plot the eventual downfall of both Antony and Cleopatra. Meanwhile, Herod had also become outraged with Antony. He felt betrayed when Antony gave his new wife the oasis of Jericho with its priceless date palms. In addition, Herod had begun to sense that he had been on the wrong side of this struggle. He could now see that Octavian, not Marc Antony, would prevail. However, the loss of Jericho was not the only problem that Herod was facing at this time. He also had to nominate a high priest, and the very last thing Herod wanted to do was appoint another Hasmonaean to that office. Herod knew that any Hasmonaean appointed to the high priesthood would be a threat to his authority.

Herod’s trouble So, what Herod did was this: he went to Babylon and selected Chananel, a descendent of the great high priest Zadok to serve as the new high priest in Jerusalem. This infuriated several of the Hasmonaean members of his family, especially his mother-in-law Alexandra, who wrote an angry letter to Cleopatra, asking the queen to persuade Antony to overrule Herod and to entrust the high priesthood to her seventeen year old Hasmonaean son, Aristobulus. Even Herod’s beloved wife, Mariamne, chimed in. Finally, Herod gave up and appointed Aristobulus to be the new high priest. Herod hated this decision. It had made him look weak. Herod mulled this over for weeks, and in the end he decided to correct the situation. One day, he took his entire family to Jericho to vacation at his newly constructed Winter Palace, located just outside the city of palms. The palace sat at the eastern mouth of the Wadi Qelt. That afternoon, Herod encouraged the young Aristobulus to get roaring drunk, and then took him for a stroll beside the swimming pool. Several young men were playing in the water of the pool and Herod encouraged the intoxicated Aristobulus to join in the revelry, which he did. Once he was in the pool, a couple of these young men held Aristobulus underwater until he drowned. When Antony heard this news, he summoned Herod to report to him in Alexandria. But this summons was strictly for show. Anthony understood Herod’s predicament all too well and was glad to see the situation resolved. As Herod was returning from his visit to Alexandria, his sister Salome rushed to him. She accused his beautiful wife, Mariamne, of committing adultery with Salome’s husband, Joseph. Herod was an extremely jealous, insecure man, Israel Tour

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especially when it came to the beautiful Mariamne and in a rage he had Joseph executed. A bitter feud then developed between Mariamne and Salome. This continuous feud made Herod’s life a complete hell on earth. It was at this point that the most vicious civil war in Rome’s long and storied history erupted between the forces of Marc Antony and Octavian. The war was eventually decided in a great sea battle that was fought in the bay of Actium on the west coast of Greece. The victory went to the forces of Octavian. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Alexandria where both eventually committed suicide. Herod had not been involved in this civil war, but he had prepared a force to fight in support of Antony. Herod, an astute politician, now knew that if he did not make peace with Octavian both his rule and his life would be over. Therefore, Herod quickly sailed to the island of Rhodes to meet with Octavian, or as he had begun to call himself, Augustus Caesar. Herod did not go empty handed; he took an enormous sum of money along as a present for his new master. Once he was in Rhodes, the savvy Herod was led to the room where Augustus awaited him, but he had a plan. He removed his crown from his head, and knelt before Augustus, but he made no apology for having supported Antony. In fact, he proudly explained to Augustus that throughout the civil war, he had been totally loyal to his former patron. Then he asked Augustus for the opportunity to prove that he could be just as loyal to him. The new ruler of the world was so impressed by Herod’s forthright approach that he allowed him keep his kingdom. Once again, Herod had survived. When Herod returned home to tell his beloved Mariamne of his good fortunes, he found his wife livid with anger. In Herod’s absence, Mariamne had discovered that Herod had left instructions for his chief steward to kill Mariamne in the event Augustus chose to execute him in Rhodes, and she was not wrong. Herod was so jealous of the affections of the beautiful Mariamne that he could not stand the thought of her being with another man, even after his death. Mariamne would never forgive Herod for having devised such a devious plan. In fact, her love for Herod had begun to turn to hatred, and she continually nagged and tormented him. In fact, she very nearly drove him mad. Being unable to stand any more of this harassment, Herod decided to rid himself of Mariamne by charging her as an adulteress. She was taken to trial and found guilty. The court, of course, was thoroughly stacked against her, and she was executed. For the remainder of his life, Herod would suffer terrible guilt and remorse for what he had done. He eventually became a notorious insomniac and began to drink heavily. Following the execution of Mariamne, Herod tried to escape his psychological torment by launching his massive building programs, including the creation of the great port city of Caesarea, the city from which Rome would one day rule Judea. He also built the awesomely beautiful city of Sebaste in Samaria. Then, the increasingly paranoid Herod began to build a series of mighty fortresses, Israel Tour

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across the length and breadth of the country, including Herodium, Alexandrium, Hyrcanis, Phasaealis, and Machaerus. If any trouble should develop, Herod would never be more that a day’s journey from any of these fortresses. One of these fortresses, the one known today as Masada, was already in place when Herod came to power, but it had some weaknesses; so, Herod sent his builders to this site. They refortified its walls, dug mighty cisterns, and built a massive palace on the west side of the cliff. Then, they built three hanging palaces on the north end of the cliff.

Herod’s Temple In Jerusalem, Herod also launched two massive projects. The first involved the creation of a large palace complex in the upper city of Jerusalem with a citadel. This citadel had three enormous towers that were designed to protect his palace. The second project was the one for which he would always be remembered; the so-called “Second Temple.” His plans were so grandiose that the temple authorities entertained serious doubts about Herod’s ability to complete the project. In fact, they feared that Herod would demolish their existing temple and would not have sufficient funds to complete the work. So, the temple authorities demanded that Herod be able to fully fund the project before it began, which he did. The project was incredibly involved; consider the temple platform alone. When Solomon erected the first temple in 950 BC, he placed it at the apex of a high hill known in antiquity as Mount Moriah. For the temple to have been constructed in such a place required Solomon to build a large platform to provide a level area upon which the temple could stand. King David had originally purchased this piece of land from a man named Arunah the Jebusite for fifty pieces of silver. Arunah was using this hilltop as a threshing floor. The reason David had purchased this particular location was related to the fact that this was/is the site where Abraham had constructed an altar in order to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to the Lord. After Solomon’s builders had this platform in place, a temple was erected that would become the envy of the entire world of that day. Eight-hundred years later, the platform that Solomon had originally constructed was enlarged by the Hasmonaean king, Alexander Jannaeus. However, for Herod’s grand design, even this enlarged platform was not half large enough, so Herod’s skilled engineers doubled the size of the platform, extending it to the north, to the south, and to the west. The completed platform would become 1575 feet in length and 985 feet in width. The wall, itself, was over fifteen feet thick, and some of the stones were ashlars that were over forty feet in length, the largest of which weighed about a hundred tons. In places, this wall stood 160 feet above bedrock. Thousands of the stones from the Herodian enclosure walls can still be seen today, and so can a few of the stones from the Hasmonaean walls. We will see Israel Tour

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both types of stones at the famous “seam” in the wall where the newer Herodian wall joins the older Hasmonaean wall. The two eras can be differentiated by the stone work. As we will see, the masons of the Hasmonaean era carved their stones with heavy bosses, while the Herodian ashlars have smooth bosses. The enlargement of the temple platform undertaken by Herod would require a great feat of engineering. The engineers knew that the retaining wall would be placed under great stress by the weight of the new temple, and at both the northeast and southwest corners this wall had to span deep valleys. In fact, at the southeast corner of the wall the ground falls away so steeply into the Kidron Valley that the platform had to be supported from the inside by erecting tiers of arches. These are known today as Solomon’s stables where the Muslims have now built a Mosque. Herod provided seven entrances to the temple platform, all of which we will be able to see as we tour the walls. On the west side of the platform, we find the gate at the top of what is today called Robinson’s arch, which led to the porches of Solomon. We also find Barkley’s Gate, Wilson’s Gate, and Warren’s Gate all named for the archeologists that rediscovered them. Then, there is the double Hulda Gate, and the Triple Gate on the south side of the enclosure. On the east side was another gate accessing the court of Solomon, and the Golden Gate, the major point of entry to the temple. The open area surrounding this temple was known as the Court of the Gentiles. This outer area of the court was open to everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike. This court was surrounded by colonnades along its entire length and breadth. To the northwest was the rock upon which a massive Roman fortress known as the Antonia. It was named after Herod’s initial Roman patron, Marc Antony. Within this enormous fortress, the Jerusalem contingent of the Tenth Roman Legion was stationed. A portion of this high rock had to be cut away to make room for the colonnades on the inside of the courtyard. It was under these colonnades that the rabbis would go to teach. At the south end of the outer court was a huge two story structure supported by several rows of columns. This area was known as the Porches of Solomon. A wall, four feet six inches high, called the “Soreq” or “the wall of partition,” surrounded the sanctuary. Beyond this wall, no one but Jews could pass on the pain of death. A notice to this effect was discovered in Jerusalem in 1871. Engraved on a 22”x33” block of limestone are these words:

“No stranger is to enter within the balustrade around the temple enclosure: Whoever is caught will be responsible to himself for his death, which will ensue.” Those circumcised persons who step inside this “Soreq” would then climb a flight of twelve steps leading up to a walkway called the Chel Rampart. Rising above the rampart was a huge wall having several portals that led to the sanctuary. Israel Tour

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By far, the most popular gate in the temple complex was the one found on the east end of this massive outer wall. This was the gate that faced the Mount of Olives, and was called the Gate Beautiful. By climbing the steps built inside this gate, one would enter the Court of the Women. Hebrew women were welcome in this court, but they could go no further than this unless they came to present a sacrifice on the brazen altar. At the west end of the Court of the Women, and elevated some twelve feet, stood the massive Nicanor Gates which were constructed of solid brass. They were forged in Alexandria, Egypt, and floated by sea to the port of Joppa. Then they were transported to the temple. Access to the Nicanor Gates was gained by climbing a set of semicircular steps from which the Levitical choir would sing in celebration of the morning and evening sacrifices known as the TAMIL offerings. West of these great bronze doors was the Court of Israel, which was reserved exclusively for Hebrew men. Observers in this court were restricted to a roofed area surrounded by pillars. These pillars rested against another set of steps. The steps led to a flat area known as the Court of the Priests. Here in this sacred area, stood the Brazen Altar, and the great Bronze Laver. This was the place where the priests of Israel pursued their sacrificial duties. In the very middle of this court arose the magnificent sanctuary that was erected by Herod’s builders. This sanctuary was elevated another ten feet above the Court of the Priests and it rose to a height of 150 feet or approximately fifteen stories. This entire temple complex was a truly awesome site. It was the house of Israel’s God, therefore it should have been awesome. As every Christian knows, much of the recorded activity of Jesus during his earthly ministry transpired in and around this temple. Here, He was dedicated to the Lord; here, He celebrated his bar mitzvah at age twelve; here, He taught in the temple porches; here, He drove out the money changers, but most of all, it was here that He came to pray. He often spoke of this place as being His Father’s house, and a house of prayer for all nations (people). So, Herod, the great temple builder, would sit on the throne of Judea for thirtyfive years. It is very difficult to fully assess the true achievements of his reign, because the Jews and the Gentiles saw him so differently. The Jews despised him even though he was always careful to obey the Jewish law, at least while he was in Judea. Yet, at heart, this man was a Gentile and the Jewish people could never forgive him for this. Nevertheless, his reign would give the Jewish people a third of a century of peace and prosperity. The new port city of Caesarea and many of his other building projects increased their trade, thus expanded their wealth. Yet, Herod’s lavish building programs cost great sums of money and taxes were necessarily high which angered ordinary people. By the standards of the time, Herod the Great was really not a bad ruler. He was brutal, but far less so than the Hasmonaeans had been before him. Herod’s Israel Tour

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greatest fault was his ungovernable passion, both in love and hate. coupled with the constant paranoid fear of losing his throne, led to most crimes, especially those committed within his own family. The crime for Herod today is most remembered is the massacre of the children recorded Gospel of Matthew which occurred two years before his death in 4 BC.

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day One: Air Travel Day Fly from Oklahoma City, USA to Tel Aviv, Israel

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Two: Lod We arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport near the city of Lod (Biblical Lydda). Here, here, here, we are in the land of the Philistines. Some Biblical commentators call this area Samson country, because it was in this area that Samson slew a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. The Philistines occupied five cities in this immediate area, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, Gath, and Ekron. The Philistines were the enemies that Israel could never finally defeat. However, after James had taken the leadership in the church of Jerusalem, the Prince of the church, Simon Peter, set out to conquer this unconquered land in the name of Jesus Christ. He traveled the twenty-five miles from Jerusalem to the small town of Lydda. Even in antiquity this was an important place. It sits at the intersection of two great highways; one connected Egypt with Damascus, and the other connected Jerusalem to the port city of Joppa. The town had a predominantly Jewish population in an otherwise ethnically mixed region. There, in Lydda, Peter found "saints" that had been converted after hearing the witness of pilgrims who were returning from the feast of Pentecost, most of whom were Hellenistic Jews. Among those saints was a Hellenistic Jewish Christian whose name was Aeneas. For eight years he had suffered from a chronic ailment that had left the lower part of his body paralyzed. As a result, Aeneas had been confined to a reed mat, which he used as a bed. Peter had been asked to come to this man's house and minister to him. I picture his room as being dark, and I can see Peter as he walked over to this man, looked down upon him with compassion and then uttered the words, "Jesus Christ heals you." Of course, if you and I had been there that day, we would not have seen the Lord Jesus Christ anywhere in that room, so what did Peter mean when he said "Jesus Christ heals you?" Peter was not referring to the physical Christ; he was referring to the Christ indwelling him in the person of the Holy Spirit. Remember this: Simon Peter had died to himself on the day of Pentecost, and now Christ lived in him. In fact, Christ even lived as him. Therefore, Peter was not wrong when he said, "Jesus Christ heals you." Peter then stretched out his hand to the man and commanded him to do something he simply could not do. He said to Aeneas, "Get up and take care of your mat." And if it had been possible for Aeneas to have stood up, he would have done it long before; at least, that's how it appears in the natural. But there was nothing natural about what was about to happen in Lydda. Something supernatural suddenly happened! Aeneas immediately got to his feet and rolled Israel Tour

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up his mat. According to the book of Acts, this miracle in Lydda had a great impact upon the fledgling church. Everyone who knew Aeneas along the coastal Plain of Sharon turned to the Lord.

Jaffa Only eleven miles northwest of the airport (Lydda) stands the ancient seaport of Joppa (modern Jaffa). Today, Joppa and Tel Aviv are located side by side. Joppa is the Arab community and Tel Aviv is the Israeli community. The port of Joppa is the location from which the prophet Jonah fled when God commanded him to go to Nineveh and call that wicked city to repentance. Remember, instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah sailed for Tarshish in Spain. In the city of Joppa, there lived a woman whose name was Tabitha or Dorcas. This woman was known for her great kindness to others. However, one day this woman suddenly became ill and died. According to the custom of the times, her body had been thoroughly cleansed with oil. Then the oil had been washed away with pure water. Her friends and family then placed her body in an upper room in her home. Usually, when people of the Jewish persuasion died, they were buried on the same day, but this was not required for those Jewish people who died outside of the city of Jerusalem. The friends of Tabitha did not believe that she had fully accomplished her purposes on earth, so they sent a messenger to Lydda to find the apostle Peter, to ask him to come to Joppa. Out of respect, Peter made the short trip. I truly believe that Peter actually thought he was invited to Joppa to preach a funeral. The apostle began to understand the true nature of his visit when he was taken to the upper room, where Tabitha had been laid. There he was met by a host of wailing widows. Suddenly, a past memory flooded into Peter's mind. He remembered a day in the town of Capernaum when his Lord had taken him into just such a room. A little girl lay dead on her bed. He certainly remembered how Jesus had whispered to this child, TALITHA CUMI, "little girl, I say to you, arise" (Mark 5:39). So, Peter, remembering, uttered a similar command. He said, "Tabitha, get up." And Tabitha opened her eyes, and sat up. News of what had happened in Joppa spread quickly and led many to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. After this miracle, Peter would remain in Joppa, residing in the house of a man known as Simon the Tanner. All of these things occurred within twelve miles of David ben Gurion International Airport where we will be landing. From this point forward, the Bible will begin to come alive to you. You will experience many of those places you studied as a child in Sunday School. When we collect our baggage, we will go outside and board our bus. We will drive along the ancient Via Maris, the highway that connected Egypt with Mesopotamia and points east.

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Plain of Sharon The area where we will be driving is called the Plain of Sharon. This plain lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the hills of Samaria and is only 9.3 miles at its widest point. It is mentioned in I Chronicles 5:16 and 27:29, and Isaiah 33:9, 35:12, and 65:10. In Biblical times, like today, this plain was fertile and heavily populated. In the early years of the twentieth century, the vast majority of Zionist settlers established their collective farms in this geographic area. Today, the Plain of Sharon is the most densely populated area of Israel, and this area, like Lydda, also relates to the ministry of Simon Peter. Our first stop tomorrow morning will be the ancient port city of Caesarea Maritima and our story will begin there. Caesarea Maritima was located some thirty-five miles north of Joppa, and the road that connected the two ports is the road we will be taking from the airport to our first hotel.

Cornelius A Roman centurion named Cornelius, who was the commander of a force of one hundred men made his residence in Caesarea Maritima. He belonged to the Italian cohort of Rome’s famed Tenth Legion. Cornelius and his family were Godfearers, a group of Gentile people who regularly attended the synagogue services of the Jews, but had not yet committed themselves to becoming proselytes to the Jewish faith. Apparently, there were many God-fearers living in and around the city of Caesarea Maritima, and Cornelius was known to be one of the most devout among them. Even though he was not a Jew, he was a man who was continually searching for God. Week-in and week-out, he would attend the local synagogue services and hear the Word of God read aloud, and as he learned more about God’s word, he began to pray for a deeper revelation of God and His ways. The time came when God decided to respond to the prayers of this devout man. In fact, one fateful afternoon at exactly three o’clock, Cornelius received a vision. An angel appeared to him, and called him by name. The angel instructed him to send three messengers down the Mediterranean coast to the port of Joppa. The angel told Cornelius to tell these messengers that once they had reached Joppa, they were to locate the house of a man whose name was Simon the Tanner. The angel even told Cornelius that this house would be located beside the sea. Once these three messengers had found this house, the angel instructed Cornelius to tell his messengers to ask for a man named Simon Peter. He would be dwelling in the house of Simon the Tanner. Once there, they were to tell this man, Simon Peter, about the heavenly vision Cornelius had seen and they were to invite this man to return with them to Caesarea Maritima so that he could share the gospel with the entire household of Cornelius.

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When this vision ended and the angel departed, an obedient Cornelius selected two of his household servants and a loyal legionnaire from his cohort to make the journey to Joppa. Evidently, the party left for immediately, and the next day, about noon, these three messengers entered into the city of Joppa. At this same time, Simon Peter was making his way to the roof top of the house of Simon the Tanner to observe his noontime prayers. Once Peter was on the roof, he began to pray, and he suddenly fell into a deep trance. In the trance, he saw a great sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. On this sheet was every conceivable kind of unkosher food. Being a very orthodox Jew, Simon Peter no doubt recoiled from this horrible sight. But then he heard a voice from heaven, the voice of God, speaking to him. God said this to the apostle:

“Rise, Peter; kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter could not believe his ears. As he saw things, he could not have possibly heard the voice of God correctly. This food was non-kosher; it was un-clean. In fact, Peter openly informed God that he had never eaten non-kosher food in his entire life, and he was not about to start at that point. So, he refused to eat. However, the voice of God was persistent. He responded to Peter’s refusal by telling him that he should never call anything unclean that He (meaning Almighty God) had called clean. But, once again, Peter resolutely refused to eat. So, for a second time, God repeated the same message, but Peter still refused. Then, God repeated the message for a third time and still Peter did not eat. Finally, the sheet was taken back to heaven and Peter came out of the trance. As we can imagine, the apostle was very troubled by what he had just seen. So, for the next several minutes, Peter labored over the meaning of what he had been shown in this vision. As Peter was ruminating over the vision, the three messengers from Caesarea arrived at the gate of the house of Simon the Tanner. The Holy Spirit, Himself, informed Peter that three men were at the gate seeking him and that he should go down and greet them. In fact, the Holy Spirit said this to him:

“Arise, go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them” (Acts 10:20). Peter finally obeyed! He quickly went to the gate and introduced himself, asking these three men from Caesarea Maritima what they wanted from him. The men immediately delivered the message that they had been assigned to deliver by the Cornelius, and they did this as succinctly as possible. They said:

“Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by Israel Tour

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an holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you” (Acts 10:22). As these men were speaking, the apostle became aware of several facts. For one thing, he knew that this man Cornelius had to be a Gentile if he was a Roman Centurion. And having been born a Jew, Peter was also aware that all Gentiles were considered to be ceremonially unclean by most Jews. At this point, the apostle suddenly began to understand the vision of the non-kosher food that he had just seen. He now understood that God had used non-kosher food to show him that he was about to minister to some non-kosher Gentile people, and God would be in it. So, with that in mind, the apostle agreed to make the journey to Caesarea Maritima with these three men. Peter did not want to leave that late in the afternoon, so he invited his guests into the house of Simon the Tanner. They must have had an interesting visit, and when the hour grew late, Peter asked these strangers to dine with him, which they did, and that night, for the first time in his life, Peter broke bread with Gentiles. Unheard of! And yet there was more! The apostle then invited these three men to spend the night with him, which they also agreed to do. How odd! One night earlier, Peter would have refused to have remained under the same roof with these men and now he was sharing bread with them and having them spend the night. Simon Peter had come a very long way in a short span of time. The next morning, Peter prepared to leave Joppa with his three new companions. According to Acts 10:23 and Acts 11:12, Peter had also invited six other persons from the church in Joppa to accompany them. This party of ten traveled along the great highway known as the Via Maris the same route we will be traveling, until they arrived in the city of Caesarea Maritima. An eager Cornelius was waiting for the group at the gate of his home. After being introduced to Simon Peter, the Centurion immediately invited Peter into his house. Once inside, Cornelius invited the apostle to share the gospel with him and his family, which Peter did. We will examine more of this story when we come to Caesarea Maritima, tomorrow.

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Three Caesarea Maritima Today, our first stop will be the ancient port city of Caesarea Maritima, one of the most important cities in the land of Judea during the time of Christ and a city that would continue to play a central role during the first century of the early church. As we have previously seen, this city was the home of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10:1). Later, it would become the home town of Philip, the evangelist and his prophetess daughters (Acts 8:40). Here, Herod Agrippa would be smitten by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:21-23), and the Apostle Paul would be imprisoned for two years (Acts 9:30; 23:23-35). The history of this city is fascinating! Ancient Phoenician traders had created a port in this place in 350 BC. They called it Strato’s Tower. Two hundred years later, this port was captured by the Hasmonaean king, Alexander Jannaeus. Then, in 63 BC, the Roman general, Pompey the Great, captured Strato’s Tower and transformed it into an exclusively Gentile city. He began to deepen its harbor and to build houses and businesses to meet the needs of his military cohorts. Once the city had been created, Marc Antony decided to give this port to Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. He did this over the bitter complaints of Herod the Great, who continually petitioned Rome for the return of Strato’s Tower to Judea. Finally, in 22 BC, Augustus Caesar, who had defeated Marc Antony at the battle of Actium Bay and had overthrown Cleopatra in Alexandria, chose to return Strato’s Tower to Herod the Great. The night after the city had been returned, Herod dreamed a very vivid dream: he saw a mighty port city standing in the place now occupied by Strato’s Tower. Herod realized that this would be an ideal location for a large port facility since it stood very near the spot where the most traveled trade route in the ancient world reached the Mediterranean coast. This route was known as the Via Maris. It emerged from the Iron Valley, meeting the Mediterranean coast, at Strato’s Tower and then turned south toward Egypt. Herod believed that if a port city could be erected here, many of the caravans from Asia would stop in this place and ship their goods to all points of the Roman Empire. So, Herod quickly went to work to make his dream a reality. He began to build a massive harbor near the old Phoenician port. The long-sighted Herod also had his builders construct a city behind the port, so that the people who would

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operate this port would have places to dwell and businesses to frequent. He spared nothing in his designs. It took a total of twelve years to complete this massive project, but once the new city and its port facilities had been finished, it included several palaces, a temple, a theater, an amphitheater, a marketplace, a hippodrome, a library, bathhouses, and a water and sewage system. Only Jerusalem could outshine the splendor of the new port of Caesarea. The centerpiece of the city was the great pagan temple built in honor of Augustus Caesar. This man was so powerful at the time that he was considered by many Romans to be a god. However, the major reason that Herod decided to build a temple in honor of Augustus related to the fact that he was so deeply indebted to Augustus. Throughout the years in which Herod had been engaged in this project the Emperor had been Herod’s chief benefactor, allowing him to keep his crown even after he had supported Marc Antony in the Roman civil wars. The population of the new city quickly grew to around 100,000 making it the largest city in Herod’s kingdom, even larger than the city of Jerusalem. The picture below is an artist view of this city in the time of Paul even though it is not totally accurate.

However, the port of Caesarea had hardly become functional when things began to change in the Roman Empire. Herod the Great died in 4 BC, and Augustus elevated Herod’s three worthless sons, Herod Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Herod Philip to their father’s throne. Archelaus would rule Judea, Antipas would rule Galilee and Perea, and Philip would rule Gaulinitus. In time, Augustus

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realized that he had made a terrible mistake, so in 6 AD, he made Judea a Roman province, and placed it under Roman rule. However, he allowed the three sons to keep their positions even though their power was in name only. Augustus died in 14 AD and he was replaced by his nephew, Tiberius. This man deeply disliked and distrusted the three Herods. In fact, he despised almost all Jewish people. So, he decided to take a hard line in ruling Judea. The various governors that Tiberius would send to the new province would all establish their seats of government in the city of Caesarea. Among those governors would be the now infamous Pontius Pilate. The verification of the fact that Pontius Pilate actually governed from this city is what makes Caesarea Maritima relevant to our tour. Pontius Pilate was, of course, the person who gave the orders that eventually led to the crucifixion and death of our Lord. Therefore, he played a crucial role in the life of Jesus. In fact, somewhere in Caesarea, perhaps not far from where we will be walking and talking, this man Pontius Pilate lived. It is almost impossible for us to imagine the splendor of this city and its great harbor at the time when this city was at its zenith. Broad sidewalks paved with beautiful mosaics were found on both sides of a wide cardo (street) that led from the city square (agora) to the theater where we will begin our visit. Hundreds of free-standing Corinthian columns stood in parallel rows along this cardo. This majestic promenade dissected the city. More than 1300 of these columns have been found on the bottom of the harbor of Caesarea. Hundred’s more were found covered by beach sand. These columns were made of solid marble that Herod imported into Judea from Italy and Egypt. The city was bathed in this beautiful marble; large marble slabs not only covered the main streets (cardos) of Caesarea, it also covered many of the side streets of the city. Maritime trade coming in and out of Caesarea was extensive: the large warehouses that faced the harbor were always filled with cargoes. One would find amphorae (large earthenware jars) filled with wine, olive oil, fruit, syrups, and nails stored everywhere. Archaeologists have found thousands of pieces of Chinese porcelain inside these warehouses, attesting to the wide geographical reach, and the economic and commercial prowess of Caesarea. The Roman theater at the south end of the archeological park could seat 4,500 spectators. We must be aware that this structure is a theater, not an amphitheater, as some might expect. Rather, it is a theater. Greek tragedies, Roman spoofs, and Spanish dancers appeared nightly in this very theater. It is believed by some that it was here, in this very theater, that Herod Agrippa was smitten by an angel of the Lord (see Acts 12:20-23). The following is a quote from Josephus Flavius about this incident:

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“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city of Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety. At which festival a great multitude was gotten together of the principle persons and such that were of dignity through his province. On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those who looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good) that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.’ Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery.” (Josephus, Antiquities 19.8.2) After Herod Agrippa was smitten, he did not die immediately. He suffered for five long agonizing days. That is only one of the several Biblical events that may have occurred in this theater. During the years, this theater has been remodeled and rebuilt several times. The present remodel dates to the second century AD, to the Roman period, but it is situated atop the original theater of Herod’s day.

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In 1962, the so-called “Pontius Pilate Stone” was discovered among the ruins of this theater. It provides the only tangible evidence attesting to Pilate’s presence in Judea in the time of Jesus, but the evidence is indisputable. This stone also confirms his title as the Prefect of Judea (see Matthew 27:2, 24; Mark 15:1, 5, 15, 44; Luke 3:1; 13:1; 23:12, 52; John 18:29, 33; 19:8-19, 38; Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:28). A replica of this stone can be seen inside the archeological park. Its fragmented Latin inscription is believed to say this: “Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judeah, built and dedicated the Tiberium to the divine Augustus.” The original stone is housed in the Israel Museum of Archeology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It looks like this:

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After leaving the theater we will walk to the newly constructed courtyard that overlooks the recent digs in Caesarea. The reproduction of the Pilate stone is found here. We will see the remains of the palace of Herod the Great. This palace was perched atop a rock that jutted into the Mediterranean Sea. Those dignitaries who came to visit Herod from abroad could disembark from this palace by sea, and sail to any port in the Roman Empire without having to return to the harbor itself. In the center of the palace was a huge pool, with a gigantic statue in the middle. The pool was surrounded by colonnades on three of its four sides. A vaulted dining room occupied the eastern portion of the palace. On the back wall of the dining room stood a semicircular fountain set within an apse. To heighten the room’s glamour, the floor consisted of a multicolored geometric mosaic. In the days of Herod the Great, the palace had the following appearance:

As we leave the courtyard, we will walk north and descend into Herod’s newly unearthed amphitheater. Here, Roman style gladiatorial games would occur. Some of the original wall paintings depict the various wild animals used in the games. These paintings are now on display in the arena. Above us, to the east, will be the excavations of many public buildings of the Herodian, Roman, and Byzantine eras. One of the most fascinating buildings is the huge bathhouse. Also of interest are the mosaic tiled streets. Beyond the far north end of the amphitheater, we will see the massive walls of the Crusader fortress with its gigantic protective moat. The Crusader era brought both glory and destruction to Caesarea. Over the course of two centuries, possession of the city changed hands four times. King Baldwin I, the King of Jerusalem, took the city in 1101 AD. During a raid on a mosque, his troops discovered a goblet, which was subsequently declared to be the Holy Grail and was taken to Genoa, Italy. In 1187, however, Caesarea fell to Salah as Din (Saladin), who destroyed the churches of the city and massacred the

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city’s Christians. When Louis IX of France came to Caesarea in 1251, he captured what remained of the fortress and port, and ordered the restoration of the fortress walls. However, these walls were not enough to prevent the invasion of the Mamelukes only fourteen years later. The Mameluke victory consigned Caesarea to six centuries of oblivion because the Mameluke Sultan ordered the destruction of the city. By entering through the gate in the Crusader walls, we come to the Herodian Harbor, the outline of which can still be seen in the clear waters off-shore. The first century Jewish historian, Josephus Flavius, glowingly described the wonders of this harbor, comparing it to Piraeus, the great port of Athens. For centuries scholars dismissed Josephus’ descriptions of this city as being pure hyperbole. But once the ruins began to be unearthed, it became clear that Josephus had not exaggerated in the least. The harbor was completely enclosed. Ships entered the harbor through a monumental entry. A huge lighthouse stood on one side of the entry where three giant statues welcomed sailors, and on the other side stood three additional statues. To comprehend the size of these colossuses, a foot from one of them is located just outside the theater; note its size in comparison to the size of my hand in the picture below.

The construction of this port was an unprecedented challenge. Caesarea represented the largest artificial harbor ever constructed in the ancient world. There was no bay or inlet to provide natural protection. Furthermore, work in this area was hindered by bad weather. These impediments did not stop Herod’s engineers. They created a gigantic breakwater composed of huge blocks of hydraulic cement that had hardened underwater. This is only one indication of the highly sophisticated techniques used by Herod’s builders.

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Long before Caesarea was unearthed, historians knew that the Romans had developed hydraulic concrete, but it was never known to have been used on such a massive scale as it was at Caesarea. The main ingredient in this concrete was volcanic ash, imported from Mount Vesuvius in Italy. The hydraulic cement was mixed and poured into wooden frames to enable it to set up properly. The engineers even constructed a desilting system to prevent the harbor from filling with sand, which was a constant problem. The system operated through a series of sluice gates built into the breakwater walls that could be opened and closed to create a current that would eliminate the sand build up. The presence of pagan statuary, which you will see everywhere around Caesarea, demonstrates the reason why so many observing Jews had a hard time accepting the presence of this city in their land. The fact that it was the seat of the hated Roman government was bad enough, but the pagan influence introduced by Rome into this land was unbearable. This land had been given to the seed of Abraham by Almighty God, but pagans had established themselves here. This pagan presence and influence was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Therefore, the Jews in Caesarea would periodically have enough of this and they would riot, and the Romans would make them pay dearly for this civil unrest. In fact, the Roman garrison in the city was one of the largest in the entire Empire and they knew what to do with these protestors. Hundreds of Jews were massacred in these riots by the Roman Legions. We will exit the city by passing through the Crusader fortress. Of special interest is the gate of this massive structure. Inside, you will see the trough for watering horses and Gothic vaults that roof the structure. You will also see a doorway in the Western Wall that gave the Crusaders access to the city. Across the street from the Crusader fortress we will find what is known as Caesarea’s Byzantine esplanade. At the northern end of a paved courtyard, two statues, re-used from the Roman period, flank the triple arched entrance to a large building in which a stairway leads to a higher level. An inscription at the base of the stairway indicates a late sixth or early seventh century date for this complex.

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We will drive from the Crusader fortress, past the newly excavated hippodrome on the right side of the bus. It is located in a banana grove. Our next destination is the aqueduct of Caesarea. In a city the size of Caesarea, the most important issue was always the availability of fresh water for drinking and for bathing, and there was no fresh water source in or around this city. To provide this needed water, King Herod had two great aqueducts built. The water was transported from springs located on Mount Carmel moving south by gravity flow. The water traveled some twelve miles before reaching the city. Caesarea Maritima played a key role in the life of two great men. The first was Philip the evangelist, one of the original seven deacons. His name, Philip, is of Greek origin and his ministry had always been connected to Gentiles. In fact, it was Philip who led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ in Acts 6, and it was Philip who launched the great revival in Samaria. This evangelist had settled with his family in the predominantly Gentile metropolis of Caesarea. There, he had given oversight to a growing congregation of Gentile converts. Philip had four virgin daughters who were all preachers or prophetesses. Acts 21:9 (TEV) states this:

“He had four unmarried daughters who preached God’s word.” When Paul arrived in Caesarea Maritima at the conclusion of his third missionary journey he spent several days in the home of Philip. Suddenly, an old acquaintance appeared. It was the prophet Agabus, the same prophet who had come to visit the church in Antioch, Syria earlier in Paul’s ministry and it was Agabus who had prophesied to that church about the coming famine in Judea. However, before Paul could properly greet Agabus, the prophet grabbed the apostle’s belt, untying it from around Paul’s waist. The prophet then took the belt and bound the apostle’s hands and feet with it. No, Agabus was not being crazy. What he was doing was this: he was acting out what is called “a prophetic parable.” The prophets of the Old Testament era often engaged in prophetic parables. In fact, Jesus, Himself, also engaged in

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prophetic parables. Two of the best prophetic parables in the Bible can be seen in Isaiah 20:2-4 and Jeremiah 13:11. In Isaiah’s case, God told him this:

“Loose the sackcloth from off of your loins and take your shoes from your feet; and he did so, walking naked and barefoot.” God also said to him:

“Do this for three years.” Why on earth would God tell a man to walk around in the streets naked and barefoot for three long years? The answer is as follows: this action was ordained to be a sign against the people of Egypt and Ethiopia. It was to tell them that the king of Assyria was coming with his armies, and that he would lead them away in the same condition that Isaiah was told to walk the streets, naked and barefoot. In Jeremiah’s case, God told him to take the belt he wore around his waist to the Euphrates River and to hide it in the cleft of a rock, which he did. Then, later, God said this to the prophet: “Go get your belt,” which he did. But the belt had become rotten; it was useless. Then God explained why Jeremiah was told to do this strange thing. God said that Israel was like His belt. It clung to Him, and so had Israel. They were His people, born of His own loins. But they had become marred, useless to Him, just like a rotten belt. This action constituted a prophetic parable. Jesus also enacted prophetic parables. The episode of the cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11 was one such parable. One day, Jesus cursed a certain fig tree for being without fruit. However, it was not the season for figs. So, why curse a tree for having no figs, when it was not the season for figs? It related to the fact that Jesus was enacting a prophetic parable. The fig tree always represented a visible symbol of the state of Israel. The Temple, where Jesus was going, was the political and religious heart of the nation but was spiritually dead; there was no fruit, no figs. Thus it was accursed, fit for nothing other than to be cut down and cast into the fire. That is why this act of cursing the fig tree was necessary; it was a prophetic parable. That night in Caesarea Maritima when Agabus grabbed Paul’s belt and bound his hands and feet, it was a prophetic parable. This action with the belt meant that the one to whom the belt belonged would soon be bound. Then the prophet declared this:

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“This is what the Holy Spirit declares: The owner of this belt shall be tied up this way by the Jews in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles” (Acts 21:11). This prophecy from the lips of Agabus was not news for Paul. He had already told the elders of the church in Ephesus what lay in store for him once he had arrived in Jerusalem, and the saints at Tyre had confirmed this. The same was true of Agabus. So, the only thing Agabus did in Caesarea Maritima was confirm what Paul already knew. Obviously, Agabus had done what he did in an attempt to persuade the apostle not to go to Jerusalem. Even Luke, himself, confesses in Acts that he joined the chorus. He begged Paul to forget his vow to go up to Jerusalem. I can understand this; we all can. This man appeared determined to commit suicide. They knew that for seven long years the Temple crowd had been informed of the exploits of Rabbi Saul in the synagogues of Asia Minor and Greece. They knew that he had been teaching Gentiles that they could become acceptable in the sight of God by nothing other than believing in the Lord Jesus Christ―no circumcision; no proselyte baptism; no Temple; no Torah! And these authorities could see that the entire Jewish faith could be shaken by this radical preaching of “Jesus plus nothing.” Paul’s friends knew that the Jerusalem temple cultists had all the clout necessary to kill Paul if they should choose to do so. And they believed that there was a ninety percent chance that they would do just that. But all their appeals to the apostle did not dissuade him. He was determined to move into the very epicenter of this hostility. He was determined to go to the Temple itself and fulfill his vow to God. Do you ever get the feeling that people just didn’t understand Paul at all? Even his very closest friends did not seem to understand him. The fact is this: they were all too busy trying to protect the apostle to really understand his motives. All they knew is this: they did not want him to die! But what they had failed to see was the fact that Paul was already dead. You cannot kill someone who has already died. This man had been crucified with Christ, and he knew it. That’s why he could say this:

“…to live is Christ and to die is gain.” That’s why he could say this:

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet it is no longer I, but Christ who lives within me.”

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A man like this is invincible. You cannot kill or even maim a man that is already dead. Paul was dead, so he had no fear of what might happen in Jerusalem. In fact, he answered his friends’ appeals by saying this:

“What are you doing, crying like this and breaking my heart? I am not only ready to be tied up in Jerusalem, but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13, TEV). Luke says this:

“We could not convince him, so we gave up and said, ‘May the Lord’s will be done’” (Acts 21:14, TEV). The mission team remained in Caesarea Maritima for several days and then left for Jerusalem. It was a two-and-a-half to three-day trip from Caesarea through what was known in those days as the upper Beth Horon Pass. It is about a forty-mile journey, mostly uphill, and when the party arrived in Jerusalem they were immediately taken to the house of Mnason of Cyprus. This man had been a follower of Christ since what Luke calls, “the early days,” probably referring to the day of Pentecost. Paul had not unpacked his bags before a hasty meeting with the elders of the Jerusalem church had been arranged. The meeting was chaired by James the Just, the half-brother of Jesus, the chief elder of the Jerusalem congregation. This meeting was being called by James in an attempt to diffuse a potentially explosive situation. He saw the presence of Paul in Jerusalem as a catalyst that might ignite an explosion that would put an end to the Jerusalem church. James, who was ever and always a diplomat, greeted Paul warmly. He was even polite enough to ask Paul for a report on the results of his third missionary journey. The elders all listened and expressed a common “delight” at the report. Of course, we know how delighted they really were. After the report, they all gave the obligatory praise to God so they could be certain that Paul would get no praise for his efforts. With the niceties, the diplomacy out of the way, the leaders could get down to business; they could pursue the real agenda. Jerusalem, as we might imagine, was rife with rumors about Rabbi Saul’s ministry in Europe and Asia Minor. People were telling all kinds of outlandish stories about Paul’s exploits. But before any of these things were addressed, the “real leaders” of the church had to put Paul in his proper place. The elders and even James himself let the apostle know that he was not the only evangelist the church had sent out. Paul was told that since he had last visited Jerusalem,

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thousands of Jewish people had been won to Christ and they were not lowly Gentiles―they were real Jews. Then came the coup de grâce! The apostle was told that every one of these new converts had remained fiercely loyal to both Temple and Torah. They still observed the laws of Moses, including circumcision. James describes the attitude of these new believers toward the law by using the Greek word ZEALOTES. They were zealous to observe the law. Let me stop here! It is now obvious to me as to why the Jerusalem church had chosen to maintain a state of harmony with the Temple authorities over the years. As far as these Temple authorities were concerned, the Jerusalem church was just another Jewish splinter group, like the Essenes. They took this position because James and the church leadership had spent years building a relationship with orthodox Judaism, but the arrival of Paul was a threat to the presence of that stability, just as Stephen had been some years earlier. Rumor had it that Rabbi Saul had been teaching the Hellenistic Jews to abandon the law of Moses and to forsake the practice of circumcision. As we know, this was patently untrue. It was just a rumor, but this rumor had established a life of its own. No evidence exists to indicate that Paul ever sought to draw any Jew away from his/her heritage. But now that the rumor was loose in the church, the new zealous converts were up in arms. Interestingly enough, this word “zealots,” or ZEALOTES in Greek, is the same word used to describe those militant Jews of the Zealot Party who had taken up arms to drive the Romans out of Abraham’s inheritance. Luke’s continued use of this word tells us that many of the new converts were militantly opposed to Paul. So, James had come up with a plan. I must confess, I would expect more from James than this. His plan would not resolve a single issue. Oh, this plan was logical! I really can see how James might bring himself to suggest it, but James should have known that it was totally out of sync with Paul’s character and style. You see, what James wanted Paul to do was this: demonstrate his orthodox standing to the church. He wanted the apostle to publicly demonstrate his full commitment to rabbinical Judaism. So, what did James ask the apostle to do? Well, the plan was complicated. Since Paul’s head had been shaved, it was obvious to everyone that the apostle intended to fulfill a Nazerite vow while in Jerusalem, and we must remember this: James was fully aware that Paul was returning to Jerusalem from out of the Gentile world, which meant that he was in a ritually unclean state. James, being a life-long Jew, knew that Paul could not visit the Temple until he had first

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submitted himself to the purification ritual described in the book of Leviticus. Therefore, before Paul could do anything else, he would have to report to a priest. The priest would then sprinkle him with the water of atonement twice; once on the third day and once on the seventh day after Paul had reported to him. James also knew that Paul would not be allowed to offer the peace offering required to fulfill a Nazerite vow until the seven days of purification had been fully completed. Knowing all of this, James was prepared with a suggestion. James asked Paul if he would identify himself with four Jewish Christians who were also in the process of completing a Nazerite vow. They, too, had not yet made the required substitutionary sacrifices. These sacrifices consisted of a one-year-old lamb for a sin offering, a ram for a peace offering, and several cakes of fine flour mingled with oil as a meal offering, and a flask of fine wine as a drink offering. Obviously, such an elaborate sacrifice was very costly. Ritually acceptable lambs and rams did not come cheaply. What James asked Paul to do was this: bear the financial expenses of this offering for himself and for each of those four Jewish Christians. James believed that this would prove Paul’s piety and his commitment to all things Jewish, and would also impress the young zealots in the church. Without a doubt, this whole scheme was distasteful to the apostle Paul. He understood that the relevance and reliability of all the blood sacrifices had ended with the substitutionary death of God’s own sacrificial lamb. These Levitical sacrifices had been fulfilled at Calvary. Their meanings had been exhausted. Everything toward which they had pointed had been perfectly fulfilled. Paul should never have participated in a farce like this, but for the sake of unity of the body of Christ, he agreed to James’s plan. However, in so doing, he compromised himself. It may have been for a noble cause, but he compromised himself, nonetheless. The question should also be raised, “Where did Paul, who always worked by the sweat of his own brow, get the money to pay for these five expensive Nazerite ceremonies?” That is a question no one has ever been able to answer. But Paul did pay, just as he had been asked by James! The Jerusalem elders were elated by Paul’s acquiescence. In return, quid pro quo, the elders sent letters to the Gentile churches reaffirming the decision of the first Jerusalem Council, made several years earlier. The next day Paul accompanied these four fellow Christians to the Temple, entering the Court of Israel. He notified the Temple officials of his intentions to offer the sacrifices. As we have seen, that procedure took seven days, so that meant he would offer his sacrifices on the day of Pentecost. Perhaps, next to the day when he was struck down on the Damascus Road two decades earlier, that seventh day, the day of Pentecost, would prove to be the most decisive day

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of Paul’s entire life. But before we consider the events of that day, we need to examine the Feast of Pentecost. We often forget what an important festival Pentecost was for the Jews. We tend to emphasize the importance of Passover for the Jewish people, but ignore Pentecost. We think of Pentecost as being a primarily Christian celebration, and it is. But it is also a crucial Jewish holiday, and it has been since the time of Moses. Here are some facts about Pentecost. Pentecost was called the Feast of Weeks, and it occurred on the first day after the seven weeks following Passover. Every Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was required to come to the Temple to observe this holiday. So, without question, Pentecost was an important feast to those living in Judea at the time. However, it may have been the most important feast of the year for those Jews living in the Gentile world. It is a well-known fact that more diasporatic Jewish pilgrims came to the Pentecost feast than to any of the other Jewish festivals―more Jews came for the Pentecost celebration than for the Passover celebration. According to Josephus, tens of thousands of diasporatic Jews were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost each year. Why would this particular feast be so important to the diasporatic Jews? It was because this was the feast that celebrated the revelation of the Torah (the law) to Moses on Mount Sinai. Remember, over the centuries, the diasporatic Jews had come to be known as the people of the book, the people of the Torah, while the Jews residing in Eretz Israel were still known as people of the Temple. Since most diasporatic Jews were not able to come to the Temple very often, some could only come once in their lifetimes, their faith was focused upon the reading of their Torah scrolls. But the Torah commanded them to bring sacrifices to God and these sacrifices could only be offered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, so they would come by the thousands to observe the feast of the Torah, Pentecost, whenever possible, because, with diasporatic Jews, it was always Torah first, then Temple. The Pentecost celebration was quite a spectacle. Before dawn on the day of the feast, the altar was cleansed and the Temple gates were thrown open. Beginning at midnight, people began to bring their burnt offerings and peace offerings to be examined by a priest. Then, when the sun had begun to rise over Jerusalem and the orange glow of the sky spread as far as Hebron, everything stopped. It was time for the morning sacrifice. First, the sin offering for the nation of Israel was killed. Confessions were then uttered, and the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the brazen altar. Then, the burnt offerings and the meal offerings were presented to God.

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As the smoke of the burning sacrifices rose toward heaven, the Levites began to chant the Hillel Psalms to the music of flutes and pipes. Then, the high priest would come to the brazen altar, and mount the ramp that led to the top. There, he began to wave the distinctive offering that made this feast different from all others. He waved two leavened loaves of wheat bread before the Lord. Only then, after the loaves had been waved, did he make the animal sacrifices that the law had ordained for this occasion. The question is this: why did the high priest wave leavened wheat loaves before God, and not unleavened loaves, like those waved at the other feasts? The answer to this question is easily deduced! Pentecost not only celebrated the giving of the law, it also celebrated the beginning of the wheat harvest in Israel. It was a celebration of the first fruits of that harvest. The very first wheat that had been harvested in the fields of Israel had been ground into flour and then baked into two leavened loaves of bread. Remember, leaven is indicative of sin in Biblical theology. That means that these two Pentecost loaves could not possible represent the Lord Jesus Christ. So, then, what did they represent? The answer is clear: they represented the church. The fact that there were two loaves, not three or four, tells of the two elements which formed the church. The church was composed of the Jewish believers and Gentile believers, alike. And the leaven in the loaves reminds us that the church is composed of fallen, sinful people. However, these two loaves were made of the finest grain and flour, representing the presence of God in His church. He is there in the person of the Holy Spirit in spite of the presence of leaven! Unfortunately, the Jews were never able to see this typology, even though it was obvious. They could not see it because they were blinded by tradition. As Jesus declared, they were blind leaders of the blind, stumbling over their own revelation. This blindness could be clearly seen when Rabbi Saul appeared on the Temple Mount to fulfill his vow. He was a circumcised Jew. He represented one of those two loaves that the priests were waving, but he was accompanied by five of those who made up the second loaf; five Gentile believers. But when these five men made their appearance on the Temple Mount, a riot erupted. Here’s what happened according to Acts 21:27-29. It says:

“And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the Temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, ‘Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teaches all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place; and further brought Greeks also into the Temple, and has polluted this holy place.’ (For at an earlier time, they had seen

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Trophimus, an Ephesian, with him in the city. Therefore, they supposed that Paul had brought him into the Temple.)” Some of the Jews from the province of Asia, probably men from the city of Ephesus, had seen Paul in the streets of Jerusalem with one of his Gentile companions, Trophimus. Apparently, these Asian Jews were personally acquainted with Trophimus, and knew that he was uncircumcised, so they assumed that Paul had taken this man into the court of Israel with him. So, these Jews from Ephesus began to shout and point at Rabbi Saul. Notice the identities of those men who were called upon to act in Acts 21:28. They called for the “men of Israel;” in other words, they called for the ultraorthodox crowd. And notice their accusations in Acts 21:28:

“He speaks against the people of Israel, the Torah, and the Temple.” How ironic! We have now come full circle. Here we see in graphic detail a principle that Paul would later describe to the Romans. That principle is this: “You will always reap what you sow.” It seems so odd that these are exactly same charges that Saul of Tarsus had once hurled against Stephen of Alexandria. Several decades had passed and now “the chickens had come home to roost.” The same charges were now being hurled against Paul. However, the greatest charge―a charge that was worse than the charge of speaking against Israel, Torah, and Temple―was the accusation that he had violated the prohibition of the stumbling block. His accusers were accusing him of having allowed the Gentile, Trophimus, to cross that balustrade (or SOREQ in Hebrew) that separated the outer court, the court of the Gentiles, from the “CHEL Rampart” where the Temple itself stood. So stern was this prohibition that even the Romans would not cross that barrier, and they allowed the Jews to put to death any Gentile who dared to do so. The stone of stumbling said this:

“No man of alien race is to enter within this balustrade that goes around the Temple; and if anyone is taken in the act let him know that he is to blame for the penalty of death that is to follow.” This was the charge that the men of Asia brought against Paul. He had abetted the violation of the sanctity of God’s Temple, and this accusation suddenly created a mob scene. The crowd all knew who this Rabbi Saul was. They knew what he was rumored as having done, so they grabbed the apostle and dragged him toward the eastern gate, and if they had managed to get him outside, they would have stoned him on the spot! There had never been a time in Paul’s life, outside Lystra, when he was closer to death than he was at that moment.

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Even the priests were terrified. They quickly closed and locked the Nicanor Gates that led into the Temple to keep the riot from spreading to the court of Israel. And even though it was the Day of Pentecost, they elected to shut down their ritual activities. They took these unusual steps because the high priest knew that the Roman commander of Jerusalem had soldiers who were watching everything that was happening from the massive towers of the Fortress Antonia. This enormous fortress stood at the northwest corner of the Temple Mount, and overlooked the entire complex. Its watchtowers soared some six stories above the Temple courts, so from the towers of the Antonia nothing was hidden from its occupants. The high priest was also aware that the Roman commander would tolerate almost anything other than civil disobedience. A riot was an unforgivable sin to any Roman. But this riot quickly got out of hand, and the commander was aware of it. The Fortress Antonia was connected to the Temple’s northernmost outer court by two flights of stairs, one on the north side and one on the east side. The commander, a man named Claudius Lysias, ordered a fully armed squad of Roman legionnaires to storm the courtyard and quell the riot, but at the last moment Claudius Lysias decided to accompany his squad into the courts. They rushed down the stairs and out into the outer court where they found Paul being brutally beaten by the mob. Commander Lysias quickly put Paul in protective custody, chaining him to two Roman legionnaires. Once Paul was secured, Claudius Lysias shouted at the crowd, “Who is this man and what has he done?” But the situation was so out of control that Claudius Lysias could not get a coherent response. So, he ordered the Roman squad to take Paul into the fortress Antonia. The legionnaires had to beat the mob away from the apostle as they fought their way back to the north-side staircase. Then, they had to physically carry Paul up the stairs. Apparently, he had been so badly beaten that he could not climb under his own power. The mob was screaming, “Kill him! Kill him!” They were crazed. And once the soldiers had all mounted the stairs, they were able to put some distance between Paul and this frenzied mob. At the top of the stairs Paul was finally able to get the attention of the Roman commander. The apostle then asked the commander if he could speak to him, personally. At this point, Paul must have been speaking in the Aramaic tongue, which was the lingua franca of the Middle East at the time. Commander Lysias asked Paul, “Do you speak Greek?” And Paul nodded that he did. The commander responded, “Then, if you can speak Greek, you can’t possibly be that Egyptian fellow who some time ago started a revolution in the desert.”

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The Egyptian to whom Claudius Lysias referred was a radical Jew from Egypt who had appeared in Jerusalem in 54 AD, some months before this episode occurred. He had been accompanied by four thousand or more radicalized armed followers. He claimed to be Israel’s long-awaited messiah, and he quickly led his people out to the Mount of Olives claiming that God was about to destroy Jerusalem’s walls and hand the city to him to rule. Most of the ardent supporters of the Egyptian belonged to an underground revolutionary group known as “the Dagger Bearers,” or “the Secarii.” They were even more fanatical than the zealot political faction that had arisen in Judea a number of years earlier. These Secarii were especially dangerous during the great feasts in Jerusalem. They would mingle with the crowds, pull their curved daggers called SICAE, and stab Roman soldiers and suspected Roman collaborators to death. At one feast, they even stabbed and killed the Jewish high priest, Jonathan. The uprising that had been led by the Egyptian to whom Claudius Lysias referred had been brutally suppressed when the Roman governor Felix arrived from Caesarea with the Tenth Roman Legion. Felix led the heavy infantry of the Tenth Legion to the apex of the Mount of Olives. There he slaughtered most of the followers of the Egyptian, but he failed to capture or kill the Egyptian, himself. This man escaped into the Judean wilderness and was never apprehended. However, this wholesale slaughter of the Secarii did not put an end to their movement. They would reappear later to instigate the final revolt against Rome in 66 AD. No wonder the Roman commander wanted to know if Paul was a member of such a radical group! However, when Paul began to speak to Claudius Lysias in impeccable Greek and stated his credentials, the commander knew that this man was neither a thug nor a revolutionary. This Jew was obviously educated and urbane, and Claudius assumed that if the Jews hated this man, he must be okay. Then, the apostle really surprised Claudius. Paul politely asked the commander if he would allow him to go back into the outer court and address the mob that had just tried to kill him. For some reason, the shocked commander agreed. So, Paul turned to the crowd and waved his hand as rabbis did when they wanted silence. And, strangely enough, the crowd grew still. Then, in the seldom-used Hebrew tongue, spoken flawlessly, Paul addressed the mob. He said this:

“Men, brothers, and fathers, listen to me as I make my defense before you…” (Acts 22:1).

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When the mob heard him speak in the Hebrew tongue they were startled. Many of them did not speak Hebrew; they only spoke Aramaic. They could see that this man was a diasporatic Jew, so they expected him to speak Greek. But this was only the beginning. In what was to follow, Paul did not argue with the crowd below, nor did he attempt to justify himself. That type of approach is always counterproductive; it never works! Instead, the apostle presented the only unanswerable defense one can offer: his own personal experience. What Paul had to say laid stress on two key points. The first was the similarities that existed between himself and his listeners. The second was the differences that existed between himself and his listeners. First, Paul laid out for the mob his Jewish credentials, which were impeccable. He said to them:

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as all of you here today” (Acts 22:3). Everybody in Jerusalem had memories of the sainted Gamaliel. He had only been dead for five years. They were aware that this teacher had been a student of one of the greatest of all the Jewish rabbis, the immortal Hillel! In fact, there were two widely known yeshivas in Jerusalem. One was the school of Hillel and the other was the school of Shammai. The school of Shammai was the more liberal of the two schools. Having been a student in the conservative school of Hillel, and having been taught by the great Gamaliel, established Paul’s Jewish credentials with the crowd. Paul then affirmed to the crowd that at one time in his life he had hated this Christ and His church. He admitted that he had attacked this movement violently, killing some of the followers of Jesus. As he put it, he persecuted them “…to the death.” He confessed that in his zeal for orthodox Judaism he had done other unthinkable acts as well. For one thing, he had arrested women and thrown them into prison. He had been zealous to the max for all things Jewish. (In fact, in Galatians 1:14, Paul stated that at this time in his life his zeal was not only for God and the law, but for the traditions of the fathers, the oral law, as well.) To prove what he had said was true he turned the attention of the mob to the Sanhedrin records. In Acts 22:5 Paul says:

“As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders, from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to

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Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, to be punished.” In other words, to verify all that Paul had said, all anyone had to do was this: check the Sanhedrin’s files. These files would show that he had once been an agent of the Sanhedrin. His portfolio included the elimination of those who dared to threaten Temple and Torah, especially the followers of the Nazarene. That was what he shared in common with all of them. Then, he proceeded to discuss what made him different from them. He told them that one day, quite unexpectedly, he had discovered the fact that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, was indeed the long-awaited Messiah, the anointed one of Israel. He had refused to believe this because he thought Jesus was dead. He believed that Jesus had been killed by the Romans and he knew that the Jews could not possibly have a dead Messiah. How could a dead Messiah liberate Israel? But then, on the road to Damascus, Paul affirmed, he had discovered for himself that this Jesus was not dead; He was alive because He had appeared to Paul. In I Corinthians 9:1, Paul tells the complete story. He reveals to us that he had “seen” the risen Christ while he lay in the dust of the Damascus Road. And in II Corinthians 4:6, he further states that when he saw the risen Lord, he witnessed “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in His face.” But not only did he see Him; according to Acts 22:7, he heard the risen Christ speak as well. It was noon and there was a flash of light and voice from heaven saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you?” And the voice answered, “I am Jesus of Nazareth.” Saul could have said, “I’ve never persecuted you, Jesus of Nazareth. I have never even seen you before.” But that did not happen. Saul of Tarsus knew that the voice was right, so he did not deny his own guilt. What Paul was really saying to the mob in the Temple that day was this: His encounter with the risen Lord was orchestrated by Christ, Himself. Paul wanted this mob to know that he had nothing to do with what had happened to him, and he did not. In fact, in Philippians 3:12, Paul clearly states that he had not been attracted to Christ; he had not made a decision to follow Christ. He says, “I am apprehended of Christ Jesus…” (KJV) or as the NAS version translates it: “I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ.” In other words, Christ pursued him until He arrested him. And the same is true of all of us. There is not a one of us who set out one day to find Christ. All believers were apprehended by Him. He pursues believers. The grace of Jesus Christ has that quality. It’s like a predatory cat that stalks its prey, and when you least expect it, grace leaps on you and it is so powerful that

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it is hard to resist. That was what happened to Paul. And when he was apprehended by grace, he had a personal encounter with the risen Christ Himself. And the apostle knew something else as well. Remember, Saul of Tarsus was a theologian and student of the Torah, so he knew that Jesus Christ had not died a normal death. He had died an accursed death. He had died on a tree, cursed by God. But this is where the doctrine of the resurrection enters the picture. Jesus had subsequently risen from the dead. To Paul that meant Jesus Christ had now effectively annulled the curse of the law (see Galatians 3:10-14). So, it was there in the dust of the Damascus Road that everything suddenly began to make sense to Saul. The law declared, “Someone sinned, so someone must die!” Obviously, since God has allowed Jesus to die on an accursed tree, this is God’s way of saying that Jesus died with the sin of the world on his own righteous head. Jesus had taken upon Himself the curse of sin, which is death. But now that Christ had risen in majesty from the realm of death, the curse of sin had been broken once and for all. However, Paul didn’t stop here as he addressed the mob. He told them of the events that had transpired at the house of Judas in Damascus and about the intervention of the prophet Ananias, including the prophecy that Ananias had spoken over him. Everything was fine up to this point. Paul had diffused the mob, but then he went too far. He told them of the divinely ordained assignment that he had received in the Temple some twelve years later, to take the good news to the Gentiles. When the apostle mentioned the Gentiles all hell broke loose again. The very mention of the word “Gentile” sent the crowd back into a mad rage. The truth is this: most of us do not understand the real issue when it comes to Jews and Gentiles. The mob did not turn violent again simply because Paul said that he had preached to the Gentiles. They did not care about that. What riled the crowd was the rumor that Paul had offered to Gentile people the privileges that only the covenant people, Israel, had historically enjoyed, and he did so without first having these Gentiles circumcised. If Paul had just preached the yoke of Judaism like most other rabbis, everything would have been okay. In other words, it was Paul’s emphasis on grace, placing it above “the yoke of the law” that inflamed the Jerusalem community. That was the difference between Paul and those who sought to kill him. It boiled down to law and grace; to legalism and liberty. Paul saw Jesus Christ as being the savior of all men, and he saw God as being the lover of every man, woman, and child in the world, while the average Jerusalem Jew saw God as being the lover of the Jews and no one else. Paul wanted to see the blessings of Abraham

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extended to people everywhere, while the Jews wanted the blessings of Abraham to be theirs alone. Remember, Paul understood his opponents’ mind set. He had once been one of them. Paul had thought like they thought, but on the road to Damascus he had been changed. Notice, he did not change himself; he had been changed. He had come face to face with the risen Christ, and that encounter had changed his way of thinking. The apostle now saw people as Christ saw them, not through the bias of sectarian religious theologizing, but through the eyes of love. Religion has always created biases. People become censorious and proud of their religious standing. Religion allows people to fit things into nice little boxes labeled “dos” and “don’ts”, and soon those “dos” and “don’ts” are considered to be God’s “dos” and “don’ts.” And anyone who refuses to accept those “dos” and “don’ts” is rejected as being spiritually inferior. This process corrupts the heart with pride. The true inner hearts of those religious people railing at Paul that day in Jerusalem were revealed by the words they shouted at Paul’s Roman protectors. They said, “Away with him! Kill him! He’s not fit to live!” Their religious biases had raised murder in their hearts. They were insane with rage. In fact, in Acts 22:23 we read:

“They were screaming and waving their clothes and throwing dust into the air.” (TEV) That was insane behavior, and it was all done in the name of God. Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander was in a quandary. The situation had about spun out of control. He could not afford a major bloodletting at this Pentecost feast. At any rate, his small detachment could not control the number of Jews that had come to Jerusalem for the feast. He thought, “Maybe if I just punish this fellow in some way, it will calm this mob.” So, he ordered Paul to be taken into the Fortress Antonia to be scourged. An officer was assigned to the task. But as they dragged the apostle into the open courtyard of the fortress and began to tie his hands, Paul turned to the officer in charge of the scourging and asked, “Is it lawful for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried for a crime?” No doubt, a hush fell over the entire fortress. The apostle’s words probably shocked the officer in charge nearly to death. He rushed to the head of the stairs where Claudius Lysias was standing. The commander was probably explaining his plan to the mob. But he blanched when the duty office rushed up and whispered in his ear, “Are you aware that the man we are about to scourge is a Roman citizen?” I would have loved to hear the rest of their conversation.

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The duty officer probably went on to whisper something like this to the commander:

“Sir, we could be executed for beating a citizen, because as the great Cicero has written, ‘It is a misdeed for a Roman citizen to be bound; it is a crime for him to be beaten, to kill a roman citizen is almost as bad as murdering one’s father.’” Claudius Lysias raced down the stairs; he grabbed Paul and asked him, “Are you really a Roman citizen?” Paul nodded! Of course, Claudius knew that anyone could claim citizenship, so he began to interrogate Paul. He asked the apostle how he got his citizenship; in fact, Claudius Lysias said this to Paul: “I purchased my citizenship. How did you get yours?” Paul replied:

“I was born a citizen; I have been free from birth…” Claudius must have trembled when he heard those words. the eyes of Roman law, this man Paul was superior to him! could suddenly see that if he did not handle this situation position as commander of the Jerusalem garrison just might

This meant that in And Claudius Lysias with kid gloves, his go down the tubes.

The first thing Claudius Lysias did was to loose Paul’s bonds immediately. After that was accomplished, the issue became this: what should he do with this man? Paul could not be released. A Roman citizen could not be released to be lynched by a mob of fanatics. So, he decided to keep Paul in protective custody inside the Antonia for the night. The next morning, determined to resolve this situation once and for all, Claudius Lysias ordered the entire Sanhedrin Council to meet in an emergency session, which they quickly did. Within the hour, the council members had gathered inside the Chamber of Hewn Stones across the north side of the outer court of the Temple from the Fortress Antonia. Claudius Lysias assigned an entire company of soldiers to escort Paul across the outer court to the porches, and there would be no repeat of the actions of the previous day. The apostle arrived at the Chamber safely. Standing in front of the Council of Seventy, he was given the opportunity to speak. Luke says that the apostle Paul looked straight into the eyes of the council members and said to them, “My brothers…” That was not the usual greeting when an accused man addressed this council. A defendant would usually say, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel…” When this accused man said, “My brothers,” it must have infuriated some of those on

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the council. But those words especially infuriated the high priest, Ananias. Who did this man Paul think he was? He had dared to put himself on the same level with them, as their equal, and he was no such thing. The tension quickly filled the pavilion; then Paul said to them, “I have done nothing wrong.” His actual words were, “My conscience is perfectly clear about my whole life before God…” That did it. The high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin was furious. How dare this rabble-rouser refer to Israel’s high priest as his brother? Everyone knew that this fellow was a religious deviate. He could not possibly have a clear conscience. So the high priest ordered someone to slap Paul on his mouth, and someone did. But Paul was not an ordinary person. He did not take this insult lying down. He shouted these words at Ananias:

“God will certainly strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge according to the law, yet you break the law by ordering them to strike me.” (Acts 23:3, TEV) The law to which the apostle was referring was this one: “He who strikes the cheek of an Israelite strikes, as it were, the glory of God.” The accusation that Ananias was a whitewashed wall was an accusation that everyone in the pavilion understood. One of the worst things any Israelite could do was accidentally touch a tomb. It would render them ceremonially unclean, ritually impure. As a result, people would whitewash the front of tombs so that they wouldn’t be touched by mistake. Therefore, the tomb was white on the outside, but it was defiled on the inside, filled with putrefaction and death. And that was an apt description of Ananias. He was widely known to be a glutton, a thief, and stooge of Rome. He was rotten to the core. His beautiful, bejeweled high-priestly robes could not hide his degradation, and Paul knew this.

The Sanhedrin members standing nearest to Paul said to him, “You are insulting God’s high priest…” And Paul responded by saying this: “I did not know, my brothers, that he was the high priest. For the scripture says, ‘You must not speak evil of the rulers of your people’” (Acts 23:5). Do not be deceived; Paul knew that Ananias was the high priest. He was once a member of this council himself. He knew that the high priest always presided over a meeting of the Sanhedrin. So, the apostle had spoken these words “tongue-in-cheek.” He was mocking this whitewashed tomb that was charading as a man of God and as a ruler of Israel. What the apostle was really saying was this: “How did a man like this ever come to be called a high priest of God’s chosen people? This fellow is a joke.” And Paul was not alone in his low opinion

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of this most corrupt of all high priests. Many people hated this man. In fact, soon after this incident, he was killed by a group of Jewish zealots. So, Paul was only verbalizing what a lot of other people were thinking privately. But Paul’s honestly would cost him dearly. The group that he was facing at the moment belonged in the high priest’s back pocket. The apostle was going to have a very hard time with the Sanhedrin if he could not find a way to swing the tide in his favor quickly. Suddenly, Paul made a decision. He decided to approach his dilemma in a way that could have gotten him torn to shreds and it very nearly did. What he decided to do was this: divide and conquer. Since the apostle had served on this very council, he knew that the Sanhedrin Council was badly split. There were two sides: the Sadducee party and the Pharisee party. The apostle also knew that the only thing that these two groups could agree upon at that moment was their mutual hatred of him. So the apostle decided to play one group against the other. There were four major areas of difference between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Paul exploited all four of them that day. In the first place, since Paul himself was a Pharisee, he was more than aware that the Pharisee movement strongly upheld the absolute sanctity of the oral law of Moses. On the other hand, he knew that the Sadducee party totally rejected that same oral law. The Sadducees only accepted the Torah, the written Law of Moses, as having authority. In the second place, the apostle knew that the Pharisees on the Sanhedrin Council were all predestinarians while the Sadducees firmly believed in free will. In the third place, the apostle knew that the Pharisees believed in a hierarchically arranged spirit realm filled with angels and demons, a concept that the Sadducees rejected totally. But most of all, the apostle knew that the Pharisees believed in the future physical resurrection of the bodies of those who had died, while the Sadducees did not! So, Paul quickly tried to turn this trial into a contest between the beliefs of the Pharisees, on the one hand, and the beliefs of the Sadducees, on the other. He launched his plot by saying this to the council:

“I am on trial here because I hope that the dead will be raised to life” (Acts 23:6). In other words, he makes it appear that he is really being tried for his Pharisee beliefs. How totally ingenious this was! In fact, Acts 23:7 tells us this: “As soon as he said this the Pharisees and the Sadducees started to

quarrel and the group was divided.”

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It’s unbelievable that such a simple plan could possibly work, but it did! A violent argument ensued between the two parties. Soon the idea of the resurrection was on trial, not Paul. The Sadducees were soon whipped into a frenzy; the very idea that the dead could be raised was ludicrous to them; it defied human reason. To them, the Pharisees were theological neophytes. At the same time, the Pharisees were screaming at the Sadducees, accusing them of gross theological ignorance. All the while, the apostle watched this struggle with a crooked grin. After a time, several of the Pharisee leaders had heard enough. They shouted to the others for silence. They pointed to Paul and said this:

“We cannot find anything wrong with this man! Perhaps an angel really did speak to him!” (Acts 23:9). The reference here, of course, was to Paul’s statement to the mob the day before, when he was sharing with them his experience with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. These Pharisees were not yet ready to admit that his experience was real. They thought it was probably not Jesus that Paul saw that day. As far as they were concerned, Jesus of Nazareth was dead, and what Paul had seen was perhaps an angel. That statement from the minority Pharisees did it for the majority group, the Sadducees. The argument erupted once again, this time with even greater rancor, and this time things began to grow violent. Claudius Lysias, watching from the court of the Gentiles, became concerned that the apostle might be killed in this melee, so he ordered a squad of soldiers to go into the Chamber of Hewn Stones and rescue the apostle. Isn’t it odd that Paul had proven to be no safer in the supreme court of his people than he had been with a lynch mob the day before? This was religion at its best. The armed Roman soldiers dashed into the Chamber and seized Paul, and quickly led him back into the safety of the Antonia fortress. Certainly, the apostle recognized how close he had come to death, both in the riot and in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. I think these close calls had a traumatic effect on Paul. It was not because he was afraid of dying; this man was not afraid of death! Remember, he believed that he was dead already. The reason he was so deeply troubled by his experiences related to the fact that he did not feel that his calling had been completed. For one thing, he had not yet taken the gospel message to Rome. He had not yet shared his testimony with the emperor, so there was still unfinished business to be done before he died. But it would never be finished if he failed to make it out of Jerusalem alive.

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However, the book of Acts lets us see that the apostle Paul was only wasting his emotional energy being concerned. Even though it may have been hard to imagine, God was in charge of everything that had been occurring in the city of Jerusalem. In fact, that night the risen Christ came to Paul, and this visitation was not in the form of a vision. It was an actual visitation. When the risen Christ appeared, He assured Paul that his ministry was not finished. God had a purpose for Paul, and that purpose was this: he was destined to preach the gospel of Christ in Rome. Since that was God’s purpose, there was nothing on earth that would stop that purpose. It was as if the Lord was saying to him, “I have a purpose for you, Paul, and you cannot die until my purpose for you has been completed. Don’t worry.” Now, I know about the issue of purpose in a personal way. Over the years I have lived my life based on certain understandings that God has revealed to me concerning the divine purpose for my existence. Some of these understandings are as follows: 1. God is a God who first and foremost makes plans and establishes purposes. 2. God planned this world, then He created it just as He had planned; therefore, everything in this world has a purpose and that includes me. 3. Since I am not all-knowing, I do not always know the purpose of God concerning me. 4. If I want to know God’s purpose for me at any given time, I do not ask some other person, and I do not even ask myself; I ask God. Since He is my maker, He knows my purpose. 5. I must ask God to reveal His purposes, because I do not always know what the purposes of God are. So, I tend to pursue purposes other than those purposes for which I was designed. When I do this, I hurt myself. 6. When I get myself in a broken condition by doing things I was not designed to do, I must use the repair manual God has provided to help me get my broken condition fixed: that repair manual is His Holy Word. Paul understood all six of these principles; he knew there was a purpose for his life, and he believed that the Lord Himself had come to him in the night to reveal God’s purposes to him, personally. And what the risen Lord said to Paul was this:

“You are not going to die in Jerusalem. You are going to Rome to bear witness to me” (Acts 23:11). Let me assure you of this: Satan will always resist the purpose of God with all his might, as he did in this situation that developed in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. In fact, it would take the full extent of the power of God and the prayers of Paul to bring God’s purpose about in this situation.

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To thwart the plan of God in Paul's life, Satan inspired a group of men to hatch a dastardly plot in the Temple precincts. Satan brought together powerful forces, forty men in all, and all of them agreed that Rabbi Saul was not going to be allowed to continue to corrupt the traditional faith of Judaism. These forty men committed their very lives to stopping the mission of Paul. The way these men planned to stop the mission of Paul was to kill the apostle. They were so determined to do this that they all vowed that they would not eat or drink until Rabbi Saul was dead. To us, of course, this looks like a full-fledged murder plot, but it did not look that way to many first-century Jews. Under certain circumstances, the Jewish faith allowed people to kill legally. For example, if it was determined that a man represented a danger to the public morals, the Jewish law simply stated that he could be eliminated. Apparently, it was this law to which the group of forty appealed in their vow to execute Paul. They obviously considered Paul to be a threat to the nation’s moral fabric. So, the forty men devoted themselves to this vow to kill Paul. This vow was most interesting. Vows of this nature were called CHEREMS in Hebrew. If a man swore a CHEREM, he would say, “May God Himself curse me if I fail to do this or that…” The plot these forty men devised was actually quite simple. They agreed to send a messenger from the high priest to the Roman commander, Claudius Lysias, asking him to bring Paul back to the Chamber of Hewn Stones for another emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin Council. The messenger would tell him that the council needed more information about this man from Tarsus before they could render a just decision. Then, as the guards escorted the apostle across the Court of the Gentiles, the forty would be lying in wait. They would spring from their cover, surprising the Romans, and kill Paul on the spot. Naturally, a few of them would die, but so what? Judaism would be saved. But as we have already seen, this plot was doomed to failure. God had other things in mind. The question that always comes to my mind when I read this narrative is this: where was the church in Jerusalem during this riot and its aftermath? Where was James? Why were he and the church not doing something to help Paul? Why is there no mention of a prayer meeting taking place? Remember, when Peter was in prison, the church gathered to pray. So, what was going on here? I can tell you what was going on; fear was going on. The church in Jerusalem was afraid to get involved in this. After all, persecution might be leveled against them if they interfered. We Christians should always be aware of what the emotion of fear really is. Fear is no more or less than faith in our enemy; that is what fear really is, and the Jerusalem church was paralyzed by fear. In fact, the church was too paralyzed to act, so God had to raise up someone with enough

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courage to deliver his chosen vessel, and the person that God raised up was a very young boy. I am glad that Luke has included this story in the book of Acts. It not only shows how God works, but it also sheds a lot of new light on Paul’s past. Acts 23:16 states:

“But the son of Paul’s sister heard of the plot; so he went and entered the fort and told it to Paul.” First, let’s look at what this verse tells us about Paul’s family. You may recall that earlier in this study I argued that the insane hatred Saul of Tarsus held toward the fledgling church prior to his conversion related to this fact: members of his own family had believed upon Jesus. It is possible that his own sister, with whom he may have lived while he attended the YESHIVA of Hillel, had become a follower of Jesus Christ. In Saul’s mind, he probably thought that his family had been seduced by some cultic group. Romans 16:7 establishes what that family relationship and their connection to Jesus may have been. There, Paul writes: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are of note among the apostles, who were in Christ before me.” The lady named Junia may have been the sister of the apostle that lived in Jerusalem. At any rate, Paul affirms here that members of his family were in Christ before he was; that means that they began to follow Christ prior to 35 AD. In fact, according to Paul, these family members were acquaintances of the twelve apostles, all of whom were in Jerusalem at that time. So his immediate family had to have been living in Jerusalem prior to his conversion. The presence of the nephew and sister of Paul in Jerusalem lends credibility to this argument. We do not know exactly how the apostle’s nephew learned of this plot. We only know that he learned of the plot and that he went directly to Paul with the news. After hearing the story, Paul took his nephew to Claudius Lysias to inform the commander of this deathly conspiracy. Claudius immediately grasped the gravity of the situation; he was more concerned than ever for the safety of Paul. But to his credit, he was concerned for the safety of the young boy, as well. So, he instructed the boy to slip out of the Antonia and to tell no one that he had seen or spoken to Claudius Lysias or to anyone else. At this point, the commander decided to bring this whole episode to an end. He told his centurions to assemble two squadrons of soldiers, two hundred men in

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all, and take Paul to the relative safety of Caesarea Maritima. He told the centurions to prepare two hundred additional spearmen and seventy cavalry men to accompany their two squadrons. He told the centurions to have the entire detachment ready to depart from Jerusalem by nine o'clock that evening. His goal was clear: he planned to transfer Paul to the care of the governor of Caesarea, Antonius Felix, who was headquartered in Caesarea Maritima. Naturally, an excursion of this size, one that involved four hundred seventy soldiers, was a rather expensive operation. The question is this: why would a Roman military commander go to all this trouble for one Jew? There were two reasons. In the first place, Claudius Lysias was concerned that Jewish radicals would gather in Jerusalem and attempt to storm the Antonia in order to kill the apostle. In the second place, the man in his custody was a Roman citizen. Roman citizens were not allowed to be lynched, so no expense was spared in protecting the apostle. Before the troops were dispatched, Claudius Lysias wrote a letter to Governor Felix. This correspondence is recorded in Acts 23:26-30. In the letter to the governor, the commander explained the situation that had developed in Jerusalem. It reads as follows:

“Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting. This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed by them; then I came with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause for which they accused him, I took him into their council; Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to you, and gave the command to his accusers also to say before you what they had against him. Farewell.” With the letter written and sealed, the soldiers exited the Antonia at 9:00 that evening under the cover of darkness. Paul, himself, rode upon a horse. The company made their way down the Kidron, then turned northwest across the crest of Mount Scopus toward the upper Beth Horon Pass. Once there, they marched down the Pass to lower Beth Horon and entered the coastal plain. That first night they traveled some twenty-five miles, stopping in the fortified town of Antipatris, in the area of modern Tel Aviv, Israel. From there the foot soldiers turned back to Antonia. Paul and his mounted escort then continued up the coastal road to Caesarea.

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There is a reason that Claudius Lysias decided to send this detachment of two hundred seasoned Roman foot soldiers on the first leg of this journey. The commander was well aware of the topography between Jerusalem and Antipatris. This area is very rugged and ideal for ambushes. So, he sent along the spearmen and infantry to beat back any surprise attacks by the radicals. But the road from Antipatris to Caesarea has always been flat and not suited to surprise attacks, so the foot soldiers were no longer necessary. After these foot soldiers turned back, the party made rapid progress, arriving in Caesarea in only a few hours. Once there, Paul was released to Governor Felix, who was then given the letter that had been written by Claudius. The exchange took place in the praetorium, the winter court of the palace that had been built near the harbor by Herod the Great. Because Felix was present when Paul was delivered to him, Felix read the letter written by Claudius Lysias in Paul’s presence. When he had finished reading, Felix took time to ask Paul which Roman province he called home and Paul answered, “Cilicia.” The governor then told Paul that he would hear his statement later, after his accusers had been summoned to Caesarea to appear in his court. This man, Antonius Felix, was a fascinating character. He had actually begun his life as a slave as did his older brother Pallas. By some strange historical twist, Pallas had managed to become a friend of Claudius, the future Roman emperor. The story of their acquaintanceship must have been quite fascinating. At any rate, when Claudius became emperor he freed Pallas. Then, shortly thereafter at Pallas’ request, Emperor Claudius also freed Felix. Several years passed, and for some reason, Claudius decided to promote Felix to the position of governor of Samaria. This was one of the lowliest provinces in the entire Roman Empire, but that did not matter to Felix. This appointment caused him to become the first former slave ever to be the governor of a Roman province. Felix governed Samaria for two years before being promoted to the position of governor of the province of Judea. Felix served in this capacity for five years, but this promotion of a former slave was an unmitigated disaster. The management style of Felix proved to be frightful. He made a mess of everything he touched, especially Jewish-Roman relations. His decisions aroused the zealots from all over Judea. Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote, “Felix exercised the prerogatives of a king with the spirit of a slave,” and so he did. When Nero ascended to the imperial throne, he was not as taken with Felix as Claudius had been, and for once Nero was right. The decisions Felix had made had been so cruel and thoughtless that they provoked thousands of Jewish men to join the zealot guerilla movement. Word of what was occurring in Judea quickly got back to Rome.

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Then things went from bad to worse. At the same time that Paul was being delivered to Caesarea, Felix had arranged a meeting with the leader of the zealot movement, a man whose name was Eleazar, and all of his lieutenants! Felix had promised the zealots that if they would come and meet with him in Caesarea, he would assure all of them safe conduct. But as soon as the zealots arrived in Caesarea, he placed them under arrest and shipped them away to Rome to stand trial. Not content with this act of treachery, Felix then launched a series of raids on the zealot headquarters, killing every zealot he could find along with their sympathizers. Thousands were crucified or imprisoned. But all Felix actually succeeded in doing by all this duplicity was to further stir up Jewish nationalistic fervor. This fervor even infected the Roman-supporting Jews of Caesarea. Jews everywhere were galvanized by their common hatred of Felix. If we add to all these problems the fact that Felix had married a woman named Drusilla, the sister of King Agrippa, gasoline was poured on the fire. This woman was an adulteress. She had been the wife of the king of Emesa when she first met Felix, but Felix had been able to persuaded Drusilla to leave her husband and marry him. This adulterous relationship really disturbed Jewish sensibilities. Fights broke out in the streets between Jewish and Syrian elements in the city, and Felix had to break up this civil unrest with force; in fact, he broke up the riot with more force than was necessary, and once again a massacre occurred. All of these events transpired during the period of time that Paul was being held under arrest in Caesarea. Clearly, the question of what to do with Paul was not the only problem that Felix had to answer while governing Judea. The trial of Paul began five days after he first arrived in Caesarea. At that time Ananias, the high priest, had been able to answer the summons of Felix to appear at the palace in Caesarea. Once there, Ananias planned to see that three accusations were leveled against the apostle. But Ananias would not present the charges himself. He brought with him a high-powered lawyer whose name was Tertullus to argue the case. When the trial began, Tertullus introduced the charges against Paul. He began his opening statements with words that almost nauseate me. It was flattery at its most brazen, and Tertullus and Felix both knew that what he was saying was a barefaced lie. The text of Acts states:

“Tertullus began to accuse Paul saying, ‘seeing that under you we (meaning the Jews) enjoy great quietness and seeing that by your provision worthy deeds are done for this nation, and all of us receive it,

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most noble Felix, with all thankfulness; I do not want to bore you with mundane things, but I ask you to hear a few words from us.’” (My translation of Acts 24:2-4) Remember this fact: the man that Tertullus was so desperately attempting to flatter by stating that his record was filled with “worthy deeds” was soon going to be stripped of his office for malfeasance. The odd thing is, he would be stripped of his office by what may have been the most corrupt emperor that the Roman Empire ever produced, Nero. If the ethics of Felix could disgust a person as corrupt as Nero, then Felix had to have been a totally repulsive human being. But none of these character flaws of Felix were mentioned by Tertullus; he spoke in glowing terms of the things that Felix had done for the Jewish people: he called them “necessary reforms” and treated Felix as if he had been a national hero. However, these lies were only a prelude to a long list of untruths which Tertullus would manufacture in an attempt to see that Paul was executed. One of these lies is found in Acts 24:6. There, Tertullus told Felix that Paul had been arrested by the Temple authorities, not a Roman rescue team. As we have seen, the book of Acts makes it clear that the Temple authorities never attempted to “arrest” Paul; they tried to “lynch” him. Having painted this distorted picture, Tertullus then listed the charges that he and the high priest were pressing against Paul. They were three in number: First, he said that Paul had initiated a number of riots, not only in Jerusalem, but all over the world. Next, he said that Paul was the leader of a large and growing insurrectionist movement. And, finally, he said that Paul had defiled the Temple of the Jews. These charges had been specially prepared by Tertullus to get the full attention of Felix, and they did get his attention, even though they were outright lies. Each of these charges involved some level of civil disorder, and they were serious charges. The Roman government would permit a lot of things to happen in its various provinces, but it would not stand for any kind of civil disorder. The leaders of Rome feared civil unrest. They governed an empire so large that even the smallest spark could ignite a conflagration. So, each of the charges, but especially the charge that Paul had started riots in a variety of places, was a very serious accusation in the eyes of Felix, and in the eyes of any other Roman magistrate. Felix was also forced to take seriously the charge that Paul had messianic connections. Felix knew the chaos that messianic movements had generated in Judea over the years. Time and time again, the appearance of messianic figures in Judea had started uprisings that had to be put down with bloodshed.

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However, even the charge that Paul had desecrated the Jewish Temple deeply troubled Felix. Although the Temple meant little to him, Felix could not afford to ignore such an accusation. This was because the religious leaders of Judea were mainly Sadducees, and the Sadducees were the Romans' major collaborators, so Felix could not afford to lose this pro-Roman ally of his government, especially in light of his arrest of Eleazar and the other zealots. Knowing all of this, Tertullus felt secure in the fact that his appeal would persuade Felix to execute Paul. However, Paul had two things going for him. In the first place, the apostle was a Roman citizen, which afforded him a number of civil rights, including the right to defend himself. In the second place, the prosecution had presented no witnesses to testify against the apostle. So, in Acts 24:10, Felix turned to Paul and motioned for him to begin his defense against these charges. As the apostle spoke, he did not engage in the same kind of flamboyant rhetoric that had been displayed by Tertullus. He simply stated the facts in his case without the use of self-pity or bitterness. He addressed these charges in the same order in which they had been presented by Tertullus. He admitted to the governor that he had indeed been in Jerusalem at the time of his arrest, just as his accusers had stated. He indicated that twelve days earlier he had left Caesarea Maritima for the Mountain of God “to worship” God in his Temple. After he arrived, he did not start a riot in the courts of his God. The apostle indicated to Felix that he had not done a single thing “to stir up the people.” He suggested that simple logic would dictate that he had not had enough time to prepare an insurrection. The apostle also indicated that Tertullus had offered no evidence that he (Paul) had any part in the civil disorder that erupted on the Temple Mount, since there had been no witnesses. Of course, the apostle did not dispute the second charge that Tertullus had made against him. He fully agreed with the charge. He was, indeed, a believer in Jesus Christ, and to set the record straight for Felix, the apostle plainly affirmed his allegiance to the risen Christ. In Acts 24:14, he states:

“I do admit this to you: I worship the God of our ancestors by following that Way which they (meaning his accusers) say is false” (TEV). Later, Luke tells us that Felix was not the least bit ignorant of the beliefs of those who followed the Way. He writes that Felix was “well informed.” But having now confessed his faith in Christ, Paul carefully established his commitment to the truth of the Jewish Torah and the prophetic canon. He wanted to make it clear to the governor that he was not an iconoclast. He was

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not out to destroy the institutions or rituals of Judaism. As a part of his answer to this second charge of Tertullus, Paul mentioned his real reason for having been in Jerusalem. The reason was two-fold. In the first place, he told Felix, he had gone to Jerusalem to bring money for the poor in Judea. And in the second place, he had come to “present offerings” in the Temple. The only thing Paul did not tell Felix was that the money he had brought with him to Jerusalem was not for all the poor in that city. It was, in fact, for the Christian poor. Then, when Paul mentioned that he also went up to Jerusalem to present offerings to his God, there was a reason for this as well. He was laying the foundation to answer the third charge of Tertullus. The question was this: why would a man who wanted to defame the Temple go there to present offerings and why had he spent so much time being purified if he came to damage the Temple? With these points covered, the apostle witnessed to Felix that it was not his intention to stir up any problems while he was in Jerusalem. He merely went there to practice the ancient rites of his people. He told the governor that it was Jews from the province of Asia that had created the disturbance on the Temple platform. Then Paul brought home his strongest argument. He said to Felix regarding these Asian Jews: “They are the ones who ought to have been here before you and object if they had anything against me” (Acts 24:19). The failure of these Jews to appear at this hearing, Paul argued, demonstrated that they could not substantiate the claim that he was the one who had started the Jerusalem riot by bringing an uncircumcised Gentile past the stumbling stone in the outer court. You can be sure that Paul scored heavily on this point with the governor. However, the apostle was not yet through challenging the two Sanhedrin leaders that had come down from Jerusalem to indict him. He informed Felix that the Sanhedrin was angry with him (Paul) for one reason: it was because of his belief in the resurrection of the dead. In the first place, he knew that this challenge would put the Pharisees that were present that day in a real bind. This was the case, because if they continued to accuse Paul, they would have to deny the resurrection of the dead, one of the central doctrinal stances of the Pharisee party. In the second place, the Sadducees were in a dilemma as well, because if they responded to Paul’s challenge, it would reveal to the Romans the cleavage that existed theologically within the Sanhedrin. So, there was no rebuttal from the prosecution, either.

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At that point, everyone present turned to Felix for a decision. It must have been a very pregnant moment. All eyes must have been fixed on the governor. What would his decision be? Would this thorn in the side of ritual Judaism, Rabbi Saul, the apostle Paul, finally be silenced? In time, a decision was rendered. Felix’s determination was this: he decided that he would not decide. He simply chose to suspend the proceedings until he could hear the testimony of the Jerusalem garrison commander, Claudius Lysias. He knew that this man, Claudius Lysias, would be a reliable eyewitness to the events in question. But as far as the text of Acts is concerned, Claudius Lysias was never called to testify before Felix, and the truth of the matter is this: Claudius Lysias could not have added a single thing to the proceedings against Paul. He could neither prove nor disprove the allegations against the apostle. In fact, Felix could have and should have discharged the apostle on the spot, because Tertullus certainly did not establish any of the accusations that he had brought against Paul. Some scholars have suggested that Felix hesitated to release Paul for personal reasons. Earlier in the proceedings, Felix had heard Paul mention the fact that he had come to Jerusalem with a large sum of money for the relief of the poor in Jerusalem, so the governor probably assumed that the apostle was independently wealthy, or had followers that were rich. He may have assumed that the apostle or his friends would be willing to pay a large bribe to gain his freedom. But as we all know, Paul had no money of his own, and so no bribe was forthcoming. All we know is that Paul remained under house arrest in Caesarea Maritima for the next two years, and during this time Paul would meet with Felix face to face on other occasions. One of these meetings occurred several short months after his trial, but this meeting was not an actual court proceeding. According to the Western Text, an early fifth-century Greek version of the Bible, this particular meeting was of a personal nature and was requested by Drusilla, the nineteenyear-old wife of Felix. On the surface, at least, this request seems rather odd. Why would a powerful Roman governor’s wife, the daughter of King Herod Agrippa I, request an audience with an imprisoned rabbi, especially one associated with a messianic movement? The answer to this question may be found in the personal life of Drusilla. History demonstrates that this was a very troubled and confused young woman. She was devoutly Jewish, but at this point her moral life was in chaos. She had already been betrothed to one man, but she was married to another man; then she had divorced that man and was now married to a pagan Roman governor who was utterly despised by her people.

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It is apparent to me that this young woman had packed an entire lifetime of abhorrent living into her nineteen short years on earth. Apparently, she wanted to be able to speak to Paul so that he could help her redirect this mess she called a life. No doubt, she had heard the news that the Lord Jesus Christ, the God that Paul worshipped, could offer people a new start in life. As we have already suggested, her husband, Felix, who may have been a pagan, was not totally ignorant of the claims of Christianity. In fact, the text of Acts states that Felix had “a more perfect understanding of the Way” (Acts 24:22). The question is this: a more perfect understanding than what or who? I believe that Luke was affirming that Felix had a more perfect knowledge of the Christian faith than the average Jew in Judea! So, how did a pagan Roman governor like Felix gain such knowledge? It may have come from his wife Drusilla. Drusilla appears to have investigated the claims of Jesus of Nazareth in an effort to make some sense of her life, and then shared the things that she had learned with her pagan husband. However, she must have wanted to know more, and so she turned to the most brilliant of all the followers of Jesus Christ at that time, the great apostle Paul. Perhaps he could explain this new faith to her in more depth. No doubt, she saw this audience with the apostle as an opportunity for a fresh start in life for both of them. When Paul appeared before Felix and Drusilla, the governor opened the proceedings by asking the apostle to discuss “his faith in Christ” with them, according to Acts 24:24. We can rest assured that Paul leaped at this opportunity. But in my opinion, Paul exercised bad judgment in his presentation. What I mean by that is this: rather than sticking to the unique claims of Christ and focusing on the grace of God, Paul lapsed into a discussion of personal holiness (righteousness) and “the judgment to come.” This presentation virtually scared Felix to death. The text says, “Felix trembled.” We might say that Paul almost scared the toga off of Felix. The fact that Paul resorted to fear in his presentation to Felix and Drusilla is deeply disturbing to me! Using scare tactics has always been counterproductive. It produces scared disciples, and I have found that scared disciples are often worthless disciples. Our Lord carefully avoided scare tactics as an evangelistic tool. When Jesus spoke of the judgment to come, He never addressed those who had not yet come to the faith. In every instance, when Jesus addressed the issue of the judgment to come, He spoke only to His disciples, and he did so privately. In other words, He took them aside. One reason that Jesus did not resort to fear to enlist disciples was because His gospel is based upon faith, and faith and fear are totally incompatible qualities. In fact, in the word of God, fear is always associated with sin. Faith, on the

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other hand, is not associated with sin; it counteracts sin. The primary evidence of the presence of human sin is fear. The very first words that were ever spoken by a fallen human being on this earth were uttered in the Garden of Eden by Father Adam. He said, “…I was afraid!” But even though Adam was filled with fear, this fear did not turn him to God, nor would it turn Felix to God. The governor may have “trembled,” but he did not come to faith. Paul should have remained focused on the concept of grace as he witnessed to Felix. Better than any man alive, Paul knew that salvation comes when grace interacts with faith. However, in this instance he resorted to a message that tended to replace grace with fear, and when he did, the moment was lost, and Felix was lost, perhaps eternally. What a sad commentary. I am not suggesting that this approach was not at least partially successful. Felix did say to Paul,

“Go your own way for now; at a convenient time I will call for you” (Acts 24:25). In other words, Felix did not reject Christ, he just chose not to choose, and the moment was lost. Rather than coming into a saving relationship with Paul’s savior, Felix immediately began to try to extort money from the apostle. The text states:

“He hoped also that money would be given to him by Paul, (Felix) might loose him…” (Acts 24:26).

that he

As indicated earlier, these extortion attempts continued for two long years, as Felix dangled the possibility of release in front of Paul if the price was right. Paul did not meet his price because he could not meet his price. Then something happened in Caesarea that placed Paul in grave risk of death once again. This threatening situation developed in the following way. After Felix had deceitfully arrested and imprisoned Eleazar and the other zealot leaders who had come to Caesarea Maritima under a white flag, a more radical group arose to take their places. They were the SECARII, or the curved dagger men, mentioned earlier. These insurrectionists were hardened assassins who would kill anyone they suspected of being a Roman collaborator. Soon, these men spawned a new Jewish nationalistic movement that even spread into the predominantly Gentile enclave of Caesarea. And one day a riot broke out between the Jews and Gentiles of that city. The Jewish population was determined to impose the Jewish law on all those persons who resided on Jewish soil. Felix broke up these riots in the bloodiest fashion imaginable; thousands of Jews were killed.

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The Roman soldiers of Caesarea, with consent from Felix, sacked and looted the homes of the wealthy Jews of the city. Naturally, the Jews across Judea took issue with the harsh response of Felix’s government. So, Felix allowed a delegation of Gentile residents and Jewish residents to go to Rome to make their complaints, leaving the situation for Nero to adjudicate. When the delegation returned, the only thing that Nero had settled was this: Felix would no longer be governor of Judea. Nero had decided to replace Felix with a man whose name was Porcius Festus. Outside of the book of Acts, we know very little about Festus. All we know is that he was a very just man and that he would only serve two years as Judea’s governor. However, this change in governors would bring a fresh threat to the safety of Paul. Since the previous governor, Antonius Felix, had been brought down by his inability to regulate Jewish/Gentile relationships, the new governor desperately wanted to mend those fences. So, his very first item of business was to travel to Jerusalem to meet with the Jewish high priest and the Sanhedrin council. The Jerusalem leadership immediately moved to take advantage of the new governor’s inexperience and his desire to mend fences with the Jewish populace. The first question the high priest asked Festus was this: would he reopen the case of Rabbi Saul? He then requested that the apostle be transported to Jerusalem to appear before the Sanhedrin. However, the high priest was no longer certain that he could get a conviction in the case, having seen Paul’s extraordinary courtroom defense skills in action. In order to ensure the death of Paul, which was his ultimate goal, the high priest decided to employ a band of assassins to ambush the detail along the way and to kill the apostle in the melee. Festus may have been a new governor, but he was not stupid. He had been made aware of the vicissitudes of Jewish justice. He must have also been aware of the fact that his soldiers could be ambushed and the prisoner killed. He had been placed in charge of a Roman citizen. If he allowed this citizen to be assassinated in an ambush or if he allowed him to be tried and executed by a kangaroo court, heads would roll, his being among them. Rather than sending Paul to Jerusalem, Festus invited the accusers of the apostle to come to Caesarea Maritima to state their grievances. The situation of Paul was extremely tenuous at this point. Should there be a trial and should Festus rule that a prima facie case of sacrilege existed, the apostle could then be given over to the Sanhedrin on the spot. Paul was powerless in this situation; he had no choice. The high priest, on the other hand, had no choice either, so he agreed to have the charges against the apostle presented in Caesarea once again.

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Once the accusers had arrived, Festus took the judgment seat in the praetorium of Herod, and Paul was ushered before the court. The trial was a repeat of the previous trial. On this occasion, like the first, the accusers made another huge mistake in presenting their case. If they had decided to limit their charges to sacrilege alone, Festus might have found the charge to have merit, and he could have handed Paul over to the Sanhedrin. But they overplayed their hand when they chose to accuse Paul of sedition, a charge that belonged to Roman jurisdiction, and gave Festus the opportunity to keep Paul under Roman supervision. Nevertheless, the governor found himself on the horns of a dilemma. Since his mission was to reestablish Jewish/Roman relations, he had to avoid provoking the Temple leadership. After all, he was still in the opening days of his administration. Yet, as a governor of Rome he could not allow a Roman citizen to be unjustly lynched. So, Festus attempted to reach a compromise that would be acceptable to both parties. He asked the apostle if he would be willing to return to Jerusalem and face the Sanhedrin if he (meaning Festus) would personally guarantee a fair hearing there. Paul was far too wise for this. He knew the devious nature of the Temple leadership and he knew Jewish politics better than Festus. After all, Paul himself had once been a part of Sanhedrin justice. He had been the instigator of the lynching of Stephen in Jerusalem, where he had personally paid people to bear false witness. He knew that in Jerusalem he could easily face that same type of treachery. But he also knew that if he refused the compromise, Festus might choose to surrender him to the Jewish authorities without any guarantees. So, what was Paul to do? At this point, as far as he could see, there was only one possible way to avoid being taken to Jerusalem, but this alternate approach would be far more risky than agreeing to go to the Holy City. The option available to Paul was known as EKKLETON DIKAZEN. This was the Roman law that gave to any citizen of Rome the right to appeal directly to the emperor, himself. Only three types of criminals were not allowed to make this appeal: a citizen convicted of murder, or a citizen convicted of piracy, or a citizen caught in the act of committing an armed robbery. Whenever a Roman citizen appealed to the emperor by calling for EKKLETON DIKAZEN―that is, by saying “I appeal to Caesar” ―a provincial governor had no choice other than to send the accused to Rome for an imperial court hearing. In the case of Paul, this decision was easy. He suddenly addressed the court. He said:

“I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged; to the Jews I have done no wrong as you very well know. For if I be an

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offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. But if there be none of these things of which these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar” (Acts 25:10-11). No doubt Festus was relieved at Paul’s request to be given an imperial judgment. This meant that the apostle was no longer his personal obligation. The only requirements left to Festus were these: to prepare a statement outlining the nature of the charges against the accused, and the history of the case to date. There was, however, one problem for Festus. As far as he could see, there was no just charge against Paul that could be listed on the report, and such a charge was required. While Festus was busy pondering this problem, Agrippa, the young king of the provinces of Gaulanitis (northern Galilee) and the Decapolis (Peraea) situated north and east of the Sea of Galilee in what is now known as the Golan Heights, had come to Caesarea to pay his respects to the new Roman governor. Agrippa's sister, Bernice, who was also the sister of the beautiful Drusilla, was with him. No doubt, Festus was overjoyed to see the young man. He knew that Agrippa had spent his entire life being involved in uniquely Jewish affairs. Since Paul and the Sanhedrin constituted a Jewish matter, Festus decided to discuss the strange case of Paul with the young king. Slowly and in great detail Festus began to share with Agrippa everything that had transpired. The story was mesmerizing to Agrippa, and he said to Festus, “I, too, would like to hear the man.” Festus responded, “Tomorrow!” So, the prophecy Jesus Christ had uttered to His disciples in Matthew 10:18 was about to come to pass. Jesus had said to His followers: “You shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake.” And this man, Paul, would now appear before a real king. On the next morning at the designated time, Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice all entered the praetorium with great “pomp and circumstance.” The trio was accompanied by the officers of the five Roman cohorts stationed in Caesarea and by certain men among the local gentry. Agrippa and Bernice wore their purple robes, indicative of their royal positions. On their heads they wore their crowns. Into this incredible scene strode the little Jewish tentmaker, his wrists in chains. But from the moment Paul entered the room, the apostle dominated the entire environment. Every eye was locked on Paul while Festus provided an explanation for the gathering. Festus shared with those present that his own investigation had not disclosed any criminal acts on the part of the apostle. He also indicated that Paul had appealed to Caesar. (He did not tell his guests that

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Paul had made appeal rather than go to Jerusalem to be tried.) Festus then turned to Agrippa to moderate the proceedings. Agrippa immediately invited Paul to speak to the assembly, and speak the apostle did. Luke must have been present in the hall that day, because he reports things that only an eyewitness could have possibly known. For example, in Acts 26:1, Luke writes, “Then Paul stretched forth the hand…” One had to be present to know this, so we have an eye-witness account. Paul began his presentation by telling the entire story of his life before he had encountered the risen Christ. After this, he shared his conversion experience. And, finally, he told the audience of his subsequent ministry for Christ in Asia and in Europe. In his presentation, Paul repeated most of what Luke had previously recorded in Acts 9 and Acts 22, with a few notable exceptions. The major addition is found in Acts 26:16-18. There, Paul adds some directives that the risen Lord had given to him as he lay in a stupor in the dust of the Damascus Road. On that occasion, Christ had said this to him:

“But rise and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make thee a minister (servant) and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and the inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in me.” So, here, Paul told Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus that the risen Christ had appeared to him on that day to inform him that he had been elected to be a servant (HUPERETES) and a witness (MARTYS) to the Gentiles. The first word, HUPERETES, comes from the Greek root word ERESSO which means “to row.” The prefix, HUPER, means “to be under,” so the word literally means “to row under.” This word, HUPERETES, was used in the first century to describe what was known as an under-oarsman, which is a naval term. Large seagoing vessels had two levels of oarsmen, the upper oarsmen and the lower oarsmen. The upperoarsmen on a vessel helped to guide the vessel rather than contributing to the labor of propelling the craft forward. The under-oarsmen sat in the bottom of the vessel and pulled the heaviest loads.

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Paul saw himself as a HUPERETES; he saw himself as one who took all of his directions from above. He was subordinate to the heavenly direction of his Lord, because that was his purpose in having been called, and he gladly took this role. His role as a MARTYS, or witness, however, was more specific. Paul states that the risen Christ told him that he was called to declare “what he had now seen and heard,” which was nothing less than the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Paul, the resurrection of Jesus was the heart and soul of the gospel; without the resurrection, Jesus was just a messianic pretender. Paul knew this to be true because he had seen and spoken to the risen Lord. He knew that Jesus was alive, and for Paul that fact had changed the entire world. The Greek word, MARTYS, or “witness” is the root from which the word “martyr” is taken, and the relationship between witnessing and martyrdom was deliberate on the part of the apostle. The risen Christ made it clear to Paul from the beginning that people―not just godless Gentiles, but also his own people―would seek to take his life. But the risen Lord had told him that he did not need to be fearful; God would preserve his life until the mission to which he had been assigned was accomplished. However, as we read the epistles of Paul, we can see that in his mind it did not matter if his antagonists succeeded in killing him. The fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead made the martyrdom of a believer meaningless! One key element in the theology of Paul was this: believers do not have to work to become either servants or witnesses. The risen Christ had said this to him:

“I have appeared unto you, to make you a minister (a servant) and a witness” (Acts 26:16). So, when the risen Christ appeared to Paul, He told him that He would work in him, and would empower him to be His servant and His witness. When the apostle had made these things clear, he then took the opportunity to share with his listeners a clear and succinct summary of the changes Christ can make when He enters into a human life. Luke records this summary of Paul’s address in Acts 26:19-23:

“Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all of the coast of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught me in the Temple and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained the help of God, I continue until this day, witnessing to both the small and great, saying none other things than

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those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first to rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.” With these words, Paul provided the most concise summary of the Christian gospel and its demands ever recorded. This was the message that Paul had been preaching since his conversion experience. No matter where he was, or who he was with, he had always urged people to “repent.” What Paul meant by those words can be seen in the word “repent” itself. In its most literal sense, it means to turn from where one is at the time and to go to the highest place. That is what pent means; “the highest place.” Therefore, repentance involves the recognition that the place where we were before Christ came to live in us and as us, is far beneath the place that God has intended us to be. It is the sin in us that has reduced us to living beneath our potentials in life. Naturally, the Bible teaches that the highest place any human being can attain is that place that Father Adam enjoyed prior to his fall into sin. And Paul believed that all men everywhere could be restored to the place where Adam had been before he fell into sin. Of course, we can never become what Adam was on our own. But the good news is this: Christ became everything that Adam was before Adam fell into sin, and when Christ comes to live in us and to love as us, and when we crucify ourselves and are dead to sin and self, then we become like Christ. In a sense, we become a second Adam. That is the highest place to which a believer can ascend. Paul then told his hearers that in addition to calling people to repentance, he had always urged people to turn to God―to be converted. Of course, this is something that Paul, as a minister of the gospel, should have preached, and something every minister today should preach. This is the case because most people live their entire lives with their backs turned to God. The reason people assume this posture is the same reason that Adam chose to hide from God after he had tasted the forbidden fruit: Adam was ashamed. Sin always brings shame. This sense of shame is why people do not want to face God! They do not want God to see what they have done with their lives! Paul knew that, and every preacher alive knows that. He knew and we know that if we can get people to turn to God, they will see the love and grace of God at work and they will desire to be reunited with Him through Jesus Christ. People will turn to God when they see grace at work.

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Finally, Paul told Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice that wherever he went he called upon those who had repented and turned to God, to do good and godly deeds which would match their newfound relationship with the Lord. Paul explained that the proof of true repentance and a turning to God is found in a person’s life style. Repentance can be observed. Of course, a person does not live a godly life in order to gain God’s favor. Every person who has been born for a second time has that favor bestowed upon them already. Because of that favor, they do godly deeds. The deeds are the natural response of a person to the presence of love. If that is not the case, the deeds become nothing more than legalism, and a person falls under the yoke of a new law code, a code that says, “Do this, don’t do that.” But Paul knew that when you encounter the resurrected Christ, you simply cannot remain the way you were; you are compelled, even constrained, to give yourself to the one who has loved you enough to pay the penalty for your sin. On those occasions when you do sin, you suffer. You know that this sin that you have committed does not only break God’s law; it also breaks God’s heart. Paul then indicated to Agrippa that these totally Biblical beliefs of his were substantiated by both the Torah and the prophets, but for some reason his presentation of these beliefs had enraged the Jerusalem Jews. He went on to say that some of these Jews were also enraged by his preaching of the doctrine of the resurrection. But the apostle pointed to the fact that the scriptures clearly declare that Israel’s true Messiah would suffer, die, and then be resurrected. It was all perfectly scriptural. Well, that information, especially his mention of the resurrection, quickly got the attention of his hearers. The reaction of Festus to what Paul said reveals a great deal about this man. His reaction proves that he did not have a spiritual bone in his body. At this second mention of the resurrection, Festus suddenly interrupted Paul, almost in mid-sentence. This interruption is doubly surprising since Paul’s remarks to that point had been directed toward Agrippa and not Festus. The only explanation for this sudden response of Festus is that Paul had utterly confused him with the in-depth theological discussion of the resurrection. Obviously, the rationalistic Festus had never heard anything like this in his life! Looking down at Paul he shouted, “Paul, you are beside yourself; your great learning has made you insane.” To Festus, no person in his right mind could possibly believe the dead could be raised. In addition, the fearless and enthusiastic way that Paul presented his orations had made the governor restless. He thought that he may have been listening to a madman and he said so. However, Paul quickly reassured him. He said to Festus,

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“I am not mad, most noble Festus; but I speak forth words of truth and soberness” (Acts 26:25). Having said this, the apostle immediately turned again to Agrippa who, unlike Festus, had some grasp of spiritual things. Paul sensed that Agrippa understood every word that he had spoken. Hoping to elicit an admission of the truth of his arguments, Paul asked King Agrippa the following question:

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe” (Acts 26:27). This must have been an embarrassing moment for Agrippa. He had been placed on the horns of a dilemma. If he chose to agree with Paul, he would look stupid in the eyes of Festus who had just indicated that he believed Paul to be mad. If, on the other hand, he chose to reject Paul’s argument, he would have to reject the law and the prophets that Paul had used so adroitly to make his argument. This would make him look small in the eyes of his people, the Jews. Then, in addition to all of this, Agrippa was also struggling with the presence of grace that was attempting to invade his dormant spirit. Suddenly, Agrippa raised his voice. He said to Paul, “You have almost persuaded me to be a Christian.” This was a pregnant moment. It now appeared that Paul was not on trial at all―it was Agrippa and Festus who were on trial. And Agrippa was beginning to think that the resurrection of Christ might be real, as Paul had so persuasively argued. But for him to accept Jesus Christ as Lord might cause Agrippa to have to vacate his earthly throne and Agrippa just could not do that! One word in Agrippa’s response was doubly tragic; the word was “almost.” Hell is filled with people who almost became Christians…almost but not quite. Meanwhile, Festus was unmoved, but at least when he looked at Paul he did not see a criminal. At the worst, he saw a man whose mind was unbalanced because of too much knowledge. So, Agrippa, wanting to escape the conviction assailing his soul, and Festus, wanting to be rid of this madman, put their heads together to decide what they should do with Paul. In the end they both agreed that Paul should not be tried in Rome or anywhere else, especially not in Jerusalem. He was guilty of nothing. But he had appealed to Caesar. It was Agrippa who affirmed this. He said to Festus,

“This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar!” (Acts 26:41).

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In other words, Paul would have to go to Rome and be tried! There was no option, and to Rome the apostle would go.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read Acts 8:40---Familiarize yourself with Philip the Evangelist. Use a good study Bible or a Bible Dictionary. Read Acts 10:1-8---Familiarize yourself with Cornelius the Roman Centurion, who lived in Caesarea Maritima. Use a good study Bible or a Bible Dictionary. Read Acts 10:23-48---This episode records the events leading up to and including the first Gentiles who were received into the family of God. Read Acts 21:7-14---Familiarize yourself with the prophet Agabus. He appears elsewhere in Acts. Study him; he is important. Read Acts 21:15-23:22---This material recording the arrest of Paul in Jerusalem is essential for all that is to follow. Read it carefully. Read Acts 23:23-24:26---Here Paul is prosecuted by Tertullus in the court of the Roman Governor, Felix. Familiarize yourself with Felix. Read Acts 24:27---How long was Paul held in Caesarea Maritima following his trial before Felix? Familiarize yourself with Porcius Festus. Read Acts 25:1-12---Why did Paul choose to appeal his case to Caesar? What was the significance of this appeal? Read Acts 25:13-26:32---Familiarize yourself with Agrippa and Bernice in a good Bible Dictionary. Pay special attention to the witness of Paul in fulfillment of the prophecy uttered over him by Ananias of Damascus following his conversion.

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El Maharrakah When we leave Caesarea Maritima, we will drive along the ancient highway, the Via Maris toward the northeast. We will do what the caravans of old once did: we will cut through the Carmel mountain range, via the Iron Valley. However, before we exit this valley we will take a side road that leads to the highest peak of Mount Carmel, a place the Druze call EL MAHARRAKAH. When we reach the apex of the mountain we will come to a Carmelite monastery, the monastery of Saint Elijah. In I Kings 18, students of the Bible are brought face to face with God's effort to reclaim His chosen nation, the children of Israel, who were committing whoredom with the Phoenician/Canaanite God, BA’AL. Because the people had chosen to follow their useless King Ahab and his wicked consort Jezebel into the worship of idols, God had sent a three and a half year drought upon the land of Israel. However, a day came when God said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain upon the land.” Elijah may have been a great man of God, but he was also quite human in his reactions. In fact, the Bible tells us that he was subject to the same weaknesses and fears to which all men and women are subject. Think about James 5:17. It says this:

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:17-18) Yes, Elijah was a man "just like us." The things that bother us, bothered him; his weaknesses were no different than our weaknesses. With this in mind, think about the reservations that Elijah may have had concerning God’s instructions. Certainly, he had no desire to enter the city of Samaria and confront this evil King once again. After all, Ahab had the power to kill him on the spot. Yet, Elijah chose to obey the instructions of the Lord, in spite of the fact that obedience was not easy. To obey God, he had to fight the most powerful of all human instincts, the instinct of self-preservation. However, by a sheer act of the will, he subdued these fears and he set out for the city of Samaria and Ahab’s palace. Meanwhile, other things were happening! For one thing, the famine had become so severe that even the royal household was in a state of despair. The king’s mules and livestock were all in danger of starving to death. So, King Ahab took

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his most trusted official, Obadiah, and set out to scour the land for grass. To cover more ground the two men split up and began to search on their own. The second man, Obadiah, was a different kind of person. He might be called a bystander, a kind of “closet believer” in the Lord God of Israel. His true colors can be seen in the fact that he had chosen to hide one hundred men of God in two caves to protect them from Jezebel. He had even been supplying these men with food and water at his own expense. Obviously, if the queen had discovered his treasonous act, Obadiah would have been killed. At any rate, as Obadiah was searching for grass that day, he suddenly encountered the prophet Elijah. So, he immediately bowed his knees in order to show the proper honor to God’s prophet. Elijah must have smiled at this! So, Elijah said something like this to him: "Go and tell your master that Elijah is here and tell him that I want to see him right now!” So, Obadiah immediately hurried off to find Ahab. And as soon as he had the king in tow, he took him to where Elijah was waiting---this was a very pregnant moment! After three years of searching, Ahab was finally face-to-face with Elijah. The words of I Kings 18:17 read as follows:

“Then it happened when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’” (I Kings 18:17) The interesting thing about this verse is the identity of the true troubler of Israel! It was certainly not Elijah; he was not the one who had led the nation of Israel into idol worship and apostasy. Ahab had done that; he was the true "troubler of Israel." But as this evil king stood looking into the eyes of the prophet of God, he was blaming Elijah for the curse that had befallen the nation. How awfully human this is! This tendency to blame other people for the problems we create ourselves has existed ever since the beginning of time. And I can assure you of this: it will continue to happen as long as unredeemed human beings live on this planet. Evil will always point its finger somewhere else. Rest assured that Ahab wanted to kill Elijah right there, on the spot. But, he knew he could not kill the man of God. And why not? It was because Elijah represented Ahab’s only hope of seeing an end to the devastating drought that had fallen upon his kingdom. Therefore, the king had no choice other than to listen to the words of the prophet, and the prophet would have a lot to say. He told Ahab that it would rain upon the land again if he would only do one thing! He had to send a proclamation throughout the land of Israel telling the people to assemble atop the highest mountain in the range known as Carmel. He was also

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told gather all the prophets of the BA’AL, and there, he would challenge these prophets to a duel; a fight to the death. Now, let me tell you what is odd about Elijah’s challenge. Mount Carmel was special to the worshipers of the BA’AL in those days. The BA’ALites believed that this range of mountains was BA’ALs dwelling place on the earth. His home was here! In calling the prophets and the people to gather, Elijah was giving the BA’AL and his prophets "home court advantage." So, a few days later, King Ahab had assembled all the people on Mount Carmel, just as Elijah had specified. Suddenly, there was a great silence, and out of that silence, one lone voice rang out. It was the voice of Elijah and his message represented a life or death proposition from the mouth of the God of Israel, and the message was this:

"How long will you waver between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if BA’AL is God, follow him." (I Kings 18:21) Oddly enough, the people did not respond. But what could they say? After all, this was a most reasonable proclamation; if BA’AL be God then follow him; if YAHWEH be God then follow Him. The option was clear! You see, at this time, most of the people of Israel were clinging to both gods in the hope that if one failed them the other might come to their aid. Now, remember this: the BA’AL was known in antiquity as “the God of the storm.” He was believed to ride upon the storm clouds; in fact, the BA’AL was usually depicted by the Canaanite/Phoenician people as carrying lightning bolts in his hands. But most of all, these people believed that it was the BA’AL who made it rain upon the earth. So, this should have been no contest, right? The BA’AL should have won, right? Every advantage was his. In fact, the people’s belief that the BA’AL could send rain upon the land was one reason why so many Israelites had chosen to turn to the BA’AL in the first place; it was the drought. They wanted rain and the BA’AL was the god of the storm. It is so easy for us to look back at these ancient Israelites and condemn them for turning to the BA’AL, right? We ask ourselves, “How on earth could these people serve any God other than YHWH after all that YHWH had done for them.” But are we any better? I believe that even now, the angels in heaven must look down upon us with frustration and disbelief because we, too, put other gods before the one true God. Of course, we no longer worship gods made of wood or stone. Instead, our gods tend to be constructed of something less substantial than wood or stone, something made of paper that is usually green in color. And

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when we are not worshiping that god, we find ourselves bowing at the altar of entertainment, offering incense to the god of self-exaltation. So, we should be able to imagine ourselves standing here, atop Mount Carmel since we, too, worship idols. And we can hear the words of Elijah, because Elijah was not speaking to the ancient Israelites alone. He was also speaking to you and to me. Now, if you and I had been there, let me tell you what you would have seen. There were two altars standing at the apex of this very mountain where we will be standing. One was dedicated to the BA’AL and the other was dedicated to the Lord. Apparently, the altar of the BA’AL was well used and in good condition. But the altar of the Lord had not been in use; in fact, it was broken down and lay in ruins. This attests to the fact that the people had all but abandoned the Lord. In fact, the man standing beside the ruined altar that day was the only man in Israel who could represent the Lord. And as he stood there, surrounded by a sea of opposition, I'm sure the feelings he was experiencing were indescribable. Yet, if you and I are truly born again Christians, then we have indeed experienced at least a miniscule case of what that lone prophet must have been battling at that moment. Elijah was able to suppress those feelings of terror for one reason: he drew his strength from the Lord. And with his fears in check, the prophet of God called for two bulls to be brought to him. Elijah then had the two bulls slaughtered and dressed. He then told the prophets of BA’AL to choose one of the two carcasses, and place it upon their altar. But he instructed them that they were not to light the wood. He said this:

“Call on the name of your God and I will call on the name of my God, and the one who answers by fire, he is truly God." I Kings 18:25) Then, all the people said this:

"What you say is good." So, the prophets of BA’AL quickly prepared their altar with the wood and they laid the sacrifice upon it. Then, they began to call upon the BA’AL to consume the carcass with fire. Now, this should have been relatively easy for the BA’AL to do since he was the God of the storm and it was his task to cause the rains to fall, and lightning to flash. Yet, after an hour of begging and pleading nothing happened! So, the prophets of the BA’AL began to cry out louder. Then they began to strip off their garments and they began to dance around the altar expecting fire to fall from heaven at any second. But another hour went by and still nothing happened. So, they began to cut themselves with knives and stones. Blood flowed everywhere.

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The noon hour came and passed, and still nothing had happened. So, they began to shriek, "O, BA’AL, please answer us!" But no response came from the BA’AL. Then, at this point we find one of the most hilarious three verses in the entire Bible; I Kings 18:27-29:

“So it was at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened. So they cried out aloud and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.” I Kings 18:27-29 The scene must have been chaotic. There were these 350 prophets laying all over the ground, passed out from sheer exhaustion. But even with all their efforts to rouse the God in whom they had put their trust, no one answered; no one paid attention. There was no fire! Then, late in the afternoon, the prophets of BA’AL finally gave up! Now time had come for Elijah to do his thing, and the first thing Elijah did was this: he repaired the altar of the Lord which lay in ruins. When this was done he had some men douse the entire altar with twelve barrels of water; that included dousing the sacrifice as well. Elijah called for this to be done so the people might see the utter greatness of YAHWEH. The God who could kindle a fire hot enough to consume this saturated offering was God indeed. All of Elijah’s preparations had been completed by 3:00 PM, the time of the evening sacrifice. And when Elijah was ready, he did not do what the prophets of BA’AL had done: he did not shout or cut himself. He simply prayed the following prayer:

"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that you are the Lord God, and that you have turned their hearts back to you again." (I Kings 18:36-37) And before Elijah could utter his amen, fire fell from heaven, and this fire consumed everything; the sacrifice, the twelve stones that composed the altar, and the water in the ditch surrounding the altar. The entire congregation of Israel suddenly fell on their faces and cried out, "Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!” But the situation was not yet concluded. Elijah said this to the crowd:

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"Seize the prophets of BA’AL and do not let any of them escape." (I Kings 18:40) So, the people seized these prophets, dragged them down the mountain to the Brook Kishon, and there Elijah killed them. Of course, such actions is these seem horrid to those of us living in the twenty first century, but Elijah was acting according to the revelation that God had given for the day in which he lived, and there was a reason for that revelation. For example, Deuteronomy 13:5 states:

"But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst." This law is repeated again in Deuteronomy 13:13-18; 17:2-5; and 18:9-25. And there was another law that we must not forget; it says "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." Jezebel and her prophets had killed (the word is literally massacred) hundreds of God's prophets, so in killing the prophets of BA’AL, Elijah was simply obeying the law of God. As we leave the Carmelite monastery on Mount Carmel, we will drive through one of the Druze villages on that mountain. The question you may want to ask is this: who are the Druze people? They are people having a strongly monotheistic theology. They are found in Syria, Lebanon, northern Israel, and Jordan, primarily. They appeared in the 11th century AD out of religion known as Shiite Ishmaelism. They combined elements of mystic Judaism and mystic Christianity. Their theology is also mingled with Islam, Neoplatonic thought, and Gnosticism. In other words, they were extremely esoteric. The Druze supposedly trace their religion back to Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, who is "the enlightened one" to the Druze people. Their religious practices are highly secretive and their meetings, called “sessions of wisdom,” are closed to those outside the faith. Some make the claim that the Druze people believe that their Messiah, the one they call “the Mahdi,” will be born to a man, rather than a woman. As we pass through the Druze village you may see several men wearing baggy black pants. Some say they wear these pants so that if the infant Mahdi is born to one of them, he will be caught in the baggy pants before he can hit the ground and injure himself.

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There are 102,000 Druze people living in the state of Israel, and five of their citizens sit in the Knesset. They speak Arabic, are full citizens of Israel, and many serve in the IDF.

Megiddo A five minute drive will take us from the Druze villages to one of the great caravan highways of antiquity, the Via Maris. Ten minutes later, we will arrive at the remains of the ancient city of Megiddo. This tremendous TEL, or artificial hill, lies near the place where the Iron Valley empties into the great Jezreel Valley. The word TEL is one you will see and hear often on this trip, so it is important to know what a TEL is. A TEL is an artificial hill found at a particular site that marks the spot where a city or town was located in antiquity. If there is a TEL it means that this city or town had been attacked and destroyed multiple times. Whenever an ancient city, one like Megiddo, was destroyed it was not rebuilt. It was razed, and the site was leveled. Then a new city was built atop the previous ruins. Each time the city was razed the ruins formed what is referred to as “a strata.” Each stratum is usually several feet thick. Each of these various destruction levels caused the artificial mounds to grow higher, forming a TEL composed of accumulated archeological debris. The task of the archaeologist is to recognize the particular stratification levels of a TEL, then to uncover each level in an inverse order to its destruction. The levels of construction are generally numbered from the top of the TEL, which is level one, to the bottom of the tel, which in the case of Megiddo is level twenty; in other words, it is numbered from the most recent to the most ancient. The dating of the strata is determined by the archaeological artifacts. These levels contain a plethora of pottery, some intact, some broken. Each era of Israel’s history is characterized by ceramics of specific shapes and decoration that are unique to that period, so the chronology of a TEL is known by the types and colors of the vases. Today, a stratum can be dated with precision by the remains uncovered from that stratum. Megiddo was located where it was for a reason. From there it could command the great road connecting Egypt with Mesopotamia. It could also command the lateral road from the Mediterranean to the Jordan Valley and to Jerusalem. Because of its ultra-strategic location, it was frequently attacked by contending empires, including the armies of Tutmoses III of Egypt in the fifteenth century BC, and those of General James Allenby in the First World War. Small wonder

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that this frequent battleground has become a symbol of warfare, and is envisioned in the New Testament book of Revelation as being the site of the last great battle, the one which will be fought at the end of the present age in “a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16). Jesus spoke of this coming great battle in His Olivet discourse in Matthew 24. The first occupation level of the TEL of Megiddo dates to the fourth millennium BC. The last occupation level dates to the fourth century AD. Flint tools made by pre-historic hunter-gatherers are found at the bedrock level. This culture gave way to mud brick houses and primitive shrines in the next millennium, BC. Each succeeding strata becomes more sophisticated. One of the most interesting finds at Megiddo was a large Canaanite altar made from a monolith, thirty-two feet in diameter. It was discovered in the middle of a holy area that features a round altar or “high place” that dates from 2000 BC.

In later strata, there are remains from the eighteenth to the sixteenth century BC (the middle bronze age), the epoch in which the Hebrew patriarchs, men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, lived. The sixteenth to twelfth century levels (the Late Bronze Age) yielded the remains of the palaces of certain Canaanite kings, each built on the foundations of its predecessors. At this level, the archaeologists found inscriptions mentioning such Pharaohs as Ramses III and

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Ramses IV, who reigned in the twelfth century BC. At this level, archeologists unearthed a treasure trove of over 200 carved ivory tablets. The most exciting and confusing remains were those belonging to the tenth and ninth century BC. The city that existed at this level had been rebuilt by King Solomon of Israel, and then improved and expanded by King Ahab in the eighth century BC. From this stratum, the archeologists unearthed some enormous city walls, a huge city gate with towers at each side of the entrance, and a gatehouse for the guards, with stables and stone pillars to which the horses were tethered. These ruins were first ascribed to Solomon, but were later discovered to be from the city of King Ahab of Israel.

One of the truly unique sites found at Megiddo is its water system. It is a spectacular example of the engineering skill of the ancients. It belongs to the ninth century BC. The water supply for the city came from a huge spring. The problem was this: the spring was located outside the city walls making the city vulnerable in times of siege. To rectify this danger, the engineers sank a deep shaft from inside the city walls to a depth of 120 feet. From the bottom of the shaft a tunnel was chiseled through bedrock for a distance of 213 feet to the spring

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located outside the walls. This outside spring was then camouflaged by a covering of earth to prevent its being spotted by some besieging army. The water system has now been made accessible by a steep metal staircase. Lighting has also been installed in the tunnel, so that we will be able to explore the entire site.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Joshua 12:21---Joshua encounters the King of Megiddo during his conquest of Canaan. Read Judges 5:19---Megiddo is mentioned in Deborah’s song. Read I Kings 9:15---Megiddo was one of Solomon’s chariot cities. Read II Kings 9:27---King Ahaziah flees to Megiddo. Read II Kings 23:30---King Josiah fell there in battle in 609 BC, and was carried back to Jerusalem by chariot.

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Mount Tabor When we leave Megiddo, we will pass through the Israeli town known as Afula. Immediately, you will see on the horizon a solitary mountain standing alone in the middle of the Jezreel Valley. This is Mount Tabor (Har Tavor in Hebrew), the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. This 1,477 foot high hilltop is shared by Franciscan priests and Greek Orthodox monks.

In the second millennium BC, a Canaanite shrine was erected on the top of Mount Tabor. These sacred sites were known as “high places.” Similar sites have been found on other mountaintops in Canaan, such as Mount Carmel and Mount Hermon. Here the Canaanites worshiped the fertility god, BA’AL, whose name derives from the name of this very place, Tabor. The Phoenicians had adopted the BA’AL as their chief deity, and soon this god was being worshiped in many areas of the world. In the second millennium (circa 2100 BC), the BAALite cult had spread as far as the island of Rhodes, where Baal was revered under the name of Zeus Atabyrion, because his worship center was found on the 3,988 foot high Mount Atabyrion in Rhodes. The word Atabyrion was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word, Tabor, or Tavor. The trip to the top of Mount Tabor will be by local minibuses that carry seven passengers each. The taxi ride up and back is around $10, but will be worth every penny of the price. At the top of the mountain we find the great Basilica of the Transfiguration designed by the immortal Italian architect, Antonio Barluzzi. This magnificent edifice was completed in 1924, and sits atop the ruins of both a sixth century AD Byzantine church, and a Crusader era church that was destroyed by a raging fire in the 1920s.

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For most Christians, this church marks the site where Jesus was transfigured in the presence of His apostles Peter, James, and John, and where He spoke with Moses and Elijah (some erroneously believe it occurred on Mount Hermon) . The interior of this church is breath-taking. The towering mosaic in its apse depicts the transfigured Christ. This mosaic, alone, is worth a trip to Israel.

The church has three grottos, which Jonas Corte described in 1751 as being “three chapels with a small altar;” they are called “the tabernacles,” and they represent the three tabernacles (booths) that Peter wanted to build as he watched the events of the Transfiguration unfold. One of the three chapels is for the Lord Jesus Christ, while the other two chapels are for Moses and Elijah. Christ’s grotto is the one located at the east end of the church as we enter, often called the upper altar. A few steps lead down to a lower level, where there is an altar sanctuary. Around it are the walls of the Crusader era church and over it stands a barrel vault of modern construction. The apsidal vault in the upper part of the church contains the golden mosaic, featuring the magnificent Transfiguration mosaic.

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The other two chapels have been constructed in the two towers on the façade of the church. On the right (the south side), is the chapel of Elijah. On the left (the north side), is the chapel of Moses. Take time to notice that there are several mosaic crosses in the floors. This indicates that these floors must have belonged to a chapel built on this spot before 442 AD. In that year, Emperor Theodosius II prohibited symbols of the cross to be placed on the floors of churches or chapels. He did not believe that the cross of Jesus Christ should be trodden under anyone’s foot. So, the chapel has to be very ancient, indeed. Just before the stone archway into the Basilica courtyard, a path can be seen that leads down to a Greek Orthodox Church, known as the Church of Elijah. It is built atop what is known as the Cave of Melchizedek. The limestone foundation dates from 1211.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Judges 4:12-16---Familiarize yourself with the judge, Deborah, and her friend, Barak. Also read about Sisera of Hazor. Notice that Deborah and Barak gathered their forces here on Mount Tabor to do battle with Sisera. Read Matthew 17, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36---Immerse yourself in this event of the Transfiguration, then ask yourself these questions: 1) 2) 3) 4)

What is the significance of the appearance of Moses and Elijah? What is the significance of the physical appearance of Jesus? What did the three of them discuss? Why did Peter want to build three booths? What is their significance?

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Arbel Cliff After visiting Mount Tabor, we will drive to the Arbel Cliff, a sharp crest jutting up from a large ridge that lies along the southwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. It rises 1,300 feet above the narrow wadi below. This deep wadi is known as the Valley of the Doves. A major trade route once passed through the heart of this valley. From the top of this cliff, the entire Sea of Galilee is visible, especially the north side of the lake, which was the center of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. An Arab philosopher once said of this sight you will be seeing, “When Allah made the seas and oceans, he made them all for mankind to enjoy, but he made the Sea of Galilee for himself to enjoy.” Below this great cliff, on its north side, we will see the productive fields and orchards of the Plain of Gennesaret that stretch along the shores of the sea. Directly beneath us to the north we will see the ancient village of Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene. On the far side you will see the famous Golan Heights. The cliff has great historic value. Some forty years before the birth of Jesus, the Roman senate had appointed Herod the Great to be the King of Judea (see the introduction). The invading Parthians, who came from the area now known as Iran and Iraq, had installed Herod’s archrival Antigonus as the king of Judea. Therefore, Herod, who was in Rome at the time, was forced to sail home quickly and fight for his throne. In 39 BC, Herod landed in Akko on the Mediterranean coast, north of Mount Carmel. As he moved eastward, he captured the city of Sepphoris and then marched his army toward the Sea of Galilee. Those warriors loyal to Antigonus were hiding in the caves located on the north face of the Arbel Cliff, caves that you will see. So, when Herod arrived, he ordered his own soldiers to be lowered down from the top of the cliff in baskets until they hung in front of these caves. His men then used large hooks and smoke to evict the enemies who were hiding inside. Thus Herod achieved a major victory and solidified his power.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Matthew 28:16-20---Where does this episode occur? It does not occur in Jerusalem. Since Arbel is the closest “high mountain” to Capernaum, this utterance of Jesus, the Great Commission, probably occurred on this cliff.

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Yardenit Baptismal Site The Yardenit Baptismal site on the River Jordan, is located next to Israel’s oldest kibbutz, Degania A. At the Yardenit, we will have a baptismal service. You will have everything you will require other than a bathing suit. For a couple of dollars you will receive a robe and a towel. After the service you can take a hot shower in the dressing rooms. The ladies have hair dryers. These dressing areas are clean, dry places to enable us to get in and out of our clothing. Of course, this is not the place where Jesus was baptized---the actual spot is a restricted military zone near Jericho and the Dead Sea and we cannot go there unless we enter Jordan.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Matthew 3:13-17---Look in your concordances and see when the last time an actual dove appeared in the scriptures? What is the relationship between that dove and the dove that appears at the baptism of Jesus? Both doves are associated with water---what is the significance of this? Read Mark 1:9-11---Where have we heard the words spoken by God uttered before? What is the significance of these utterances? Read John 1:29-34---Since John and Jesus were cousins, what did John mean when he said he did not know Him? In verses 32-33, what was the significance of the Spirit remaining upon Jesus at His baptism?

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Tiberius When we leave Yardenit we will drive north along the west shoreline of the Sea of Galilee until we reach Tiberius. Old Tiberius lies on the western shore of the sea. The newer parts of the town now spread over the mountainsides that overlook the sea. The medicinal hot springs south of the old town have drawn people here since ancient times. In addition, Tiberius is one of the four holy cities of the Jews. The other holy cities are Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed. For this reason, Tiberius draws many Jewish visitors. Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, and the ruler of Galilee in the time of Jesus, founded the city in 17 AD, and named it after the Roman Emperor, Tiberius. The new town lays between Hammath and Rakkath, both of which are mentioned in the Old Testament. This area, located on the southwest side of the Sea of Galilee, was part of the tribal allotment given to the sons of Naphtali. Since Herod Antipas built Tiberius on the site of the ancient cemetery of Hammath, the pious Jews considered the site to be ritually unclean. So, at first, only heathen people settled in this community. Even Jesus, who spent most of His time in this area, apparently never visited this city. After the death of Herod Antipas, the city of Tiberius became the capital city of his son, Agrippa II. He provided the city with paved streets, a palace, and Roman baths. However, at the end of the Jewish War in 70 AD, Agrippa II moved his residence from Tiberius to Sepphoris. After Rabbi Simon bar Jochai declared Tiberius to be a ritually clean city at the end of the second century, Tiberius became the seat of the Sanhedrin in exile. From the third century onward, Tiberius served as the religious center of the Jewish people. This is where the Mishnah, and the Jerusalem Talmud were completed, and where the vowel signs of the Hebrew alphabet were invented and placed into the Hebrew text. During the Crusader era, from 1099 AD to 1187 AD, Tiberius belonged to the Crusaders, especially to the kings of Jerusalem. In 1247 AD , the city was destroyed by the Babars and was not occupied again until the beginning of Ottoman rule in 1517 AD. In 1561 AD, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent handed the city over to Don Joseph Hanassi, a Jewish refugee from Spain. Hanassi established a Jewish state here, under Ottoman sovereignty. In the seventeenth century Tiberius again fell into decay, and was not reoccupied until the eighteenth century, when the Druze Prince Tahir el Umar rebuilt the city and its citadel, and settled a number of Jews here. Soon afterwards, in 1765 AD, the first group of Jewish immigrants arrived in Tiberius from Poland. There is little of Biblical significance in Tiberius so there is no Bible Study for this location.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Four Sea of Galilee On this, the fourth day of our trip, we will leave our hotel and travel to the Ginnosar Nof Kibbutz. There we will board a tour boat, which will sail our group into the middle of the Sea of Galilee or Lake Ginnosar (Ginnosar is the Hebrew name of the Sea of Galilee).

The earliest known name of the Sea of Galilee is the Sea of Chinnereth. That name is found in Numbers 34:11 and Joshua 13:27. The Sea of Galilee takes on real significance in the New Testament. You will be sailing on the same sea upon which Jesus walked, where He stilled the storms with the very sound of His voice, and where He caused His disciples to marvel that even the wind and the waves would obey Him. You will be sailing on the same sea where Jesus taught from the fishing boat of Simon Peter, while the

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people stood on the shores and listened. When Jesus was finished teaching, He told Simon to launch out into deep water and let down his nets and he would catch a bounty of fish. Peter, an experienced fisherman, informed the Lord that he fished all night with no results. At any rate, to fish during the daylight hours was usually unproductive, because the water of this sea is so clear that fish will not rise to the surface. But in the end, Simon Peter did as the Lord said, and his nets were filled with fish to the breaking point. To the east, you will see the well-known Golan Heights. Some of this area belonged to the Decapolis region or Ten Cities mentioned in the New Testament. Along this eastern shore is the area known as the land of Gadara and the land of the Geresenes where Jesus healed the demoniac known as Legion. On two other occasions, Jesus cast demons out of two men in this same area. All of those events occurred on the eastern shore of this sea, directly adjacent to the place where we will be sailing. To the west you will see the Arbel Cliffs, the village of Magdala (the home of Mary Magdalene), and the Valley of the Doves, where one of the major roads from the sea connects Capernaum to such places as Nazareth, Cana, and Sepphoris. When we arrive back at the Kibbutz (Ginnosar Nof), we will visit the Yigael Allon Museum, where the so-called “Jesus Boat” is located. This first century fishing boat was found during a period of drought in 1985 when the water level of the Sea of Galilee reached an all-time low. Authorities encased its wooden frame in a fiberglass brace and hauled it to shore. The boat, dating from between 100 BC and 100 AD, has been restored to near pristine conditions. One thing is certain: this is the kind of boat that the Apostles used when they fished the Sea of Galilee.

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From Nof Ginnosar, we will travel by bus to the city of Capernaum.

Capernaum The city of Capernaum is not mentioned in the Old Testament, perhaps because it was not founded until the second century BC. In the time of Jesus, Capernaum was a small unfortified town. The residents of this town did not take part in the two great insurrections fought against the Romans in first and second centuries AD. Consequently it survived unscathed when the Romans destroyed many of the towns and villages of Galilee. By the fourth century, Capernaum had become a large and prosperous town. But after the Islamic invasion of the seventh century AD, the town declined, and eventually ceased to exist. In 1838 AD the American explorer, Edward Robinson, identified the ruins here as being Biblical Capernaum, and in 1866 AD, Charles Wilson carried out the first excavations. In 1894, the Franciscan friars took custody of the ruins and have been in charge of them ever since. The Franciscans have done most of the excavations here. During the years of His public ministry, Jesus of Nazareth chose this city to be both His ministry headquarters and His home. In fact in Matthew 9:1, Capernaum is referred to as our Lord’s “own city.” There was a reason why Jesus chose this particular city. It had to do with the fact that the greatest road

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of the ancient world, the Via Maris, passed through the heart of this Galilean town. The Via Maris went from Damascus through the Galilee, along the Mediterranean Sea coast, and down to Egypt. Since Capernaum stood on the border of two Roman provinces in the time of Jesus, Galilee and Gaulanitis, caravans would have to stop there to pay tolls and taxes, and caravaneers would get some badly needed rest in the local inns. On any given day, people from every corner of the world walked its streets. By inaugurating His public ministry along this major international trade route, Jesus was making a statement. He knew that His kingdom would eventually encompass a realm that would extend well beyond the borders of ancient Israel. Jesus could not have picked a better city in all of Israel if He desired to address His message of redeeming grace to people from every corner of the world. One writer has said, “Judea is on the way to nowhere: Galilee is on the way to everywhere.” Jesus chose Capernaum of Galilee. The large partially restored building you will see as we enter the town site is the ancient synagogue of Capernaum. We will examine this site later.

First, we will go to the south of the synagogue, where we will find the ruins of an octagonal church that was built around 450 AD. It was built atop some older houses that are also from the time of Jesus. The octagonal church was built to commemorate Saint Peter, whose family had once lived in a complex that stood on this very spot. In fact, it is known as “the house of St. Peter.”

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The authenticity of this site has been borne out by both literary sources and archaeological investigations. Archeology has shown that the house of Simon Peter belonged to a class of dwellings known as insulae---we would call them walled compounds. These insulae had several tiny rooms that enclosed a courtyard. Stairs on the outside of the house led to the roof. This insula beneath the octagonal church is the place where a palsied man was brought to Jesus. You will recall that four friends of this palsied man tore the roof of this very house apart and lowered this man through the hole so that Jesus could heal him. This is also the house where Jesus healed the mother-inlaw of Simon Peter who was sick with a raging fever. Within this house archeologists have found a vast number of fishing hooks, indicating that this house once belonged to a fisherman or to a group of fishermen. Without question Peter and Andrew, and their families lived together in this insula, and Peter and Andrew both worked as fishermen. Archeologists have found that this house had been re-plastered at least three times, and the final layer of plaster, dated to around 100 AD, had inscriptions etched into it. These inscriptions contained many references to Jesus Christ and to Simon Peter. This means that by the end of the first century AD, this house had already come to be known as the house of the Simon Peter. About 350 AD, a huge wall was built around this house and it was covered by an arched roof. The Spanish pilgrim, Etheria visited Capernaum in 390 AD and wrote in his journal that “the house of the Prince of the Apostles, which is located in Capernaum, had become a church.” He also noted that the walls of the house had remained intact. It was not until 100 years after Etheria visited Capernaum that the octagonal church was finally erected over the remains of this one time house/church. Octagonal buildings were often used by the Byzantine Christians to mark the highest holy sites. There can be very little question that the actual house of Simon Peter now rests beneath this octagonal church. You will be able to clearly see this ancient church. The Franciscans have now erected a strange looking ultra-modern church above this ancient octagonal church. The new church has a glass floor so that worshippers can look down and see the house of Saint Peter.

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The synagogue, located twenty yards north of the ruins of the octagonal church, was erected in the fourth century AD, atop the foundations of a synagogue that was standing on that very site in the time of Jesus. The street on the west side of the synagogue dates to the time of Jesus. There seems to be little doubt that Jesus and His disciples walked along this very street. The street was made of black basalt, deposited in this area by volcanic activity occurring millions of years ago. It was here in this synagogue, whose foundation we will clearly see, where Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, delivered a demoniac, and where the people of the area marveled at His authority. You will notice that the new synagogue, the one into which we will enter, was not made of the local black basalt like the original synagogue in which Jesus taught. The new synagogue was made of imported limestone. This proves that the inhabitants of Capernaum had become very wealthy at this time. Inside this newer synagogue, there are stone benches against the left-hand wall, typical of synagogues of that era. Inscribed in Greek on one of the Corinthian columns at the back of the synagogue are the words: “Herod, son of Monimos and Justus, his son, and their children erected this column.” At one time this synagogue presumably had a second story which served as the women’s gallery. Oddly enough, there is no Torah niche in this synagogue. The Torah must have been placed on the south wall facing Jerusalem. Below is a cut-away view of how this synagogue originally appeared:

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One Sabbath day, Jesus and his disciples entered the synagogue for prayer and Scripture study. Present in the synagogue that day was that man whose body and mind had come to be occupied by the presence of an unclean spirit. He was, in every sense of the word, "demon possessed." Yet, on the Sabbath day, he was present in the synagogue, along with all the other devout people. Oddly enough, not one person appeared to have been shocked by the presence of this demonically controlled man. Apparently, he attended the synagogue regularly and was an accepted part of the community. This man may have even been a leader in this congregation. It seems odd that the demon in this man would allow him to attend a house of prayer. Logic would dictate that a demon would urge such a person to go to a tavern, or a cockfight, or a brothel, but he would not direct him to attend a gathering where people pray and read the word of God. This apparent anomaly can be easily explained. The sad truth is this: dead religion has always drawn demonic influences like manure draws flies. In fact, wherever dead religion is found, satanic activity will usually flourish. No doubt, at some time in the past, this man in the synagogue had opened his soul and spirit to the demonic, allowing this “unholy spirit” to invade his

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dormant spirit person, and once there this evil spirit brought this man’s spirit person alive. In so doing, this man experienced a second birth, but in this instance, it was an “evil” second birth. This man had to have opened himself in this way, because a person cannot "catch" demons like one "catches the flu." Demons must be invited into one's life by the words one speaks. But once a demonic spirit is there, the first thing it will do is this: it will display an immediate dislike for anything that is truly of God. It will love religion and religious activities, but it will hate God and hate God’s people, just as this demon hated Jesus of Nazareth. The reason that the demonic forces hated Jesus should be obvious: Jesus was not only a man of God, He was God in human flesh. Therefore, the very presence of Jesus in the synagogue that day startled the demon that was inhabiting this man. In fact, the demon became so agitated that it provoked him to leap to his feet in the midst of the service and cry out, "What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth?" Of course, the "we" to whom the demon was referring included his malignant master, Satan, as well. What the demon really meant when he caused this man to speak those words was this:

"Why have you come? We know who you are, the holy one of God. We did not expect to see you yet! What are you doing here on this earth right now? These are not the last days! This is our territory at the present moment, not yours; we still have dominion here! You are intruding into our realm. This earth was legally surrendered to us by Adam long ago, and you must honor our right to be here." Naturally, this demon already knew the answer to the question, "Why have you come?" The demon knew that Jesus had come to this earth to create a breach in Satan's sphere of dominion. It also knew that once this breach had been created, Jesus would begin to widen this breach until, in time, the satanic hosts would have no place to operate. However, the one thing this demon and his master, Satan, did not yet know was this: Jesus would not attempt to retake dominion over this earth immediately. The widening of the breach would be a gradual thing. It would begin in the smallest way with just one little piece of ground, a 6" x 6" plot of earth, just the size of the base of a Roman cross. But in time the space would grow. Once Jesus had established his church, huge chunks of this earth would be snatched from the dominion of Satan, and the demons of hell knew this, as well. They knew that one day the whole earth would belong to Christ if they did not stop Him. One last thing must be noted about the demonic response. It was the demon that initiated this outburst in the synagogue, not Jesus. Our Lord never went in

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search of demons or demonically possessed people. He did not hold deliverance services or conduct special deliverance crusades. In fact, Jesus never engaged in conversations with demons. Conversations with demonic presences are called séances, and God forbids his people to participate in occult practices like séances. Jesus only had one of two things to say to demon spirits. He either said, "shut up” or “get out.” When this occurred in the synagogue in Capernaum that day, it became so quiet in the room that those present could have heard a pin drop. Then, whispers could be heard as the men of Israel begin to turn to one another and ask this question:

"What thing is this? What new doctrine is this?" The truth is this: Jesus was teaching no new doctrine; it was a very old doctrine; one that went back to Genesis 3. God had promised Satan that Mother Eve would produce a seed, and that this seed would bruise the head of Satan. The way in which He would bruise Satan’s head would be as follows: He would take back the dominion that father Adam had given away. Unlike those other persons attending the synagogue service that day, the demon possessed man had recognized that the individual who was destined to reclaim dominion over this earth was standing in the synagogue that very day. In other words, the demon recognized Jesus, but the men of Israel did not. They had been blinded by Satan, the God of this world. However, this much can be said for those in the synagogue that day; they were amazed by what they saw. In fact, what amazed them most, according to Mark's gospel, was this:

"… for with authority he commands even the evil spirits, and they obey him." (Mark 1:27) Obviously, these people were amazed that Sabbath morning in the synagogue, because they could see that a man stood among them who spoke for God, not simply about God. Over the years, these people had become accustomed to the teachings of the scribes. The authority of the scribes came from knowing the Scripture and knowing Jewish tradition, but the scribes did not claim to have any direct revelation from God; none whatsoever. They simply interpreted what had previously been revealed to them. They could only make theological pronouncements. However, on this day a man was standing in their synagogue, the same synagogue where you will be standing, who had the authority of God and whose mission was to dismantle the tyrannical reign of Satan. The people present that

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day knew that Jesus had authority, because they had now seen Him exercise it. The man from Nazareth had challenged both them and their satanic emissary with this new teaching and with hitherto unseen spiritual power. Yet, having seen all of this, they still would not believe. What they experienced was simply too overwhelming to be comprehended. They were bound in chains of spiritual darkness. In spite of the shrieking cry of the demon informing them that Jesus represented the holy one of God, they could not see who Jesus was or what he was actually saying. Even the screaming demon could not reveal the true identity of Jesus to that generation. One Sabbath day, in this very same synagogue (evangelical scholars believe), Jesus was invited to teach. The gospel of Mark does not specifically mention the topic Jesus addressed that day, but by carefully examining the questions raised by the scribes and Pharisees several clues can be found as to the content of the teaching. By all appearances, the fourth commandment was the subject of the day and what Jesus said about this commandment created a veritable firestorm among the scribes and Pharisees. The controversy does not appear to have been related to the issue of the sanctity of the Sabbath. Everyone agreed that the Sabbath day is holy and that it must be kept sacrosanct. So, if the sanctity of the day was not an issue, then what was it? It had to do with how the Sabbath was to be observed. The issue of the Sabbath observance had always been a touchy subject among the Jews. The scribes and Pharisees had turned Sabbath observance into a burden that was difficult for people to carry. On this particular morning, Jesus challenged many of their presuppositions about this day. And when Jesus had finally exhausted his thoughts on the subject He sat down in the seat of Moses in the back of the synagogue. The truth is this: after hearing this teaching the scribes and Pharisees were livid. According to the gospel of Matthew, and angry scribe hurled a question at Jesus from the front bench. This scribe said this to Jesus:

"Sir, are you suggesting that it is even lawful to heal a person on the Sabbath day?" This was a very carefully laid verbal trap, and Jesus knew it. If Jesus had said, "Yes, it is legal," He Would have spoken against the law. If He had said, "No, it is not legal," he would have shown himself to be weak. But Jesus was far too wise to fall into such a trap. Matthew 12:11-12 indicates that Jesus was totally prepared for such a snare. In fact, he was about to take their own "oral laws," and hurl them back at them.

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The particular "oral law" to which Jesus would appeal would involve a sheep that had fallen into a pit. This law established that if a poor man had only one sheep and this sheep happened to fall into a pit, it was entirely legal for this man to provide some means to extricate this sheep from its dilemma. In fact, the Jewish Talmud discusses several cases in which it was lawful for that man to lift a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath day. The scribes had already anticipated where Jesus was going with this argument. They realized that He was about to claim that God had provided this particular exception to the law because a man's sheep was very valuable to him. In fact, if a man’s sheep was allowed to die in that pit, there would be no meat with which to feed the family and there would be no wool with which to make clothing. This sheep had to be saved because it was crucial to the survival of a man's family. So, if God did inspire this particular oral law, as these scribes claimed, and if he had allowed this particular exception to the Sabbath work prohibition based upon the value of the sheep, could there possibly be other exception to the rules? The answer was yes, and the scribes knew it. They also knew that if God allowed a mindless beast, a sheep, to be rescued on the Sabbath day, certainly God would want to see one of his own children saved or healed. Obviously, a person created in the image and likeness of God has far more worth than a sheep. So, if a person is in trouble, for example, if he/she is sick, then God expects someone to heal that person no matter what day of the week it may be. The silence in the main hall of the synagogue that day must have been deafening. This response on the part of Jesus (that is, pointing to the intrinsic value of all human beings), totally disarmed the scribes. It was at this point that Jesus decided to do something to demonstrate to everyone present that human beings are of greater value to God than any sheep. He turned to a man sitting in the main hall of the synagogue, and said to him, "Stand up!" This man had been "disabled." He had a "withered hand." In other words, his hand had been rendered useless. St. Jerome, who translated the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures into the Latin Vulgate, mentions this man in his commentary on Matthew's gospel. Jerome indicates that in an Ebionite pseudo-gospel the claim is made that this man was a stone mason in Capernaum. He earned his bread by working with his hands. According to this account, before Jesus healed this man, this man said this to Jesus:

"I beg you, Sir, restore to me my health so that I need not beg for food in a shameful fashion."

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If this is really what this man said, can there be any wonder why this man moved the heart of Jesus? But before Jesus healed this man, he turned to the scribes and asked them this question:

"Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath?" (Luke 6:9) In asking this question, Jesus was forcing them to offer a citation from Israel's oral law. They also knew the response that this question demanded. The oral law called for the saving of lives on the Sabbath. In fact, two scribal tractates, both affirm this:

"Whenever there is doubt as to whether a life is in danger, this takes precedence over the Sabbath." The scribes knew that if they chose to cite this ruling Jesus would entrap them and force them to admit that the restoration of physical dexterity to a man who had been left penniless and hopeless by a disabling condition would fit into this category of life endangerment. So, they knew that Jesus would argue this: healing for this man was a matter of life and death, so they were forced to respond to this question by maintaining a stony silence. On the other hand, Jesus knew that if he healed this man on the Sabbath, the scribes and Pharisees would rush to the authorities and charge him. Their concern for legal detail would cause them to ignore human suffering and in so doing suppress the mercy and grace of God. Seeing this, Jesus grew angry; the gospel of Mark is clear about this. So, what was it that made Jesus angry? It was the hardness of the hearts of these men, and hard heartedness always aroused anger in Jesus. But Jesus would not be deterred. He turned to the man with a withered hand and said to him, "Stretch out your hand." Notice, now, that Jesus did not pray for this man, nor did he even touch this man. If Jesus had done either of these things the scribes would have had him arrested and charged with working on the Sabbath. But, since the act of speaking was not considered to be work by the scribes, Jesus could instruct this man to stretch forth his hand, and not violate any Sabbath regulations. Well, immediately this man responded by stretching out his hand, and his hand was normal. The man was healed, but in a technical sense, Jesus had not broken the law. The fact that the man's hand was restored and that Jesus has done this without violating the law did nothing to suppress the hostility of the scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus. In fact, the hostility only escalated, and they immediately went out and plotted with the Herodians to kill Jesus. So, that day

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in the very synagogue where you will be standing, religion had run headlong into relationship. Love had triumphed over rules! On one occasion, Jesus had left Capernaum and sailed to the east side of the Sea of Galilee. He disembarked in the area known at that time as Gadara. There Jesus met a demoniac who referred to himself as being "Legion." After casting the demon from this man and causing them to enter into a herd of swine, Jesus sailed back to Capernaum. It was about eight o'clock in the morning when Jesus reached Capernaum. He must have been extremely tired after having not slept all night Suddenly, a man approached Him! The name of the man was Jairus and he was the president of the synagogue in Capernaum. A large crowd had gathered to welcome Jesus and this man, Jairus, had to fight his way through that crowd. When he finally reached Jesus, he immediately explained to Him the critical condition of his only child, a young daughter. As Jesus listened, compassion arose in His heart and He indicated to Jairus His willingness to come and help. Jairus quickly began to lead Jesus through the crowd, but the crowd did not disperse; it continued to move along with them. This mass of humanity slowed the two men to a crawl, and things even got worse when they reached the narrow streets of Capernaum. As in most ancient Middle Eastern towns of that era, the streets of Capernaum were no more than five to nine feet wide. As Jesus, Jairus, and the crowd entered into those narrow lanes, there was barely room to breathe. In fact, the text says that they were "pressed together." The situation was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. With Jairus every moment counted, but the crowd would not give way. However, in spite of the external circumstances, God was totally in control of the situation and his providence was about to intervene in a most powerful way. Jesus was about to encounter a woman in desperate need, and she would stop Jesus dead in his tracks. The fact that Jesus would pause like this was difficult for Jairus to understand, but Jesus was in charge and there was nothing he could do but wait patiently. This woman had apparently lived here, in the town of Capernaum, for some period of time, and her house was located on the same street through which Jesus and the crowd was moving. Subsequent events suggest that she was probably sitting on her door stoop as the crowd began to pass. She must have known that it was Jesus who was approaching, because the people leading that mass of humanity must have been shouting, "Make way, make way, Jesus of Nazareth is coming through!" We can be equally sure that this woman was aware of the things Jesus had been doing in Capernaum. She must have heard

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the news of how sick people were being healed. This miracle worker was now coming toward her, and she truly needed a miracle. The circumstances this woman faced were very dire. She had a serious female disorder that had caused her menstrual functions to be effective; she had not stopped bleeding for twelve long years. She had sought relief everywhere, going to countless physicians. In fact, she had spent her entire life savings in pursuit of medical relief but no one had been able to end her misery. In addition to the discomfort, this condition made her ritually impure. This meant that she could not be touched by another person including her husband and her children. The law demanded that she remain isolated. Then, to make matters worse, a person who was ritually impure was believed to be separated from God. She was a prisoner in her own home. She was also severely weakened by the loss of iron in her system and that's why I believe she was sitting on her door stoop, rather than standing. I believe she was too weak to stand. When this woman heard that Jesus was approaching, a sense of hope came alive in her. She must have wondered if she dared to approach this man directly. However, her state of ritual impurity and the fact that he was a Rabbi made her opt for a different approach. As Jesus moved by her, less than an arm’s length away, she reached out and touched the bottom of his prayer shawl, his TILITH. Every Jewish Rabbi, including Jesus, wore a TALITH, and every TALITH had a set of blue tassels attached to each of its four corners. The King James Version of the Bible refers to these tassels as being "a fringe," but that translation is incorrect. The Hebrew noun translated into English as "tassle" reflects the Hebrew word, TZIT-TZIT. These TZIT-TZITS were appended to the prayer shawl to remind the people of the covenant God had made with Israel at Mount Sinai. This fact is made clear in Numbers 15:37-40, which reads:

"And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, ‘Speak unto the children of Israel and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they may put upon the fringe of the borders a cord of blue. And it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look up on it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the harlot; that you may remember, and do all the commandments, and be holy unto your God.’" The meaning of the TZIT-TZIT was important to the woman with the issue of blood, because the text of the book of Numbers declares that one of the major provisions of the Siniatic covenant was agreement on the part of God to be the healer of his people. He even revealed himself to Israel as being "Jehovah Raphe, the God who heals you.” So, she reached out and touched one of the

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four TZIT-TZITS on the TALITH of Jesus. When she did, she was instantly healed. The power of God suddenly coursed through her body like a jolt of electricity. However, before she was able to utter a single word the crowd surged ahead and Jesus moved past the place where she was sitting. This sudden movement of the crowd was probably a relief to this woman. She was not too excited about the Jewish Rabbi knowing she had just defiled Him. But to her utter chagrin, after taking only a few steps, Jesus suddenly stopped and looked around. He then asked, "Who touched me?" To the disciples of Jesus this sounded like a silly question. Here was Jesus, surrounded by a multitude of people, and he asked, "Who touched me?" The fact was this: Jesus was not talking about casual contact. He knew that the hand that had touched Him had been motivated by faith. Real faith had been released, and that had been revealed in the words this woman herself had spoken. She had said this:

"If I can just touch the tassel on his prayer shawl, I shall be whole." That is a true statement of faith. However, when Jesus asked his question, this woman probably panicked. She must have thought to herself, "If this Rabbi discovers it was me who touched Him, He might take away my healing." After all she had broken every law in the book. But why hide? If this man already knew He had been touched, He would also know who it was that touched Him. So, she timidly rose to her feet. When she had moved next to Him she threw herself down at His feet and according to the gospel of Mark, she told him "all the truth" or "the whole truth." She admitted to having touched Him. But Jesus did not take away her healing; far from it! He delighted in her faith. At this point, Jesus once again turned his attention to Jairus. He said to him, "Take me to your daughter." A stunned Jairus, mumbling in gratitude, began to move toward his home; all the while Jesus was at his side. However, before the two men could reach the house of Jairus, several messengers stopped the two of them. The news they brought was short and pointed they said this:

"Your daughter is dead; don't bother the teacher anymore." Those ten words are very interesting. They explained the dynamics that were taking place at that very moment back in the house of the synagogue president. When Jairus had left the house that morning, everyone knew that he was going to see Jesus of Nazareth, and they all must have believed that this man just might be able to help the little girl. However, the message they delivered to Jairus indicated that they had lost their faith and their hope. They believed that Jesus could help the little girl, but only as long as the little girl was still alive. The experience of death went beyond the limits of their ability to believe. So,

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when the child actually died, any faith they may have had in the ability of Jesus to heal her had been instantly transferred to the power of death. At this point, all they could express was doubt and unbelief. Jesus, on the other hand, refused to allow doubt and unbelief to take root. We read these words in Mark 5:36:

"And as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Be not afraid; only believe." These words must have sounded ridiculous to Jairus since his daughter had already died, but what he did not know is that Jesus had already decided to raise this girl from the dead. Only two persons had actually heard what the messengers had said that day, and those two people were Jesus and Jairus. Hearing that message, Jairus gave way to a state of grief, while Jesus ignored both the messengers and their message. Jairus had to make a choice; would he trust Jesus or would he trust the circumstances. Anyone who knows the story knows that Jairus chose to trust Jesus. He invited Jesus to accompany him to his house even though his daughter was dead. When the two men arrived at the house, there was bedlam. A large group of professional mourners had already made their appearance, and accompanying them was a group of flute players. They were sobbing, tearing their clothes and throwing dirt in their hair, and the flute players were filling the air with melancholy strains on their reed pipes. Jesus surveyed the scene for a moment and He was incensed by what He saw. What He was seeing and hearing told him that the only faith in that place was being directed toward death, not life. The mourners were glorifying the power of Satan and his ability to kill, rather than glorifying the source of all life. This should not have been happening. It was a slap in the face of His Father, and this made Jesus furious. In response, He raised his voice and said this to the mourners:

"Why are you crying and making such a racket? The little girl is not dead, she is only sleeping." (Mark 5:39, RSV) When Jesus uttered the words, "The little girl is only sleeping," the mourners instantly flew into a rage. They were insulted by the words of Jesus. They knew for certain that this little girl had died. They had checked her breathing; she was dead! That was the fact of the matter. So, the mourners stopped their ministry of wailing and begin to ridicule the man from Nazareth. Mark 5:40 states this:

"And they laughed him to scorn."

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In other words, these people mocked Jesus, but as we can imagine, it did not take but a moment for Jesus to have heard enough of this drivel. According to Mark 5:40b, Jesus "put them all out." The Greek word translated as "put them out" is quite interesting. Is the verb, EKBALLOW, which means "to throw out." It is the same word that is used to describe the actions of Jesus when he chased the money changers from the Temple. This verb is also used 38 times in the New Testament to describe what Jesus did to the demons that tormented people. So, here, at the house of Jairus, Jesus appears to have physically thrown the mourners out of the courtyard. He appears to have grabbed them by the scruff of the neck and evicted them from the courtyard. Why such intolerance? The answer is clear; Jesus was intolerant because He did not want Jairus and his wife to be distracted by the doubt and unbelief being generated by these mourners. Once these mourners had been ousted, Jesus called for Peter, James, John, Jairus, and his wife to stand at His side and walk with Him into the room where the body of a little girl lay. Before doing anything else, Jesus closed the door. Then, He did the most unbelievable thing! He walked over to where the little girl was lying. He took her by the hand and he whispered, TALITHACUMI, or "little girl arise." And when he did, the eyes of the child begin to twitch and flutter; her little chest began to move and then her eyes flew open wide. Light flooded her brain. It was a joyous moment as she looked up and saw the face of Jesus. She did not know it, that at that very moment she was looking into the eyes of "the light of the world." Of course they were all astonished. Then, Jesus, always being aware of physical discomfort, commanded that something should be given to her to eat. All of these things happened in the town where you will be standing. Although Capernaum was privileged to serve as the center of our Lord’s ministry, it was destined to be destroyed because of the unbelief of its inhabitants. Jesus said, “Woe to you Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented a great while ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades” (Luke 10:13-15). Capernaum was under the judgment of God and was destined for destruction, which, as we shall see, came to pass.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read Mark 1:21-22---Why were the people astonished with Jesus’ teachings? Why would Jesus have authority? Read Luke 4:32-36---Here Jesus demonstrates His authority over whom? Read Matthew 4:18-22---Here along the sea, Jesus calls his first disciples. What does He call them to be? What were their occupations? Read Matthew 15:29-31---What type of afflictions did Jesus heal on this occasion? Read Luke 7:1-10; Matthew 8:5-13---Familiarize yourself with the office of the Roman centurion. What was wrong with his servant? Was he shocked that Jesus offered to come to his house? Why was this? When Jesus made His offer, what was the response of this man? What was the reaction of Jesus to the words of this man? When was the servant healed? Read Mark 2:3-12---Who had the faith necessary for the healing of this man? Why did Jesus say to this man, “You sins are forgiven”---was the man sick because he had sinned? Read Mark 5:21-43--- Who was Jairus? Why would this man approach Jesus? On the way to the house of Jairus, a woman touched the zeit-zeit on the prayer shawl (Tallith) of Jesus. What was wrong with this woman? How long had she been in this condition? Why did she hesitate to touch the garment of Jesus? I find four steps to healing in this story: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Say it---“If I can just touch his clothes I will be well.” Do it---“She touched His garment.” Receive it---“Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Tell it---“She told Him all the truth.”

What instructions did Jesus give to Jairus before He went into the room where his daughter laid? Fear negates faith---why? When Jesus said, “The girl is not dead, she is asleep,” what did He mean?

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The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter About a half a mile from the gates of Capernaum, one finds the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, seen in the picture below.

Following the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, His disciples were told to go ahead of Him into Galilee, and He would meet them there. The disciples quickly obeyed. While they were awaiting His arrival, seven of them decided to go fishing, possibly hoping to sell their catch and raise some badly needed money. These seven men fished all night and they did not catch a thing. As they returned to dock their boat, a man standing on the shore called to them. He shouted these words:

"Children, have you any food ?" They answered in the negative! Then the man on the shore told them to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. The disciples were dead tired, but for some reason, they decided to do as the man suggested. The nets had no more than entered the water when they were filled to the breaking point with fish, one hundred and fifty-three in all.

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John, who was staring at the man on the shore, finally recognized who it was and shouted, “It is the Lord.” With that, Peter jumped from the boat and swam to where his Lord was standing. The first thing he noticed was this: Jesus had prepared him and the other disciples a meal. Jesus then said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Jesus then gave to them the bread and fish that he had prepared. After they had eaten, Jesus looked Simon Peter in the eyes and he asked him this question:

"Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" The word Jesus used for love was the Greek word, AGAPAO, which Jesus defined as being "a love that lays down its life for a friend." Jesus, of course, knew that Peter, just recently, had failed to demonstrate AGAPE love toward him when he had denied him three times in the courtyard of the high priest, Caiaphas, only days earlier. Knowing this, Peter ducked his head and said, "Lord, you know that I love you." However, the word he used for love was PHILEO, the kind of love one brother has for another, that this kind of love is not the kind that lays down its life for a friend. Jesus then responded, "Feed my lambs." Jesus then asked Peter for a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you AGAPE me?" And once again, Simon Peter answered, "Lord you know I PHILEO you." So, Jesus responded, "Tend my sheep." Then, for a third time Jesus questioned Peter, but this time He changed the wording. He simply asked, "Do you PHILEO me?" Jesus was really asking Simon Peter if he really had PHILEO for him. A red-faced Simon Peter urgently responded, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I PHILEO you!" So Jesus responded, "Feed my sheep." The point was this: only days earlier Peter had denied his Lord three times. He had proven his inability to display the God kind of love, AGAPAO. So, Jesus assures him that if the best he can offer Him is PHILEO, he will accept it. But Jesus knew that the day of Pentecost was coming, and Peter would receive power that would enable him to demonstrate a willingness to lay down his life for his friend, something he did by suffering martyrdom. In fact, Jesus said this to Simon Peter:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." Then Jesus looked at him and said this, "Follow me."

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This simple little Church of the Primacy of St. Peter (and it is little) is built around a rock said to be the place where this meal was prepared and eaten. On the seaward side of the church there are several steps, where Jesus is said to have been standing when He shouted instructions to His disciples in the boat. On the shoreline are a series of six doubled columns called “the Thrones of the Apostles.”

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read John 21:15-17---Take a good study Bible and research the word “love” as it is used by Simon Peter, and as it is used by Jesus. What are the differences and what do those differences mean to you and to me? What does Jesus mean when He says to Peter, “Feed my sheep?” Read John 21:18-19---Is the belief that Jesus was crucified upside down on Vatican Hill Biblical? Read John 21:20-25---Peter was busy examining the faults of John. What did Jesus say to that?

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The Mount of the Beatitudes From Capernaum we will make a short two-mile drive to the spot where Jesus delivered His immortal Sermon on the Mount.

The church located at this site is octagonal in shape and recalls the eight beatitudes that begin with the words, “Blessed are they.” The ninth beatitude is not included because Jesus changed the generalized words, “blessed are they,” found in the first eight beatitudes, to the specific words, “blessed are you,” found in the ninth beatitude. In fact, all of the remainder of the verses (Matthew 5:11-16) are addressed to the disciples personally. Symbols surrounding the altar inside the church represent the seven virtues (justice, charity, prudence, faith, fortitude, hope, and remembrance). The spectacular gardens around the site will provide us with an unforgettable view of the Sea of Galilee, Tiberius, and the Golan Heights. The Sermon on the Mount may be the most misunderstood portion of scripture in the entire Bible. Many people take the principles that Jesus taught here and

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turn them into legalistic rules and regulations. That is wrong! Jesus was NOT issuing a new legal system in this sermon. He was actually establishing the governing principles of His future Messianic Kingdom. What Jesus wanted His followers to understand was this: 1) The Mosaic Law of the Old Testament had never been abrogated (Matthew 5:17), and the attitude of men toward this Law will determine their place in the coming Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19), the millennial reign of Christ. 2) However, Christ has come to this earth to fulfill that Law (Matthew 5:17). He must fulfill it, because we fallen human beings cannot keep it. Under Moses, the Law was easier to obey (although no one obeyed it) than it became after Jesus had delivered the Sermon on the Mount. That was true, because the Mosaic Law deals exclusively with overt actions, while Jesus focused upon thoughts and motives (Matthew 5:27-28; 6:1-6). In addition, Jesus negated certain concessions that had been made under the Law because of the hardness of men’s hearts (Matthew 5:31-32). 3) In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus set forth the perfect standard of righteousness demanded by the Law (Mathew 5:48), demonstrating conclusively that all men habitually fall short of the divine standard, thereby making salvation by works an impossibility. The human family stands in need of a savior, someone who can and has kept the Law for us, and then imputes His righteous standing to our account. 4) Although the Kingdom principles that Jesus outlined in the Sermon on the Mount cannot save sinners (Romans 3:20), and although those who have been saved in this present age are not under the Law (Romans 6:14), nevertheless both the Mosaic Law and the Sermon on the Mount are a vital part of Holy Scripture, and that scripture is inspired by God. Therefore, all of it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read Matthew 5:1-7, 29---Is it possible to live according to the dictates of this Sermon? Read Matthew 5:43-45---These verses provide four keys to a powerful prayer life: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Love---your enemies Bless---them that curse you Do good---to them that hate you Pray---for them who persecute you

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Chorazin/Bethsaida The other two cities Jesus cursed, Chorazin and Bethsaida, are our next destinations. Due to time restraints, we will probably not stop in either place, but we will pass by the ruins. The most interesting thing about the highlyexcavated site of Chorazin is a synagogue that dates to the Talmudic period (300 AD).

The ornate pediments of this synagogue, cut from basalt stone, are beautiful. Also found in this synagogue is a “Seat of Moses,” located at the synagogue’s back entry. Visiting rabbis would come and sit in the Seat of Moses anticipating being invited to teach.

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Several miles to the east we come to the ruins of Bethsaida, another ministry center used by Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus performed several of His most monumental miracles in or around this city, which is the reason why Bethsaida is one of the most frequently mentioned sites in the New Testament. This town was the birthplace of Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, as well as being the home of the disciple, Philip. Unlike many other New Testament sites, Bethsaida was not rediscovered until recently. In fact, one hundred years ago many scholars were unable to find the ruins of the town. So, they came to the conclusion that Bethsaida was the product of Christian myth. Then in 1987, Israeli archeologist Rami Arav began to excavate a tel located four and a half miles from the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. After several years of digging he was able to establish, unequivocally, that this was the Bethsaida of the New Testament era. Furthermore, in 1996, Arav discovered a gated complex at a lower level of the dig dating from an Iron Age city (circa 1000 BC). Arav was able to identfy these ruins as being the gate of the ancient Aramaean city/state of Geshur, the place where David ben Jesse came to ask for the hand Ma’achah, the daughter of the King Talmai of Geshur. Her hand was given and Ma’achah became the mother of David’s beloved son, Absalom. After Absalom had killed his brother Amnon, he fled to this city. The gates of that city are seen below.

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The Bethsaida of the New Testament era was a fishing center. The name Bethsaida means “House of the Fisherman.” It was near Bethsaida that Jesus performed the great miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, recorded in Luke 9:12-17 and Mark 6:3244. Since early morning on this fateful day, Jesus had been surrounded by a great throng of people, some 5000 men and probably as many women and children. As evening approached, a disciple approached Jesus and told him to send the crowd away, so they could go and find something to eat. So, Jesus looked at His disciples and said, “You give them something to eat.” The disciples were awe struck by this. So, Jesus turned to Philip who was born in nearby Bethsaida and He asked him, “Where can we buy bread that these may eat?” Philip shook his head and said, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them that everyone have a little.” And he was right. It would take a dozen Rainbow Bread trucks to provide bread for ten to fifteen thousand people. Then, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, approached Jesus with a small boy who had five barley loaves and two small fishes, but he asked Jesus, “What are these among so many?” What Andrew was doing was dividing the supply into the situation, and the answer was this: “Not enough!” Philip had

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done the same thing. He had divided the money available into the numbers of people and his answer was also, “Not enough.” Jesus on the other hand, did not look at the circumstances. In the original Greek text of Luke 9:16, we are told that when Jesus held the five loaves and two small fishes in his hands, looked “into” (EIS in Greek) heaven, the place where His divine provisions were kept and He broke the bread and blessed it. In the end there was more than enough to meet the circumstance; there were even twelve baskets of food left over. Here, Jesus multiplied, He did not divide. He knew His Father to be El Shaddai (the God who is “more than enough,” the multiplier), not “El Cheapo.” The crowd was literally overwhelmed by what they saw. They immediately wanted to take Jesus by force and make him their new king. They would overthrow Herod Antipas and establish Jesus on the throne. Knowing this Jesus went to a solitary place where he could be alone, but first he told his disciples to get in their boat and return to Capernaum. So around sundown, about six o'clock in the evening, the disciples set sail. Then a storm arose, and the wind began to blow from the northwest, driving them into the middle of the lake. As the wind increased, so did the waves, and by three o'clock in the morning the situation was terrifying. Jesus had seen all of this from his location on the shore, so he began to walk on the water of the lake. As he approached, several of the disciples saw him coming through the spray and thought it was a ghost, and cried out in fear. However Jesus shouted to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Simon Peter, seeing all of this, and being the kind of person he was, called out to Jesus, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." Jesus simply said one word to him: "Come!" Immediately, Peter swung his leg over the side of the boat. I can only imagine the reaction of the other disciples. No doubt, some of them said, "Peter, you fool! You cannot walk on water; after all, the density of your body is greater than the density of that water and you will sink; that's a scientific fact. Remember this, Peter! This sea is 150 feet deep and you will drown." However, when Jesus said "come" that had settled the issue for Peter. He climbed out of the boat and became the second man in the history of the world to walk on water. To his everlasting credit, Peter almost reached the place where Jesus was standing. Then, he saw the size of the waves and the power of the wind. In other words, he got his eyes off of Christ and onto his circumstances. When he did, he immediately began to sink and he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

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Jesus then reached out his hand to Peter and caught him. Jesus asked him this:

"O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" They both climbed back in the boat and when they did the wind ceased. Remember this: the disciples had been “worried” by their circumstances and worry is the response of our soulish persons to what our physical bodies perceive as a threat. Some months later, Jesus left Galilee and went into what we now call Lebanon (Syro-Phoenicia). The events surrounding the feeding of the 5000 had threatened Herod Antipas and he had issued an arrest warrant for Jesus. So, He took his disciples and left the area governed by Antipas. When they returned they did not go back to Galilee; instead they went to Gaulinitus, ruled by Herod Philip, the younger brother of Antipas. When they arrived in Bethsaida, some men brought a blind man to Jesus. They asked Jesus to “touch him.” Jesus responded by taking the man by the hand and leading him out of the city. The question is this: why did Jesus do this; why did He take him out of the city? The answer is clear! Earlier, Jesus had abandoned Bethsaida to judgment (see Matthew 11:21-24). So, Jesus would not heal anyone in that city, nor would He permit further testimony to be borne there. So, He took the man outside the city. Once there, Jesus did three things, one of which seems quite strange to us. First, He spat on the man’s eyes; then, He placed His hands on the man; finally, he asked the man several pointed questions. Why on earth would Jesus spit on the man’s eyes? The fact is this: this was not the first time Jesus spat on someone. In Mark 7:32-35, Jesus spat on the tongue of a man who could neither hear nor speak. He also placed His hands on this man. So what was this spitting intended to do? They were symbolic acts which this blind man would have known and understood. Jesus spat on this man to touch something hidden deep within him. When this man felt the spittle he knew exactly what Jesus was doing. He knew Jesus was about to heal him, causing faith to come alive. When Jesus laid his hands on him he understood that Jesus was symbolically transferring his wholeness to him through his hands. Healing was on the way! Then, after Jesus had touched this blind man, He asked the man this question:

"Do you see anything?"

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The nature of this question indicates that Jesus sensed that this man had not been fully healed. Power had left Him, but the connection had been weak. Divine power had not fully penetrated this man, and Jesus knew it; there was no electricity present. In response to the question of Jesus, the man then "looked up" according to Mark 8:24a, and with a quizzical look on his face he said this to Jesus:

"I see men, but they look like trees walking." He could see something, but it was as if he was looking through a dense fog. Jesus, interestingly enough, did not condemn this man for having been only partially healed; neither did he accuse the man of having too little faith. This was the only time in the entire ministry of Jesus when a healing occurred progressively. Jesus simply put his hands on the man's eyes again and made him look up. When he did he could see everything clearly. Josephus tells us this: in the year 30 AD, Herod Philip, the son of Herod the Great, had elevated this one-time village to the status of a Greek city and renamed it Julias, after Livia-Julia, the wife of Augustus Caesar. Four years later, Herod Philip died and was buried in Bethsaida. Later, one of the first battles of the revolt against Rome (67 AD) was fought in this area.

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Caesarea Philippi It is a long drive from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi, our next stop. Our trip will take us through the Golan Heights and along the Syrian border, until we reach our destination, only a stone’s throw from Lebanon. Caesarea Philippi is one of the most pleasant sites in all of Israel. Here, in this tranquil place, the eastern headwaters of the upper Jordan River gush from the side of Mount Hermon and begin their journey to the Sea of Galilee.

One unique factor about this area is this: it was once permeated with the temples built in the honor of the Canaanite god, BA’AL. Ancient historians have described at least fourteen Baalite temples that were found in the upper Golan in antiquity. A cave that we will see above Caesarea Philippi is said to be the birthplace of the Greek god Pan, the god of nature, fields, forests, mountains, flocks, and

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shepherds. Greek legend states that Pan was the son of Hermes by an unknown nymph. At his birth, his mother was so frightened by his physical appearance that she decided to abandon him, and why not? His horned head and his torso were those of a human being, but his loins and legs were those of a goat. Hermes, feeling pity for Pan, took the infant and introduced him to the gods of Olympus. The gods took him in and raised him. His name, Pan, is probably related to the root word “POSCO,” which means shepherd. Hermes, the legendary father of Pan, was said to be the son of Zeus and Maia. Hermes was known as the messenger of the gods, and his major function, according to Greek mythology, was to conduct the souls of the dead to Hades. The Greeks believed Hades to be the place where the souls of men wander about in abject boredom following physical death. One of the roles given to Pan by the Olympians was to guard the various thresholds of human existence. His job was to put fear into anyone who arrived at some threshold moment in his/her life. This is where we get the word PANIC. Pan was assigned to create “pan-ic” in anyone arriving at some threshold, some hinge moment, in his/her life. His task was to coerce them to return to their status quo existence. Pan was given this assignment, because the Greek gods did not like change. During the Hellenistic period, someone came to the place where Caesarea Philippi would be built and erected a sanctuary to the god, Pan, in front of the sacred cave mentioned earlier. Inside this cave, worshipers of Pan also erected a statue of this guardian of the thresholds, and he was believed to guard the threshold of this cave above all other the thresholds in the world. There was a reason for this vigilance: this sacred cave was cut into the side of a special mountain in mythology, Mount Hermon, which was named for the god, Hermes, the father of Pan. This cave came to be known by the Greeks as the very “gateway to Hades.” When a person died, his/her soul was brought to the mouth of this very cave. If that person refused to be panicked by Pan, then that person’s soul would cross the threshold of the cave and Hermes would escort him/her to Hades. Otherwise, his/her soul would wander aimlessly in the world. Next to the cave of Pan on the right there are five niches hewn out of the rock. At one time, these niches held statues. Three of the niches bear inscriptions in Greek mentioning Pan, his consort Echo, and Galerius (one of Pan’s priests). Even the original name of Caesarea Philippi reflects its attachment to Pan---it was called Panias. The modern name of Caesarea Philippi is Banias, an Arabic corruption of the word Panias.

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Josephus tells us that in the year 200 BC, a great battle was fought here between the army of Ptolemy of Egypt and the army of Antiochus III, the Seleucid ruler of Syria. Antiochus won the battle, so Antiochus and his heirs began to rule the area we now call the Holy Land. The area around Caesarea Philippi was later liberated from the Seleucids during the Maccabean revolt. Later, Pompey the Great marched his armies into the area and conquered the entire region for Rome. In 20 BC, Caesar Augustus ceded this entire area around the foot of Mount Hermon to Herod the Great, who demonstrated his gratitude by building a temple to the divine Augustus in front of the cave where Pan was said to have been born. However, erecting that temple would be the limit of the building efforts of Herod the Great at this location. He never attempted to build a city here. He left that task to his son, Herod Philip, who built a city here following the death of his father. This new city had one purpose: it was to be a resort, a place for the Roman nobility who periodically visited Gaulanitis to relax. He called the city Caesarea, in honor of Augustus, but in order to differentiate it from Caesarea Maritima, he called it Caesarea Philippi, after himself. Next to the Temple of Augustus, Herod Philip erected a courtyard surrounded by walls on three sides. Then, he cut a grotto into the wall of the cliff behind the court. It is known as the Court of Pan and the Nymphs. Other temples and shrines were erected here, but only after the New Testament era. This later building project included a temple to Zeus, and a courtyard to honor Nemesis. These facts and this location serve as a backdrop for one of the most dramatic events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, in conjunction with Herod Antipas, had killed John the Baptist, and were now plotting to destroy Jesus as well. They were accusing the Nazarene of being a dangerous heretic. In fact, Antipas had engaged his agents to search the entire Galilee for Jesus for several months and when they found him they were to arrest Him (Luke 9:9). To avoid the snare of Antipas, Jesus had left Galilee and had traveled outside the jurisdiction of Antipas, taking residence for a time in Syro-Phoenician territory near Sidon. When it was time to return, Jesus still had to avoid Antipas, so He decided to enter into the jurisdiction of Herod Philip. There He knew He would be safe. Jesus had needed this time in Syro-Phoenicia and Gaulanitis to prepare His disciples for His coming death; and there in Caesarea Philippi, the fact of His coming death was heavy on His mind. So, Jesus asked His disciples this crucial question: “Who do men say that I am?” At this point, His disciples were at place in life that could only be called, “a spiritual threshold.” Would they step through the threshold from a carnal,

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worldly existence to a life of faith? That was the question! After hearing several different responses from His followers, Simon Peter stepped blindly across the threshold. He made the great confession of the Christian faith; the one that brings eternal salvation. He said, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded by saying to him, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven---and upon this rock (this great confession) I will build my church, and the gates of hell (Hades) will not prevail against it.” I do not believe in coincidences, but I do believe in God-incidences. I see at least three of them here in Caesarea Philippi: 1) It is God-incidence that at this very moment Jesus was gazing up at the cave of Pan, the god of panic. Jesus was standing at the greatest threshold moment of His entire life; His crucifixion! Would He be panicked by what He faced? Would He surrender to fear? 2) It is a God-incidence that there, in the vicinity of that cave known as the gateway to Hades, Jesus would give to Simon Peter, and all who confess Him as Lord, the keys to His church and assured them that the “gates” of Hades would not prevail against that church. 3) It is a God-incidence that Jesus would ponder His own death while standing at the perceived gateway to Hades.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Matthew 16:13-16---Who were some people saying Jesus was? I find this strange. Why would they think He was Jeremiah? Read Matthew 16:17-18---The Lordship of Christ is the rock upon which the church is built, not Peter. There is a fascinating play on words in the name that Jesus gave to Simon. He gave him the name PETROS, a small stone, but when Jesus speaks of the rock upon which He will build His church, He uses the word, PETRA, a massive rock. Read Matthew 16:19-20---What do keys represent in the Bible? Use a good study Bible. Read Matthew 16:21-23---Why does Jesus call Peter Satan? Use a good study Bible.

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Dan or Laish Two and a half miles west of Caesarea Philippi we find the ruins of the Biblical city of Dan. Prior to the coming of the Israelites this city was known as Laish, and it was populated by Canaanites/Aramaeans. It stood at the junction of two major highways and this fact alone made it an important place. Since Laish, and later Dan, was a walled city, the men of that city could control this junction from a heavily defended position, and thus collect tolls from travelers. If someone would not pay, they found the prophecy of Jacob in Genesis 49:17 to be true. The patriarch said:

“Dan shall be a serpent in the way, an horned snake in the path that bites the horse’s heels, so that his rider falls backward.” From time immemorial, the springs of Laish or Dan have gushed out untold billions of gallons of water. These waters, along with those flowing from the base of Mount Hermon at Caesarea Philippi, form the upper Jordan River that feeds the Sea of Galilee. The springs of Tel Dan produce 250,000,000 cubic meters of water every year. This city has had a long and fascinating biblical history. After Lot had been taken captive by the five kings of Mesopotamia, Abraham and 318 of his servants pursued them as far as the city of Laish (Genesis 14:14) where Abraham decimated the army of the kings in battle. No doubt after the battle was over the patriarch stopped right here, in the town of Laish, to rest, entering the city through its gate. Archaeologists have now found and completely unearthed the gate of this city from the time of Abraham. It is constructed of mud brick and is kept under a roof to keep it from melting away in the weather. We will see this gate as we leave the archeological park. Centuries later, Joshua lead his troops to this city, and captured it in behalf of the twelve tribes of Israel. Later, the name of Laish was changed to Dan when the tribe by that name left its territory in the arid Negev desert and migrated north. The city of Dan became the northernmost city in the nation of Israel. The city of Dan is probably best remembered for one reason; the golden calf that King Jeroboam I erected in this city. In I Kings 12 we have that story spelled out in detail. It tells us that following the death of King Solomon, the united Hebrew kingdom that had belonged to David and Solomon consisting of all twelve tribes was split into two separate nations: Israel, composed of ten tribes was located in the north and was ruled by a man named Jeroboam, and

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Judah, composed of two tribes was located in the south and was ruled by Solomon’s oldest son, Rehoboam. To hold power over the new state, the state of Israel, Jeroboam had to find a way to prevent his people from going to the Temple in Jerusalem three times each year for the great feast cycles or to present sacrifices to God. This man was politically astute, so he knew that as long as his people continued to go to the temple in Jerusalem their loyalties would at least partially be tied to Judea. So, Jeroboam decided to build two shrines, one on the northern border, in Dan, and one on the southern border, in the town of Bethel. In each location a sacrificial altar was erected, priests were appointed, and sacrifices were offered to God. These alternate worship centers were controversial enough, but Jeroboam went a step further. He built platforms called bemas in each location and placed a golden calf atop each of the two BEMAS. This smacked of idolatry and brought down the wrath of Israel’s prophets upon the northern kingdom. Archaeologists have completely uncovered the sacred precinct in Dan. You will see a frame in the exact shape and dimensions as this shrine’s altar, and you will stand on the Bema where the golden calf once stood.

In addition to the Early/Middle Bronze Age mud brick gate mentioned above, archaeologists have also discovered one of the largest and best preserved city gates in all of Palestine, complete with city walls that have been restored to their original height. The archeological team has also reconstructed the place where the king of Israel would sit in the gate and judge the people.

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Even more spectacularly, archeologists found a small altar in the ruins of Dan, dating from the ninth or tenth century BC, as well as an inscription mentioning the House of David, a tremendous find.

Hazor As we drive back to Tiberius, we will pass one very important historical site. It is the ancient city of Hazor. Time will probably prevent us from stopping at this large TEL, but it will be worth noting as we pass. The TEL covers 190 acres and is the most extensive archaeological site in Israel. This site is mentioned by the Egyptian writings as early as the nineteenth century BC, when Hazor was the largest city in the world of that day. The site has enormous Biblical significance. The Bible tells us that after the sons of Israel had crossed the Jordan River following their sojourn in the wilderness, Joshua ben Nun launched his northern campaign to secure the land of Canaan. The book of Joshua tells us that he not only conquered Hazor, but he destroyed it “with fire,” and the archeological evidence supports the truth of this great Israelite victory.

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In time, however, the Canaanites retook the city from the Israelites. In the ninth century BC, Solomon seized the city and built a fortress and a garrison atop the already massive TEL, complete with stables for his large chariot forces. These forces took tolls from caravans traveling between Egypt and Damascus. This fortress also enabled Solomon to prevent invasions into the northern portion of his kingdom. Later, King Ahab of Israel expanded the city and put it to the same use. The one unique thing about Ahab’s expansion was this: it appears to have been the first place in the world where the populace of a city decided to dig straight down to the water table to find water. This way, in time of siege, they could have a secure and abundant supply of water inside the walls of a city. The concept worked. Even today, this water system is so spectacular and deep (ninety-eight feet down) that it is breath-taking. A set of stairs leads down to the water level. In addition, the gates of this city are on display in the Museum of Archeology on the Hebrew University campus. In the eighth century BC, the Assyrian army overran and destroyed this city, and it was never rebuilt. The archaeological site is divided into two parts: the Acropolis, where ruins of a fortified citadel still remain, and the ruins of what the archeologists have called the entrenched camp. The palaces and temples of Hazor are still apparent here. The Canaanite/Israelite fortifications on the Acropolis, which extend over an area of twenty-four acres, are similar to those found in Jericho. Archaeologists have found a startling twenty-one occupation levels within this TEL, each one yielding treasures such as an immense Canaanite altar and a temple that was arranged much like the temple in Jerusalem.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Five Cana Our first stop today is in Cana of Galilee, located six miles east of Nazareth. Jesus would perform his first public miracle in this village. Previous to this, Jesus had been near to a place east of the Jordan River known as Bethabara. At an earlier date, Jesus had been invited to attend a wedding feast here in Cana. However, as a result of the things that had been happening near Bethabara, Jesus was delayed and did not arrive at the wedding feast until it was very nearly ended. These feasts lasted for seven days and seven nights, so the events recorded in John 2 must have occurred around the final day of the wedding feast. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had apparently been present at this wedding feast for some time, perhaps for several days. So, immediately after Jesus arrived, Mary approached her son with an urgent need. She said this to Him:

"They (the groom and his family) have no wine." In other words, Mary was saying to Jesus, "Son, do something! These people are friends and this situation is embarrassing." But the response of Jesus was shocking. He said this to his mother:

"Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." (John 2:4) This is shocking because the Greek noun Jesus used, which is translated into English as "woman," is the noun GUNAI, a highly impersonal word. We would expect Jesus to say to Mary, "Mother, what does your concern have to do with me?" Instead, he calls her "woman." The question is this: why would Jesus respond in this way? The answer to this question is found in part in John 2:3. His mother was not asking Him to go out and buy some more wine, she was asking him to perform a miracle of major proportions. This is made clear in John 2:5, when Mary says this to a server:

"Whatever He says to you, do it!"

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Obviously, Mary expected Jesus to do something quickly, and what she was asking would require a miracle. But that does not answer this question: why did Jesus respond so harshly? There were two reasons. In the first place, we must remember that Jesus had just returned from being tempted by Satan in the wilderness of Judea. There, in that desert place, Satan had tried to persuade Him to perform miracles, so that people would believe upon Him. So, this request from his mother may have sounded like the temptation Satan had presented to Him, the temptation to turn stones into bread. In the second place, Jesus responded in this way because, according to Him, His "hour had not yet come." This was crucial to Jesus. In fact, "my hour" is one of the key concepts in the mind of Jesus throughout the Gospel of John. Jesus is constantly shown looking ahead to "His hour." Twice in the Gospel of John, the actions of Jesus were restricted because "His hour had not yet come." Then, in John 7:30, "the Jews" sought to kill Jesus, but that they could not accomplish that task because "His hour had not yet come." The importance of His "hour" was repeated again in John 8:20. In John 12:34, certain Jews from the Diaspora had come to see Him. When Jesus was told about them He said this:

"The hour is now come that the Son of Man should be glorified." So, what was "His hour?" "His hour" was the time His father had established when He would be offered up as the eternal sacrifice for sin. As Jesus saw His reason for being, everything looked forward to this hour, and He would not allow His mother, or anyone else, to interfere with "His hour." However, something happened between John 2:4 and John 2:5. Jesus had asked, "What does your concern have to do with me?" Mary did not answer! The next words spoken were these; Mary said to the chief server, "Whatever He says to you, do it!" So, between John 2:4 and John 2:5, this little Jewish mother must have had a heart-to-heart talk with her son. She probably said something like this to him: "Son, who do you think you're talking to? I am your mother!" And Jesus must have responded by saying, "Okay, mother, I'll take care of it; just call one of the servants." Jesus then looked to one side and saw six empty stone water pots that had been used for ritual cleansing. Devout Jews of that time were fanatical about the ritual washing of their hands. They washed before and after eating, even if it was just a morsel of food. Once again, this washing was not done for the sake of cleanliness; it was ritualistic in nature; it was done to make oneself acceptable to God. The presence of ritually acceptable water was especially critical at a wedding feast. There was constant coming and going and constant eating and drinking;

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this lasted for seven long days and seven long nights. The groom in Cana had made preparation; there were six stone water pots provided for the ritual washing of hands. Two things tell us that these pots were there for this purpose: in the first place the pots were made of stone, not baked clay. Stone vessels were always ritually acceptable. In the second place, the text states that they were there "according to the cleansing rituals of the Jews." In other words, symbolically, in the spiritual sense, these empty jars represented ritual Judaism, because in John's Gospel there are always two levels of meaning, the physical and the spiritual. In the physical, people had come to this wedding feast to eat and to have their thirst quenched. But those who came last found that there was no wine available. In a spiritual sense, all those people who had turned to ritual Judaism to find meaning, purpose, and joy for their lives, had found only emptiness; nothing more than dead religion. Then Jesus appeared on the scene, and that all changed. Jesus called to a servant to fill the stone jars to their brim with water. Once that had taken place, a miracle occurred; the water had been transformed into wine. Jesus told the servant to draw a cup of the contents of those stone pots and to take it to the "governor of the feast." When this governor tasted what had been brought to him he was shocked: this new wine was excellent. This man then called for the bridegroom and he said this to him:

"And he said to them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.’ and they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew,) the master of the feast called the bridegroom, and he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!’" (John 2:8-10) Obviously, this wine that had once been water was very special; nothing like it had been tasted before, and now, as the feast drew near to its end, there were 120 gallons of this fine wine available; an over-abundance of this fine wine. In Amos 9:13-14, Hosea 14:7, and Jeremiah 31:12, we are told that when the messianic kingdom dawns there will be an abundance of fine wine. Well, the messianic age had dawned. With this miracle, Jesus initiated the messianic kingdom with an abundance of fine wine; the best had been saved until last. John ends the story with these words:

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"This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him." (John 2:11) The Greek word translated as "signs" is the noun SEMEIA, which indicates and specifies something greater than a miracle. In fact, this is the distinction between a miracle and a SEMEIA: a miracle finds its value in what has occurred, while a SEMEIA finds its value in what it represents. A sign always represent something beyond itself. The seven signs of Jesus found in John's Gospel all point beyond themselves to the time when Christ will rule and reign in his millennial kingdom on earth. In addition, the seven signs also caused the "glory" of Jesus to be seen. The miracle in Cana was a sign, a preview of that coming age, when the wine of God will flow in abundance for all to drink.

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Sepphoris There is a chance that we will not visit this site on this trip, but you should know about it. Sepphoris has been rightly called “the forgotten city.” Over the years, commentaries and geography texts give their attention to the nearby towns of Nazareth and Cana, while Sepphoris has been virtually ignored. This has been a great oversight. Sepphoris is one of those cities in Galilee which, although not mentioned in Scripture, played a crucial role in configuring the political, social, and economic context in which Jesus of Nazareth lived and ministered. Sepphoris was “perched like a bird” on a 400 foot hill overlooking the Bet Netofa Valley. Its Hebrew name, Zippori or “Bird,” reflects its lofty location. The city commands a panoramic view of the lower Galilee, including the towns of Cana, five miles to the northeast, and Nazareth, four miles to the south. The historian Josephus called this city “the ornament of Galilee.” Sepphoris was located midway between the Mediterranean coast and the Sea of Galilee. It was situated on the well-traveled highway that connected the Phoenician port of Ptolemais, located seventeen miles to the northwest, with the Sea of Galilee to the east. This road ran past Sepphoris, through the Turan Valley to Tiberius. Sepphoris boasted a 4,000 seat theater, built into the eastern side of the hill; this theater has been partially reconstructed. Like everything else in this city, this theater was originally constructed when Jesus was in His teens; no doubt, living in Nazareth. The stage of this theater was 156 feet in width and measured twenty-seven feet from front to back.

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Recent excavations have revealed Sepphoris to have been a cosmopolitan city of great wealth and beauty. In fact, it was the largest and most important city in all of Galilee. Even after Herod Antipas had built the city of Tiberius and moved his capital and residence there, Sepphoris continued to be a prominent and influential place.

In the time of Herod Antipas, the city included a lavish palace, a new city wall, a large marketplace, several synagogues, colonnaded paved streets, and a large residential area. Several enormous cisterns supplied the city with water. Herod Antipas began building this city as his principal residence and administrative center around 12 AD. Jesus would have been eighteen years of age at the time. Since Sepphoris is located only four miles from Nazareth, is it possible that during the years of our Lord’s early manhood, Joseph and Jesus worked here? Perhaps! Jesus and Joseph are identified in the gospels as being TEKTOI, or “builders” (incorrectly translated as “carpenter” in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3). This would mean that they were construction craftsmen, skilled in woodworking and stonecutting. Since it was the practice of a father to teach his son his own skill, we can assume that Joseph trained Jesus for this vocation, as well. Nazareth, the hometown of the Joseph ben Jacob family, was a very small village at this time, presumably lacking in the kind of construction projects that would provide sufficient work for skilled builders. With extensive building in progress only an hour’s walk away, it is highly likely that on some occasions, Joseph and Jesus would have been employed in Sepphoris. According to some traditions, Sepphoris was actually the home of Joachim and Anna, the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus. If this is true, this would mean that one set of grandparents lived in this most cosmopolitan of Jewish cities, and this would have been the place where the mother of Jesus grew up. It could also mean that Joseph, the craftsman from Nazareth, met the teenager Mary

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while working on a building in Sepphoris, and took her back to Nazareth as his bride. The question of whether or not Jesus worked in Sepphoris for any length of time is not germane. There is, however, a reason for us to believe that Jesus was well acquainted with the predominantly Greek and Roman culture of Sepphoris. For one thing, when He used the word “hypocrite,” as He often did, He may have been thinking of the meaning given to the word in the theater at Sepphoris: the word meant “one acting under a mask,” which was the practice in dramatic productions of the time, including those at Sepphoris. All actors wore masks. Sepphoris was not only famous in the New Testament era for its culture; it was also famous for its fabulous mosaics. Perhaps the best known mosaic is the awesome “Nile Mosaic” showing the festivities that took place in Egypt when the Nile River flooded each year. The Pharohs Lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, is depicted in this mosaic. The famous Nile-o-Meter that was used to measure the rise of the Nile during the inundation is also depicted. However, at the summit of the city of Sepphoris is a building known as “the royal mansion.” There we can see two other famous mosaics. One is the beautiful “Mona Lisa of the Galilee,” dating to circa 225 AD and is pictured above. The other mosaic is the famous Dionysius myth, which is depicted on the floor of the banquet room in the Roman mansion. There visitors would recline to eat and drink around a U-shaped table, known as a triclinium. There are fifteen panels in this astounding mosaic, featuring the life of the god of wine and frenzy.

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Nazareth

The traffic in modern Nazareth is a nightmare. We would spend half a day driving from one side of this growing city to the other. When we add this to the fact that there are only two places of significance to be seen in Nazareth, both of which are described below, we will not actually enter the town. We will go to an observation point above the city and study it from above. Nazareth is located on the “Nazareth Ridge” that separates the central part of the Plain of Jezreel from the Bet Netofa Valley. The town is located sixteen miles west of the Sea of Galilee and four miles southeast of the once cosmopolitan city of Sepphoris. It stands some 1,300 feet above sea level. Historically, its height and location isolated it from the traffic on the Via Maris, which crossed the plain below Nazareth as it made its way from Megiddo to the Sea of Galilee.

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A very ancient settlement was once found here, but this settlement was left in ruins in 733 BC when Tiglath-Pileiser II, the Assyrian conqueror swept down upon the Galilee. The Assyrians took most of the citizens of the northern kingdom into exile, and replaced them with people from the countries they had conquered. The lament of Isaiah had come to pass. He had declared, “In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali…” leaving the region to be called, “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 9:1). As the Maccabean era opened in 167 BC, only a few isolated Jewish groups were still living in the Galilee. The Hasmonaean (Macabbaean) conquest of the region by John Hyrcanus (134-104 BC), however, opened the way for a significant immigration of Jews from Babylon and Persia into middle Galilee. Furthermore, Hyrcanus and his successors forced all of the Gentiles living in this region to convert to Judaism or to be expelled from the country. By the time of Jesus, the Jewish population predominated in the Galilee, a fact witnessed by the number of synagogues that Jesus entered during His public ministry. It is likely that the town of Nazareth was established when, around 100 BC, an entire clan of Jews living in Babylon migrated back to the Holy Land and settled there. A royal edict issued by King Cyrus of Persia in 537 BC, had granted permission to any Hebrew who desired to return to his/her ancestral home to do so. Many exiles took advantage of the offer, but not all. Many did not return until many years later, some even centuries later. When they did return, they were not always able to live where they desired to live and had to settle where land was available, often in the Galilee. This may explain why Joseph and Mary, both of whom were of the tribe of Judah, resided in a town so far from Judeah. Everyone who lived in the village of Nazareth was probably kin to Jesus. They were probably all from the same clan, something that was often the case in small Galilean towns. We see hints of this fact when Jesus described the citizens of the town of Nazareth as being “His own relatives” and of His “own household” (Mark 6:4). The archaeological record suggests that at the time of Jesus, the entire population of Nazareth was no more than 120-150 persons, a village. Another important fact is found in one of Isaiah’s prophecies. The prophet declares: “Then a shoot will spring forth from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1). This verse identifies the coming Messiah as being a “shoot.” This word “shoot” translates the Hebrew noun, NETZER. This word comes from a verb root meaning “to shine” or “to blossom.” So, Jesus was seen as a blossom from Jesse’s stem. The point is this: NETZER is the root from which the word “Nazareth” comes, as does the word “Nazerite.” In the days of Jesus a Nazerite was a person that had been specially set aside by God for a specific task. Jesus fulfilled both meanings of this word.

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So, in this prophecy, very village where relationship that the that would rest upon

Isaiah 11:1, the prophet not only provided the name of the the Messiah would live, but he also established the Messiah would have to King David, and the special calling Him.

Because of this prophecy, the place where Jesus resided was important. Mark’s Gospel speaks of Jesus coming from Nazareth (Mark 1:9), proving that this village was His place of origin, just as Isaiah 11:1 had declared. Matthew’s Gospel also connects Nazareth with a prophecy, in this case Isaiah 9:1. Matthew writes, “And Jesus came and resided in the city called Nazareth that the thing spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled: He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23). The significance of the name of the village, then, is twofold. It expresses the credentials of Jesus to be Messiah. It was prophesied that He would come from Nazareth, and it was prophesied that He would be a descendent of David. Therefore, because He came from the royal lineage, He will have the right to rule Israel when the Kingdom is restored (see Acts 1:6). Today, Nazareth is a town of 80,000 people composed of both Christians and Arabs. The skyline of the city is dominated by the Franciscan Basilica of the Annunciation. This church was built in 1969, replacing the old Church of the Annunciation, which was built by the Crusaders over the ruins of a very ancient Byzantine church. The central feature of this ancient church was the “Cave of the Annunciation.” The Byzantines believed that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in this grotto to tell her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear God’s Son. The dominant feature of this new basilica is its trumpet shaped dome, symbolizing the Annunciation, and its mosaics from almost every nation in the world. Behind the Church of the Annunciation is a beautiful garden area, where the church of St. Joseph is located. This church was also rebuilt on the ruins of a more ancient church that was erected over what was thought to be Joseph’s home and carpentry shop. Several blocks away stands the Greek Orthodox contribution to Nazareth, the Church of St. Gabriel. An ancient well is located inside this church. It is believed that this well is the one to which Mary would come to draw water, and the Orthodox believe that the Annunciation took place near this well, not in the grotto of the Church of the Annunciation. The Gospels inform us that Jesus made two brief visits to the community of Nazareth. One visit has been recorded for us in Luke 4:14-30. This portion of scripture indicates that Jesus had returned in “the power of the Spirit into Galilee.” People throughout the region had begun to hear of the things that He had been doing in Capernaum and in Cana. They had even heard about the things He had been teaching in the synagogues and the amazing things He had

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said there. So, one day He made it a point to go to Nazareth and attend the same synagogue where He appears to have received his early education. The subsequent events have much to do with the concept of the year of Jubilee. God had told the children of Israel to count off seven Sabbaths of years. Then they were to sound shofars everywhere on YOM KIPPUR and consecrate that fiftieth year to Him. They were "to proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all its inhabitants; it shall be a year of Jubilee” (Leviticus 25:8-10). Jubilee was a very rare word in Hebrew. It was actually the Hebrew word for a ram's horn. The Jews were instructed to fashion a trumpet out of the horn of a wild ram, and this horn was to be so sacred that it would be played only once every fifty years. Then there would be a Jubilee. During this year of Jubilee three different things would happen. First, all debts would be canceled. Anyone who had been living under the bondage of debt would be freed from that debt. Deuteronomy 15:7-10 says this:

"Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor the following wicked thought: since the year for canceling debts has drawn near, I will show ill will toward my needy brother and give him nothing. This person may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart. Then because of this, your God will bless you." In the Jubilee year, all debt is forgiven. In the second place, all prisoners are to be released. Now, in our day, this really doesn't sound like very good news, because we think of people who in prison as having done bad things and we are not sure we would want them to be released. But in the Old Testament era, the only thing for which a person was imprisoned was somehow related to debt. For almost every other offense, they were stoned. Even if a son talked back to his mother and father, he could be stoned. The year of Jubilee meant that all prisoners, all debtors, were going to go free. In the third place, in the year of Jubilee all lands were to be returned to their original owners. Now, in those days, wealth was almost totally tied to land. If you belonged to a family that had lost its land, you were considered to be destitute, at least until the Jubilee year arrived. The Jubilee year meant a

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renewal of hope. So, here was God's ruling concerning real estate: God says "The land must not be sold permanently, because all the land is mine, and you are but aliens and tenants” (Leviticus 25:23). There was only one problem with the concept of the Jubilee year. As best we can tell, it was never observed by Israel. But God has never given up on this concept of Jubilee. After all, the Jubilee is His idea not ours. We cannot pull it off ourselves, but someday it's going to happen. And when is that? It is going to happen when the Messiah appears. When he comes, He will proclaim the Jubilee, and He will enforce it. For instance, the prophet Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would say this:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me." That is nothing less than messianic language. The word Messiah means "the anointed one." According to Isaiah, when this anointed one, this Messiah appeared, people would know it, because He would be heard preaching the good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for the captive and release for the prisoners, and He would be heard proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor. That year of the Lord's favor is nothing less than the Jubilee year, so when Messiah appears the Jubilee comes. So, the people of Nazareth had waited, year after year, century after century for Jubilee to come. Then, on this fateful day, this rabbi named Jesus entered their synagogue. And there He preached His first sermon. The people there had known him since he was a child. So, He did what every rabbi did on the Sabbath; He took one of the scrolls from the Torah Ark and opened it up. In His case, He opened the scroll to Isaiah 61 and He read these words to the people:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then, he rolled up the scrolls. The Scripture says that all eyes were fixed upon Him. Then He sat down in the seat of Moses because that is what rabbis did. Then, he looked at the crowd and He said this:

"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing!" (Luke 4:21) What Jesus was saying in the synagogue at Nazareth was this: Jubilee is finally here, and I am it. It has come in me. Of course, the people present said, "Who is this guy; is this not Joseph's son?" Then Jesus responded to their total lack of faith, informing them that they had

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little or less faith than the Gentiles had. Well, the people were filled with wrath, and tried to throw Him out of the city. In fact, they led Him to a cliff, the one upon which you will be standing, and tried to throw him down. But the Scripture says that Jesus "passed through the midst of them, and went his way." Another visit to Nazareth is recorded in Mark 6:1-6. On this day He once again went to the synagogue and began to teach, and once again the people were astonished. In Mark 6:2b, the evangelist states:

"And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things, and what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by his Hands!" Once again the question of his background arose and they began to ask if this was not the carpenter, Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Then Mark adds these telling words; he writes:

"Now He could do no mighty works there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief." Notice, Mark did not say that He "would do no mighty works there." Mark says that He "could do no mighty works there." And why was this? It was because of unbelief. Unbelief can even tie the hands of the son of God. All of this occurred where you will be; in Nazareth of Galilee.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Luke 4:16-21---From what passage did Jesus read when He walked to the sacred desk in the synagogue of Nazareth and laid out the scroll? To whom does this particular passage apply? What claim is Jesus making about Himself? Read Luke 4:22---What is the response of the men of Nazareth to the words of Jesus? What was said that day that seems to have changed the tenor and tone of this encounter? Read Luke 4:23-27---Did Jesus indicate any desire on His part to perform miracles in Nazareth, or had He been asked to perform miracles by those present? Why were the people of Nazareth unable to believe upon Jesus? Why does Jesus refer to the several Gentiles, using their actions as examples of true faith in contrast to the doubt and unbelief of the people of Nazareth? Read Luke 4:28-30---How did the people in the synagogue service respond to the words Jesus had spoken to them? What did Jesus do that enabled Him to escape the wrath of the crowd? It seems clear to me that the rejection of Jesus by His own clan, and their attempt to kill Him, must have been extremely traumatic to Mary, His mother, and to His brothers and sisters who lived in Nazareth. Read Mark 6:1-6---Did Jesus express a desire to do any mighty works in Nazareth? Did He do any mighty works there? If He did not, was it because He could not do them, or because He would not do them? If He could not do them, why was this?

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Beth She’an When we leave Nazareth, we will travel some thirty miles to the ancient city of Beth She’an. It lies several miles west of the Jordan River and fifteen miles south of the Sea of Galilee. The city was strategically located at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel and Harod Valleys. The Jordan River Valley provided a major north/south trade route, while the Jezreel and the Harod Valleys offered an east/west trade route from Ramoth Gilead on the Trans-Jordanian highway, to the Mediterranean coast. The most ancient parts of the city of Beth She’an are enclosed in the TEL, which is absolutely gigantic. It rises 300 feet high from the valley floor, and represents the highest tel in the entire Holy Land.

Archaeologists have identified eighteen different levels of occupation in the TEL, indicating that this is one of the oldest cities in Eretz-Israel. Five or six major temple complexes and several inscriptions mentioning a number of different

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deities have been found in these ruins, suggesting that Beth She’an was an important center for worship in ancient times. The Bible indicates that there were two temples in Beth She’an during the time of Saul and David. There was a temple built in honor of Ashtaroth, the female consort of BAAL, and a temple built in honor of Dagon, the chief deity of the Philistine pantheon (I Samuel 31:10; I Chronicles 10:10). This city was so heavily defended in antiquity that even the great Joshua failed to drive the Canaanites out of Beth She’an (Joshua 17:11,16). The Canaanites who occupied the city at that time had iron chariots, so Joshua could not evict them from this city. In spite of the fact that the city was not taken, Joshua still assigned Beth She’an and the surrounding towns to the half tribe of Manasseh, in anticipation of driving the Canaanites out of Beth She’an in the future. Apparently, the Philistines were able to do what Israel was unable to do. They conquered Beth Shean in the days of Samuel. They took charge of the city and became rich collecting tolls. Saul ben Kish would experience death near the walled city of Beth She’an. His demise began when he gathered his army at Mount Gilboa to fight the hated Philistines. At that time, the Philistines occupied this strategic city, which guarded one of the greatest highways in antiquity. Caravans that originated in places like China and India with their cargoes of silk, spices, and perfumes, passed by Beth She’an on a regular basis. Every caravan that passed by this city would pay a toll, meaning that the people who controlled Beth She’an grew very rich. The Israelites were a poor people, and were in desperate need of this kind of revenue, as were the Philistines. Money was not the only issue, especially for the sons of Israel. Beth She’an stood in the very middle of the inheritance of the seed of Abraham. This Philistine outpost divided the tribal units of Israel into two distinct parts. Saul knew that Israel could never be a fully united people until the Philistines had been driven from this location. So an aging Saul made up his mind that he would fight and defeat these Philistines. He knew this would not be easily done. The Philistines had horses and chariots, while Israel did not. In fact, God had forbidden the Israelites to use chariots. So, Saul did the sensible thing; he stationed his men on the slopes of Mount Gilboa, forcing the Philistines to abandon their iron chariots and fight on foot, uphill. However, the battle did not develop as Saul had planned. reports:

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I Samuel 31:1

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“Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa” Without question, even with the terrain working in their favor, Israel could not restrain the powerful Philistines. The fighting was fierce, even desperate! One by one, the sons of Saul fell, slain. I Samuel 31:2 declares:

“And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.” Yes, even the greatest warrior of all, Jonathan ben Saul, fell to the ground fatally wounded, ending a vital chapter of the history of Israel. Jonathan may be one of the most misunderstood and underrated characters in the entire Old Testament record. In every respect Jonathan was the perfect type and shadow of Christ. Here was a man who had laid aside his crown, and became a servant. His actions remind us of Philippians 2:5-12, where Paul speaks of Christ as laying aside his divine prerogatives, emptying himself, and agreeing to suffer death on a lonely hill outside the walls of a great city. This was Jonathan. He was a mighty warrior who stepped down, surrendering his throne to God’s man, David ben Jesse, and died on a lonely mountain outside the great walled city of Beth She’an. With all his sons killed, the aging king continued to fight bravely, but he, too, was destined to die on this fateful day. I Samuel 31:3 reports:

“And the battle went heavily against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.” Saul knew the situation in which he found himself was desperate. He knew that if the Philistines captured him alive they would torture, maim, and kill him. That is what happened to defeated kings in the early Iron Age. No doubt, Saul had been told again and again about the fate of Samson at the hands of the Philistines, and Saul was too proud to endure either mutilation or humiliation. So, he would do what he always did. He would face death, just like he had faced life; he would take matters into his own hands. He would attempt to manipulate and redirect his circumstances. This was a man who simply could not trust God to handle his life or his death. So, Saul called for his armor bearer, and he said this to him:

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“Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised Philistines cannot come and thrust me through, and abuse me.” (I Samuel 31:4a) Saul asked to be killed by his own armor bearer. However, his armor bearer would have no part of this. So, Saul could only find one way out. I Samuel 31:4b, states:

“But his armor bearer would not; for he was very much afraid. Therefore, Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.” What is wrong with this picture? Here is Saul standing in the midst of the battle with Philistine arrows sticking out of him and his enemies surrounding him on all sides closing in for the kill. And what is the main concern of Saul? He is concerned that he not be taken captive and mocked. Apparently, by dying at his own hand he thought he could preserve his image in the eyes of his enemies. There were other things that Saul should have been thinking at that moment rather than his public image. He should have been praying for forgiveness for the many times he had failed God. But did he do this? Did Saul call out to God for forgiveness? Did he raise his eyes heavenward? No, his eyes were fixed on the horizontal level, not the vertical level, and he died with his eyes on that level. I have found that most people die just exactly as they have lived. When a person lives bitterly, that person dies bitterly. A person who cultivates anger and hatred, will die swearing and hating. That was Saul. He lived in rebellion and died in rebellion, manipulating the circumstances. When the few Israelites who remained alive saw that Saul was dead, they began to flee, and the Philistines chased every single one of them down; they fell on their backs, and were killed. When the awful slaughter was finally completed, the victorious Philistines returned to Mount Gilboa, and sifted through the bodies of the dead. The text of I Samuel 31:8-10 reads as follows:

“And it came to pass on the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the fallen, that they found Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off Saul’s head, and stripped him of his armor, and sent word into the land of the Philistines to publish the news in the house of their idols, and among the Philistine people. And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened Saul’s body to the wall of Beth She’an.”

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This awful death of Saul has some interesting parallels in the New Testament. In ways, it reflects the death of Jesus of Nazareth a thousand years later. Notice how the two deaths resemble each other. The death of Saul has six aspects that relate to the death of Christ: 1) Saul’s death occurred on a mountain. So did Christ’s. 2) Saul’s death appeared to bring an end to the national hope of Israel, and so did the death of Jesus. Christ was Israel’s God ordained messiah and deliverer. He was the hope of Israel, and when he died that hope died, as well. 3) Saul’s death made it appear that the national adversary the Philistines had triumphed, and so did the death of Jesus. The hated Romans appeared to have triumphed. They had put to death the hope of Israel. 4) Saul’s death paved the way for an entirely new plan of operation for the people of God, the plan of David. The death of Jesus paved the way for the coming of God’s new plan of operation, the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. It would no longer be God with us; now it would be God in us.” 5) Saul’s death opened the throne room for David, while the death of Christ opened heaven’s throne room to every child of God. God’s people could come boldly to the throne of grace. 6) Saul’s death ended an era of dissatisfaction and national failure, while the death of Christ ended the era of law, and guilt before God. With the death of Christ, the age of grace had dawned. We can now say that the tragedy of the death of Saul, like the death of Jesus resulted in a glorious ending. It ushered in the reign of the man after God’s own heart, David ben Jesse. When the men of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to King Saul, they rallied together, traveled all night, and took the body of the king and his sons down from the walls of Beth She’an. They took them back to Jabesh Gilead and buried them under a tamarisk tree, and the entire city fasted for seven days. David was not told of the death of Saul until his return to Ziklag after the slaughter of the Amalekites. He had been in Ziklag for three days when a man who had witnessed the battle at Mount Gilboa appeared and told him about the death of Saul. The response of David to this news was mind boggling. Saul was dead; there was no King. This man who had hunted David like a dog for years, would no longer be able to make war against him. Surely, we reason, David must have called all his friends, and thrown a big party, but that was not to be the case. Rather, David did this:

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“David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, his son. Also, he ordered them to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jasher. He said, ‘Thy glory, O Israel, is slain upon my high places, how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty is cast away, the shield of Saul as though he had not been anointed with oil. From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death. They were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant, hast thou been into me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished!’” When David later questioned the messenger, he indicated that he was an Amalekite, and he had a very strange story to tell David about the death of the king of Israel. According to this man, he had come upon the battle by chance. He said that just as he arrived, Saul had fallen upon his lance, but it had not killed him. The Philistines were closing fast. Saul turned and looked behind him, and saw this Amalekite. Saul asked him to finish the job, to kill him before the Philistines found him. The man confessed to David that he had done just that--he had killed Saul. He then took Saul’s crown from his head and his bracelet from his arm, as proof of Saul’s death. At this point the Amalekite handed both objects, the crown and the bracelet, to David. This action on the part of the Amalekite messenger, presenting Israel’s crown to David is interesting, indeed; the Amalekite no doubt knew that Saul had a surviving son, Ishbosheth by name, but he deliberately brought the crown to David, which shows that he was convinced that David was going to be the next king of Israel. If an outsider like this Amalekite thought this way, thousands of Israelites had to be thinking this way as well. Such a gesture may have been gratifying to a lesser man than David, but David was not impressed. Naturally, this man imagined that David would be delighted to receive this news of Saul’s death, and no less pleased to be given possession

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of the royal crown. David was enraged. This man had not put King Saul out of his misery. This man had committed regicide---he had killed the anointed king of Israel. David, when confronted with an opportunity to kill the king had refused to even lift a finger against him, simply because of his sacred status as the Lord’s anointed. Only God himself has the right to determine when and how His anointed should die. In the eyes of David, the Amalekite had been guilty of murder and treason, and had usurped the prerogatives of God himself. Nothing less than the death penalty was appropriate for such an action and David would see that this man died. However, what is interesting is the fact that this alien, this Amalekite, acknowledged David as being the rightful king of Israel, and David responded to him by acting as his judge. In fact, these two offices went together. The king of Israel was the chief judge of the nation, perhaps the only judge in the land. More and more, therefore, David was taking the role of a true king. All that remained was a formal recognition of him as king by his subjects to be. The will of God concerning David was becoming clear to him and to the people of Israel as well. Israel finally conquered Beth Shean during the reign of King Solomon, several hundred years after Joshua’s conquest of this general area (I Kings 4:12). In Hellenistic times, the city was known as Scythopolis, “the city of the Scythians.” These people from the Russian steppes came to the holy land with the army of Alexander the Great, and decided to settle here. Their new city was built on the valley floor at the foot of the ancient tel, and it became one of the chief cities of what came to be called the Decapolis or the Ten Cities, all Greek dominated sites. Beth Shean was the only city of the Decapolis that was located on the west side of the Jordan River. The partially restored city that you will see when you enter into the excavated area comes from the Roman/Byzantine era. The streets of this city were lined with baths, public buildings, and workshops, while the central junction was given over to the celebratory and religious life of the citizens. The centerpiece of Beth Shean is the gigantic theater that seated over 7,000 people. West of the theater is the Byzantine bath house. As we shall see, the bathhouse had hot, tepid, and cold rooms. We will walk down the main street of the city, known as Palladius Street, together. Its stones are laid in a herring bone pattern, and Corinthian columns line this wide street. Large raised sidewalks paved with mosaics run along each side of the avenue. You will want to see the Odeon, the Roman Temple, and the Nympheum. This is a spectacular archeological site. As we leave Beth Shean, we will drive along the main street of the modern city. Along the way, on the left, we will see the amphitheater where the gladiatorial games were played.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read I Samuel 31---Where did the Philistines hang the bodies of Saul and his sons? Who recovered the bodies? Where did they burn them and bury the ashes?

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The Jordan River Valley As we leave Beth Shean, we will drive south along the Jordan River. The slope of the land is so slight between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea that the waters of the Jordan River waltz along the Great Rift Valley, twisting like a snake. A straight line distance of less than sixty miles becomes a journey of 185 miles for this slow moving river. For most of its length, the Jordan forms the border between the Emirate of Jordan and the state of Israel. The mountains of the Gilead, whose beauty Solomon celebrated in the Song of Solomon, rises on the other side of the river. As you will see, the land is most arid here, getting very little rainfall. To your right, the mountains of Samaria appear lifeless. The Jordan River Valley is a part of the Great Rift Valley that originates in South Africa and continues until it reaches Lebanon. It is the world’s longest fault line, and it divides this valley. That is one reason why this land has been rocked so often by earthquakes. Our drive will take us past the massive oasis of Jericho, and on until we reach the Holy City itself, Jerusalem, the city of God.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Six JERUSALEM Walls and Gates The crenellated walls of the old city of Jerusalem are the first thing we will encounter as we begin our tour today. The sheer size and beauty of these walls will overwhelm you. However, except for the southeastern corner of the wall (the so-called “pinnacle of the temple”), these are not the walls of Jerusalem from the time of Jesus. The walls we see now were commissioned and constructed by the engineers and builders of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and were built between the years 1536 AD and 1542 AD. Archeologists indicate that Jerusalem had been a walled city since the Early Bronze Age, circa 2800 BC. The early walls were periodically strengthened and expanded by various kings, especially by King Solomon and King Hezekiah. These early walls were finally destroyed in totality by the Babylonians in 587 BC, and were then rebuilt by Nehemiah in 445 BC. Some of these walls remained in situ until the great disaster fell in 70 AD. In that year, the walls of Jerusalem, as well as the second temple, were utterly destroyed by the Tenth Roman Legion under the leadership of the future emperor of Rome, Titus. Then sixty years later, another bloody rebellion would erupt in the Holy Land, led by a devout Jew known as Simon bar Kochba. Emperor Hadrian crushed this rebellion, then utterly razed the city of Jerusalem, He had the city plowed under and sown with salt. After this, virtually no trace of the city of Jesus’ day could be seen. Hadrian then built a city atop the ruins of the destroyed city, no longer calling it Jerusalem. He gave to it the name Aelia Capitolina. This new city was much smaller than the city of Jesus’ day had been. Uniquely, the Aelia had no defensive walls to protect it; none whatsoever. However, in time, the Byzantines arrived. Empress Eudocia was distressed by the condition of the city, so had a wall built around the western section of Jerusalem. That area is now called Mount Zion, but this is not the Mount Zion of antiquity. This section of the city was misidentified by the Empress. However, the name stuck and even the Jews call the western hill of Jerusalem, Mount

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Zion, today. Because of the location of Upper Room in that area, Mount Zion was especially important to the Byzantines, and the Empress built several great churches there. Once the wall around Mount Zion was completed, the Empress also erected a wall around the original city of David, the ten acre spur of land sitting between the deep Kidron Valley, the Tyropean Valley, and the Hinnom Valley. Later, in the ninth century AD, the Arab sultans built walls around the remainder of the city enclosing it completely. These walls were destroyed and rebuilt a number of times during the Crusader era. Finally, Suleiman came to Jerusalem and erected the walls we see now. These walls are two and a half miles in circumference, and when the walls were first constructed there were seven gates. These gates were: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

Joppa Gate---(the Bab el Khilil, or the Gate of the Friend) Zion Gate St. Stephen’s Gate--- (the Bab el Ghor, the Jordan Gate) Dung Gate Herod Gate--- (the Bab el Zahr) Damascus Gate Golden Gate

Later in 1889, a new gate was cut into the north wall of the city to allow access to the Christian quarter. This gate is simply called the New Gate. So from 1889 until 2004, the walls of Suleiman had eight gates. But just over a year ago, a new gate was created next to the Dung Gate to enable people to see the Cardo, or major street, of the Aelia Capitolina, and Byzantine Jerusalem. It is important to everything that we will see and hear today that we understand the difference between the location of the walls as they are now, and the walls as they were in the time of Jesus. Look at the diagram below:

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Sections of the City The old city of Jerusalem is divided into four sectors. The sector we will enter first, the entire east side of the city, is the Arab sector. It is by far the largest and most populated area of the city. Next in the northwest to north central area, there is the Christian sector, which is the center of Greek Orthodox activities and population. There is the Armenian section on the south west side of the city, populated by the Armenian Orthodox. Finally, there is the Jewish sector in the south-central portion.

St. Stephen’s Gate

This morning our tour will begin at St. Stephen’s Gate, pictured above, otherwise called “Lions Gate.” It was given the name St. Stephen’s gate from an older gate that stood near this location in the time of Jesus. It was near this place that the deacon, Stephen, was stoned to death. Saul of Tarsus was standing by holding the cloaks of those that were doing the stoning. The other name, “Lions Gate,” refers to four heraldic lions carved on each side of the entry to the gate. Like many city gates of the period, this gate once had an “L” shaped entry to make it more difficult for invaders to enter. Both the Lions Gate and the Damascus Gate continue to be “L” shaped.

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By following the street exiting the Lion's Gate to the east, one comes to a major thoroughfare in East Jerusalem, Derech Yericho Street. Turning right on this street and walking about fifty yards, one comes to the church of St. Stephen, built on the traditional site of the stoning of the deacon from Alexandria. He was, of course the first Christian martyr, and one of the original seven deacons of the Jerusalem church. The first church on this site was commissioned by the Byzantine Empress, Eudocia in 490 AD to house the relics of St. Stephen. There was also an enormous adjoining monastery that house 10,000 monks. The monastery and the church was destroyed by the Crusaders in 1142 AD to avoid giving the Muslim leader, Salah id-Din (Saladin) a base near the east wall of Jerusalem. A new church was built on the site and rededicated in 1900.

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL

Read Acts 7: 54-60---Study the death of Stephen carefully.

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The Pool of Bethesda The Pool of Bethesda was constructed in a natural depression north of the Temple Mount known as the Beth Zetha (Bethsaida) Valley, which began at the present day American Colony in East Jerusalem, passed under the present city walls east of Herod Gate near the famous Rockefeller Museum, and ended up in the Kidron Valley beneath the Lion’s Gate. A number of dams were built in this valley in antiquity, and some of the largest pools in Jerusalem were constructed in this valley. One of those several pools was the Pool of Israel, and the other was the Pool of Bethesda, seen below.

This later pool is said by John’s gospel to have five porches (covered areas), and archaeology has proven that to be correct. The reason there were five porches is the fact that there were two pools. Each pool measured 164 feet x 164 feet, and each pool was forty-three feet in depth. The pool was fed by an intermittent spring. This pool must have originally been used as a cistern for supplying the temple area with water, and was visited by many people who were sick because of its healing properties. As the archaeological evidence has shown, the northern side of the pool was first dug near the end of the First Temple Period, circa 600 BC, and the other pool was added in the Hellenistic era (circa 176 BC), apparently at the command of the high priest, Simon Maccabaeus. The pool continued to exist as it is depicted in the illustration until the destruction of the Second Temple.

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The Byzantines built a church on this site, and the remains we will see are the remains of the lower support columns of this church. This pool was made famous because Jesus performed a great miracle here, one that is recorded for us in John 5:1-9. On this occasion, Jesus had come to Jerusalem to observe one of the three great feast cycles of the Jews. Those three cycles are as follows: the feast of Unleavened Bread in the spring, the feast of Pentecost in the summer, and the feast of Tabernacles in the fall. In John 5, it appears that Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the second of the three feasts, the feast of Pentecost. When Jesus made this particular journey to Jerusalem, he was apparently traveling alone. It does not appear that his disciples had accompanied him since there is no mention of them in this episode; none at all. While He was on His way to the Temple one day, He first made his way to this famous pool, known by some as "the Pool of Mercy,” while others knew it as "the Pool of the Olive." The Greek word used for “pool” is the noun KOLUBETHRON, from the root word KOLUMBAN, which means "to dive." So, it appears that this pool was deep enough to dive into and to swim about. In the time of Jesus, a certain subterranean stream was located beneath this pool, and every now and then the stream would surge and disturb the water. A myth developed that an angel caused this disturbance, and the first person who would enter the pool when the water bubbled would be healed of his/her infirmities. As Jesus was walking around the pool, someone may have pointed Him to a certain man. This fellow was well known to those who came to the pool since he had been coming here every day for thirty-eight years. He hoped to be able to be the first into the pool when the water bubbled, but because this man's disability was so severe, he could never manage to be the first person into the

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water once it began to bubble. He could not even find someone who was willing to assist him. Jesus, the man who was always the friend to the friendless, quickly walked over to this man. The man from Nazareth did not lecture him on the stupidity of choosing to believe such superstitious nonsense as the people around this pool believed. Jesus simply healed this man. Yet, before he healed him, Jesus did several things. In the first place, Jesus asked this man if he even wanted to be healed. That seems odd, doesn't it? The man had not been able to walk for thirty-eight years! Without question, he would have wanted to be healed, right? Well, maybe not! This man may have become comfortable with his infirmed condition. He may have become accustomed to begging for a living, and if he was no longer crippled he would have to go to work to sustain himself. However, the record shows that this man wanted to be whole. This desire on the part of this man was essential before Jesus would heal him, because Jesus never forced Himself upon anyone. Jesus simply gave instructions to people and if those persons responded in faith, then miracles of healing took place. In the second place, Jesus told the man to get up. In the natural, this seemed impossible, but Jesus was always instructing people to dare to do the impossible. This man had not been able to stand at his feet in thirty-eight years. Jesus knew this, but he also knew that this man needed to be willing to allow his will and God's will to interact. If and when that occurred, the man would find that he could now get to his feet. Then Jesus told him to pick up his palette, and he did this, as well. Suddenly he discovered that he did not need a bubbling pool, all he needed was the Master’s hand. But, it just so happened that all these things occurred on the Sabbath day, and when the man obeyed the Lord and picked up his palette, he was breaking the ceremonial law. The law said that a man could not to carry anything on the seventh day. Of course, the Temple authorities immediately saw the man carrying his palette, and they reminded him of this. He defended himself by telling the authorities that he was only doing what the man who healed him told him to do. When the Temple authorities asked the man the identity of his healer, he told them he did not know the man, but later, when he encountered Jesus in the Temple he went to the authorities and pointed them to his healer. By all appearances this man was not trying to get Jesus in trouble with the authorities. He was simply telling the authorities why he had been carrying his bed on the

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Sabbath and who had told him to do so. The Temple authorities were not interested in this lame man, but they were interested in Jesus. So they approached the man from Nazareth and accused him of being a lawbreaker. Jesus then challenged them by saying this: God did not stop working on the Sabbath, so neither would He. God may have rested on the seventh day of creation, but he only rested from "creating." He continued to do His higher works of judgment, mercy, compassion, and love, even on the seventh day. Jesus informed them that this was true of Him as well. Needless to say, the authorities were enraged by these words. Jesus seemed to be suggesting that His works and the work of God were on the same level. In fact, the authorities were so angry that from that moment on they devoted themselves to eliminating Jesus. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read John 5:1-9---Why was Jesus in Jerusalem at this time? How long had this man been crippled? Why would Jesus ask a man in this condition if he wanted to be healed? Why were the scribes and Pharisees so upset by the actions of Jesus?

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St. Anne’s Church As we walk away from the pool toward the south, to our left we will see the magnificent church of St. Anne that dates from the time of the Crusades and remains entirely intact. It was built in 1142 by Avda, the widow of Baldwin I, the first Crusader King of Jerusalem. It was erected on the traditional spot where Joachin and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary, are supposed to have lived.

The high altar of this church is fascinating. It was carved by the French sculptor, Philippe Kaeppeilin in 1954. On the right side of its front panel the annunciation is depicted. On the left side, the birth of Christ is depicted, and in the center we see the deposition. The side panels depict the upbringing of Mary by her mother, Anna, and the presentation of Mary in the temple. The acoustics in this church are incredible. One thing we will want to do is sing hymns here.

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The Fortress Antonia For Jesus, and for every first century Jew, the temple in Jerusalem was the center of the world. Three times each year virtually every Jew in Judeah and Galilee, and from hundreds of other places in the world, would come to the Temple Mount to offer sacrifices and to worship God. Among those pilgrims, especially among the Galilean pilgrims, there were radical nationalistic Jews called Zealots, whose goal in life was to drive the Romans off the soil given to the seed of Abraham by Almighty God. Both Herod the Great and the occupying Roman Legions knew that if rioting broke out, it would begin on the Temple Mount at one of the three great feasts. So when Herod built the new temple complex, he chose the highest ground available to erect a giant fortress, one that would completely overlook the temple complex. Herod chose a rock escarpment at the northeast corner of the temple courtyard for his site. The fortress, called simply Antonia (for Marc Antony), was one-hundred yards wide and one hundred and seventy-five yards long. Its high walls were crenellated, and at each of its four corners stood a tower equipped with catapults. The strongest tower was the one located in the southeast corner, closest to the temple. It was an astounding one hundred and sixty-five feet high, with steps leading down into the outer court of the temple to enable armed squads to quickly rush down to quell any disturbances. A model of the fortress is seen below.

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The interior of the fortress was equipped like a palace, according to Josephus, and it served as the headquarters for the Roman prefects of Judeah when they came up from Caesarea.

Stations One and Two of the Cross The first two Stations of the Cross mark events that occurred within the Antonia Fortress. Two gorgeous chapels memorialize certain passion events that occurred here. The first, the Chapel of the Flagellation recalls the scourging of Jesus, and the second, the Chapel of Judgment recalls the death sentence pronounced upon Jesus by Pontius Pilate. Both events occurred here. The first of the Stations of the Cross is actually located across the street from the two chapels, in the courtyard of the Arab school. Station Two, near the Judgment Chapel, marks the spot where Jesus took up the cross. This is the beginning of the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrows

The Ecce Homo Arch and the Lithostrotos When we step out on the Via Dolorosa, we will see an arch spanning the street known as the Ecce Homo Arch. When Pilate said to the people, “Behold the man,” he spoke the words, “Ecce Homo.” For years it was believed that this was the entry door of the Antonia fortress, but that is wrong. This arch was part of a triumphal arch built by Hadrian following the Roman victory over the followers of Simon bar Kochba. Before we reach the arch, we will enter the Sisters of Zion Convent, and descend to the actual floor of the Fortress Antonia, a place called the Lithostrotos. Here we will see a game board carved into the stones called “Crown of Thorns,” which explains in part how Jesus received such a crown.

Stations Three, Four, Five and Six of the Cross As we leave the Sisters of Zion, we will walk west on the Via Dolorosa until it turns to the south for thirty yards, then turns back to the west. Four Stations of the Cross are found within about forty yards of each other, all but one of which

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are non-Biblical. Station Three marks the place where Jesus fell for the first time. Station Four is where Jesus met His mother (a very touching scene in the movie, The Passion of the Christ). The Via Dolorosa turns right here and Station Five is immediately around the corner. The events commemorated at this location are Biblical. Here, Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to carry the cross of Jesus. Station Six, located some twenty yards or so further west, is the place where the Catholics say a woman named Veronica wiped the face of Jesus with her handkerchief, leaving the impression of His face upon it.

Stations Seven, Eight and Nine of the Cross We will continue the steep climb to the west for two-hundred yards until we cross Suq Khan es-Zeit Street (the major bazaar or souk of the old city is found on this street). The arch through which we pass was an ancient gate that allowed people to enter and exit the walled portion of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus. Opposite this arch on the west side of the Suq Khan es-Zeit Street is Station Seven, where Jesus is said to have fallen for the second time. Straight ahead on the street upon which we were walking, some twenty yards from the intersection with the Suq Khan es-Zeit, is found Station Eight, the place where Jesus spoke to the weeping women of Jerusalem, saying this:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed’ Then they shall begin to say to the mountains. ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry.” (Luke 23:28-31) Once we have been to Station Eight, we will backtrack to es-Zeit Street and walk south until we see a set of stairs on the right. By taking a circuitous path, we arrive at the Coptic Chapel with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A stone pillar on the left of the door marks the spot where Jesus fell for the third and final time.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher The Church of the Holy Sepulcher houses Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion, and the site where the tomb of Jesus once stood. Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 331 AD. Her son

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commissioned her to search out the sites connected with the life of Jesus, especially the places associated with His birth, His death, and His resurrection. Helena was told that Hadrian had erected pagan temples over the sites where Christ was born, and where He was crucified and resurrected. Hadrian hated Christians, and had done this in an attempt to divert Christians from their faith. So Helena sponsored excavations that uncovered both the cave where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea in Jerusalem. Subsequently, Constantine built a church over both sites in 335AD. The church built over the tomb was destroyed by Persian invaders, but in 614 AD, the church was rebuilt. Then in 1009 AD, the church was destroyed again, this time by the Muslim Turks---not only did they destroy the church, but these Muslims also employed masons to utterly destroy the tomb of Jesus. This destruction of the tomb of our Lord is what gave rise to the Crusades. Christians swarmed into the Holy Land from Europe to rescue the tomb of our Lord from the infidels. The Crusaders built the present church in 1149 AD, on the foundations of Constantine’s original church. Later, when the Muslims conquered Jerusalem again, this time under Saladin, they did not destroy the church. The church has remained much as it was until today. In the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Turks, who now controlled the Holy Land, did change a few things; they divided the church among the Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox, the Coptics, the Syrians, and the Ethiopians. The Franciscans, the Greek Orthodox, and the Arminians were made the major shareholders of the church, and they alone are entitled to celebrate the Mass and burn incense in their various shrines and chapels. Immediately inside the front door to the right, a steep marble stairway is found with a beautiful chapel at the top that is divided into two naves: the right nave belongs to the Franciscans; the left nave belongs to the Greek Orthodox. At the entrance to the Franciscan side of the chapel, we find the tenth station of the cross, where Jesus was stripped of His clothing. At the far end of that same chapel is the eleventh station, where Jesus was nailed to the cross. The twelfth station of the cross is on the Greek side of the chapel. This is unmistakably the site of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. There above the altar we will see a life-size icon of Jesus, clad in a metal loin cloth, hanging among oil lamps, flowers, and enormous candles. Beneath the icon, the rock of Calvary is clearly visible under a glass covering. An opening in the glass covering allows us to reach down and touch Golgotha.

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Between the eleventh and twelfth Stations of the Cross is Station Thirteen, where Mary received the body of Jesus. This station is marked by an odd statue of Mary adorned with jewels and a silver dagger stuck into her breast. We will descend via an opposing set of marble stairs and turn left, passing by a large marble slab where the body of Jesus was prepared for burial by Nicodemus and Joseph of Aramithaea. We will proceed to the tomb of Jesus where the Fourteenth and final Station of the Cross is located. The Holy Sepulchre itself stands under a beautiful dome. Be aware, this is not the actual tomb of Jesus: it is actually a large marble structure presented to the church by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. The Czar gave the structure in memory of the resurrection event. This structure was placed over the actual spot where the original tomb of Jesus stood before a Muslim sultan, known as Hakim the Mad came to Jerusalem and destroyed it. There are two chambers in the tomb, as there were in the original tomb. There is the Chapel of the Angel, the one who announced the resurrection of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, and the Holy Sepulchre itself, the place where the body of Jesus was placed following His death and where He was physically resurrected from the dead. The remainder of the church is a labyrinth of small chapels. On the far end of the church, the east end, a set of wide stairs is found leading down to two chapels which commemorate the discovery of the true cross by Helena’s excavators. As we climb back to the ground floor, just before we leave the church, we will pass a small chapel located just below the Calvary chapel. In this chapel we can examine Calvary even more closely. We will see a fissure running through the rock that was caused by the earthquake that followed the death of Jesus. There is one other thing of interest in this chapel: according to legend, Father Adam was buried beneath Calvary, and when Jesus died, His blood dripped through this cleft in the rock and anointed Adam. I must alert you, some people refuse to accept the Church of the Holy Sepulcher as the actual site where our Lord was crucified and resurrected, mainly because it is in the middle of the walled city, and the Bible says that Jesus was crucified outside the city walls. However, in the time of Jesus the site where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is located was well outside the city walls. I can promise you that this place is authentic and all other sites are pretenders. Later, when we examine the Upper Room, the question is asked, “Why did Jesus eat the Passover meal a day early, something forbidden in the law of God.” This ties in with the question, “When was Jesus crucified?”

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read John 19:16-42; Matthew 27:33-66---You will see that Calvary and the tomb of Jesus are only twenty yards apart. Does this shock you? It will not shock you if you read the text carefully. Jesus had to be killed near to the place where He was to be buried, because of something that would happen at 6:00 that evening. What was it?

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Joppa Gate We will leave the Church of the Holy Sepulcher through the Muristan shopping area and walk past its landmark fountain. We will then come to the famous Church of John the Baptist where one of the oldest wells in the city of Jerusalem is located. Just past the church we will intersect with the famous King David Street. We will turn right and walk past many shops, most of which carry the same touristy things. A minute later, we will reach the Omar ben Qattab Square where the once exclusive Imperial and Petra hotels are located. Here we will see the Citadel and the remains of one of three great towers built by Herod the Great in 24 BC, to protect himself and his palace. The palace was located immediately to the west of the Citadel. Herod named these three enormous towers after Phasael, his brother, Hippicus, his best and only friend, and his wife, Mariamne.

After the city was taken by Titus in 70 AD, the Romans did not immediately destroy the Citadel, but established a garrison there. Later, they destroyed all three of these towers, leaving only the base of the Phasael Tower intact to serve as a reminder to the Jews of the military strength of Rome. In the fourteenth century, the Arabs built a tower on the foundation of the Phasael, which you will see in front of you. The Citadel now contains a

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tremendous museum, detailing the history of the city of Jerusalem from earliest times until now. Tickets must be purchased to enter the Citadel. There is also an excellent view of the entire city from the tower.

St. James Church When we leave the Citadel, we walk toward the south on the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate Road until we reach the Cathedral of St. James, the spiritual center of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. This church was originally built in the fifth century AD to honor two great men who were named James. The first honoree is James, the son of Zebedee, who was beheaded in 44 AD by Herod Agrippa. His severed head is said to rest under the altar of this church. James the lesser is entombed in a northern chapel in this church. This was James, the brother of Jesus, who was the first bishop of Jerusalem. Persians destroyed his church in the seventh century, but the Armenians rebuilt it in the eleventh century and the Crusaders enlarged it in the twelfth century. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read Acts 12:1-2---James the son of Zebedee was the brother of what other disciple? James, the half brother of Jesus, made a tremendous contribution to the faith. What was it? What great meeting did James preside over?

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The Cardo The Cardo was the main street of Jerusalem during the Roman and Byzantine times. A few of the pillars that once lined the street are enormous, giving us some idea of the size of this thoroughfare. The uncovered section is built over a Byzantine extension of Emperor Hadrian’s Cardo Maximus, which ran from the Damascus Gate to beyond the present south wall of the city. A portion of the Cardo is now covered; its vaulted roof was not original. It was erected by the Crusaders over 800 years ago. Some of the best shops in Jerusalem are found here, but most of them are very expensive. The good news is this: they do not sell junk.

Zion Gate From the Cardo we will walk through the upper Jewish quarter to the Zion Gate. This gate has retained its “L” shape, but cars do go in and out it. Some of the bitterest battles of the Israeli War of Independence occurred at this gate. The bullet holes in the wall are a witness to the ferocity of this action.

The Upper Room Outside the Zion Gate, we come to an area of Jerusalem that has been of crucial importance to Christians since the earliest days of the movement. In the time of Jesus, this portion of Jerusalem was well inside the city walls, even though today it is outside the walls. As we walk toward the south, we come to the area where Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Last Supper. It is believed that the site where the Upper Room is now located was the same place that the very first Christian church in Jerusalem was erected, a church known as the Church of the Apostles. In fact, many scholars believe that the lower part of this building, which is now known as the tomb of David, was built on the ruins of the original Church of the Apostles. Some scholars believe that this church was built from the stones of the Second Temple, the one that was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. It is believed that this church may have been built within months of that disaster. This original church appears to have been destroyed in 135 AD by Emperor Hadrian, a renowned Christ-hater. In the third and fourth centuries another church was erected on this site, but it, too, was destroyed, this time by the Persians and the Muslims. It was the Crusaders who came to this site and restored it. On the rubble of the previous churches, they built a two-story

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Romanesque house. The Crusaders believed that the house where the Last Supper was celebrated belonged to Mary and her son, John Mark. However, I believe that an Essene guest house in Jerusalem was located here, and this is where Jesus and His followers ate the Passover together. This area of the city was known as the Essene Quarter according to many archeologists. Josephus witnessed to the existence of this quarter. These Essenes were very aloof and secretive, and Jesus appeared to keep his relationship to the Essenes hidden. In fact, Mark 14:12-16 demonstrates the clandestine activities involved in securing a place for Jesus to eat this Seder meal. It reads as follows:

“And Jesus sent out two of His disciples and said to them, ‘Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, The teacher says, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples? Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.’ So, His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it, just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.” Obviously, Jesus had made advanced, clandestine plans to secure this place for His last Passover on this earth. So, be aware when we enter this chamber that this is not the actual room where the Last Supper was celebrated. This does not mean that the house of Mary and John Mark was not located nearby. The present room, the one built by the Crusaders, is thirty-three feet long and fifty-three feet with two Gothic columns supporting the vaulted ceiling (notice the pelican on the capital of one of the columns). A large square stone is supposed to be the place where Jesus Himself reclined at the Last Supper. Contrary to much popular opinion, this is not the place where the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the followers of Jesus. That was an upper room that was located within the Porches of Solomon on the Temple Mount. Make no mistake about it, when Jesus and the twelve entered the Upper Room, they had come to celebrate the Passover; in other words, they had come share a Seder meal together. There were two items of furniture in the room. In the first place, there was a small table near the door upon which sat a basin and a picture filled with water. In the second place, in the center of the room was a low table in the shape of a "U" known as a triclinium. This table was just under knee-high. Sitting on the table were thirteen place settings. The participants in

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this Seder meal, Jesus and His disciple would recline on the floor, resting on pillows and mats. They would lie on their left sides so that they could eat with their right hands. From the evidence provided by the four Gospel accounts, we know the exact position Jesus and three of his disciples had assumed when they were reclining at the table that evening. In fact, if we had been observing this Seder meal that evening, we would see Jesus reclining at the second position on the left side of the table. This was the place where the host was always seated. At every Seder meal, the best friend of the host would recline at the first spot on the left side of the table. We know that John, the son of Zebedee, was reclining in that position. We know this because at one point in the meal Jesus announced that someone was going to betray him. At this point, John leaned back into the chest of Jesus. In John 13:23 we read this:

"Now, leaning against the chest of Jesus was one of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved (John). Simon Peter, therefore, waved to him that he should ask Jesus who it was of whom he spoke (the betrayer). Then the one leaning against the chest of Jesus, said to him, ‘Lord, who is it?’" To lean into the chest of Jesus, John do had to be reclining next to Jesus. We know, as well, that Judas reclined immediately behind Jesus, because at one point, Jesus and Judas shared the same bowl of "sop." They had to be together at the table. This place, immediately behind the host, was always reserved for one person, the guest of honor at the feast. Is this not a real irony? Jesus had placed His betrayer in the place of honor. Finally, we know exactly where Simon Peter was reclining. He had to of been at the very end of the table on the right side of the "U." We know this because of the words of John 13:24. It states that Peter waved to John, to get his attention. With John reclining on his left side at the end position on the right side of the table, the only person he could see was the person reclining on his left side on the left side of the table. This position, the end place on the left side of the table was reserved for the one who was assigned to wait on the table. It was known as "the servant's seat." This person was also expected to wash the feet of all those who attended the feast. No doubt, Simon Peter had not expected Jesus to seat him in this place. He had expected to occupy the place of guest of honor, the place where Judas reclined. After all, Peter considered himself to be the prince of the disciples.

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Knowing Simon Peter as we do, he was probably sulking for having been put in this position. He knew that the responsibility to wash the feet of his brothers had fallen to him, but apparently he had refused to do this. So, Jesus rose to His feet, took the basin and poured water into it. He wrapped a towel about his waist and He began to wash the feet of His disciples. After Jesus had washed the feet of eleven of the disciples and then He reached the end of the table, the place where Simon Peter was sitting. The conversation was priceless! Listen to this, as recorded in John 13:6-9:

"Peter: "Lord are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replies: "You do not yet realize what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter then declares: "No, Lord, you shall never wash my feet!" Jesus replies: "Unless I wash you, you have no part of me." Peter then responds: "Then Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well." Jesus later told them this: "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than the one who sent him." Of course, we now know that a few hours later Peter would deny his Lord three times. There are several other things we need to know about this Seder meal. Assuming a connection of Jesus with the Essenes (remember, He was not an Essene, but He was connected to them), and assuming that Jesus actually partook of the Last Supper in the upper room of the Essene guesthouse located in the Essene quarter of the city of Jerusalem, then this Passover would have been a meatless Passover. After all, the Essenes were vegetarians and partook of only meatless Seder meals. A careful examination of the Last Supper in the gospels mentions certain items that were served that night, but there is no indication that there was a Passover lamb eaten at the celebration. One very troubling aspect of this Seder meal eaten by Jesus and His disciples is this: why were Jesus and His disciples sharing the Seder meal on the night before Passover, rather than on the day of Passover?

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The Tomb of David We will descend down the stairs to the street level, and visit the area known as the tomb of David. Before we enter, I will show you stones that scholars believe came from the temple itself. This is the actual wall of the original Church of the Apostles, a fact mentioned by the pilgrim Etheria in 384 AD. As we enter the area called David’s Tomb, notice that the Torah niche faces the north, directly toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and not toward the temple. Inside is a cenotaph, a monument to a dead person whose body is buried elsewhere.

St. Peter’s in Gallicantu After visiting Mt. Zion, we will drive a quarter of a mile to the church called Saint Peter in Gallicantu, or St. Peter at Cockcrow. This church commemorates the third denial of Christ, uttered by Simon Peter. This church is worth visiting for its mosaics alone, some of the most beautiful in the world. Many believe that this church sits above the ruins of the house of the High Priest, Caiaphas. In the basement of this church, we will visit the prison of Christ, a most touching place. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Matthew 26:69-75 ---Why would Peter deny His Lord?

The Garden Tomb This is our last stop for today. We will return to our hotel and get ready for Nick-at-Night.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Seven The Mount of Olives This morning we will board a bus and drive to the top of the Mount of Olives. This mountain is dotted with churches marking sites that are important to every Christian. Here Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem; here He gave His Olivet discourse focusing on the last days; here His agony and betrayal took place, and from here, He ascended into heaven. For another thing, when Jesus returns to this earth, His feet will set down on the Mount of Olives. In addition, Jewish and Muslim tradition holds that the people that have been buried here will be the first to be raised from the dead on Resurrection Day. And from here you will have the greatest view possible of the old city of Jerusalem.

The Chapel of the Ascension The Chapel of the Ascension was built in 392 AD. This was the first church ever built to commemorate Christ’s ascension into heaven. This site is located at the geographical apex of the Mount of Olives and, therefore, it may be the place to which Jesus will come when He returns to this earth. Toward the end of the eleventh century the Crusaders adorned the tiny chapel with columns and arches. In the late twelfth century, Saladin fortified the site with an exterior wall and added a domed roof. The interior contains a candle lighting stand and the sacred footprint, believed to be that of Jesus. Somewhere very near this place stood the altar of the Red Heifer. Sacrifices that were offered here were considered to be holiest of all the sacrifices and this sacrificial altar stood at the very highest place, the summit of the Mount of Olives. From this altar the High Priest could look across the Kidron Valley, and into the Holy Place of the temple, which stood on the opposite mountain, Mount Moriah. The only entrance into the temple was on its east side, so it was possible for the High Priest to look directly into the Lord’s sanctuary while he was sprinkling the blood of the red heifer on the Mount of Olives. The reason sacrifices were taken up to this site was so they could be mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. These offerings were made to consecrate a new priest or to remove some form of ritual defilement. In every respect, the red heifer sacrifice was considered the holiest of all sacrifices

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The Church of the Pater Noster When Helena, the mother of Constantine, founded this church in the fourth Christian century (circa 325 AD), she named it the Church of the Disciples; it was also known as the Church of Eleona (Greek for “olive grove”). This was the traditional site where Jesus took His disciples aside and revealed to them the “inscrutable mysteries,” foretelling the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the signs of His second coming. This church also commemorates Jesus’ first recitation of the Lord’s Prayer or “Our Father,” which is the meaning of Pater Noster. The prayer is recorded in over eighty languages on tiled walls around the church and its courtyard.

The Palm Sunday Path The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the path of which we will follow today, calls to mind the greatest of all prophecies in the Old Testament, a prophecy found in Daniel 9:20-27. This prophecy is known as the prophecy of the seventy weeks. The entire prophecy is exclusively concerned with “the people of Daniel” (the Jews), and their holy city (Jerusalem). In the prophecy two princes are mentioned: 1) the “Messiah the Prince;” and 2) “the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26). The 70 weeks of the prophecy are weeks of years, which was an important sabbatical time measure in the Jewish calendar. According to the book of Jeremiah, it was the violation of the command to observe the sabbatical year that brought the judgment of the Babylonian captivity upon the Jews, and determined the length of their exile, 70 years. These 490 prophetic years were each 360 days long (sacred years). The 70 weeks began with “the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild the walls and the streets of the Holy City, Jerusalem (v. 25).” The only decree recorded in Scripture that authorized the rebuilding of the walls and streets of the city is found in Nehemiah 2. This decree was issued on the first day of the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes II of Persia, or 445 BC. From this day, Daniel declares that 69 weeks of seven years, or 483 years, will end with the appearance of “the Messiah the Prince.” Oddly enough, 483 sacred years concluded on the tenth day of the month of Nisan (10 Nisan), 32 AD, the very day of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He came down the very same road upon which we will be walking, on the very day Daniel had prophesied some 500 years before it occurred.

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At the end of the sixty-ninth week, or 483 years, Daniel declared that the Messiah would be “cut-off” (killed), and would die for crimes or sins committed by others (“but not for himself”). This leaves one week of the prophecy, the seventieth week, yet to be fulfilled. In this seventieth week, or seven years, Daniel declares that four things will occur, none of which have yet happened: 1) there will be a seven-year covenant made with the Jews by “the prince who is to come” (the Anti-Christ), who will assist the Jews in rebuilding their temple. 2) In the middle of the week (forty-two months afterwards), there will be a forcible interruption of the Jewish ritual worship by “the prince who is to come,” who introduces an abomination that renders the sanctuary ritually impure; 3) the prince will launch a massive persecution, a second holocaust against the Jews; 4) at the end of the seventieth week, judgment will finally fall upon “the prince who is to come,” and an age of everlasting righteousness will be initiated (Daniel 9:24). That is the long promised Messianic Kingdom. The question is, why did the seventieth week not follow immediately after the sixty-ninth week? The answer has to do with the people to whom this prophecy is addressed. Daniel addressed the prophecy to his people, the Jews, and focused upon the independent state of Israel. At the end of the sixty-ninth week, the cutting off of the Messiah, the Jewish state (not the people and not their chosen status) came to an end in the sight of God. That began what is often called “the interruption in history,” or the church age. Soon the church age will come to an end, and the seventieth week will be initiated. The state is now in place and the history of Israel is about to resume in the eyes of God.

Dominus Flevit Chapel We will descend down the Mount of Olives via the Palm Sunday trail. As we descend, we will pass the resting place of the prophets Malachi and Haggai, and the common grave of those Israelis who died defending the Jewish Quarter in 1948. Next to the common grave is a national cemetery, and further down the path is the immense Jewish graveyard, the largest Jewish cemetery in the world. Halfway down the mountain, we will come to the huge iron gate of the Dominus Flevit Chapel. This is the spot where Jesus stopped on Palm Sunday and wept over the city of Jerusalem, hence the Latin name meaning, “the Lord wept.” When we first enter the property, we will see an area to our right filled with bone boxes, or ossuaries. In 1953 in this very area, a number of ossuaries were found with the names of biblical personalities engraved upon them. For example, the names of Mary and Martha were found engraved on one box, and

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right next to it was an ossuary with the name of Lazarus, their brother. Other names of early Christians were found on other boxes. Of greatest interest, however, was an ossuary that was found within twelve feet of the place where the remains of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were found. The name engraved on this box in beautiful Aramaic letters was that of Simon bar Jonah, better known as Simon Peter. As you can imagine, the Catholic Church, which owns the property where this ossuary was found, quickly hushed this evidence. The Catholic Church, of course, says that Peter was martyred on Vatican hill in Rome in 66 AD, and his bones are located under the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica. You can check this report at www.aloha.net. The Teardrop Chapel may be the loveliest spot in all Jerusalem.

From inside the chapel, one can look out through a large window and see a dazzling view of the city of Jerusalem. This church was designed by the Franciscan Antonio Barluzzi in 1953 and was built on the remains of a late seventh century chapel that was designed in the Byzantine style. On the present building, there are stones carved on each of the four corners resembling tear vases. These vases symbolize the tears that Jesus shed in this location. Jesus wept over those things that were to happen to the Holy City for their having rejected Him.

The Garden of Gethsemane When we leave the Dominus Flevit Chapel, we will walk down the Mount of Olives to one of the most memorable spots on the face of the entire earth, the Garden of Gethsemane. There is absolutely no question that this is the exact place where Jesus was arrested on the night before His death. The name Gethsemane actually means “olive press” and a huge press was located here in the time of Jesus. Some of the olive trees in this garden are over a thousand

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years old, and have sprung from the roots of olive trees that were present in this garden when Jesus was betrayed. We will pass a number of these ancient olive trees as we make our way through the garden, and then enter into the beautiful Church of the Nations. In the center of this church is a large rock that is enclosed in a low square fence shaped like a crown of thorns. This rock is the site of our Lord’s agony. It was here where Jesus prayed, “Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will be done.” It was here, on His knees, sweating great drops of blood, that Jesus made the final commitment to become the eternal Lamb of God. And it was here that His closest disciples could not “watch and pray” with Him. This church, the Church of the Nations, is relatively new. It was erected with donations from many nations including the United States of America. This present church covers the remains of an ancient church that was built in this garden in 380 AD. We will be able to see some of the walls of this ancient edifice, within the southeast walls of the new church. According to the Holy Scripture, on the night that Jesus was betrayed, Jesus and the twelve had left the Upper Room on Mount Zion, and descended the stepped walkway on the east face of the hill. They made their way to the temple area, exiting through the Golden Gate. They crossed the bridge spanning the Kidron Valley, and entered the Garden of Gethsemane. Apparently, Jesus and His disciples were very familiar with this particular Garden. Tradition indicates that Jesus and the twelve would often lodge in a cave found in this Garden, a cave that is located across the street from the Church of the Nations today. It was the traitor, Judas Iscariot, who brought the temple guards into this very garden, and this is the place where he identified Jesus to these guards with a kiss. We are told that the other disciples of Jesus fled in terror after Peter pulled a sword and severed the ear of Malthus, the high priest’s servant. From here Jesus was led back to Mount Zion, to the house of Caiaphas, located on the site of St. Peter’s in Gallicantu Church. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL Read Matthew 27:36-55---What did Jesus mean when He said, “Let this cup pass from me?” To what cup was He referring? What was Peter doing with a sword? Did Jesus know he was armed?

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The Temple Mount As we leave the Church of the Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane, we will board our bus and drive past the Golden Gate, past the pinnacle of the temple on the southeast corner and park near the Dung Gate. Inside the gate, we will ascend an inclined ramp next to the Wailing Wall (the Western Wall). This gate is known as the Gate of the Moroccans. On the other side of this gate we step atop the Mountain of God, the most holy spot on the face of the earth. As we pass through the gate, we will be standing in a plaza known as the Haram esSharif (the noble sanctuary).

We will be standing where the Porches of Solomon stood in the time of Jesus. It was somewhere near here, in the outer court of the temple, or the great Court of the Gentiles that, at the age of twelve years, the Lord Jesus Christ argued with the rabbis. It was near here also, that Jesus braided a whip of cords and drove the merchants and money changers from this courtyard. To our right is the Islamic Museum, and in front of us is the famous Al-Aqsa Mosque, supposedly the third most holy place in Islam. This mosque is 263 feet

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long and 180 feet wide and is the place where the Muslims claim that Mohammed came on his winged horse Barak. As we pass the central entry of the mosque we will turn toward the north, and there we will see one of the most famous fountains in the world, the El Kas fountain where devout Muslims bath their hands, their feet, and their heads, to make themselves ritually clean before visiting the Al-Aqsa to pray and read the Koran. Beyond the fountain, we will climb a flight of stairs and walk beneath one of several pointed arches that were constructed on the Temple Mount by the Mameluke Turks. On the west side of the arch is the summer pulpit of the Muslims. Continuing to the north, we will come to the building called Qubbet es Sakhra in Arabic, or the Dome of the Rock. This building is not a mosque: it is a monument. It stands above the spot where many biblical scholars believe Abraham brought his son, “his only son,” Isaac, to offer him as a sacrifice to God. As we enter into this building, we will be standing on the apex of Mount Moriah, one of the holiest spots on the face of the earth. Recent research by Lean and Kathleen Ritmeyer has established that this rock stands in the very spot where the Holy of Holies was found in both the first and the second temples. Beneath this stone is a cave. Muslims call this cave, Bir el-Arwah, the place where the souls of the dead gather to pray. When we leave the Dome of the Rock, we will see a domed structure to the east. It is called the Dome of the Chains, and Muslims claim this was the location of Solomon’s court. According to tradition, Solomon hung a special chain in this court. When a person lied under oath in this court, a link would fall from Solomon’s chain. Continuing to the east, down a flight of stairs and back to the north, we will come to the backside of the Golden Gate and admire its awesome architectural detail.

The Ophel Garden Archeological Park As we leave the Temple Mount, we will make our way to the Ophel Archaeological Garden. For 700 years, this area was covered with earth and stones from the Temple Mount walls. Now it has been excavated. Here King Herod, Jesus and His disciples, James, His brother, the Apostle Paul, Crusader knights, and Franciscan monks all lived and walked. This is the most important archaeological site of its kind in Israel.

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Our first stop will be at the newly exposed area of the Byzantine Cardo, a portion of which we saw yesterday. After examining the Cardo, we will pass through a tunnel that will take us to see a fantastic virtual reality presentation of what the second temple was actually like. When we have seen the presentation and the artifacts, we will move on to the western and southern walls of the Temple Mount. Here we will walk on the same pavements upon which Jesus and His disciples walked. We will see the remnants of the mighty staircase, supported by what is known as Robinson’s Arch. Beneath this arch you will see a very special inscribed stone cast down from the top of the wall in the destruction of 70 AD. It reads, “The Place of Trumpeting.” This was the spot where the priests would stand to watch for the morning to break in the east. When the first glow of the sun appeared, the trumpet was sounded from this place on the wall. We will then move to the south side to the rabbinical stairs, where countless thousands of pilgrims ascended to enter the temple courts through the double Hulda Gates, after having purified themselves in one of the many ritual baths found in this area. Full-size models of ancient hoisting and transporting devices show how the enormous blocks of stone used to build the temple and the walls of the Temple Mount were set in place. On our return, we will see ruins of palaces built by the Fatimid Sultans, the Ummayid Sultans, the Crusaders, the Mameluke Sultan, and the Ottomans. When we leave the Ophel Gardens, we will return to our bus. Our next destination is the little town of Bethlehem.

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Bethlehem and the Shepherd’s Field Bethlehem is the backdrop for some of history’s greatest events: Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob died and was buried here. The love affair between Ruth and Boaz occurred in a wheat field outside this town. The shepherd/king David was anointed to be the King of Israel here. But most of all, this was the place where our Lord became incarnate. Three wise men followed a star to this village to find the Christ child and present Him with gifts. This little town certainly has a storied past. Our first stop will be Manger Square and the Basilica of the Nativity. This massive Basilica is the oldest continuously used church in the entire world and it covers the very spot where Jesus was born. Construction on this church began in 326 AD under the direction of Queen Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, and was completed in 339 AD. It was partially destroyed in the Samaritan uprising of 525 AD, and was then rebuilt by the emperor, Justinian. During the Persian invasion of 614 AD, when virtually every Christian shrine in the Holy Land was demolished, this Basilica was spared because it contained a mosaic depicting three Persian wise men. The church was renovated by the Crusaders, but after the Crusader kingdom fell, the church lapsed into a state of disrepair. By the fifteenth century it had become decrepit, but its importance as a holy shrine never waned. In the 1840s, the church was restored once again. In spite of this renovation it did not add to the esthetics of the church. The Church of the Nativity, as it stands now reflects this: it is not a particularly attractive place, either on the inside or the outside. During medieval times, the main entrance and windows of the basilica were blocked as a safety precaution. This rendered the basilica very dark and oppressive. To enter, visitors must assume an almost kneeling position as they step through the low and very narrow “door of humility.” This low door was put in place to prevent local residents from entering the basilica on horseback. As we move into the sanctuary, we will look down through openings in the floor to see some of the beautiful mosaics that remain from Helena’s original third century church. Notice also, the four rows of reddish limestone Corinthian columns, and also notice the ancient artwork painted on them. Pay special attention to the ancient mosaics along the upper walls dating from Justinian’s reconstruction. King Edward IV of England provided the oak ceiling of the basilica as a gift, and in 1764 the Russian royal family bequeathed the handsome icons adorning the altar.

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However, the major reason anyone comes to this ancient church is to visit the Grotto of the Nativity, beneath the church. Undeniably, this is the place where Jesus was born. We will descend some beautiful granite stairs, step through an ornate doorway, and descend some more steps before we enter the grotto. Notice the thousands of crosses that have been etched into the columns on both sides of the doorway. This religious graffiti has been left by centuries of pilgrims longing to be in the place where their Lord was born. Once inside this cave (Jesus was born in a cave, not in a structure), we will see a silver star under an altar bearing the Latin inscription, “Hic De Virgine Maria Jesus Christus Notus Est.” The inscription means, “Here, of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ was born.” The fourteen points on the star represents the fourteen stations of the cross on the Via Dolorosa. This star was placed here by the Roman Catholics in 1717, but it was removed in 1847 by the Greek Orthodox officials. It was restored by the Ottoman government in 1853. Quarrels over this star are said to have contributed to the outbreak of the Crimean War. Behind and to the side of this altar is another altar marking the spot where the baby was placed, the location of the manger. We will then leave the grotto and enter St. Catherine’s Church, built by the Franciscan Fathers in 1881. We will go down a set of stairs into the cave once again. There we will visit the Chapel of St. Joseph, commemorating the angelic visitation, which instructed Joseph to flee to Egypt with the Christ child. We will also visit the Chapel of the Innocents honoring the children killed in Bethlehem under the orders of Herod the Great. It was also in this cave that St. Jerome produced the Vulgate, the fourth century translation of the Hebrew Bible into Latin. Also in this cave, the Milk Grotto Church is found. This is where the holy family is said to have hidden before fleeing from King Herod. If we are allowed to do so, we will drive outside of town to the Shepherd’s Fields, where angels appeared in the night sky and sang, “Peace on earth, goodwill to men.” Jesus was born in the year 6 BC, at the time that an imperial decree was sent out by Caesar Augustus that a worldwide census be taken for the purpose of taxing the subjects of Rome. In the province of Judea, this was to be achieved by all Jews returning to their ancestral homes to register. Since Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth was from the lineage of King David, as was his wife, Mary, they had to journey the eighty miles from Galilee to Bethlehem by foot. Mary, at this time, was nine months pregnant. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, Mary was in labor, so they immediately went to the local “inn.” This place was nothing remotely akin to what people would imagine an inn to have been. It was not a hotel; it was

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actually a caravansary. It was a small building surrounded by a walled courtyard. A caravansary was located in Bethlehem, because the village was located on the road from Egypt through the Sinai to Beer Sheva, to Hebron, to Jerusalem, then on to Damascus. Bethlehem was the last stop before arriving in Jerusalem. Merchants carrying goods to and from Egypt transported these goods on the backs of camels or donkeys. At a caravansary these valuable pack animals would be fed and sheltered. The places where these merchants slept were no more than cubby holes in the walls of the main building---there was just enough room to spread a mat and lay down. If a cubby hole was not available, the only alternative was to sleep in the courtyard with the camels and burrows. The courtyard was filthy and smelly, filled with animal dung. To sleep there was to risk being trampled, but at least it was enclosed and a merchant and his goods would be safe. This was what Joseph encountered when he looked for a space to stay. On this occasion, with the Roman census taking place, the caravansary was filled with people who were registering; every cubby hole in the place was taken. Joseph must have even looked for a spot in the court yard for Mary to lie, but it, too, teemed with people. Someone had compassion and led them to a cave in the hillside just below the caravansary. This was another stinking place where animals were kept. So there, in that place, that hole in a hillside, Joseph laid his mat on the ground and Mary gave birth to a son. A few miles to the east, there were shepherds in the fields. In the ancient world, to find sheep being kept this near to a village was a real oddity. The reason for this is clear. The odor generated by large flocks of sheep was so foul that they were usually confined to areas far from the place where the general populace resided. However, the village of Bethlehem was an exception to this. One time each year, sheep were allowed to graze near Bethlehem, and that time was the thirty days preceding the Passover observance. The sheep that grazed in that particular location had been declared to be unblemished and were separated to be sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem, or to be eaten at the Passover meals. Therefore, for the sheep to be grazing just outside Bethlehem, meant that the birth of Jesus may have occurred in April on our solar calendar. After Jesus was born, Joseph needed a place to lay the child so that he could clean away the afterbirth, but the only place he could find to lay the child was a stone feeding trough, a manger. There, he laid the young Lord of the universe to cut his cord and to wash his body. Undoubtedly, Joseph then rubbed the body of the baby with salt. The salt would kill any bacteria on his tiny body. Then Joseph did something unusual. Apparently not having a blanket in which to wrap the child, he took thin strips of cheap material called swaddling cloth and he wrapped those strips around the body of the baby. I do not think Joseph

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understood the significance of what he was doing, but it was/is staggering. In those days, swaddling cloth was primarily used to wrap the bodies of the dead. Here, then, was the young Lord of the universe wrapped in grave clothes on the day of his birth as a sign that he was born to die. Another odd thing about the nativity was this: we would all imagine that when the Lord of the universe, the almighty God, chose to enter into the life of this world that He would have been born in absolute luxury and splendor in a palace somewhere. But He was not! He was born in a stinking cave cut into the side of a Judean hill. Even the lowest peasants were better born than this. Bethlehem has always been an interesting place. It is very picturesque. It sits on a high cliff composed of limestone. For that reason Bethlehem can be seen from miles around. In the valley below the village in the fields where the Temple shepherds tended their flocks, was found the MIGDAL EDER or the “Tower of the Flock.” The shepherds could see their entire flocks from the tower. These Temple flocks were huge---they had to be. There were thousands of lambs there, because thousands of lambs were needed for the Temple sacrifices and for the Seder meals that were to occur on the day of Passover. Those huge numbers of sheep required a host of shepherds working in shifts. Some would watch the sheep while the others would sleep. We should not entertain any romantic notions about these shepherds. In the New Testament era, they were almost universally despised and hated. In a social sense, they were considered to be the very lowest of the low. If one reads the book of Leviticus, there were a multitude of things that people walking in a covenant relationship with God had to do to please the Lord. There were many purification rites that had to be strictly observed. In fact, life in Eretz Israel at that time in history was punctuated by purification requirements. The religious crowd was fanatical about cleanliness, and shepherds were not clean. They could not be ritually clean. They were out in the wilderness watching the flocks much of the time, so they rarely, if ever, got to the Temple. Most Jewish shepherds could not read, and if they could read they were not free to go the Temple and read the great books of the law. Apart from what they had learned at their mother’s knees, they were ignorant of the law and all those complex things that the rabbis discussed. Any religion a shepherd enjoyed was between that shepherd and God, and to the Temple authorities to even think such a thing was anathema. True religion was not a personal thing. So, shepherds, even pious shepherds were labeled as being unclean, and could not come into the presence of God.

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However, these unclean, ritually contaminated shepherds of the MIGDAL EDER would be the very first persons God would call to visit his Son. This is true, in spite of the fact that most of these shepherds were not at all religious. There were a few pious shepherds, but even they were not like those “holy men,” those “intellectual theological giants” found at the Temple. These “holy men” knew everything there was to know about God. After all, they would sit for hours and debate with one another over the finest points one could find in the Old Testament especially if the discussion was about God. They knew so much about God that they would offer their sacrifices to God at exactly the right moment every day, and they would chant their songs and their prayers exactly as their sacred traditions instructed. After all, their sacred traditions came directly from God, or so they thought. They had everything right. They did everything right. In fact, they were dead right. Religion had killed any hope they had ever had of forging a relationship with God. But when God looked at their religion, He said to them, “It disgusts me---all your offerings are a stench in my nostrils.” They may have been doing everything right, but they had no faith in their hearts. They had no obedience in their lives. Therefore, they had no love for their neighbor and no love for God. They were simply doing their religious thing, and God said, “That disgusts me.” That is why God snubbed their religion, and that is why He still snubs religion. God really looked at their religion as being an exercise in futility. They were so wrapped up in their religion that it had made them deaf and blind. They did not know about an angel appearing to Zacharias---they did not know about an angel appearing to girl in Galilee named Mary---they did not know that when Mary went to visit Elizabeth that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped---all of this in spite of the fact that they did know one thing---they knew that God had said that He was coming to live among men one day. But they were too busy with their religion to know of the marvelous things that had happened. It seems so strange in retrospect. For over a year, the devout who had been waiting for the deliverer to appear, had been talking about these strange things that had occurred. But the religious authorities knew nothing about it. Oh, they may have had a beautiful, ornate religion with lovely rituals and great pomp, but its leaders were steeped in ignorance. The truth is, this religion with its great Temple, Torah, and ritual had become a farce. So much so that when the deliverer was born, God did not even bother to wake up the High priest to tell him. God went to a bunch of shepherds watching their flocks near the tower in the valley, and He said to them, “Come, see My Son.” If I am correct, and this invitation to “Come, see My Son” was issued just before Passover, these shepherds near Bethlehem had been looking after the Passover lambs. If this was indeed the case, this is very significant. This would mean that

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the very shepherds who were assigned to watch after the lambs to be slain at Passover were the first persons to see the one who was destined to be the final Passover lamb, the Lamb of God, the one who would one day take away the sin of the world. The Apostle Paul would say of Him, He is “Christ, our Passover.” In addition, these Passover shepherds were the first ones to worship this ultimate Passover lamb, who made all other Passover lambs unnecessary. The Passover sheep that were being watched by these shepherds would be taken into the Temple for Levitical inspection on the day we now call, Palm Sunday. One thing is certain; some thirty years later, Jesus would make His royal entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We can be certain that the events that occurred on that Palm Sunday of 30 AD did not happen by accident. On Palm Sunday, Jesus was well aware that as He moved toward Jerusalem and the Eastern Gate that the Passover lambs for that year were being led into Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate to the north. This fact is highly significant, since at His birth, the Lamb of God, the ultimate Passover lamb, was worshiped by the men assigned to be Passover shepherds, and some 30 years later, that same Lamb of God would enter into Jerusalem at the same time as that year’s Passover lambs. So, in the valley below Bethlehem, those shepherds who would come to visit Jesus were being visited themselves by the angel of the Lord. The Gospel of Luke declares, “The glory of the Lord shone round about them.” So, two things were at work here---the angel of the Lord was at work, and the glory of the Lord was at work. One of the most fascinating studies in which a student of the Bible can engage is to explore the concept of the “glory of the Lord.” The question is this: why did God reveal His glory to a bunch of smelly shepherds, and not to the Godly Pharisees? The answer is obvious. These Pharisees were caught up in religion. These shepherds were the only people in the region who had the faith in their hearts to receive a messiah born in a cave. The angel knowing this, said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of the great joy, which shall be for all people.” I bring you good news, the angel said. The truth is this: the birth of Jesus was just the beginning of the good news, but it was not the good news in itself. This is only the beginning of the good news, because the real good news is this: the God who has entered into our humanity as a baby in a cave is going to die on a cross, rise again, ad ascend to the right hand of God. That is the complete good news. So, the announcement to the shepherds was only the beginning of the good news of our salvation. But even the beginning of this good news produces great joy for those that receive it.

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The good news was/is this: it would be for all people, not just for Israel, but for all people. Israel had been special because it was the nation that had carried the Messiah. Ever since the Abrahamic Covenant had been cut, God chose Israel to be the vessel through which the Messiah would appear. The truth is this: in itself, the nation of Israel was not a special people. They were like any other Near Eastern nation. The only special quality Israel possessed was their relationship with Jesus Christ. As the nation designated to carry the Messiah, God had protected them. The shepherds understood the angelic message. Every shepherd in that field had known all their lives that Christ the Lord would come someday. Every shepherd knew as they waited for Him that once He had come He would save them. Now an angel from God tells them, “To you is born this day a savior.” Those eight words sum up the New Covenant: “He shall save his people from their sins.” The terms of that New Covenant not only include a cleansing of the faithful from their sins. God also promises, “I will remember them against you no more.” It is now done! That sums up the New Covenant: “He shall save his people from their sins; your sins and iniquities I will remember them no more.” Once again, the angelic message is this: the Christ has been born. The longpromised one who shall save you from your sins is here. The word Christ, in the angelic message, is the Greek noun, CHRISTOS. It means anointed one. The equivalent Hebrew word is MESHIACH, or Messiah. So Christ and Messiah mean the same thing. This word, in both Greek and Hebrew speaks of the fact that this one who would save people from their sins would be unusually anointed by the Holy Spirit. All the prophets joined in saying, when you find the Messiah He will have an unusually powerful anointing, an anointing that is continual. It will not wane, and it will not go away. His anointing was three fold! First, it was that of the prophet; that is, He spoke the word of God with power. In the case of Jesus, He proved to be the ultimate prophet for He was/is the Word of God. Second, not only was/is He an anointed prophet, but He was/is an anointed priest. He was/is anointed to be heaven’s High Priest, and in this role He bears His chosen ones to God’s throne. But finally, He was/is also anointed to serve a third role: He was/is king; He is Christ the Lord. All authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth; a rod of rulership is in his hand. The problem was this: in that cave in the Judean hillside He did not look like any of those things. That is why the angel had to help them identify this prophet/priest/king when they saw Him. The angel said, “This shall be a sign unto you---you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger”. What the angel was saying to those shepherds was this: “If you go to Bethlehem and you begin to look for who you think you’re going find, you will

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not find him; you will not find Him in Herod’s palace or in the finest home in the Bethlehem/Jerusalem area. Therefore, I must give you a sign so that you might recognize him, and this is that sign: you will find this baby lying in a feeding trough, and He will be wrapped up in swaddling cloths like a mummy, and He will be attended by two peasants.” How typical of God this is! We never find God doing things man’s way. These shepherds would not have thought to look for the Messiah, the King of Israel, in the place where God chose for Him. These shepherds had to be told specifically how to find him, or He would have never been found. Once these angelic instructions had been given, a heavenly host appeared with the original angel, praising God and saying. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased.” That constitutes a most interesting phrase. The angelic hosts are saying, “glory to God.” This message says that Jesus came to this earth to bring glory to God. There it is! That is the beginning of the gospel, the gospel which will bring joy to all people, and we are one of those “all people,” so we know what the angel was talking about. The fertile fields of Beit Sahour are the place where the Angels of the Lord appeared. There are two rival locations as to the exact place, but I prefer the one run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Both sides have been excavated and there have been churches and monasteries located at both sites since 350 AD. The Orthodox site was the place visited by the earliest Christian pilgrims. In 384 AD, the Pilgrim, Egeria was shown a church a mile east of Bethlehem. This appears to be the Orthodox site. The name of this place is Kanisat al-Ruwat. The remains of that church have a barrel-vaulted roof from the fifth century that still survives. It is approached by a flight of twenty-one steps and has three apses with traces of mosaics and old frescoes. The mosaic floor includes crosses, therefore it has to have been built earlier than 427 AD, when it was forbidden to place crosses on the floors of churches. This is the only fifth century church outside of Jerusalem to survive intact. Above it a chapel was erected in the Byzantine era. This chapel was replaced by a larger church which was then destroyed in 614 AD. This church and a large monastery were rebuilt in this location in the seventh century AD, and survived until the 10th century AD. Today, a new, larger church has been built, the fourth century lower church has been restored, and the remains of the upper church and monastery have been preserved. After Jesus was born, the book of Matthew makes it clear that the holy family continued to live in the village of Bethlehem for at least the next two years. The fact that Mary and Joseph had reached this conclusion is made even clearer in the gospel of Luke. This account reports that after Joseph and Mary had presented Jesus in the Temple, they immediately went back to Nazareth. Yet,

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at a later time, when the Magi arrived in Bethlehem, Matthew reports that the two of them and their child were living in a “house” in Bethlehem. Therefore, logic dictates that they must have briefly returned to Nazareth to close up their home and business, and to gather their belongings before returning to Bethlehem where they set up their home. Can we blame them for this? Who would want go back to Nazareth in the face all the gossip they would have faced? The town was probably still buzzing about the fact that Mary had found herself pregnant before she married Joseph. If they had chosen to live in Nazareth, they would have to live with these constant rumors and innuendos, and so would their son. Perhaps, that is why they are later found living in this house in Bethlehem with their child. Even if we did not have the Greek word to tell us that Jesus had grown into a toddler while living in that house, we could still deduce His age when the Magi arrived from other portions of the text. For example, when the Magi appeared in Jerusalem, Herod had asked them when they had first seen the star in the east. The answer the Magi gave prompted Herod to give explicit orders to kill all male children in Bethlehem that were two years of age and under. This could suggest that the star had appeared two years earlier at the very time Jesus was born. Another myth that must be debunked about these wise men is the idea that they were kings. They are not kings. The text of Matthew mentions nothing about kings, in spite of the carol, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” These men were exactly what the text says they were. They belonged to a sect of astrologers/astronomers in the Middle East known as Magi. Another myth involving these wise men is the belief that there were three of them. The text does not say how many there were. There could have been two, or three, or ten. The idea that there were three of them relates to the gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is commonly assumed that each wise man brought one of these gifts. But each of three Magi could have brought a gift or one Magi might have brought all three gifts. We just do not know. What we do know to be true is this: two years after the birth of Jesus, give or take a few months, these Magi arrived in Bethlehem at the home of Mary and Joseph. This had to have taken place in the spring of the year 4 BC, because Herod the Great died in the fall of that year. It was in the spring of that same year that Herod gave his horrible edict concerning Bethlehem's children. That was why an angel appeared to Joseph telling him to take the Christ child to the land of Egypt, which he promptly did, and which saved the child's life. When we leave Bethlehem we will return to our hotel in Jerusalem.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read Matthew 2:1-8; Luke 2:1-7---What is a sign? The shepherds were told to look for a sign, and the sign was this: the baby would be wrapped in swaddling clothes. This must have sounded strange to the shepherds, because dead bodies were wrapped in swaddling cloths, not babies. What did this sign mean?

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Herodium As we saw in the introduction, in 40 BC, following the Parthian conquest of Syria, Herod fled to Masada. On the way, at the place where the fortress of Herodium is now located, Herod engaged in battle with these same Parthians and emerged victorious. According to Josephus, he "built a town on that spot in commemoration of his victory, and enhanced it with wonderful palaces, and called it Herodium after himself." Josephus describes Herodium as follows: "This fortress, which is some 60 stadia (7.5 miles) distant from Jerusalem, is naturally strong and very suitable for such a structure, for reasonably nearby is a hill, raised to a greater height by the hand of man and rounded off in the shape of the breast. At intervals it has (four) round towers, and it has a steep ascent formed of 200 steps of hewn stone. Within it are costly royal apartments made for security and for ornamentation at the same time. At the base of the hill there are pleasure grounds built in such a way as to be worth seeing, among other things, because of the way in which water, which is lacking in that place, is brought in from a distance and at great expense. The surrounding plain was built up as a city second to none, with the hill serving as an acropolis for other dwellings."

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One of the fortress’s towers was huge! It was twice as high as the other three towers, and housed heavy catapults. As you will see, this tower, unlike the other three, had a solid base so that the recoil of the catapults would not shake it to pieces. The palace was approached by an underground passageway as well as the ornamental steps leading up from the bottom of the hill. For centuries, it had been speculated that Herod the Great was buried in Herodium, but no one could ever find his tomb, much less his body. That all changed in 2007 when Hebrew University professor, Ehud Netzer, who had spent much of his life excavating at Herodium, discovered the tomb of Herod. It was located above the tunnels (which you will explore) and water cisterns, at a flattened site halfway to the fortress. The base of Herod’s tomb has now been uncovered, and we will be able to see its remains. In addition, in the 2009-2010 excavations, a small, 450 seat theater was uncovered near the tomb base having an elaborately decorated royal theater box in which Herod and his guests sat. Herod actually died in his Winter Palace in Jericho, not Herodium. He was a massively diseased and degenerate man. He had already seen to the building of his tomb in Herodium. The funeral procession began there, in Jericho, and when his body arrived at Herodium, people were still leaving Jericho. Do not get the wrong impression! Very few people cared that Herod had died. They just wanted to be a part of what was transpiring. In fact, Herod knew how unpopular he was. Therefore, he instructed his wife to gather a man from every family in Judea, and the moment he died they were to be executed. As Herod put it, "This way there will be mourning at my funeral." To her credit, his wife refused to do this. Whenever I would visit this site back in the 1990s (and I went to Israel often), Professor Netzer was often there, and on three different occasions he took me on personal tours of this site. I was saddened to hear that the professor died while working on the tomb of Herod. He tripped over some loose stones and fell down the steep slope that form the sides of Herodium. Herodium was conquered and destroyed by the Romans in 71 AD, before they ended the Jewish state forever in 73 AD at Masada. You will hear me talk a great deal on this trip about the Bar Kochba revolt which occurred some 60 years after the first revolt. The rebel, Simon bar Kochba, was attempting to drive the Romans from Abraham's inheritance, and declared Herodium to be his secondary headquarters. Archaeological evidence for this revolt was found everywhere on the site from the outside buildings to the water system under the mountain. Inside the water system, supporting walls built by the rebels were

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discovered, and another system of caves was found. Inside one of the caves there was burned wood dating to the time of the revolt.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Eight The Dead Sea As we drive east out of Jerusalem, watch to the right of the bus and you will see the sea level sign as we go down the mountain slope to the Jericho turn-off. Ahead of us you will see the deep blue water of the Dead Sea. This sea is known in the Bible as the Vale of Siddim, the Salt Sea, the Arabah Sea, and the East Sea. Its shores are the lowest point of land on the surface of this planet. It is 1,300 feet below sea level, and in places the water is an additional 100 feet deep. It is approximately fifty miles long and four miles wide. However, the Dead Sea is facing an ecological calamity---it is drying up. Since I first started to come to Israel, the sea level has dropped over four feet. This is due to irrigation that diverts water from the Jordan River to the farm lands of Israel.

Masada At the Dead Sea, we will turn right on Highway 90. When we do, we will pass such places as Jericho, Qumran, and Ein Gedi. Our destination is the rock of Masada. It is located at the top of an isolated mesa next to the Dead Sea. Masada is isolated from its surroundings by deep gorges. The access to this fortress in ancient times was a steep “snake path.” Josephus tells us that this place was first fortified by a Hasmonaean, Jonathan Maccabaeus, the high priest. In 40 BC, King Herod fled to Masada with his family to escape the Parthians. Later, he would fortify and refurnish this citadel as a refuge for himself, because of the peril posed by the Jewish people who hated him. According to Josephus, Herod felt an even more pressing peril from Cleopatra of Egypt, who coveted his lands. Most of the Herodian buildings and fortifications that were erected atop Masada were erected between the years 37 and 31 B.C. One of Herod’s first undertakings was the creation of an intricate water supply system. It seldom rains at Masada and the waters of the Dead Sea are poisonous, so water preservation was of crucial importance to survival here. Herod’s new system consisted of a drainage system that would carry rainwater from the two wadis located to the west of Masada into a group of cisterns found in the northwestern slope of the rock. These twelve huge cisterns can hold about

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40,000 cubic meters of water. Below is a picture of how Masada appeared in the time of Herod.

The entire summit of Masada was enclosed by Herod with a great double wall having thirty towers and four gates. Herod constructed the most important buildings in the northern part of the site, at the very highest point on the rock. This was the Northern Palace, or more correctly, the Royal Villa. It was built in three tiers, only the upper tier containing living arrangements. The lower tiers were designed strictly for pleasure. In addition, Herod constructed an official palace on the western side of the rock. It contained scores of rooms and installations, and was a self-sufficient unit. South of the northern palace was a huge bath house, built in traditional Roman style, having four rooms and a court. The public storerooms that are situated east and south of the bathhouse consist of a series of long narrow rooms. There was enough storage in these rooms to withstand a siege of many years. Two ritual baths were found in the northern and southern corners of the complex. In addition in the northwestern corner of the complex a synagogue was discovered. At that time, it was the earliest known synagogue in the world, and the only one from the time of the second temple. It is a rectangular building, oriented toward Jerusalem, with four tiers of plastered benches along the walls and two rows of columns in the center. The building was constructed by the zealots on the base of the earlier Herodian buildings. At the outbreak of the Jewish War in 70 AD, Menachem, the son of Judas the Galilean, captured Masada. After Menachem was murdered in Jerusalem by his

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Jewish rivals, his nephew Eleazar ben Yair escaped to Masada where he became its “tyrant” until its fall in 73 AD. During these years, Masada served as a place of refuge for all who were in danger of capture. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Masada remained the only point of Jewish resistance. In 72 AD, the Roman governor, Flavius Silva, resolved to suppress this outpost of resistance. He marched against Masada at the head of the Tenth Roman Legion. The troops were prepared for a long siege. To provide security they established eight camps at the base of the rock of Masada, and joined the camps with a high wall, which left no escape for the rebels. With the containment wall completed, the Romans built an assault ramp climbing to the top of the cliff. Thousands of slaves, many of them Jewish, had that task completed in less than nine months. Once the ramp was in place, the Romans succeeded in moving a huge battering ram up to the wall where they broke through. The night before the break-in, Eleazar gathered all the defenders of Masada together and persuaded them to kill themselves rather than to fall into the hands of the Romans. Two women and five children were the only persons to survive the mass suicide. When we arrive at Masada, we will visit the new museum and ride the cable car to the top. We will descend the same way. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: I Samuel 22:4, 22---The Moody Bible Atlas suggests that Masada may have been David’s stronghold where David rested while Saul searched for him.

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The Oasis of Ein Gedi Ten miles south of Masada, on the western shore line of the Dead Sea, we will come to the oasis of Ein Gedi. This oasis is both a kibbutz and a national park. The cliffs of Ein Gedi soar nearly 1,600 feet above the base. There is an abundance of fresh water in this desert place, due in part to a spring that pours out tons of water. It is located 400 feet above the base of the cliff. This oasis is rich in semitropical vegetation, and at one time date palms grew here. We know this because the ancient name of Ein Gedi was Hazazon Tamar (“pruning of the palms”). In the Song of Solomon, the author speaks of his beloved, who was like “a cluster of henna blooms in the vineyards of Ein Gedi” (Song of Solomon 1:14). This oasis attracts much wild life such as ibexes and the small furry hyrax. It has been reported that leopards live in this area, too. The stream that is formed by the waterfall is called the Nahal David, or David’s Stream. It was in this rugged area of the wilderness of Judeah that David hid when King Saul was attempting to hunt him down and take his life. In one of the caves in the area, David cut a piece of the hem off of the garment of Saul, but David would not kill him because he was the Lord’s anointed. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

I Samuel 24:1-22---What do you see in these events at En Gedi that make you know that David is truly “a man after God’s own heart?” Would Saul keep the promise he made to David at En Gedi?

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Qumran and the Essenes Before we visit Qumran we must examine a sect of first century Judaism widely known as the Essene movement. There were two types of Essenes in the time of Jesus. There were monastic Essenes and there were house-holding or nonmonastic Essenes. We will examine the monastic Essenes first. Around 170 BC, they retreated from Jewish society-at-large to live ascetic lives in the wilderness region of Judea. They did this to foster a closer union with the God of Israel. These persons believed in the soon appearance of a Messiah, and most Essenes believed he would be divine in nature. The Essenes called him "the teacher of righteousness." They believed that this “Teacher of Righteousness” would die a violent death at the hand of unredeemed humanity. The unredeemed were referred to as being "the sons of darkness," a euphemism for the Romans. However, these monastics referred to themselves as being "the elect of God" or “the sons of light,” and they referred to their community as being the possessors of a “new covenant." The word Essene itself (ESSAOIA or ESSENOI in Greek) corresponds to the Aramaic word ASAYYA, which means "healers or physicians." Divine healing and medicine were essential aspects of Essene practices. The Essene movement was formed in the following way. During the Hasmonaean era (circa 176 BC), the religious party known as the Sadducees joined hands with the ruling political class in Judea. Many Jews resented the Sadducees and rejected their doctrines. Among these were people that more strictly observed the law of Moses than any group before them. They came to be known as the HASIDIM or the pious ones. However, the time came when differences begin to arise within this strict Hasidic movement. One of the issues that brought about this division was the question of whether a lunar or a solar calendar should be observed. The group that came to be known as the Pharisee party chose to observe the lunar calendar, while the other group, the one that came to be known as the Essenes, chose to observe a solar calendar. The two groups also disagreed on offering sacrifices on the brazen altar in Jerusalem. The Pharisees said yes! The Essenes, believing the Jerusalem priesthood to be totally corrupt and not of Zadokite extraction, said no! The most pious among the monastic Essene movement assumed the role of aesthetics that elected to live together in remote places along the shores of the Dead Sea. They ate their meals together in total silence. In fact, their meals were special to them; so much so that they took on a sacramental nature. The Essenes chose their leaders by general vote, mingled their possessions, and

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practiced celibacy. All members were required to till the soil on every day except the Sabbath. The monastic Essenes were best known for their water ablutions; they bathed in ritual baths twice each day. They could be instantly recognized because they only wore white garments from head to toe. Votive offerings were sent to the Temple in Jerusalem, but they avoided sending animal sacrifices, believing Jerusalem's priests to be absolutely corrupt, both morally and spiritually. In fact, they saw the entire nation of Israel as being apostate; they considered themselves to be the only true believers. The Essenes also believed in the existence of angels, in the immortality of the human soul, and in the absolute sovereignty of God. They awaited what they called "the day of judgment" when God would interrupt human history to do three things: 1) cast the hated Romans into the sea; 2) uproot the corrupt Jerusalem priesthood; and 3) place the Essenes in the seats of power over a redeemed Israel. By now, the similarities between the Essenes and the earliest Christian church should be clear to everyone. Both the early church and the Essenes held all their material goods in common. Both groups practiced water baptism as the initiation rite into the community of faith. Both groups believed in healing the sick by the laying-on-of-hands. Both groups practiced eating community meals together. And finally, both groups believed in the imminent inauguration of the kingdom of God on earth. The monastic Essenes who lived in places like Qumran and Ein Gedi (and perhaps other desert locales) were committed to the education of the righteous young. It is a well documented fact that many Roman officials in both Judea and other places would secure the services of certain Essenes to teach their children. It is also a well-documented fact that the Essenes would often adopt the sons of deceased righteous priests (meaning those priests who had not sold out to the Temple authorities), and they would educate them in their communities. Many scholars believe that John the Baptist came to Qumran when his father died. According to the Gospel of St. Luke, John's father, Zacharias, was well-known as an ultra-righteous priest, and was also quite aged when John was born, as was his wife Elizabeth. Therefore, Zacharias and Elizabeth may have died when John was quite young. This was exactly the kind of child the Essenes would have welcomed and educated in their community. As John matured, he seems to have accepted the point of view of his Essene teachers, which is reflected in his preaching and personal habits. In fact, when John appeared at the fords of the Jordan River, he was immersing the repentant in water, just as the Essenes did, and calling for people to live lives of righteous separation. That describes the monastic Essenes. However, there was another group of Essenes known as the non-monastic or house-holding Essenes. According to

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Josephus, they could be found in most cities and villages in Judea and Galilee. These non-monastic Essenes were usually composed of families who worked with their hands; that especially applied to stone masons and carpenters. These non-monastic Essenes were noted for their hospitality and generosity. If a city or a village had an Essene community, they would appoint someone from their group to take care of any strangers who might enter into their community. These people were usually very frugal, and they wore their robes and sandals until they literally fell apart. There can be little doubt that an Essene community was found in Nazareth of Galilee, even though it may have been quite small, since the village was quite small. From what we know of Joseph the carpenter, the stepfather of Jesus, he was a perfect candidate to be an Essene and he probably was. He fit all the categories. He was righteous to the extreme and very committed to the things of God. As a carpenter/stonemason, he would have been a natural to belong among the non-monastic Essenes. This, of course, is only conjecture on my part. However, this much is certain: Joseph died at some point between the twelfth and thirtieth birthday of Jesus. If Jesus was in his early teens when Joseph died, and if Joseph was, indeed, an Essene, then it would be highly likely that Jesus would have been sent to the Essene community to be educated upon the death of Joseph. We know that Jesus had received a formal education, because he is often called RABBONI or my Rabbi, in the New Testament Gospels. In that era, one had to have received rabbinical training to be called a Rabbi. This does not mean that Jesus was an Essene. He could have been trained at Qumran without becoming as Essene. The Essenes never required the young men they trained to become one of them. The Essenes would only receive those students as initiates who had chosen on their own accord to join their community. As we have seen, in many instances the teachings of Jesus are very similar to many of the teachings of the Essenes. Yet, in other places, they are diametrically opposed. I can understand this. My father was a pastor and evangelist in a denomination and I attended college at a church related school. In time, I came to despise this particular denomination. I accepted some of what I was taught by them, but I utterly rebelled against other parts of it, especially the part that was devoted to legalism. I believe Jesus had the same reaction to what he was taught at Qumran or some other Essene community. He took some things away from Qumran and utterly rejected others. So, as we stand in Qumran, you may be looking at the very place where Jesus spent his time as a young man and a student. The site of the Qumran ruins had been occupied long before the Essenes arrived here. At the lowest level of the excavations here, archaeologists found the remains of walls and pottery from the eighth to seventh centuries BC. The

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Essenes arrived here around 150 BC. They soon added two new cisterns to a large cistern that had already been dug. They also constructed several rooms and installed two pottery kilns. Thirty years later, they added several large buildings along with an elaborate water collecting system. This is how the facilities appeared in the time of John and Jesus:

During the Jewish War of 70 AD, the compound was stormed by the Romans and left in ruins. It was then reoccupied by a garrison of Roman soldiers who remained there for the next twenty years. The main building on the site occupied thirty-seven square meters, and had a strong tower situated in the northwestern corner. On the west side, there is a long room, apparently utilized as a dining hall. A first story room in the southwest part of the building was furnished as a writing room. Flour mills, a stable, a laundry, and various workshops were also uncovered. The occupants apparently aimed to be as selfsufficient as possible. In 1947, two Bedouin shepherds accidentally came across a clay jar in a cave near Qumran that contained seven scrolls. The scrolls came into the hands of antiquity dealers, who offered to sell them to scholars. The first scholar to recognize their antiquity was E.L. Sukenik, who succeeded in acquiring three of the scrolls for the Hebrew University. The four other scrolls were smuggled into the United States, where they were offered for sale in a newspaper ad. Yigel Yadin, the son of E.L. Sukenik and an outstanding archaeologist on his own, succeeded in buying these available scrolls and bringing them back to Israel. The Israeli Museum in Jerusalem constructed a special site for presenting these scrolls. It is known as The Shrine of the Book, and is located on the campus of Hebrew University. In the meantime, a group of scholars began to search and excavate the cave where the first scrolls were found, as well as some forty other caves in the

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vicinity. Many scrolls and thousands of fragments were found in twelve of these caves. These manuscripts were written for the most part on parchment. The largest manuscript (the complete Isaiah scroll) is thought to have been copied at Qumran around 100 BC. The documents contain over 100 copies of the entire Hebrew Bible with the exception of the book of Esther. No copies of Esther have ever been found.

Jericho Our last stop today is at the great oasis of Jericho. Many scholars believe that Jericho is the oldest city in the world, a city made possible by the magnificent spring, known as the Ain es-Sultan. It was here, following the retreat of the last Ice Age, that bread wheat was first cultivated. As agricultural techniques improved, one man could produce enough grain to feed more than one family, and that freed other men to become builders and artisans. Together with an abundance of water and warm weather the year around, Jericho was the ideal place for urban life to begin. In time grain began to be stored, which drew raiding parties. These incursions made city walls a necessity. The first walls around Jericho were erected by people who have been identified as the Neolithic Pre-pottery A people. A magnificent tower is visible at the lowest levels of the tel of Jericho, erected by these people (circa 8000 BC). Jericho has always played an important part in the Scriptures. From the lofty heights of Mount Nebo opposite Jericho, Moses had a marvelous view of this ancient oasis. The Bible says, “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, as far as Dan, all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah, as far as the western sea, the south, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar” (Deuteronomy 34:1-3). Jericho was also the hometown of Rahab the harlot, who is later listed in the genealogies of both King David of Israel and of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are told in the New Testament how “by faith, the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe when she received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:30-31). It was also here in Jericho, that God caused the walls of the city to collapse. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews tells that faith was involved in the collapse of these walls. It states, “By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.”

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Jericho was a lovely town in the Biblical era as the picture below illustrates.

It was at the spring at the base of Tel Jericho where Elijah was taken into heaven in a chariot of fire, made an iron ax head float, and purified the spring of a salty condition. In the Inter-Testamental period, Marc Antony gave Jericho as a gift to his paramour Cleopatra, enraging King Herod. When Jericho was finally returned to Herod, he built his famous Winter Palace at the mouth of the Wadi Qelt and it was at this palace that he died.

It is near Jericho on the east side of Mount Qarantal that you will see the Monastery of the Temptation. This is the traditional site of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It can be clearly seen from the top of the tel when we arrive in Jericho.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43---Is there a discrepancy between the story in Matthew and the stories as recorded in Mark and Luke? The subjects and the time of the healings do not appear to agree. Can you explain this? Read Luke 19:1-10---Why did Zacchaeus offer to return to his victims four times what he had stolen? (see Exodus 22:1)

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Bethany and the Tomb of Lazarus We have one final stop today. It will be on the edge of Jerusalem in the ancient village of Bethany. The most famous residents of this suburban community in the time of Jesus were Mary and Martha, and their brother Lazarus. The name of the Biblical village of Bethany in Arabic is el-Azariye or Lazarus. It is located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, and today just as in times past, it is the last stopping place before arriving in Jerusalem for those who are making the journey from Jericho. e When I first began to visit Israel in 1973, el-Azariye was composed of just a handful of houses. It now has more than 50,000 inhabitants, and it continues to grow like topsy. We know that Jesus came to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead in this village 2,000 years ago. This would not be the first or the last trip Jesus would make to Bethany. For example, when He was going up from Jericho to Jerusalem for the last time, knowing He was going to suffer and die, Jesus stayed in the house of Lazarus and his two sisters, again. Six days before the feast of the Passover, Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with precious ointment. According to John 12:1-4, on the next day, Palm Sunday, Jesus left Bethany and walked a mile to the village of Bethphage. There He mounted a donkey and rode across the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem, making His triumphal entry. Around the year 350 AD, a chapel was built over a tomb in el-Azariye, which was ascribed to Lazarus, presumably the one from which he emerged in his grave cloths (I believe this place to be authentic). This chapel fell into disrepair and was then restored by the Crusaders. Later on, a mosque was erected by the Muslims over the grave of Lazarus, and it was only in the seventeenth century that Christians were allowed to visit the site again. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Christians were once again permitted to restore the religious buildings around the tomb of Lazarus. A beautiful new church was built in el-Azariye which was dedicated to the miracle surrounding the resurrection of Lazarus. It was built on the plan of a Greek cross, and takes the form of a mausoleum supported by a dome. There are Latin inscriptions on the upper portion of the wall. Above the altar we can read the words, “Ego Sum Resurrectio et Vita” (I am the resurrection and the life), and in the vault of the dome the text continues, “Whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25).

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The entrance to the tomb of Lazarus is in the alley outside and above the church. To enter the tomb requires that we descend and ascend twenty-four very slick steps. The tomb is the property of the Muslims, and they will try to hold us up for tips. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read John 11:1-44---Why did Jesus not return to Bethany immediately? What does Jesus mean when He talks about sleep? Why did Jesus weep at the tomb of Lazarus?

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Nine---free day

The Damascus Gate This morning, we will we begin our free day by going to the Damascus gate. This gate, built in 1537 AD, is the finest and most extravagant of the seven gates dating back to Suleiman the Magnificent. With its graceful side towers and decorative battlements, its aesthetic appeal is as great as its defensive value. From this gate we find the beginning of the road to Damascus via Nablus and Shechem, which is why the first part of the road is known as Nablus Street by the Arabs. The Arabs call the gate, “Bab el-Amud” after a pillar found beside the gate with the distance to Damascus inscribed on it.

Underneath the present Damascus Gate archaeologists have unearthed the magnificent triple arched gate of the Aelia Capitolina of the Roman period. Since 1979, virtually the entire gate has been exposed (see picture right). The gate was extremely beautiful. Large sections of this gate and its towers were constructed with Herodian style dressed stones, apparently taken from Herodian structures that were demolished at the time of the destruction of the second temple.

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portals in the gate has not remained, probably because it underwent changes over the years, and only a few vestiges of the western portal have remained. However, the eastern entrance is preserved in its entirety, as has the eastern gate tower. We will enter through the eastern portal of this lower gate if the political situation allows, examine the gate towers with their awesome artifacts, and then ascend to the roof of the upper Damascus Gate. There we will begin a walk on the walls of Jerusalem that will take us to the Lion’s Gate. There we will return to street level, walk through the Lion’s Gate, and descend to the Jericho Road. Then we will make our way into the Kidron Valley.

The Kidron Valley The valley into which we will be entering is simply alive with Biblical history. Here, we will see walls from the time when Melchizedek was the priest/king of the city. It was in this valley that Melchizedek came to serve bread and wine to Father Abraham, and in so doing, established the messianic priesthood, a priesthood destined to last forever. In this valley, a well was dug known as en-Rogel that marks the boundary between the tribal allotments of Judah and Benjamin. This well was used in the days of King David to irrigate the trees in this valley. It was here near this well, that King David’s son, Adonijah, attempted to have himself anointed as the new king of Israel, succeeding his dying father. Since he was supported by Abiathar the priest, and Joab the leader of the army of Israel, and since he was David’s oldest surviving son, he believed himself to be the indisputable heir to the throne. However, God’s choice for the throne was young Solomon. Nathan the prophet knew this, and with the support of Zadok the priest, and with the backing of David himself, Solomon was set upon David’s royal mule and was led to a spot in this very valley, where Zadok anointed him king, declaring him to be the rightful heir to the throne of his father. During the religious revival in the days of King Hezekiah, idols were brought to this very valley and destroyed. So beneath our feet today, the kings of Israel, and the heroes of the Bible walked and talked.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read I Kings 1:5-10; I Chronicles 22:1-19; 28:1-8---Who had David chosen to succeed him? The actions of Adonijah were nothing less than a coup d’etat against his father. Where did this attempted coup occur? Did the plot succeed? What happened to Adonijah?

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Kidron Valley Monuments Across from the Garden of Gethsemane we begin our stroll through this storied valley, the Vale of Kidron or the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the place where Jews and Muslims alike, believe the final judgment will occur. To our left will be a series of monuments from the time of Jesus. These monuments were carved from the bedrock of the base of the Mount of Olives.

Absalom’s Pillar The first monument we will see is called Absalom’s Pillar. It got this name from second Samuel 18:18, where we are told that Absalom, King David’s son, erected a monument to himself. This is the same Absalom who revolted against his father, and from the time of Jesus, the fathers of Jerusalem have thrown stones at this monument, and brought their wayward sons to this place to show them what happens to disobedient children.

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The structure is twenty-six feet high, and in its lower section is the burial chamber, which is also hewn out of the rock. The burial chamber is a square space with room for two bodies. Above the burial chamber is a circular roof built of finely cut stone, and above that is a conical structure made out of a single stone, and at its apex is a calyx decorated in the shape of a flower bud. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read II Samuel 18:18---Remember, Absalom’s Pillar cannot be the monument described here because the present monument belongs to the time of Christ.

Tomb of Bnei Hezir The next monument is called the Tomb of Bnei Hezir, a huge tomb complex cut deeply into the bedrock of the Mount of Olives. The Hezir family of priests is well-known in historical circles. An inscription on the tomb reads: “This is the tomb and the monument of Alexander, Hananiah, Yo’ezer, Judah, Simon, Jonathan, the sons of Joseph, the son of Oved, Joseph and Eleazar sons of Hanaiah---priests of the Hezir family.” The monument to the left of the entrance is what we would call today, a “tombstone.” At the time when this tomb was hewn from the bedrock of the Mount of Olives, the pyramid on the top was often used as a decoration on tomb monuments. The third tomb in the valley, the Tomb of Zachariah, was never completed and was, therefore, never used for burials. It is noticeable because of the unfinished look of its pillars. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read I Chronicles 24:15---This tells us that the Hezir family held the seventeenth watch in the Temple. What does that mean?

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The City of David

We will now approach, the most ancient part of the city of Jerusalem, the city of David. Even though it is located outside the present walls of Jerusalem, the city of David housed the throne of the Biblical kings of Israel, and Judeah. Until Solomon took the crown of Israel, and incorporated Mount Moriah in the city, Jerusalem occupied an area of only ten acres. The earliest origins of Biblical Jerusalem are still shrouded in mystery, but archaeologists have confirmed that the ridge between the Kidron, the Tyropean, and the Hinnom Valleys, and stopping at the slope of the Ophel Hill, a total area of eight acres, was the limit of Jebusite Jerusalem. The city had remained in the same location without being unoccupied for over 2,000 years when David took it. Only one thing made this possible---it was an adequate supply of water. The Gihon spring had taken care of that need for water. For 5,000 years it supplied the city with a never failing source of fresh drinking water. When this city was captured by Joab on behalf of David, Jesse’s son made it his capital. He then enlarged the city by two acres by erecting a royal palace, north

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of the limits of the Jebusite city. So whenever you think of Jerusalem in the time of David, think of a tiny ten acre city; and when you think of Solomon’s city, think of a fifteen acre city. Some fabulous archeological work has been done on this city, including that of Dame Kathleen Kenyon and David Shiloh. Recent work by Eilat Mazar has uncovered what may be the palace of David, at the far northern extreme of the ancient part of the City of David. Her excavations are above and north of the old City of David dig, which is now an archeological park.

The Gihon Spring As we have now seen, the most valuable resource ancient Jerusalem enjoyed was the Gihon. In the time of King David and long before, a city gate with two large defensive towers protected the path that led from the city gate to the spring. This gate, even though it was built in the time of Abraham, continued to be a part of the defensive system of Jerusalem until the city was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, at the end of the first temple period. The only remains of this gate is one section of the tower. To get to the spring itself, we will have to descent some slick, steep stairs into a trashy area that is not kept up very well, and often stinks of human excrement. One of the most tragic things in the Holy Land is the fact that the historical sites in Palestinian neighborhoods are so horribly abused. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read I Kings 1:38-40---Why did David choose Solomon to succeed him?

Hezekiah’s Tunnel Long after David took the city of Jerusalem, the armies of Assyria under the leadership of Sennacharib, invaded Judeah. One of the first things an invading army would do when besieging a city was attempt to cut off a city’s water supply. To prevent that from occurring, Hezekiah decided to hide the Gihon. His engineers went down to the Gihon and completely walled up the entrance to the spring from the valley side. Then he had his engineers chisel a tunnel through solid rock from the spring to the lower part of the City of David, near the Hinnom Valley. First, Hezekiah had his laborers dig a huge reservoir on the far

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south end of the City of David, lower than the water chamber of the Gihon. He called this reservoir the King’s Pool. One group of stone cutters started at the pool, the other side started in the water chamber of the Gihon. Eventually the two groups met, but how they managed to do so was nothing less than a miracle. These two teams of stone cutters dug through solid rock for 1,750 feet, making a tunnel six and a half feet high and approximately four feet wide. The amazing thing is this: the tunnel would wind like a snake until these two teams of stone cutters finally met in the middle. A straight line would have made this tunnel only 1,000 feet long, rather than being 1,750 feet long. As soon as the masons met, the water began to fill the King’s Pool located securely inside the protective cover of the city walls. Those of you who choose to walk through this tunnel with me must understand that this is not the safest or most comfortable thing we can do in Jerusalem. Cold spring water will get as high as mid-thigh, or higher. Palestinian boys have been known to hang out in the tunnel and rob people. I only hope that enough of you want to go with me to make this trek safe for me. If you do plan to explore the tunnel, put a change of clothes in your backpack, and bring along some old tennis shoes that you will not mind leaving in Jerusalem. They will not dry quickly enough to take them on the plane. BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL:

Read II Kings 20:20; II Chronicles 32:30---Keep these scriptures for reference when you get home and think about this adventure.

The Pool of Siloam When we emerge from the tunnel, we will enter a pool area that has been known for many years as the Pool of Siloam. Fortunately, recent archaeological discoveries have demonstrated that this pool was not the Pool of Siloam at all. It was part of an old Byzantine church structure. The real site of the Pool of Siloam has been found just southeast of this site. The true pool has three sets of stairs, and excavators have exposed an area of 225 feet on one side of the pool, and have reached both corners on that side. The corners are somewhat greater than 90°, indicating that the pool was not a square, but a trapezoid. We will attempt to visit this new dig.

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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL: Read John 9:6-11---Why did Jesus rub mud made from spittle on this man’s eyes? When we leave the pool, we will descend back to the bottom of the Kidron, making our way past the real tomb of King David. When we reach the Gihon, we will climb a steep stairway for several hundred feet until we reach an area called Warren’s Shaft.

Warren’s Shaft Warren’s Shaft is named after its discoverer, Sir Charles Warren. The shaft was dug to enable the city’s inhabitants, who were living inside the walls, to reach the spring situated outside the walls; and to do so without exposing themselves to enemy forces in a time of siege. Those wanting to draw water would enter into a large vaulted chamber and then step into the shaft itself. This chamber was constructed to enable easy access and easy exit from the shaft. The tunnel begins with a series of steps, but at the bottom its continuation toward the east is almost horizontal. When the shaft reaches a point directly

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above the water chamber of the spring Gihon, the stone cutters sank a vertical shaft to the water level. Buckets were then lowered from the shaft to the chamber to draw water. After Hezekiah’s Tunnel was built, this shaft appears to have fallen into disuse.

The City of David Archeological Park After we leave Warren’s Shaft, we will continue a walk of about one-hundred yards to the City of David Archaeological Park. Two structures and several walls are of great interest, historically. One is the remains of a house from the eighth century, known as “the house of Ahiel.” This is a house that was common throughout the land of Israel in the Biblical era: it is called, simply, the Israelite four room house.

You will see a huge sloping wall that is known as “the stone stepped structure.” This structure is believed to have supported either the Jebusite Citadel, or even

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David’s Palace. You will see expanses of wall from several Biblical periods, as well. As we leave this park, our tour is over, and you can go shop.

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Travel Diary

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TOUR GUIDEBOOK Day Ten Air Travel Day We will leave Jerusalem for Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport to fly home.

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