Monday 19 January 2015 Hopkins, Galillee, Caesarea Maritime, Tel Aviv

After the birthday party in Netanya we drove to Tiberias where we stayed with the Hopkins at the branch house.  Linda, Brett, Arden and Ruth are eating breakfast.

 

We then went out on the balcony for a view of the Sea of Galilee.  Arden Hopkins, Ruth, Brett, Linda, and Blaine
 

BYU has an account with the Yellow Gas stations in Israel.  There is a computer chip inside the gas tank opening that registers our purchase.  Then the bill is sent to the Jerusalem Center and we don't have to hassle with paying for the gas.  That is definitely something we will miss at home.

 

 

The Church of St. Peter's Primacy was built in 1933.  It is the traditional site where the resurrected Christ appeared to his disciples who were fishing in the Sea of Galilee and served them breakfast. 
 

Ruth and Brett on the shores of the Sea of Galilee
 

 

A view of Peter's Primacy from the lake shore.

 

Church of the Loaves and Fishes was built in 1982 and commemorates when Jesus fed the 5000 from a few loaves and fishes. There are two churches at Tabgha.  One commemorates the Savior's command for Peter to "feed my sheep"-  Peter's Primacy and the other commemorates the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes- Basilica of the Loaves and Fishes
 

Inside the Church of the Loaves and Fishes
 

One of the nuns was cleaning the chapel while we were there.
 

Yardenit was our next stop.  That is a site where John the Baptist could have baptized Jesus.
 

Linda, Brett and Ruth in front of Yardenit.
 

People come to this site to be baptized in the Jordan River.

They often baptize themselves as this man repeatedly immersed himself in the river.
 

Christian tour groups come here to be baptized or rebaptized.

 

Yardenit is a beautiful spot along the Jordan River.  It is near the Sea of Galilee so there is alot of water in the river at this point.  There is also a large gift shop and kibbutz there.  We stopped at the kibbutz store to buy dates and honey.
 

On the way home from Galilee we stopped at Caesarea Maritime. 



Brett, Ruth, and Linda on the Mediterranean Sea shore.

 

We rode the chariots of days gone by.  Oops, what did the sign say?

 

Explanation of the hippodrome.

 

Sisters are the best.



Another example of Herod's engineering is an aboveground aqueduct that brought water to the city from Mount Carmel about 13 miles away.  The aqueduct provided water for a population of as many as 100,000 people.

 

 

Outside of Tel Aviv are three high-rise commercial buildings- one round, one triangular, and one rectangular. The triangular is behind the rectangular.  Tel Aviv has many beautiful high-rise apartments and office buildings

Sunday 18 January 2015 Al Aqsa, Holy Sepulchre, Our Saviour Church, Elwanger B-Day party

 

We went to the Al Aqsa / Dome of the Rock (Muslim) or the Temple Mount (Jewish). Only a few Jewish people are allowed there.  When a Jewish group goes, they are escorted by Israeli Border Control.  The Palestinians chant Allah Akabar or God is Great as the Jewish people walk past. 

Groups of Muslim men and groups of women meet each morning outside the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque for study sessions.  They read from the Koran and talk about what it means.  Blaine has talked to some of the groups and they like to explain their side of the conflict.



This is the Koran they were reading from.



The outside of the book is a piece of art.



Ruth, Brett, Blaine, and Linda-  A security guard reminded us not to touch each other on the grounds.

The tile was done by craftsmen from Isnak, Turkey



A view from the east side of the Temple Mount 

Leaving the Temple Mount



Heading into the Old City from the Temple Mount



Then to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

 

Brett in front of Christ's tomb.

 

Ruth and Brett played the carillon bells at the YMCA

A picture of the YMCA in its early days with the King David Hotel across the street. The YMCA was finished in 1933.

That evening we went to a 60th birthday party for Russell Elwanger in Natanya.  His wife Margret invited us because of our humanitarian connection with her.  Russell is a successful CEO of a micro chip company.  It was a grand party with good food and a wonderful piano recital after.

 



Brett, Ruth, and Linda at the dinner

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Margret and Russell Elwanger

Saturday 17 January 2015 Barretts at Church of All Nations & Garden of Gethsemane

Ruth and Brett Barrett arrived Friday afternoon, January 16.  Friday evening we went to the Western Wall to usher in the Jewish Sabbath.  It is breaking the Sabbath to take pictures, thus no photos.  We walked through Mea She'arim, the ultra orthodox neighborhood in Jerusalem after the Western Wall.  Cars are not allowed to drive in this area on the Sabbath so we walked through the neighborhood to see how they observe their Sabbath.  A group of young boys  yelled "Sabbath" when a car drove by.  They're very conscientious in their Sabbath worship. 

 

The next day we attended church in the morning at the Jerusalem Center and then went to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations.  The rock at the front of the church is where Christ atoned for our sins.

 

Some of the olive trees are said to be 2,000 years old.

 

Blaine, Linda, Ruth, and Brett at the Garden of Gethsemane

 



We also went to the Orson Hyde Park with a church friend Veronica.

Thursday 15 January 2015 Yavne choir with Moshe and Rachel

  

Blaine and I drove to Yavne for a community choir program.  Our friend Moshe was one of the original choir members 30 years ago.  They had a pot luck dinner before the performance.  A daughter, daughter-in-law and two grandsons came to the concert.

 





There were twelve people in the choir, four men and eight women.

 



Moshe and the rest of the choir seemed very happy to sing together.

The choir director, on the right, is also the accompanist.

Wednesday 14 January 2015 People in the Old City

 

We see interesting people in the Old City, like these men playing Backgammon  on Via Delarosa.

  

Shoe cobbler on Bet Habad Street