Jericho

The Oldest City in the World

Jericho may be known as the oldest city in the world (Damascus also claims this distinction), but it is also known as the city where the walls came a' tumblin' down. Read Joshua chapter 2 and chapter 6 for the original story of how this happened.

Well, by the time we got there, there really wasn't that much to see. Maybe because the walls fell down over four thousand years ago has something to do with that. Actually, Jericho is a small but fairly modern city today, which happens to contain the ruins of the ancient city of Jericho written about in Joshua. It's more or less on the way from the Dead Sea to Jerusalem, and it's worth going there, just to see the place.

Jericho falls under the jurisdiction of the Palenstinian Authority today (or at least it did in May 2008), and as such, our Jewish guide Mickey could not accompany us. He got off the bus at a roadside stop, and we crossed through a border checkpoint where a Palestinian soldier boarded our bus holding a submachine gun and checked us all over to make sure we weren't going to cause any trouble.

After a short drive into the center of Jericho, which is actually a fairly nice-looking small city, we came to the archaeological site and got off the bus. A brief walk up the hill brought us to the ruins, but there really isn't that much to see. Nonetheless, the sense of history and the connection to the land where the biblical story took place is profound.



After shopping in a nearby Palestinian-style mall, we boarded the bus for Jerusalem, went back through the border checkpoint, and picked up Mickey.

Soon we would be in Jerusalem, the holy city of three major world religions.

Qumron

Hopefully, when you think of Qumron, you think of the Dead Sea Scrolls. That would be correct, as there is a fairly clear account of when and how they were discovered, and exactly where, and by whom.

Again, I've returned to Wikipedia as a source of information on Qumron (alternately spelled Qumran), as well as information on the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The one piece of information that stands out in my mind about Qumron is the fact that the scrolls found there confirm and verify the authenticity of the Old Testament portion of the Bible. Prior to their discovery, the oldest known texts were dated from about 900 A.D. The scrolls from Qumron have been dated to the second century B.C., over a thousand years earlier. Almost the entire Old Testament, with the exception of the Book of Esther, have been found there, at least in part, but many texts in whole. Many of the scrolls are now being kept in Jerusalem in the Israel Museum, which we visited a few days later.

Near the Entrance to Qumron


The Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

Art Auction

I'm honored to be able to donate a large print of one of my photographs to a worthy cause. Over at Shepherding the Nations, they're having a silent art auction as a fundraiser to support indigenous pastors in India. One of my photos of the Dead Sea is featured, and I hope it brings a good price to support the work being done over there.

Update: This and two other framed prints sold for a good price, bringing money for God's work in India. See their website for more information.

Engedi

From Masada, we traveled a short distance to Engedi, which is written about in the Bible in several places, not the least of which is in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 24. In it, the story is told of how David was hiding from Saul and taking refuge at Engedi. When Saul found out, he pursued him there, and was "relieving himself" in a cave, not knowing that David and his men were hiding in the same cave. You can read the rest of the story yourself, but one of the main points is that David did the right and honorable thing, for which he was proven later before Saul.

There are numerous caves at Engedi, as well as a stream and several pools fed by a spring. It's easy to see it as a place of refuge - it's quite beautiful and refreshing. A few of us hiked up to the "Waterfall of David," named for obvious reasons after King David. On the way we stopped at a pool with a small waterfall and took a quick dip in the water, which kept us cool for the rest of the hike. When we got to the top, Patrick, Mark, Harold, Andrew, Shirley, myself and I don't remember who else of our party took some time to read one of David's Psalms that may well have been written in the very spot. It sends chills up my spine just thinking about it.

We in America have such a short history. 230+ years since the country became independent is but a fraction of the time spanned by the history of Israel. More than 5,000 years of history are recorded in this place, and all I can say is, "you gotta go." It's incredibly inspiring.

Masada

After breakfast in our hotel on the Dead Sea (this was May 21, 2008), we packed up and headed up the road to Masada. Now, Masada is not covered in the bible, as its historical significance came into view after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., which is after most of the bible was written. But it is very significant in the unfolding of history, especially to the nation of Israel. The events which took place there made a permanent mark on the Jewish psyche that lasts to this day.

Wikipedia, once again, is a source of some good information on Masada and the events which took place there. There are many other resources on the web, which I will leave the reader to discover independently.

In recent years, the Israel National Parks Authority has built a modern cable car system that takes tourists up and down the mountain. Previously, the only way up was a long, arduous hike in the hot sun. I was thankful for the cable car, as we were looking at a very full day before us, Masada being only the first stop among several.



The sense one gets atop Masada can only be described as solemn. The site itself speaks of the mass suicide of the Jewish rebels, the Roman seige evidenced by the huge ramp on the western side, and the Roman encampments visible on the ground around the base of the mountain. As always, though, Mickey did full justice to telling the story and showing us the areas of the city on top of the mountain where these events happened in the first century. Jewish or not, you have to appreciate the hardiness of the Jewish spirit when you see Masada.

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is truly one of the more amazing locations on the earth. I had heard about it from others who had been there, but one has to truly experience it to appreciate it. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest elevation you can go to on the earth and not be under water. And, it's salty. Really salty. The ocean contains 3% salt; the Dead Sea contains 30% salt. It's so salty, that it feels oily or slimy, because of the mineral content. It's so salty, that nothing can live in it.

We had been given some pointers by Mickey: don't get your face or ears in the water; if you have any cuts or abrasions on your skin they will hurt; and you will float like a cork.

Mari and I took our time walking down to the sea after arriving at our hotel room. By the time we got down there, most of the others in our group were already in the water. So I waded into the water, wearing my sandals, and was told that when I get to about waist-deep, just lean backwards. So I did, and to my amazement and surprise, my feet bobbed to the surface like they were filled with air. I couldn't stop laughing. I swam out to where it was a bit deeper, and tried to get my feet beneath me. I could hardly do it. They wanted to float. I had to struggle to get my feet down underneath me, but once I did, treading water was effortless.

On the way there, the landscape looks desolate.


And there is a very large factory that processes the salts from the Dead Sea into various chemicals.



More information about the Dead Sea can be found in this Wikipedia article, and in other places on the web.

Timna Copper Mines

Another stop within a relatively short distance, on the same day as Solomon's Pillars, the Egyptian Miners' Temple and the Tabernacle. Later it's on to the Dead Sea.

One thing that impressed me about this place is that there is absolutely nothing growing here at all. Not a stick, a leaf or a twig anywhere. It's difficult to imagine, in 5,000 B.C., how the slaves who worked these mines could survive. In fact, it's very likely they knew they would die here, as apparently most of them did.

Here's a link to an article about the area.

The Tabernacle

Inside the Ark of the Covenant

Very near Solomon's Pillars in Timna, there is a full-scale replica of the ancient Hebrew Tabernacle. It's lovingly kept by a group dedicated to preserving the history and the traditions of the bible, specifically the Torah.

Wikipedia has an excellent article here about the Tabernacle, better than I could write myself. The book of Exodus is the place to read about God's design for the Tabernacle, or "Tent of Meeting," There's another site that shows how the symbolism of all the parts of the tabernacle point to the future coming of the Messiah, Jesus.

Timna

After our stay down at the Red Sea, we went back north. First stop, Timna. There we viewed a small theater presentation on the Egyptian miners and the Jews who lived there in ancient times.

Back on the bus, went into the park area a few miles to the site of Solomon's Pillars. There we disembarked for a hike up to the top of the trail where there is an Egyptian hieroglyph and down the other side where there's an archaeological site of an Egyptian miners' temple.

I found a couple of resources on the web about the area:

http://sakharov.net/travel/timna.html
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/timna.html

Eilat on the Red Sea

We spent two nights in Eilat, a resort town on the coast of the Red Sea. This link to the Google map shows just how close to Jordan and Egypt Eilat is. The red "A" is the center of town in Eilat. That white line on the right running north/south is the Jordanian border. The white line curving around on the left is the Egyptian border.


"I think we should make a right"

The first night we checked into our hotel right before dinner after a full day of visiting the previous sites and driving south. The next morning we rose early and took our bus over to the border crossing to Jordan, where we left our beloved guide Mickey behind to make the day trip to Petra (click here for the blog entry for Petra). Mickey, being an Israeli Jew, was not allowed to go into Jordan; he met us back at the border crossing on our return. At the border, we got off our bus, walked across the border, met our Jordanian guide on the other side, and got on a Jordanian bus for the day. After coming back from Petra, we did the same in reverse. That was one long day.

The next morning the members in our group went in different directions. Some went to the underwater "Oceanarium," with a view of the Red Sea life under the surface of the water. Some went scuba diving, some went snorkeling. I was with the snorkeling group, along with Mari and Mark Collins. That was way cool, but unfortunately I didn't get any underwater pictures. My camera would have gotten wet, and that's not a good thing.

One thing I didn't realize at the time, but found out by looking at the Google Map, was that the place where we went snorkeling was no more than a mile or two from the Egyptian border. See that little round thing sticking out into the water and the cluster of buildings adjacent to it in the satellite photo? That's where we were. I don't know, that just kind of seemed fascinating to me, with all the news reports of the tensions in the Middle East. I guess that explains the tanks.

Makhtesh Ramon

On our way down towards Eilat, a resort city on the northern tip of the Red Sea, we stopped at Makhtesh Ramon. An important geological feature in the Negev Desert region of Israel, it's the world's largest erosion crater, better explained than I can do at Wikipedia's article here. Walking up to the lip of this crater is a breathtaking view. It's a vast space, in fact it is so big that geologists didn't even know it was a crater until the time of airplanes when they could fly over it. Of course they say it took millions and millions of years to form, but how can they possibly know that? They haven't been around that long.

The Nabatean City of Avdat

Click here for Wikipedia's entry on Avdat

This was still only the second day in Israel. We've already been to Beer Sheva, Tel Arad, Mamshit, the Wilderness at Tzin, and now Avdat. Plus spent the night at a really nice hotel in Mizpe Ramon and had two gorgeous meals. You get an idea of the pace of this trip. And to try to absorb all the information being shared by Mickey and by Pastor Paul, I have to trust God that He will give me the power to remember what He wants me to remember.

Anyway, Avdat was fascinating, with its commanding position at the top of a hill, a view of the valley below, and its ancient architecture. It had been built by the Nabateans, and later occupied by the Romans. During the Byzantine period a church was built here, the ruins of which are apparent. It was a fairly large city by the standards of the time, and affluent. The Nabateans prospered from the spice trade such that they were well off.

Left Behind

Ever wonder what it feels like to be left behind in a foreign country? In the middle of the desert? With no water or food? Here's where I got a taste of that experience.

This being only the second day in Israel, I hadn't gotten a feel yet for the pace of the group. Mickey, our guide, had warned us pretty clearly to stay with the group, so I really have no one to blame but myself. I got too involved in taking pictures - fascinated with the columns, the broken-down pillars, the arches and the whole interestingness of the place, when I started to notice that I didn't see any of my friends around anymore. I started back towards the bus, and... the bus wasn't there. "OK, don't panic, there has to be an explanation for this..." I told myself. But I saw nobody around at all except for a few strangers. I looked down at the bottom of the hill, where there was a gas station and a place to eat, plus a little museum/visitor center. "Now what does our bus look like?" There were several buses, some of which were leaving. "That couldn't be my bus, could it?"

The only logical thing to do was to walk down the hill. I don't know, maybe a mile, maybe less, paved road, shouldn't be a problem, right?. All the while I'm walking I'm wondering "did they drive off and forget me?" "Nah, that couldn't happen. They're just teaching me a lesson, that's it."

Anyway, I walked down the hill, and thoughts are going through my mind, like "I wonder what it would be like to be stranded here, in Israel? Could I get back home?" I made it towards the bottom of the hill and started to recognize our bus. I found our group gathered in an outdoor patio having lunch, and walked in and sat down. "Hi. Glad I found you." Turns out, a few of the people had to go to the bathroom really bad, and couldn't wait. Mari said she figured I could handle it, so they took off, figuring I'd do exactly what I did do. A happy ending.

Shoot Like a Tourist

One thing I resolved to do from this little lesson: shoot like a tourist. Don't get overly involved in being a creative artist when you're on a tightly-packed tour with twenty other people and a schedule to keep. That's just dumb. And probably selfish too. After that, it never happened again. Which explains why I got so many "just OK" pictures. But I had a great time getting them.

A Photo Exhibition

20 of my photos from Israel, Egypt and Jordan will be on display in a public space beginning July 7, and running through July 18. If you live in the Los Angeles area and have the slightest inclination to drop by, they're at The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 700 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Lest you think I'm something special (or worse yet, I think I'm something special), this is a group show by some of the members of the employee photography club where I work. There are other very fine photographers represented in the show as well, so come on down, enjoy some lunch in the very fine cafeteria, and take in some cultsha.

You can view the photos that will be on display here.

The Wilderness of Zin and the Waters of Meribah

Wikipedia's Entry on the Wilderness of Zin

This was May 18 in the morning when we went to the Wilderness of Zin, after spending the night in a very nice hotel in Mizpe Ramon. Mickey told us the proper spelling should be "Tzin," but because the "tz" sound in Hebrew is hard for non-Hebrew-speaking people, it has been translated "Zin."

Having read the bible several times, and specifically Numbers chapter 20, coming here gave me the strongest feeling of awe and amazement I think I've ever had about a place up to this time. This is the place where Moses got frustrated with the people who were complaining about there being no water, and instead of being directly obedient to God, in frustration and anger he struck the rock twice. Read it for yourself to get the whole story.

I have a theory. I haven't talked about this to anyone. Maybe I should email Mickey and ask him about it. My theory goes like this:

The events in Numbers 20 happened around 4,000 years ago, right? And at that time, there was no water here, according to the story, otherwise the people would not have been complaining about there being no water. My theory is that this place didn't look like this back then. It's true, it's in the bottom of a canyon, but I think the canyon was not there, or at least not that deep at that time. So Moses and the people would have been on somewhat of a flat area where they could all congregate around him. When God told Moses to speak to the rock, and when Moses instead struck it, God was merciful to allow water to come out of the rock anyway, even though He pronounced judgment on Moses. There would have to have been a lot of water to supply as many as two million people. And the water is still there coming out of the rock today.


Here's my point: the soil erosion of the water in that canyon over 4,000 years would be enough to cause the canyon to look like it is today. It's entirely plausible to me that the canyon we hiked up was not a canyon at the time of Moses, but has become a canyon because of the erosion of all that water over all that time.

Mickey??

Mickey Answers Back

Mickey sent me an email stating his position, which is that he is not an expert on the geology of the place, and that the most important thing is the theology. He recommended a couple of books that might explain the geology of the place, and I went ahead and did a web search and came up with some information that basically shut my mouth. I have come to realize that I'm just idly speculating, and that if I want to really find out, I should do the legwork. Short of that, I wrote this reply (edited for clarity):

Mickey,

Thanks for your reply. I do appreciate the shift from "geology to theology," since that should be, and hopefully is, my focus in all things concerning Israel. God has made it abundantly clear in His word that that land is the land He has chosen for His people, all for His glory. Sitting on the rock next to the water, listening to and reading the passage in Numbers 20, I just couldn't help but wonder, "where exactly was it that Moses struck the rock?" And, "where would the people have been congregating, all 2 million of them?" It was a nice shady place to sit, where we could all fit comfortably next to the waterfall and absorb the importance of of the place in the context of the biblical text. That gave rise to a profound sense of awe and wonder that this was a place where God worked a wonder before the people of Israel.

Then when we walked above that part of the canyon, seeing the water above where we had sat, one thought led to another, and my theory developed.

I guess I just have a tendency, like those people in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre who were kissing the stone where supposedly Jesus had been laid, to worship place rather than the God who is present in the place - and more importantly, in my heart. I am willing to qualify my wonderings as just pure speculation, especially after finding an article on the web and realizing I'm going into territory that is over my head.

Why the Delay?

Above is the view looking northeast from Mt. Carmel

I've been so busy this past week, with meetings at church, Peter's baseball games, working, and most of all preparing a huge dance studio portrait job for delivery, that I have not had the time to post any entries in this blog.

So please be patient. Israel was the trip of a lifetime and I have every intention of documenting it to the best of my ability.

- Larry

Memphis

Not the memphis in Tennessee, nor the one in Egypt. Israel has its own Memphis, also knows as Mamshit.

This was a departure from our itinerary - a very interesting spot where a Nabatean city stood. Wikipedia has an entry about it here.

The Nabateans were an Arab culture who specialized in the spice trade, bringing expensive spices and perfumes by camel caravan from China and the Far East to the Mediterranean port at Gaza, where it could then be shipped to Europe. They were nomadic, but after some time established cities, Mamshit being one of them.

Mamshit was later occupied by the Romans. Byzantine architecture is apparent here, as are two distinct churches.

As I remember it, we came here after Tel Arad, and before arriving at our hotel in Mizpe Ramon. By the way, the food at the hotel in Mizpe Ramon was among the best of our entire trip, in my humble opinion.

Petra

Rather than try to describe Petra in my own words, which would be entirely inadequate, I'll include a link to a Wikipedia article that describes it better than I could by far.

It really defies description anyway. You just have to go there to get the full impact.

Another thing to read is the book of Obadiah in the Bible, which addresses the futility of trusting in man's devices for protection instead of trusting in an all-powerful God as your fortress. If you are familiar with the Bible, specifically the two divergent lines of heritage left by Isaac's two sons Jacob and Esau, keep in mind that Edom is the land of Esau.

I'll leave it at that. The pictures linked to the one above have no captions, for two reasons. One, the articles linked will give you an overview, and two, I am too tired and it's past my bedtime.

Oh, and I just realized I missed some sites we went to the day before!! Dang! I'll have to post those next time, out of order.

Tel Arad

After Beer Sheva, we went to Tel Arad. We had a nice box lunch in a shaded area near the parking lot, then walked up the hill to the ancient fortress of Arad. Mickey gave us a shpiel about the history and archaeology of the site, which figures in portions of the book of Numbers (21:1-3, and 33:40). It is also mentioned in Judges 1:16-17, and Ezekiel 35:1-10, and indirectly in Obadiah 19.

It was fascinating to walk around a site where, as Mickey explained, Moses sent the spies to go "spy out the land" in Exodus. When they returned, of the 12 spies, only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report, and as a result of the bad report of the other 10, and the Israelite's subsequent refusal to go into the land, they were condemned to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and for that entire generation to perish in the desert before the people would be allowed into the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb, of course, were the only two of that generation to enter the land.

Click on the picture to see other photos of Arad.

Beer Sheva

After my hopes of Plan A (posting to this blog every day during the trip with that day's pictures) not panning out, I'm now going to go to Plan B, which is doing the same, but only after the fact. I'll attempt to upload a set of photos from each place we visited, with some sort of description and links to photos from that site. No promises on how fast or how regularly I'm going to be able to do this, but that's my plan.

After about 24 hours of traveling from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv via Paris, arriving at our hotel in Beer Sheva around 3 AM, we got up the next morning around 10, had breakfast, and loaded our stuff onto the bus to go to Beer Sheva.

Beer Sheva is an ancient site that figures all the way back to the book of Genesis, and throughout the bible it is referred to as the southern boundary of the nation of Israel. Of course today's Israel extends quite a bit further south, but the ancient Israel of the Bible is often referred to as "the land from Dan to Beer Sheva." (Dan is in the far north.)

Click on the picture to go to the photoset on flickr, where each photo (well most of them) is accompanied by a description that I hope you will find useful.

Ready for Re-Entry

Well, this trip is officially over. I have mixed feelings about it, because it was such a wonderful time of travel, learning about how God has worked in the Middle East throughout recorded history, and how every single archaeological find that pertains to anything regarding biblical history confirms the text of the bible.

But it's great to be back home, to see and hug the kids, to sleep in my own bed and take a shower in my own shower. I'm ready for re-entry back to the world of work, business and managing the details of life. I think I just got closer with all the people on the tour with us, but especially with Mari. This has truly been the trip of a lifetime.

Oh, by the way, on our last full day in Cairo, we had lunch at a restaurant right across the street from the great pyramids. I sat down on the wrong side of the table and didn't realize they were there until I turned around and saw this:

The Orient Express???

For those of you who have read this at the Bridge Bible Fellowship blog, my apologies - this is a repeat. Just skip directly to the pictures.

I’m writing this sitting on a train ride along the Nile river. All I can say is, “Whoa!” This train ride has to rate among the top 5 all-time unique experiences of my life.

After waiting at the Giza station for over an hour, watching all the local people get on and off their trains, ours finally arrived.

Our group all had our own car, which is a sleeper car. Two per compartment, which is great. The train is old, like say 1950’s-ish, maybe 60’s-ish. The bathrooms are, let’s say, “interesting.” After an airline-style dinner of two kinds of “meat,” our compartments were converted by our attendant into two-bunk sleepers. Not bad, I’d say, if you like sleeping sideways on a train moving forward and rocking side-to-side.

The train went all night. We left Giza around 8:30 pm Thursday, and arrived at Luxor around 6:30 am Friday. After a wake-up knock on our compartment door, and a breakfast that consisted of 4 different kinds of bread and some cheese and some coffee, we disembarked at Luxor.

Later on that Same Day

This has been another very full day. We visited the Valley of the Kings, where the tombs of some of the major Pharaohs of the Egyptian Empire have been excavated, including King Tutankhamen (King Tut), and Rameses II, who it is believed is the Pharaoh of the Book of Exodus in the bible. After a couple of other stops, then to our hotel to freshen up, we went to the Temple of Luxor, which I have to say, is truly amazing on a human and architectural scale. The glory doesn’t go to God, though - it was built by the Pharaohs of the time to honor themselves.

Back to our hotel, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner on the hotel patio overlooking the Nile.

Tomorrow, we go to the temple of Karnak, then back to Cairo where we’ll visit the great pyramids and the sphinx, spend the night in our hotel there, then begin our travels back home.

This has been one of the longest trips I've ever taken, and it has almost come to a close. I'm not sure I'll remember how to function once I get back home, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. For those whom I've been missing (you'll know who you are), I'll be seeing you again soon, God willing.

Love,

Larry

On to Egypt!

Harold striking a regal pose on our boat going across the Sea of Galilee

After a fond farewell to our trusted and beloved guide Mickey yesterday afternoon, and getting dunked in the Jordan River by Pastor Paul (my second baptism, just so I can say "I got baptized in the Jordan"), and one last night at our beautiful room on the Sea of Galilee, it's off to Cairo.

It's a short flight to Cairo, where we'll visit a museum and the old Coptic city, we'll be taking a train to Luxor. I'm typing this from Ben Gurion Airport waiting for our flight, enjoying a Latte with Mari and the rest of our group. I hope to post more pictures later today if I can find the time.

It's a little sad to be leaving Israel, especially our last place where we stayed in Galilee.

Here's a photo of the Dead Sea, where we were a few days ago. You gotta go there and experience what it's like to float on the water there. I couldn't stop laughing!




And another shot of Mari and me standing on the shore

Finally, I got a few photos posted

I know this is not a momentous occasion for anyone else, but it is for me. This is the 11th day of being in Israel, and the first I've been able to post any photos.

You can see my photostream here.

We are now at the Sea of Galilee, and I'm almost caught up with editing my photos on the computer. I've been organizing them in folders according to each place we've been, so at least I'll remember which place each photo was taken at.

I thought this was going to be a "vacation." I was so wrong. This is a "study tour," which is much different. "Vacation" implies rest. That is not what is happening on this trip. We have left our hotel early every morning, had a full agenda every day, with lots of walking, and returned nearly exhausted every night. Then we get up the next day and do it again.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way. If I went at the pace of my own choosing, I would not have learned a fraction of what I now know about so many things. Our tour guide, Mickey, is a fount of information... historical perspective, biblical perspective, political perspective, archaeological perspective... in fact, he has a perspective on anything we can ask.


This is Mickey, doing his thing - explaining in detail about Be'er Sheva, a site where Abraham made a pact with Abimelech thousands of years ago.

The days have been so full, and the internet connections so spotty, that I couldn't find any time to post pictures or even text on most days. In fact, I'm getting really tired right now, as it's 12:22 am.

Mari and I are in a resort on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. If our hotel room were any closer to the sea, we'd be in a houseboat. It's literally a few steps away from our front door.

Signing off for now, going to go get some sleep.

Houston, We Have a Problem

That's the message I keep getting when trying to upload my photos. Every hotel I've been at so far (I've lost count, but I think it's been 4 hotels in 5 days or something like that), the internet connection keeps timing out. So by the time I get 5 percent through a photo upload, the connection times out, and the photo doesn't make it. This is SO FRUSTRATING.

So I'm going to have to resort to text only. Too bad, because I'm not so good at writing, and I was so hoping to be uploading photos as the main chronicle of this trip. The places we've been and the things we've done have been absolutely incredible, and my means of communication is by photos. I was only going to write simple explanations of the places we've been as an adjunct to the images.

That said, and the fact that I'm limited to text, here goes.

Have you seen the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?" That's the one where Sean Connery plays father to Harrison Ford, and they're trying to find the Holy Grail. Remember when they get the grail and they run out of that place and it's this huge temple-looking thing that's carved into a mountain? We were there.

Know the place in the Bible, in 1 Samuel 23 where David is being pursued by Saul and he's in a cave and cuts off a corner of Saul's robe as he was tempted to kill him but he doesn't? We were there just today.

Know the place in Exodus where God tells Moses to speak to the rock so that water would come out, but instead Moses strikes the rock twice with his staff? Water comes out anyway, but God tells Moses that because of his disobedience he will die without entering the Promised Land? We were there.

We've floated in the Dead Sea (you gotta try that). We went to Masada, where the Jews held one last stand against the Romans in 73 AD. We went snorkeling in the Red Sea. We went to Be'er Sheva, where Abraham made a pact with Abimilech. We went to Mamshit (Memphis), a major Nabatean station on the ancient spice route.

Now we are in Jerusalem for five days, at an outstanding hotel (except for their internet service). Tomorrow we're going to Bethlehem, to an underground tunnel system being dug by archaeologists, and a couple other places of major significance like the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.

I have to end now, but I'll keep trying to post photos if I can.

- Larry

God's Country

Today we have visited some sites from Old Testament History: Be'er Sheva, Tel Arat, and Mamshit. More to come.

Greetings from Paris

I'd post a picture at the top of this message, but the computers in Charles DeGaulle Airport don't seem to want to let me do that.

It was a very long nonstop flight from LAX to Paris, but we're all here. One bit of bad news, though - one of the members of our team broke her ankle just prior to the trip. Cheryl apparently will have to undergo surgery to repair it, and as a result she was not able to make the trip. Her mom, Rosella, is staying with her. So we're down two. Pray for rapid healing for Cheryl and maybe she can even join us midway through the tour.

Now I can officially say I've been to Paris, but not really. Being in the airport is not really being in the city. Too bad we didn't schedule a couple extra days here.

View the church's blog at http://blog.bridgebiblefellowship.org/

Next leg: Paris to Tel Aviv. I have a few technical details to work out before I can post more photos, but hopefully I won't be stopped by them.

Almost Ready

OK, I finished up everything at work as best I could so it would be easy for my co-workers to fill in the gaps in my absence, I went to Peter's AWANA year-end ceremony, hung out with some friends at the church, came home, finished up the karate booklet, had a family meeting and prayer time, and am starting to assemble the stuff I'm going to pack. Dentist appointment in the morning, have to go to two banks, Rachael and Peter have to be dropped off, and hopefully I'll find a little time to pack my suitcase and get my camera gear together. Oh, and maybe I'll even get a little sleep.

My packing priorities are maybe a little different than some people's.

Priority Number One: camera gear. I want to bring just enough so I can be creative with taking pictures without being bogged down with too much weight and bulk. I have a great camera backpack for most of the stuff, plus a tripod bag for a tripod, light stand and umbrella.

I got this lightweight carbon fiber tripod especially for this trip. Sure is lighter and more compact than my other one.

Priority number two: Bible, and maybe another book to read along the way, if my luggage weight limit allows for it. [Oh, I just had a guilt pang.] Bible should be priority number one. Caught myself, there. I wasn't considering NOT bringing a bible - that's been on my mind since beginning to plan this trip. After all, we're going to places where many of the events written about in the bible took place - how could I not bring a bible? In fact, I ordered a lightweight bible especially for the trip - I hope it shows up on time, otherwise I might have to bring a heavy one. Plus there's a bible in my Palm Pilot. So I'm covered there.

Priority numbers three and four: clothes and toiletries, and after that, a few odds and ends.

Gotta go to bed - sleep is calling me. 'Bye.

The Suspense is Killing Me

We leave in two days, and I haven't even begun to pack. The pace is too hectic for that, so I'm trusting that I'll be able to pack on Thursday (the day we leave), after a morning dentist appointment and before we need to be in the taxicab at 1:00. Oh, and bringing the kids to their respective homes where they'll stay for the first day or two.

On top of everything else, tonight Mari told me our washing machine is broken and cannot be used, so if we want to wash any clothes, it's to the laundromat. I'll try to do without, since things are so tight I don't think I could squeeze one more thing in. I'll pack dirty clothes if I have to and wash them in Israel when we get there.

A Difficult Day

I think I was attacked today. I'm not sure, though. I might have attacked myself.

See, I've been looking forward to this Israel trip, more and more as the time gets closer. Today, though, was a bad day. Today I've been overwhelmed with excessive amounts of work that I was not looking for.

Rather it was forced upon me under penalty of sending a friend to jail.

How is that, you may ask. Well, his [ex-]friend is suing him because of some business partnership dispute, and my friend is being forced by the judge to cough up a whole bunch of graphic design files that I've created for him over the years or else be held in comtempt of court, and it's all of a sudden a big emergency. As if I wasn't already busy enough.

Long story short, I kind of freaked (sorry, Barry). I started panicking, looking at all that I have to do, and thinking “this is impossible. This guy who's suing my friend is going to come after me with some legal action and I'll have to miss my trip because of a subpoena or some legal thing and I'll be really unhappy, and, well, I think I'll get really unhappy right now.”

Make sense? Neither does it to me.

If I was attacked, it was the spiritual enemy who is always waiting for an opportunity to trip me up. If I wasn't, then it was my own mind doing it to myself. Either way, it's been a bad day. I hope tomorrow gets better. I think I need to pray. Hard.

Plans for the Future

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'" James 4:13-15

I have to remember that. If I think I have the power to carry out my plans, and yet God has another plan for me that I'm ignoring, it will not go well with me. I'll be fighting against Him - how can He bless me? That's why I keep checking with Him - "is my plan Your plan?"

That said, it came to me some time ago, after the encouragement of many friends, that I should develop a photography business. So I clumsily started down that path, spending way too much money on photography gear (see the post on Photography Gear as evidence) - money I didn't have but was "hoping" I would make back in a jiffy. It hasn't exactly worked out that way. I've made some money at it, but am in debt more than I should be. I have a lot to learn about aligning my will with God's purpose for me.

In the meantime, it's been very interesting. I have learned more about photography in the past three years than probably the sum total of what I knew before. And one thing I've learned is that if I go at the pace I think I should go, I'll probably kill myself with exhaustion in the process. So I've had to slow down and keep my ear inclined to God's subtle whispers. I'm working a full time job here, you know? I can't stay up until all hours feeding my creative urges and expect to get up for work the next morning and be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I am not Superman. The body rebels: "Hey, what do you think you're doing here?"

So I've learned to see things from a different perspective. Go at a little more reasonable pace - this will take time. And along the way I get encouraging signs. A photo job here, another one there. Somebody gives me an encouraging word. Somebody else asks for my business card - and practice, practice, practice.

The Strobist has done more to improve my photography than probably any other single educational resource I've engaged in in my 30 years of shooting. And one of the things David Hobby does on the site is to point the way to resources such as other photographers' sites, books, and the like. Thank you, David Hobby. I hope to return the favor some day, in a way that will bless you beyond measure.

Photography Gear

A little self-indulgence here:
Here's the gear I currently own:

• Nikon D200 body, with
• MB-D200 Battery Grip
  
• Nikon D70s body
• Nikon SB800 Speedlights (2)
• Nikkor 50mm f/1.8
• Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 micro
  
• Nikkor 18-70 f/3.5-5.6
• Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR
• Nikkor 70-300 f/4-5.6
• Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR
• Nikon MC-30 cable release
• Nikon SC-29 TTL strobe cable
• Nikon SC-17 TTL strobe cable (not shown)
• Nikon AS-19 strobe brackets (2)
• Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 carbon fiber tripod
• Manfrotto 3021BN tripod (not shown)
• Manfrotto 486RC2 ball head (not shown)
• Manfrotto Super Clamp
• Manfrotto No. 175 clamps (2)
• Manfrotto swivel adapters (2)
• Kalt mini ball head
• Hoodman Hoodloupe
• Lexar, SanDisk memory cards
  

Studio lights:

• JTL 160 strobes (3)
• Autoslave background light
  

Plus:

• Studio background stand, 12 ft. by JTL
  
• Muslin backdrop
• Seamless Paper
• Light Stands by LumoPro and JTL
  
• Umbrellas by Westcott and JTL
  
• Reflectors by Photoflex
  
• Grid spots (DIY - See the Strobist)
  
• Snoots
• Barn Door
• Rosco Gels
• Gary Fong Lightspheres (2)
• Lumiquest 5-in-1
  

Trip to Israel

I said I was going to Israel. It's a trip with a group from church, about 25 people. My wife convinced me to go several months ago when the opportunity first came up, because this year has a couple of significant events already happening: she's turning 50, and we'll celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We happened to have the money, so she had very little convincing to do, especially since I love to travel. This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'd be a fool not to take it.

But the significance of this trip is beginning to sink in as the time gets closer. Partly because I'm a student of the Bible, and Israel is where most of the Bible was written and where most of the history of the Bible took place. It's the Holy Land. It's where Jesus walked. It's where He was born (Bethlehem), where He lived and did His ministry, and where He was crucified and rose again (Jerusalem, the Holy City). We will walk where He walked, and go to many of the sites where history was made.

Welcome!

Seeing as how this is my first post in my first blog, I thought I'd set the tone for things to come. The first reason I created this thing was to chronicle the preparations for and my actual trip to Israel beginning on May 15, and going through June 2. But that's not the only reason.

"More will be revealed," as I will probably run this as a stream-of-consciousness style of writing.

Because, you see, I have no plan.

Some topics I will most likely cover, in no particular order:

• Photography
• People
• The existence of God, and why you should care
  
• Travel

So stay tuned, stay awake, and I'll try to keep this interesting. (Actually I'll be interested to see if anybody even reads this thing).