Day 3 Mt. Sinai

Climbing up Mt. Sinai

My camel I rode part of the way

Mt. Sinai

Today at daybreak I embarked on a journey that is unforgettable. I had the opportunity to hike up Mt. Sinai. I chose to ride a camel part way, stopping at one of the stations to take in the scenery along the climb to the summit. At the summit of Mt. Sinai there is a small chapel to the Holy Trinity. This chapel was rebuilt in 1934 on the ruins of a 4th-5th century church. The interior of the chapel was decorated with styles that reflected the life of Moses. I got to enjoy a time of praise and unforgettable, breathtaking views of the Sinai wilderness. We read from the book of Genesis remembering that this is the place where Moses met the Lord in the burning bush and where he received the Ten Commandments.  "Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone" Exodus 34:4.

Day 2 Exploring the wilderness

Day two began with a scenic tour of the Pyramids of Giza and then I traveled east in the wilderness of Egypt to the Sinai Peninsula. The wilderness of Egypt was the land traveled by the Israelites when Moses led them to the Red Sea. This wilderness is located between the Land of Goshen and the Red Sea. "So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea..." Exodus 13:18.  Some archaeologist site the place of the crossing of the sea at Suez Canal. Today we got to walk up and down a beach of the canal. West of the Suez Canal is the city of Succoth. It is here where Moses and the children of Israel camped together as they fled Egypt. We then crossed the Suez Canal via a tunnel that passes underneath the canal. I end my day traveling on a bus through the wilderness over five hours to reach our next destination: Mt. Sinai.

Day 14- The Return Home

Today my journey across the Biblical lands comes to an end.  I started and Egypt and followed the path of that Moses and the Children of Israel took as they fled to the Promised Land. I traveled through the Egyptian wilderness and to Mt. Sinai, to Eilat and on the King's Highway. I visited Amman, Jericho and Jerusalem. I swam in the Mediterranean Sea and climbed Mt. Carmel. The last part of my trip I visited the northern parts of the kingdom including Dan and Lebanon.  I visited archaeological sites across the Judah and Israel. I am sitting in the Tel Aviv Airport, Ben Gurion, getting ready to depart from the Holy Lands and head back to Dallas, Texas. I have had so much fun traveling across such ancient and historic times and seeing firsthand the places I read about daily in the Bible.

Day 13- Lebanon

Today was my last full day and I traveled to the northernmost part of the border of Israel, Lebanon to the Cedars of Lebanon. When mentioned in the Bible, Lebanon is referred to many times as the land of trees. King Solomon sent 30,000 workers to Lebanon, 10,000 per month, to obtain the cedar for the Temple (1 Kings 5:13-14). Today the land is still full of cedar and other trees. At the end of the day I traveled back to Jerusalem, the City of David. I had time to do some shopping and visit some more sites around the city.

Day 12 Dan and Mt. Hermon

Snow Capped Mt. Hermon

Yesterday I was in Hazor and today I traveled north to the City of Dan. Dan is located at the base of Mt. Hermon and is known for being the headwaters of the Jordan River.  Here is Dan I explored the gates of Dan that fortified the city. Later in the day I went to Mt. Hermon and hiked part of the mountain. Mt Hermon is the tallest mountain in the Israel borders and provides water from its snow capped tops. Many ancient temples have been found on the mountain.  Mt. Hermon served as the northern border for the Israelites Promised Land.

Day 11 Hazor

Six-chambered gate in Hazor

Just north of the Sea of Galilee is Hazor, the city that I visited today.  Hazor is the largest archaeological site in Israel. I accompanied a group of archaeologist today as they toured archaeological sites of the city.  These sites included stables and storehouses, homes and gates dating back to the time of Joshua. I visited the site where archaeologists have uncovered a six-chambered gate at Hazor, which is nearly identical in size and design to gates at Megiddo and Gezer.  Hazor is first mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 11.  One of the biggest victories for the Israelites was the taking over of Hazor; Joshua burned the city.

Day 1 Arriving in Egypt

Today I flew over land and oceans to reach this destination to start my journey.  My journey will begin with a tour of the route to the Promised Land, recounting the significant places along the way of the Exodus. I am in the land of Goshen the home to the Hebrews for hundreds of years before they fled. The Land of Goshen, also known as the Land of Ramesses contained the city of Ramesses which was a capital for pharaohs.