Israel, Our Inheritance: Judean wilderness

Judea wilderness, where Yeshua went for 40 days/nights

Roman road, good Samaritan, leads to Jericho

Herod's aqueduct that brings water from springs in Jericho to his palace

view from mountains toward Dead Sea and Jericho

Yesterday we went on a tour with a Palestinian Christian, of the West Bank, i.e.: palestinian controlled territory. This would include the Judean wilderness all the way to Jericho, the oldest city in the world. You may recall that YHVH put a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho, so the new city is north of the excavation site of Jericho BC. In fact, this site shows much older civilizations than Joshua's time.

These pictures are south of the Mt of Olives. Basically if you went to the top of the Mount and started down the other side, you would be in Bethany, then Jericho, then the Dead Sea. We saw Lazarus' tomb, although no one can say for sure it was his and of course, there is a Catholic church built on the site.

We saw Zacheus's sycamore tree......but not. We saw the north end of the Dead Sea many many meters away from the shore line since it is drying up. Can't wait to see what archeological finds are at the bottom.

Lastly, we went to Bethlehem, the shepherd's field (another Catholic church) as well as the birthplace of Yeshua (and the most gaudy of all churches). Most of this stuff is truly sad and certainly not what we would all like the stories we've read about to look like. I guess man cannot help himself but it sure would have been nice to leave things alone.