Israel Day 8

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Prayer started our day lead by Pastor Drew, thanking and praising God for answering prayer for the mission team that had been stuck in Nepal.  The group was finally able to get out and come home!  Also thanking God for Joseph & Yasser, they have made our trip a memorable one!

Our first stop-The City of David

The first place that was called the City of David was Bethlehem.

In Genesis 14:17-20, it was called City of Salem.

The City of David is the original hilltop upon which King David dedicated ancient Jerusalem as his capital 3000 years ago.  David conquered this city and built his palace at the highest point of the city.  In David’s time, the dome was used as a threshing floor.  He had a bathroom “inside” his palace!  There were seals found here which were used to close parchments.  Two of the seals belong to personages from the Bible.  First is Gemaryahu, son of Shafan, a high official at the court of King Jehoiakim of Judah (Jer. 36:10).  Second is Azar yahu, son of Hilkiyahu, a member of the family of high priests who officiated at the end of the First Temple period (1 Chron. 9:10).

We are going through “Herzekiah’s Tunnel” which is under the City of David.  It connects the fresh water supply from the Gihon Spring, also called “Jerusalem’s Beating Heart” with the Pool of Siloam (from the Greek meaning “The Messenger” where Jesus sent the blind man to wash his eyes).  King Hezekiah had this tunnel dug to redirect the water when preparing Jerusalem for the attack by the Assyrian King, Sennacherib (2 Chron. 32:2-4).  The tunnel is 1500 feet long.  Charles Warren (who first rediscovered it in 1867) found an Ancient Hebrew inscription describing the construction.  It says a team of diggers started at each end, listening for the sound of each other’s pickaxes, and eventually met in the middle!

Second Stop-The Southern Steps (Davidson Center)

Joseph informed us that until 1967 nothing was here except an arch from 1880.  We watched a short film, “A Pilgrims Story” then toured the Center that houses many artifacts from the Second Temple Period (1^st Century), such as oil lamps (ref: Parable of the 10 Virgins), the ½ Sheqel coin (change) also known as the “Widow’s Mite”.  The tax at that time was ½ Sheqel (ref: story of Peter & the fish w/coin in month).  There were many other artifacts to see as well.

We go outside and approach the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount.  The Pinnacle of the Temple would have been much higher than what we see here today.  Most of the original stones are here.  When looking up you can see Robinson’s Arch.  Most important discovery here during the 1960’s was the cornerstone with an inscription “To the House of the Trumpet”.  Trumpets were used to announce things like times to gather, times to pray, etc.

We now reach the area of the Southern Steps (also known as the Teaching Steps or Rabbi Steps).  It is believed to be where Jesus would often teach when He was in Jerusalem.  These steps led to the Hulda gates which were a primary entrance to the Temple Mount in the time of Christ.  The original stones that are left (not replaced) go back to when King Herod restored the city around 25 BC.

We gathered together and Pastor Drew read John 15:7.  Some questions for us: Are we abiding in His Word?  Are we abiding in His Love?  Are we at the “much fruit” state?

He then closed us in prayer.  We were given time to go walk and sit on the steps and explore the area.  What an experience, to again walk “where” Jesus walked so that we can return home and walk “as” Jesus walked.

Next stop-Pools of Bethesda (The Site of the Virgin Mary’s Birth)

This is also the site where Jesus met and healed a paralytic (John 5:2-9).  We see the Lion’s Gate-only gate open to the east (also known as St. Stephen’s Gate).

This is the home place of Anne & Joachim, the Virgin Mary’s parents and the place where she was born.  The apocryphal Gospel of James which dates from around AD 150 supports this information on Mary.  Mary served in the temple until she was 7 to 10 years old.  A church was built over their home around 450 and was dedicated to “Mary where she was born”.

The present basilica was built by the Crusaders just before 1140 AD.  Its crypt was the cave where the Crusaders believed Mary had been born.  The church was not destroyed after the Muslim conquest in 1189 like many others were.  Pastor Drew was not feeling well this day so Aaron read John 5:1-9.  We entered the basilica to the sound of beautiful music being sung by a group.  We all sat down and when the space was clear, we “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “It Is Well With My Soul”.  It was beautiful.  The Church of St. Anne is renowned for its remarkable acoustics and reverberating echoes.

Next stop-Garden of Gethsemane & Church of All Nations

Aaron read Matt. 26:36-46 and then had prayer outside the church.  The Church of All Nations is built over the rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night before He was crucified.  The church is also known as “The Basilica of the Agony”.

The architect, Antonio Barluzzi, evoked the night-time of the Agony by leaving the interior in semi-darkness, relieved only by light filtered through violet-blue alabaster windows.

The basilica is called The Church of All Nations because many countries contributed to the cost of construction.  National Symbols of 12 donors, including the United States, are inside the ceiling domes.

Outside we see the Garden of Gethsemane (Gethsemane comes from the Hebrew & Aramaic meaning “oil press”).  There are eight ancient & gnarled olive trees in the garden that are over 1000 years old; oil is still pressed from the fruit of these trees today.  It is thought that maybe the garden belonged to someone close to or in the family of Jesus (Anne & Joachim or Joseph of Arimathea) since Jesus would often spend time there.

The Grotto of Gethsemane is believed to be the place the disciples slept while Jesus prayed.  Near the Grotto, is the Tomb of Mary, where a Christian tradition holds that the Mother of Jesus was buried after she “fell asleep” in death.  From the garden we could also see the Eastern Gate (Golden Gate) which is now blocked up to prevent Christ’s return.  It was closed by Muslim conquerors and they also placed a cemetery in front of it to further prevent His return.  (Of course we all know this will not prevent Christ returning!)

Next stop-The Garden Tomb & Resurrection Garden

We see the “Place of the Skull” first, it was discovered in 1842.  This is one of two places believed to be the site of Christ’s crucifixion.  In 1883 a British soldier and Bible student General Charles Gordon spent six months in the Old City.  Looking from a friend’s house on the city wall, he recognized the skull-like rock and said “this is the place where my Savior died”.

The location of this place is important, it relates to information given in the Bible.  It is just outside the city gate (Heb. 13:12) and near the city (John 19:20).  Crucifixions were normally displayed on the sides of major crowded highways, not on hills.  They did this so people would see them and know the reason they had been punished by hanging signs above their heads, it also served as a warning to others.  This busy place is located near 2 busy roadways, the road to Jericho and the road to Damascus.

Next we see The Resurrection Garden (John 19:41)

It’s obvious this place has long been a garden and possibly is the one mentioned in John 19 where Joseph of Arimathea had prepared his family tomb prior to Jesus’ death.  In 1904 they discovered a large cistern (3^rd largest in the city) that held 264,000 gallons of water.  There is also a wine press in the garden, suggesting a vineyard was here also.

Then we go to The Empty Tomb

In 1867 the tomb was found, a church was found in front of it but was destroyed during the Muslim invasion.

On the outside looking to the left of the entrance you can make out a carving in the rock of an anchor & cross.  These were very early Christian symbols.  Inside, the tomb had two chambers, the first was the mourning/preparation chamber, and the second was the burial chamber.  On the rock wall you see the crosses in red with Greek lettering/symbols these represent Jesus Christ & Alpha & Omega.  We all got to walk inside the tomb and see it but we all realized we were really in that place to celebrate it being empty!  HE IS NOT HERE FOR HE IS RISEN!!!

After this we all gathered back at the Resurrection Garden to celebrate Communion and to Worship.  We sang “In Christ Alone” & “Victory in Jesus”.  Pastor Drew led us in prayer and had a short message.  We then partook of the Lord’s Supper.  Mark & David passed the bread, Pastor Drew read Matt. 26:26, prayed and we ate.  They passed the cups, Pastor Drew read Matt. 26:27-29, prayed and we drank.  We closed in song with “Jesus Paid it All” and “Forever”.  Wonderful worship experience.

After leaving this place we had a special stop-The Jerusalem Prayer Center

It opened in 2009 and is located in a historic 120 year old building that was once part of the American Colony of Jerusalem.  Baptists have owned the building since 1969.  It is positioned on the dividing line between Arab East Jerusalem and Jewish West Jerusalem.  This location places it on a strategic site to facilitate prayer of ALL peoples of the Holy Land and beyond.  The central feature is The Upper Room, an interactive prayer room designed for meeting with God on a personal level.  The 3 sections of the room-Praise, Confession, and Intercession are hung with banners in Arabic, Hebrew, and English all designed to call you to meet with God.

Downstairs the “Harvest” mural features the “Seven Species” of Deuteronomy 8:8 and the words of Jesus in Matt. 9:37-38, “The Harvest is Plentiful but the Workers Are Few”.  The mural was done by Pam Suran.

This is one of the ministries of the IMB.  When we give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering this is one of the places we support, how awesome is that!  We actually met our 4 missionaries; Dale & Anita Thorne who run the center and Suzanne (don’t know her last name or the other gentleman’s name who is working there also).  We gathered together and Dale gave us some history of the home, Bertha Spafford actually lived in this home.  She is the daughter of Horatio & Elizabeth Spafford.  Horatio Spafford wrote the gospel hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” after the tragic loss of his 4 daughters on an ocean voyage.  We sang this hymn (accompanied by Suzanne), sitting in this home with our international missionaries!  What a very emotional and absolutely moving experience this was!

AWESOME way to end our Pilgrimage in Israel!!!!!

Israel Day 7

Monday, April 27, 2015

Started our day early, 6:15 am. 

Our 1^st stop-The Western (Wailing) Wall (the traditional site of Solomon’s Temple).

The only remnant of the Temple after the Roman destruction was the western retaining wall of the Temple’s supporting platform.  This wall became the focus of Jewish pilgrimage and mourning.  Today, it’s considered Judaism’s holiest shrine.

We all spent time there for reflection and prayer also slipping our prayer papers in the wall.  We all observed the Jewish men and women as they prayed and mourned.  It was

a very moving experience.

Next stop-Rabbinical Tunnel

We descended underground to the base of the Temple Mount, the First Century street of Jerusalem.  Our Lord & Savior Jesus walked these streets, how amazing is this experience!  We are standing/walking on the SAME streets He walked upon!

We also looked at the size of the stones used by Herod as he expanded the Temple Mount, they are huge!  It is suggested that just one of these stones weighs about 450-550 tons, massive.

From there we went to walk the Via Dolorosa-“Way of Sorrow”, “Stations of the Cross”.  This is the traditional route Jesus followed bearing His cross from Pilate’s Judgement Hall in the Antonia, to Golgotha, the site of the crucifixion.  There are 14 Stations of the Cross.  We ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest churches located in Jerusalem.

From here, we returned to the hotel for breakfast!  At 10:45 am we are off again!

Next stop-Sanctuary of Bethany

Bethany means:  house of poor; house of poverty.  Bethany is 1 ½ miles away from Jerusalem, on the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives and was a place of rest and refuge for Jesus.  Here He knew the intimacy and friendship of Mary, Martha, & Lazarus, he often stayed with them (Spring of the Son-first place Jesus met Mary, sister of Martha).  This is also the place where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

The present Catholic Church, with mosaics depicting the events that occurred here, was built in 1954 by architect Antonio Barluzzi.  Joseph our guide told us the church has been looted 3 times in the past 5 years with chandeliers, candelabra’s, & chalice’s, etc. stolen).  The church was built over the home of Mary, Martha, & Lazarus.  A quote on the door of the church read:  “Consecrated men and women believe in Christ.  Participate in the Church.  Witness in society”.  We all sat down together inside the church and Pastor Drew read scripture: John 11:16-44.  We sang “How Deep the Father’s Love” and Pastor Drew ended in prayer.

We saw an olive oil press from ancient times.  The word Gethsemane means: the garden of the oil press.  They would put the olives in baskets and stack them one on top of the other, then turn the press to push down the baskets to squeeze out the oil.  You could press them up to seven times.  The first 3 pressings were edible (1^st pressing-EVOO, 2^nd pressing-VOO).  The next four pressings could be used for cooking, medical treatment, oil for lamps (only source of light then), and as anointing oil.  The olive trees live for thousands of years!

Today in villages and the West Bank people use their olive trees as sellable land.  But if you sell your trees/land you are then considered a disgrace by family and village.

When leaving the church headed back to our chariot (bus), the camel got everyone’s attention!  Some of our group decided they wanted to ride the camel and they did for $3.00 a ride!  Their reward for riding you ask??  A big ole kiss from the camel!

Some facts about camels courtesy of Joseph:  they can go without food or water in the desert for up to 4 weeks.  When camels do drink, they can consume 60 gallons of water at one time.  Camel’s feet are suited for the desert; they won’t sink in the sand.  These are just a few of the reasons they are known as: “The Ship of the Desert”.

Next stop-Mt. Zion

During the Byzantine period a church named Holy Mary of Zion was built where the abbey stands today.  The Catholics believe Mary ascended to heaven.

The entrance gate has 2 names: 1.) The Zion Gate, leads to Mt. Zion.  2.) Prophet David’s Gate, what the Moslems call it.  During Israel’s War of Independence, Mt. Zion was the scene of fierce battles between Jewish & Arab forces.  The numerous bullet holes on the façade of Zion’s Gate are evidence of these battles.

Room of the Last Supper = The Upper Room  (Matt. 26:17-25)

The building is from the Crusader period.  This is where Jesus washed the feet of the disciples (that was a servant’s job at that time).  They shared a meal together (the table was probably a Triclinium, a three sided table with cushions & pillows around it for leaning).  They took the bread and gave the wine here (Covenant).

From here Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Next we see “King David’s Tomb” which is located in what is now a synagogue on Mt. Zion.  Although his body is really buried somewhere else (has not been found), this place is a holy site for the Jew’s.  They come to view the Sarcophagus (flesh eater/coffin) and pray.

This site was also the House of Caiaphas, the high priest of the Jews at the time of Jesus.  St. Peter in Gallicatu means “where the rooster crowed”.  The house consisted of 3 layers; the bottom layer is where the “Sacred Pit”, “Dungeon” is located.  This is where Jesus was held after his arrest, the night before His crucifixion.

We all went down in the “Pit” and Pastor Drew read Psalm 88 (I don’t think any of us will ever read that Psalm again without “being in” that Pit).  We sang: Wonderful Cross & Were You There When They Crucified My Lord.  At this point in the past, the lights in the Pit would have been turned out so that you could experience the total darkness and loneliness of being in that Pit just as Jesus was, but the lights can no longer be turned off.  Still it was an emotional experience for many of us.  Pastor Drew closed us in prayer and we left the Pit.

We now come to the steps coming from the upper room that Jesus and the disciples walked going to the Garden of Gethsemane.  These are the same steps the Roman soldiers brought Jesus up after His arrest to see the High Priest.  These steps are considered “Holy Steps”.  We were allowed to walk on the first five steps at the top, WOW, to have our feet on the same steps where our Savior’s feet had been!  Amazing feeling & experience.  Great way to bring a close to our day, now back to the hotel for dinner and sleep.

Israel Day 6

Sunday-April 26, 2015

We started our day with Pastor Drew reading Matt. 4:1-11.  Then he had prayer.

**Secret Stuff** - when Pastor Drew stepped off the bus, Mrs. Judy shared a joke with us!  “Da Boat (both) for sale”  Funny stuff (shh…)

Information learned during our drive to Masada:

*We passed through the Kidron Valley which separates Mt. of Olives from Jerusalem.

*The wolf is the sign of the tribe of Benjamin.

*An Ibex is a wild goat that you can see here.

*En Gedi means-Spring of the Goat.  It is the largest oasis along the western shore of the Dead Sea.  When reading 1 Samuel 24 in the Bible-En Gedi is where this took place.

1^st stop-Masada (comes from the Hebrew meaning Stronghold or Fortress)

It is an isolated rock plateau in the Eastern Judean desert, overlooking the Dead Sea.  You may reach the top by either a 45 minute hike up the Snake Path (which 5 of our group did-awesome) or a 3 minute cable car ride.  King Herod realized its importance, safety and he built his fortress atop it.  He enjoyed the good life but was always paranoid.  His brother and a friend were the only 2 people he trusted.  He killed his first wife and their entire family including their children, his mother in law and brother in law who was found floating face down in a pool.

He had 3 main issues on Masada-security, food and water.  Food was mostly grains that were brought in from other places and stored in dark dry places.  They would last for several years.  Water; there wasn’t enough, so he built aqueducts and cisterns that would collect all rainwater and water from the mountains.  Each cistern could hold 250 gallons of water.  Joseph, our guide, gave us a demonstration of how this was done with a model that was there.

We visited the ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 AD the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome.  When the hope of the rebels dwindled, the commander Eleazer Ben Yair gave two speeches in which he convinced the leaders of the community of 960 that it would be better to take their own lives and the lives of their families than to live in shame and humiliation as Roman slaves.  And so they did.  Some of those who killed themselves left their names inscribed on pieces of pottery.

The Columbarium Towers (Dovecote) were for raising doves as a source of food.  They were self-sufficient in finding their own food so they didn’t need attending.  They were also used for fertilization.

**While we were there, we saw a bird called Tristram’s Grackle, named after its founder.  The wings have a bright yellow color on the edges/tips.

The Synagogue-built by Herod, was used as a stable, but the Zealots converted it to a synagogue.

The Byzantine Church-this building doesn’t fit story, goes back to 6^th century.  Its 1500 years old.  The Byzantine thought the desert brought you closer to God. (There’s a book called “The Desert City” about the monk’s life).  The monks were killed in the 7^th century by the Muslims when they invaded.

We stopped here, standing among the ruins of the church and had our Worship service.

Pastor Drew read scripture: John 15 (The Vine & the Branches).  We then sang worship songs: 10,000 Reasons & I Love You Lord.  Pastor Drew had prayer and then mentioned a book titled “Secrets of the Vine” by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and said it’s a good book to read.  Pastor Drew’s message: if we are in Him, we have to lift up to bear fruit.  What happens when He lifts us up?  He disciplines us.  When we get into sin He will do whatever He has to do to lift us back up from it or out of it.  Our Redeemer is never satisfied with us.  We are lifted out of our sin and redeemed to bear fruit.

We sang Jesus Paid it All, Pastor Drew closed us in prayer.

*What a truly blessed mountain top experience!

Next stop-Qumran (comes from Arabic meaning Two Moons-the real moon & the reflection of the moon on the Dead Sea).  We saw a movie first.  Qumran’s fame comes from a break-away sect known as the Essenes, who chose to leave the corruption of Jerusalem.  They spent 100-150 years here.  One job they had was to transcribe the Bible.  They hid the scrolls to protect them and hide them from the Roman army, peddlers, or anyone who would misuse in a way that was not Holy.  During the Jewish revolt, the Romans conquered Qumran and dispersed the sect.

In 1947 the Bedouin shepherds found 7 ancient scrolls in a cave by throwing a rock inside and hearing a jar break.  After that, Father R. de Vaux excavated the area for 15 years and found additional scrolls in 11 caves.  The scrolls were preserved in the caves in the jars with help of the hot, dry climate for nearly 2000 years.

Next stop-The Dead Sea

It is the lowest point on earth at 1300+ feet below sea level.  The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than any other ocean or water source.  It loses up to ½ inch of water everyday through evaporation.

Well, here we are ready to put the salt to a weight test!  They say you cannot sink when floating in the Dead Sea because of all the salt, and it is a true statement!  Those of us who braved the water, walked out and just sat down & back like getting in a recliner and it held us up.  The Dead Sea also has beneficial mud that you can rub on that helps your skin because of all the minerals in it.  Some tried it and covered themselves!  Joseph our guide advised us not to stay in the water more than 20 minutes because it might start burning our skin, so we took his advice and exited the water after our 20 minutes was up.  It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed ourselves!

Israel Day 5

Saturday, April 25, 2015

We start our day in Ein Karem (Ain Karem), the town and birthplace of John the Baptist.  The meaning of Ein is spring; Karem is vineyard, so making the “Springs of the Vineyard”.  The Hebrew meanings for John are-God have mercy; Jehovah has been gracious; has shown favor.

We visit the St. John Ba Harim Church.  Ba Harim means “in the mountains”.  The church was built in the 4^th century and was built on the spot where John the Baptist was born, the house of Zachariah & Elizabeth.  Inside is a cave where his birth took place.  There is an altar in the cave, under it a marble star bears a Latin inscription: “Hic precursor Domini natus est” meaning “Here was born the Precursor of the Lord”.

In the yard, opposite the church, hang texts in many different languages of the world telling about John’s destiny.  While we were there in the yard, Pastor Drew read the passage from John 1:6-9 “he was sent to bear witness of the light”.

2^nd stop-The Israel Museum

We viewed a model of Jerusalem in the 2^nd period, just before Jerusalem was destroyed (1^st century).  The sources for having the model built were Josephus Flavius (a Jewish scholar and historian) and The Bible.  Jerusalem grew in 4 periods.  Jerusalem today is half the size of what it was then.

The Temple (2^nd) was built by King Herod the Great for the Jews.  This is where Jesus played as a child and taught during His ministry.  It was also the sight where He chased away the money changers.  The Temple was destroyed in the year 70 AD by the Romans.  The only remnant remaining is the Western (Wailing) Wall.  Jerusalem was conquered in 632 by Moslems who built the Dome of the Rock over the temple sight of the Holy of Holies and the rock (which still exist today) where Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac.

The “Shrine of the Book” Building

The first 7 of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by chance in 1947 by Bedouin’s in a cave in Qumran on the NW shore of the Dead Sea.  They threw a rock/stone in the cave to see if there was any movement by a lost sheep, what they heard was a jar breaking.  They took the leather scrolls to a cobbler to have sandals made, the cobbler saw the writing on the scrolls and decided to keep them and make the sandals out of a new piece of leather in his shop.  The Isaiah scroll was one of the scrolls found in the cave, it is word for word as in the Bible!

3^rd stop-Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

“The Birthplace of Jesus Christ” Luke 2:1-7

The church is 1500 years old and is an active operating church still today.  It is run by the Greek Orthodox, but it is not for one denomination.  It has been saved from destruction 3 times!  You enter through the “Door of Humility”, a small rectangular entrance to the church created by the Christian community for 2 reasons: 1.) to prevent looters from driving in.  2.) to force visitors to bow when entering the holy place.

Many of the pink, polished limestone columns have Crusader paintings of saints and the Virgin & Child.  There are also fragments of wall mosaics dating from the 1160’s on both sides of the nave.  Two big chandeliers with Crowns on top were gifts from the Czars of Russia over 200 years ago.

We entered the Grotto of the Nativity, a cavern beneath the church to see the sight of Christ birth which is marked with a silver star.  There are 14 points on the star to represent the 3-fold 14 generations of Christ genealogy.  Not far from the star is the Chapel of the Manger, where Mary laid Him.

** Each of us had the opportunity to kneel down and place our hands on the Star (spot) of Jesus’ birth.  What an exciting privilege. **

Next adventure-LUNCH!  Joseph gave us a choice for lunch this day.  We chose to go with the “Tent Restaurant” in Shepherds Valley.  It was done family style with a salad/bread course first with lots of different dipping sauces.  Then we had chicken and a lamb/beef mixture with fries and tomato.  We all enjoyed this meal very much.  Outside of the restaurant there was a Sycamore tree!  Brought back to memory the story of Zacchaeus in the Sycamore tree!  Lots of laughs and fun for us.

Next stop-The Shepherds Fields

This is where the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8-20).  The angel on the front of the chapel points toward the church being reconstructed in Bethlehem.  It is a 1 ½ mile walk from the chapel to Bethlehem.  We enter the tent shaped “Chapel of the Angels” designed by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi.  The chapel adjoins the remains of a 4^th century church.  Paintings in the chapel depict the angel’s announcement to the shepherds, the shepherd paying homage to Jesus and the shepherds celebrating the birth of the Messiah.

Just beyond the chapel is a cave with one entrance where we entered and sat down.  Pastor Drew talked about how the shepherds would herd the sheep in the cave and then stack hay in front of the entrance, one shepherd protecting all the sheep (Jesus protecting all his flock).  We had a worship service here.  Pastor Drew read Luke 2:8-15, then we sang Christmas carols!  Pastor Drew closed us with prayer.

Then off we go to do more shopping at a store called Boaz Fields!  After our pocketbooks and wallets got a little bit lighter it was back to our hotel for dinner and sleep!

 St John Ba Harim Church (Ba Harim means "in the mountains". The church was builtin the 4th century on the spot where John The Baptist was born, the house of Zacharia & Elizabeth. Inside the church is a cave where his birth took place.