Anticipation of Pilgrimige

10/12/10
My excitement grows as the departure date of 10/18 gets closer. While I still have a job, gratefully, it is Fall Break with the local schools, and I am not as busy as I would otherwise be and that get me time to make final preparations for my pilgrimage. Things are progressing nicely. Having gone to the Holy Land in 2007, I am more prepared on what to pack and not to pack. The last time I took so many clothes that I had to ship souvenirs home and I trust that will not be necessary. Each hotel where we stay had laundry service and thus I am packing lighter in the same big suitcase knowing clean clothes will not be an issue.
Unlike my last visit, I am so excited and filled with gratitude that I will be again visit the land where Jesus walked and envision the scope and depth of the Holy Land. I am always astounded that Israel is no bigger, physically than it is. We arrive in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, October 19^th at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time. The clearance thru Israel customs is enough in itself to let one know how ver serious the Israelites are about security. We must all pay thru approximately ten, or so it seems, inspection stations where we are greeted by an individual to query us of our destination, length of stay, where we will be staying and the like. While that person is conversing with us, another security person is standing just to the side and all he does is watch us very intently observing our body language to try to detect if we in any way pose any type of threat. I am assuming this follicly challenged, overweight American with a big smile on his face and a greeting on my lips, will prove I am no risk. I recall during this routine upon arrival for my first visit, after about 3-4 of these stations, when asked by the next inspector of my destination, I replied, "The next station" and he laughed and told me to proceed..
Before leaving the topic of the airport, I must share I have never, ever seen such an assortment of differing peoples in my life in one place, other than possibly in the Old City of Jerusalem while shopping, in my life. Our clearing customs in Tel Aviv was delayed while they called in mor immigration officers since there were a number of flights arriving from all over Europe, Asian and other foreign lands. The many, many different modes of dress, language, yes smells, and general excitement was almost overwhelming. You see, all Jews anticipate a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and they have had a saying since the time of .last exile to Babylon in 586 B.C., "Next Year in Jerusalem". So, while the excitement I experienced and that of all travelers was almost overwhelming, the Jews making their first visit to the land of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob is near unbearable and certainly a religious experience like no other and for that I gave them wide latitude for their unmitigated excitement.
During the last visit, we arrived just before the Feast of Tabernacles during the last week of September which is one of the most Holy Days in the Jewish Faith. This is the celebration of the 1^st Fruits and also known as Festival of Booths. The pilgrims, along with the resident Jews, prepare a booth of some type of light wood covered by tin and the top layer of palm leaves, where they dine of lamb, bitters, bread made without yeast and the ever present wine, all as a symbol of the 40 years the Israelites wandered in the desert with Moses and had no permanent home.
After clearing customs and locating our luggage, no small task, and getting the group all headed in the right direction under the tutelage of both our American and Israeli guide, we get in our luxurious motor coach for the drive to Jerusalem. We are wondering if we would be shot at, run into Palestinian demonstration, etc. What type of roads would we travel; and, of course, the view of the Holy Land for the 1^st time. Well, we were all surprised to find us roaring down a 4-6 lane expressway out of Tel Avis heading East toward Jerusalem. The drive from the airport could not have taken 30-40 minutes. Of course, when we got closer to Jerusalem the view of the wall of the Old City were overwhelming. There is no other way to express it. Of course, once one gets use to seeing the walls each and ever time we are near Jerusalem, the initial surge of emotion is not so great but always, always incredible.
However, with this visit under Pastor Lon Solomon, we head to Caesarea, the City constructed by King Herod (know as the King who build them and killed them during his reign around the time of Christ, who built this magnificent city in the name of Caesar Augustus, the then ruler of the Roman Empire as a memorial to him and which became THE major city on the Mediterranean Sea which was the doorway to the Middle East. Of course, this the where the Apostle Paul was imprisoned before being take to Rome for his trial after being arrested on the request of the Pharisees by the Roman officials for his blasphemy and related crimes of spreading the Good News shared with him by Jesus Christ himself. The city took some 10 years to construct and as expected, labor was cheap since it was done by slave labor. I will attach to my post from Caesarea more information of this once spectacular city. Leaving Caesarea we depart for Mt. Carmel and the many wonderful biblical stories of that mountain led by Elijah’s contest of his God with the gods of the prophets of Baal and we all know that story. .