First day in the Holy Land

10/18/10

Hello friends.                   

Clearly, I am technically challenged but determined nonetheless.  I have tried to record on my laptop events as they unfolded but I was having trouble with Delta and my luggage, which is certainly nothing new. After checking in at El Al they sent me back to Delta to retrieve my bag from the next flight from Atlanta, and I made it back to my flight with all of 2 minutes to spare.  A flight of 10 hours with near 500 people crammed in is an experience in and of itself.  However, with the destination we were seeking, patience was in order and surprisingly the flight went well.

After clearing customs, exchanging some money at 3.5 shekel per $1.00, we loaded up in our 4 buses of 50 pilgrims each and proceed to Caesarea, the City on the Mediterranean coast build by King Herod the great in honor of Augustus Caesar.  This city was completed about the time of the birth of Christ and was the home of Pontius Pilate, the ruling Governor of the land where we are visiting.  Actually, Pilate did not care for the Jews and their city JerUSAlem since they were a hardheaded, stiff necked tribe with little use for Roman authority.  Pilate visited JerUSAlem 3 times per year when it was required and it was always required during the major Jewish holidays.

Caesarea was very, very unusual.  First, it was built where a sleepy fishing village had been and Herod, planning to continue in the good graces of the Roman officials, went out of his way to make opulent that which never, ever could have been displayed in JeUSAlem.  The attached photos should provide a bit of understanding the magnitude of what was accomplished.  The theatre was a fine as anywhere in the Roman world, the Hippodrome was not surpassed anywhere but in Rome and the very idea that freshwater, Olympic size pool could be built in the ocean, surrounded on three sides by ocean water but remaining fresh waster had to have been an engineering marvel.

Cornelius, the Centurion was likely the first Christian since his faith alone caused Jesus to heal his valued servant/slave.  Of course Paul was imprisoned here for 2 years before being sent to Rome.  The local officials were willing  to release Paul from this simple crime but for the protest of the ever present and rowdy Jews.

I trust this communication will reach you.  I also pray the photographs will attach since my friend Gary Garth shared readers of these post get tired of text but can look at any number of photographs.  My next post will cover a wide range of locations to include the area in the Northeast of the Sea of Galilee where so many major events and miracles occurred during the short  duration of Jesus ministry on earth.

Yours in Christ,

Ricky A. Lamkin