March 27, 2006 - Holy Hot Spot: My Tour through the Holy Land of Israel, Part 1

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Holy Hot Spot: My Tour through the Holy Land of Israel, Part 1

By Cara Davis
March 27, 2006

I never had a burning desire to visit “the Holy Land.” Given $5,000 and told I could spend it traveling to any location on the globe, Israel—especially given its turbulent climate—would fall somewhere between Turkey and Uzbekistan on my list of top 100 places I’d like to visit in my lifetime.

Yet, for many people, that isn’t the case. People across the ages have been making pilgrimages to Israel, and even scores of modern-day travelers visit regardless of their religious affiliation. It’s a land rich with history, cutting-edge archeological findings, and cultural attractions.

Still, I have to admit if it weren’t for my grandfather, I would have never gone. My grandfather, the Rev. G.D. Peters, has been to Israel and the surrounding countries 30 times. Yes, 30. He’s a bishop of a long-standing church in East Tennessee and has led groups over there for as long as I can remember.

When he announced that, at age 81, he would be taking his final trip to Israel, my husband, Jeff, and I knowingly nodded to each other that this was one opportunity we could not pass up. I’ve heard too much about the land; I’ve seen too much passion in his eyes when he talks about Israel not to experience it for myself with him and my husband.

So Jeff and I took the cash we had been stowing away for an Italian getaway and boarded a plane for a 10-and-a-half hour trip across the ocean to the Mediterranean port of Tel Aviv, Israel.

First Impressions

It was a bit of a relief to find modern conveniences in the beautiful metropolis of Tel Aviv, a coastal city built up by the Zionists in an effort to draw Israelis, who have been scattered across the globe, back to their homeland. It was nightfall when we arrived, so we quietly boarded our tour bus and drove through the countryside of Galilee for our first night in Israel.

The next day (as every day after that) was packed with activities from sun up to sun down. Perhaps the most spectacular moment of the trip came as we drove across the hills and valleys on our way to the Sea of Galilee when I saw sheer sunrays fanning across the water and the bordering mountains. It was breathtaking, as if from a scene in Middle Earth (from the film version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy).

What was most shocking was the diminutive size of the Sea of Galilee. Now I don’t feel so bad for those disciples caught in the storm (Mark 4:37-41). No wonder Jesus was asleep! If you can see the shore at all times, why not just jump out and swim to safety?

Yet what I didn’t know was that when winds funnel through the hills surrounding the sea, the waters could stir up quickly, becoming violent and deadly when it gets trapped in this basin. In March 1992, the winds created a tidal wave 10-feet high that came crashing into downtown Tiberias (where we enjoyed the local culinary specialty: St. Peter’s Fish) and caused significant damage.

So okay, I can see now why the disciples were upset. See how important and educational travel is?

It could also be that the level of the water was higher in times past. The Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee and dumps into the Dead Sea. Large-scale irrigation efforts and general lack of rainfall has caused the level of the lake (seriously, this body of water is the size of a lake, not a sea) to lower over the years. Also contributing to this is the amount of water that is pumped out and given to Jordan. Israel signed a peace agreement in 1995 that basically buys them peace from their neighbors. Israel gives them good water; Jordan leaves them alone. (This is having devastating effects on the level of water in the Dead Sea in the southern part of Israel.)

God Bless America

Back to the Sea of Galilee—as with many of the sites in Israel, the tourism industry has over-commercialized just about every stop on the map. As we floated out onto the sea for a time of worship, the captain popped in a mix CD with popular worship songs from Matt Redman and Hillsong Worship. It made me laugh. Here were are on the Sea of Galilee and Western worship songs are being pumped over the PA to a boat-full of tourists. I tried to focus on the beauty of the land and tried to imagine what it was like in Jesus’ time. Then the captain played a CD of his versions of the very same songs, but in Hebrew. And he just happened to have them for sale for $18. How convenient.

To make matters worse, when we reached the middle of the water and turned the motor off, one of the seaman went to the flagpole and raised an American flag. One of the tour guides led us in a rousing rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” “The Star-Spangled Banner?” Give me a break. We are in I-S-R-A-E-L. The ancient site of Jesus’ life and ministry. What on earth are we doing singing the anthem of the United States of America?

My snobbery soon gave way to an important observation made by our Israeli tour guide several times over the course of our trip: America’s support of the nation of Israel is critical to their security. Israel needs the support of Americans and American policy, as it is surrounded by hostile nations who want their hands on this promised land.

So I learned to overlook the catering to American tourists and just felt thankful that I do live in a nation that is currently favorable to this great nation and people. (But I still wouldn’t buy a yamaka embroidered with American flags on it.)

Next week: Stops in Capernaum and Caesarea Philippi and a nasty bout with food poisoning …

ninetyandnine.com

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Cara Davis is a contributing editor to ninetyandnine.com. She is the author of Cheap Ways to Tie the Knot: How to Plan a Church Wedding for Less Than $5,000 (RELEVANT Books), which released February 14, 2006, the day she, Jeff and her grandfather left for Israel.