POSTED 01 DECEMBER, 2004

My Trip to Israel: Spies' Report 2004

by J.K. McKee
editor@tnnonline.net

My family has been in the Messianic movement now for almost a decade, yet during that time I had never been able to travel to the Land of Israel. This is interesting, because it was a tour to Israel in 1994 that spearheaded my parents’ innate desire to investigate the Hebraic Roots of our faith. Many people come back from the Holy Land changed and they gain a new appreciation for the Bible, having seen the areas where many events of the Bible took place. While I have certainly been wanting to go to Israel for some time, it was only last month that I had the opportunity to go on a tour.

What was my impression of the Land of Israel? Did I come back “changed”? Is there something special about the Holy Land that makes it different from other places on Planet Earth?

We know from reading our Bibles that the Promised Land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is considered very special in the eyes of God. We don’t have to go into all the details of the profound events of Biblical importance that have occurred in this narrow strip between the Mediterranean and Jordan River. But we also know that this small piece of territory is highly contested and has been conquered many times. We know that wars have been fought over it, that empires have trodden over it, and that it is at a crossroads between Europe, Africa, and Asia.

So what was my impression of the Land of Israel? Perhaps we should back up a bit.

Over thirty centuries ago, a group of twelve Israelite spies were commissioned by Moses to survey the Land of Canaan. Ten of the spies came back to Moses from their mission and gave a negative report:

“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.’ So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight’” (Numbers 13:31-33).

Only Joshua and Caleb gave a positive report:

“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it’” (Numbers 13:30).

I have a tendency to be a negative person sometimes, and certainly when it came to going to Israel, the last thing I wanted to come back and report was anything negative. However, even though the Scriptures do tell us that Joshua and Caleb gave a positive report of the Promised Land, meaning that they were not intimidated by the size of the adversaries they would be facing, I do have to believe that they nevertheless gave Moses and the elders of Ancient Israel a realistic report. They had to recognize the obstacles that they would be facing, as Israel would be committing its military forces to an assault and conquering of this territory. It is not enough to say that “we can beat them,” without knowing what you are coming up against.

The same is true for the Land of Israel today. As I talk about all of the Biblical sites that I was able to see, as well as those of modern-day Israel, let me emphasize that Israel is indeed a blessed country. It is very special in the eyes of the Lord. It is the Promised Land. Regardless of whatever foe lives it, or is trying to live in it, the foe can be beaten. But in our desire to see the Land of Israel, let us recognize the realities of the day and the fact that it is a difficult place in which to live and it has problems. When you go to Israel, you have to recognize that the modern Jewish state is only 55 years old, and there are Jews from over 60 countries living there. Not only does Israel have its external problems, but it has internal problems as well.

I would like to tell you about my impression of the Land of Israel.

We departed Newark, NJ on El Al Israel Airlines on November 3, 2004, the day after the American election. Do not let El Al be your first impression of the Land of Israel. El Al security, surprisingly, was not as rigorous as I was expecting it to be. Any airline traveling to Israel is subject to passengers being interviewed, and every piece of luggage is searched. Flying on El Al is like seeing a microcosm of Israel in an enclosed space. You have Jews from every walk of life. The religious Jews sit next to the secular Jews. You have the business professionals and the students. The religious Jews get up to pray on one side of the plane while the secular Jews are drinking cocktails. You have the duty free cart being pushed around. And then you’ve got the tourists. Everyone is vying for their space and is looking at the other. The flight staff is frustrated because the Chassidics are praying in the galley space when they have to serve meals to the passengers. Everyone is looking at the monitors and wanting to know when the plane is going to land. (And, some of the tourists now want to know why they didn’t fly a U.S. carrier to Israel!)

As soon as we got off the plane at the new Tel Aviv airport and claimed our luggage, we were introduced to our tour guide, David Kidron, and the touring began immediately. I made the mistake, along with the person I sat next to on the plane trip, of not sleeping on the flight (although we we did try). Running for almost 36 hours on adrenaline is not a good idea when you have a full day of touring Israel ahead of you. We immediately proceeded from the airport to Caesarea. On the way our tour guide let us know about how our tour was to progress, exchanging currency, our meals, our hotels, calling the U.S., and other things. We got to the remains of Caesarea and we immediately began taking pictures. Caesarea was the Roman headquarters during the time of Yeshua, because the Jews in Jerusalem did not want a heavy Roman presence in the city. We were able to see the amphitheater in Caesarea, along with the Crusader ruins, and most impressively the Roman aqueduct and remains of the artificial harbor constructed by Herod the Great.

From Caesarea we preceded to Mount Carmel, which was the site of the Prophet Elijah’s encounter with the prophets of Baal. Our tour guide, recounting the Biblical story, said that this was one of the most important events in Ancient Israel’s history, because the worship of other gods was infecting Israel and was causing massive assimilation of the people. He said that if Elijah had not proven the power of God to the people, that worship of foreign gods may have destroyed Israel from within. We were able to see the view from Mount Carmel of the valley of Jezreel, where the Battle of Armageddon is prophesied to take place.

We then went to the ruins of the town Megiddo, which most archaeologists claim is the oldest settlement in the Land of Israel. This was one of the critical military outposts as foreign armies would frequently clash in the valley of Megiddo, and would often garrison their horses in Megiddo. Its location enabled it to look out on the valley and be a point of relay for conveying messages and other intelligence. We were able to see the idolatry that the citizens of Megiddo engaged in with the uncovering of a high place, a centerpiece of piled stones. We were also able to travel through the underground water tunnel that the inhabitants built so that they could have fresh water during times of siege.

The last location we were able to see on our first day was Mount Precepus, which is believed to be the spot where Yeshua was almost thrown off a cliff, after declaring that “this word has been fulfilled” at the synagogue.

The second day we began touring Northern Israel, the Golan Heights, and the Sea of Galilee. We began with a trip to the Tel Dan Nature reserve, where we were able to see one of the tributaries that flows into the Sea of Galilee and the ruins of the ancient city of Dan.

We left Dan and then went to Banarias, the remains of one of the ten cities of the Gentiles in Northern Israel, dedicated to the Greek god Pan. Sadly, much of the city cannot be excavated by archaeologists due to the large number of Syrian mines in the vincinity.

The next part of our second day in Israel was very exciting, that only few tour groups get to go. We went all the way to the extreme north of the Golan Heights less than a mile from the Syrian border. We drove past a Soviet-installed radio installation that our tour guide affectionately called “Mt. From Russia With No Love,” which had been captured by the Israelis in 1967. We got pictures of ourselves overlooking the Syrian army camps.

That afternoon, after eating St. Peter’s fish at a local restaurant, we boarded the Madala for our trip across the Sea of Galilee. As we boarded, the crew raised the stars and stripes and played our national anthem. It made us feel homesick. When we got to the other side of the lake, we all disembarked and went to see the famous “Jesus boat,” a First Century fishing boat that had been discovered in the mud of the Sea of Galilee.

On Shabbat morning, we were all immersed in the Jordan River. We began our day of touring visiting the ruins of Capernaum, the ancient synagogue at Capernaum, and the remains of what are believed to be Peter’s house.

From Capernaum we went to the Mount of Beatitudes, where a Catholic Church takes prominence. We read and meditated on Matthew chapters 5-7, and talked about our initial impressions of the Land of Israel.

After Shabbat was over, we all went out to see the night life of Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee. Our tour guide first took us to see the Caprice Diamond factory, where many of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished for use in jewelry. We then did a little shopping.

Our first full week in Israel began with us leaving the Galilee on our way to the Dead Sea. Our first stop on Monday by far, in my opinion, was the most interesting of all the sites we saw, partially because it was not on our original itinerary. We stopped by the ruins of Beit She’an where the remains of King Saul were buried. This would later become Skitopolis, or one of the ten cities of the Gentiles spoken of in the Apostolic Scriptures. Our tour guide explained that he believed this was the one city of the Gentiles Yeshua went to, because it was within the borders of Judea, and all of the others were outside Judea. To go outside Judea required one to pay massive tariffs. Our guide made a point for us to see the remains of the ancient public toilets at Skitopolis. What made this an interesting place is that there were still digs going on, and it was large, but not that large, for us to really do some good exploring and get good pictures.

We left Beit She’an for the Judean desert and arrived at Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were written. We saw the remains of the housing units, the communal meeting halls, and animal pens. We were able to see some of the caves from afar where the actual texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Qumran facility had a massive gift shop, where the ladies on our tour were sure to stock up on the Dead Sea beauty care items.

On Monday evening, November 8, we arrived at the Le Meridian David Hotel on the Dead Sea, for our only night on the Dead Sea. We were all able to bob up and down as buoys in the salt water of the Dead Sea and to catch a glimpse of “resort life.”

Early on Tuesday morning, we began our trek by visiting Herod the Great’s fortress at Masada. Masada was the location where many fled from the Romans during the First Jewish Uprising of 67-72 C.E. We were able to see the awesomeness of this remote palace, along with the Roman camps and the mound that they built to siege it. Thankfully, we took the cable car up to the summit, and did not have to walk up the thousands of steps to the top! While we were on Masada, we were able to hear sonic booms from Israeli Air Force jets.

From Masada we traveled to the springs and oasis at Ein Gedi where David encountered King Saul sleeping, and ripped off a portion of his clothes, indicating that he had been there.

On Tuesday evening, we arrived in Jerusalem and at the Mount Zion Hotel. The next day began our discoveries of the Old City. We began at the Mount of Olives, looking toward the West at the Jewish and Muslim cemeteries and at the Dome of the Rock. It was impressive to hear that the walls of Jerusalem during the time of Yeshua adjacent to the Temple Mount were probably 21 stories high, and this would have been considered “the Pinnacle of the Temple.”

After visiting the Mount of Olives, we preceded to what is believed to be the Garden of Gethsemane. We visited the Church of the Nations, inside of which was a dome dedicated to the United States of America. After visiting the Church, two of our tour members decided to spend $3 to sit on a camel dressed as Arabs!

We left for the Kotel, where the Western Wall is located, the last remaining portion of the wall to the Second Temple and the holiest spot in Judaism. In order to actually get to the Wall, one has to go through airport-type security where you are subject to metal detectors. We all went to the Wall, said some prayers, and deposited our notes inside the Wall. Several of the men were able to go inside the tunnel that runs along the Wall.

In stark contrast to the ancient nature of the Western Wall, we ate at the very modern Jerusalem Mall for lunch.

Our first full day in Jerusalem ended with our visiting the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. It was memorable for us all as we got to see displays detailing the history of anti-Semitism in Europe which led to the murder of millions of Jews, but ultimately was used by God to form the State of Israel.

Our second full day in Jerusalem, and the last day of our actual tour, began very early. We had to leave before 7:30 so we could go and visit the Temple Mount, and these were the only times the Muslim authorities would let us go up. Basically, because of the hostility of the Muslims during Ramadan, our guide said we would be going up, taking pictures, and then coming back down again. The ladies on the tour were very tense while we were up there, while the men noticed the intense amount of trash and filth. Certainly, there are some valid Islamic criticisms of the West, but we kept saying to ourselves, “Haven’t these people ever heard of trashcans?” Perhaps even the Greeks and Romans kept the Temple Mount cleaner than its current occupants.

From the Temple Mount, we preceded to a Church which is supposed to be built over the dungeon where Yeshua was held before His trial. We contemplated the intense pain He must have gone through while being tortured.

Later that same day we preceded past the Israeli Knesset to the Israel Museum where we were able to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. Unfortunately, no photography was allowed in the museum.

Our last guided day in Jerusalem ended with us going to the Temple Institute and visiting the Garden Tomb. Unfortunately, by this time the battery on my digital camera was also dead, and a replacement was $110 away. The rest of the time spent in Jerusalem was involved with each of us or small groups of us going shopping and visiting other sites on our own. We were able to see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which most non-Protestants believe is the place of Yeshua’s crucifixion and resurrection. While most of us were not convinced of the authenticity of the site, we nevertheless found it interesting.

One of the unique experiences that I had in Israel was visiting what many believe was the original home of John Mark, and thus the true Upper Room. Whether or not this was the true Upper Room remains debatable, but over this site is built a Syrian Orthodox Church or Aramaic Church. To be honest, at this site I gave more attention to the church than to what is believed to be the home of John Mark. This is because this site is claimed by its owners to be the first church in Christianity. The Syrian Orthodox claim to have been founded by the original disciples of Yeshua, and some Messianics give credence to their claims. Perhaps if they had any first hand experience with the Syrian Church they might reconsider.

This church was anything but Messianic. It was just as gaudy and ornate as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The guide told us more about the Virgin Mary and what she had done in the church than about God the Father. She said more than a few times that this was the original church of the Disciples and pointed to an icon of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus that was supposedly painted by Luke the evangelist. All I can say is that the Syrian Orthodox or Aramaic Church is anything but the original. Certainly, the true Torah observant Dr. Luke would have never painted an idolatrous icon!

I am very pleased to have been able to go to Israel and get a feel for it. By no means do I bring back a negative report. But going as a tourist is much different than actually living there. I know a few of us on the tour were surprised by how expensive some things in Israel were. One lady on our tour paid 32 shekels, or about $8, for a small sandwich not realizing how expensive it was. Things like this in Israel are not a bargain. The economy in Israel is slowly picking up.

There is also the social part of Israel. Israel has Jews from all over the world. They are still trying to figure out who they are in relation to Israel’s society. They are now trying to figure out the phenomenon of Christians who feel a strong connection to the Promised Land and a love for them, but don’t know how to react. They are trying to figure out why non-Jews would come into their shops and buy Judaica for themselves.

Still, even though we might not have all felt welcome in every place in Israel, we did feel perfectly safe. Do not believe all of the reports you hear on the news or in the paper about “why Israel is not safe.” While we were in Israel, Yasser Arafat died, and the only major reaction we saw in Jerusalem was that the Arab quarter and Arab shops closed up. Other than that, we all felt perfectly fine.

Israel is a special place to visit, but I am certainly glad to be back home. I was surprised because even though I knew would enjoy visiting Israel, I thought I would feel just at home there as many people told me I would. I certainly did not feel unwelcome, but I did feel a great amount of spiritual tension. You have to absolutely be called to live in Israel. God has to have His hand on you to be there. It is not easy to make a living in Israel and Israel is not an inexpensive place to live. I hear many in the Messianic movement say that they want to live in Israel, but in all honesty they might reconsider that after having been there. I do not discount the possibility that God may move me to Israel one day, or at the very least move me out of Florida, but it will have to be Him doing it—and not me.

I bring back a positive report from the Land of Israel. It is a blessed and special place. But it is also a place that has some problems. However, in spite of all of these things, God is doing mighty things and is going to do some mighty things in the Land of Israel. I know I will return on another tour to Eretz Yisrael, probably in the next several years. In the meantime, I will do my best to educate my fellow brothers and sisters about Israel, our Hebraic heritage, and the sites in Israel that they will get to see firsthand—just like I just did.

My Trip to Israel: Spies' Report 2004 (PDF)