Greetings from Israel!

Today was both the end of our time in Galilee and the beginning of our time in Jerusalem.

As our last stop in Galilee we saw a city called Scythopilis. This city, though not mentioned by name in the New Testament would certainly have been known to Jesus. Scythopilis was the largest city in the region known as the Decapolis, a Greek area in the land that is now Israel. We were once again awed by the magnificent engineering and construction feats accomplished by the Romans. They constructed a civilization that was not only highly functional but incredibly beautiful. It was also funny to see Pastor Matheny trying out the Roman-era public restroom!

We then moved on for our final days in Jerusalem.

Our first stop was to King David’s city in the area just south of the Temple Mount . This area is far smaller than we might have expected (only 60 yards wide at its widest point!) but it was exciting to see that in the last few years David’s palace has been discovered. We even stood above the structure and saw the city as David would have seen it when he first saw Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. To then see the same place where the prophet Nathan would later call him to repentance for this sinful act (2 Samuel 12:1-15) was a powerful reminder of The Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

Next we ventured into the tunnel that king Hezekiah built in 2 Kings 18 to protect Jerusalem’s water from the invading Assyrians. Hezekiah had learned of the siege of the fortress at Lachish, which we visited on our first day here. There the Assyrians eventually defeated the Israelites and brutally murdered the citizens in ways that would have struck fear in all. Therefore he wanted to secure the water source of Jerusalem by creating a tunnel from the spring to the Pool of Siloam. For us, this meant a long walk through a water filled tunnel that runs over 500 yards through the bedrock beneath the city. What an adventure!

Finally, we spent some time exploring the area around the temple mount. We saw excavations of Solomon’s expansion of the city. We saw some of the remaining features of King Herod’s amazing second temple complex. We also walked up the steps that Jesus would have used to enter the temple grounds. How amazing it all was.

Peace,
Pastor Matheny and Matt Brand

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