Travel to Israel: Experience THE BOOK, Pt. 1

Overlooking the Jezreel Valley

Over the next few months, I want you to experience the Land of Israel. Some of you will feel the gentle whisper of the Spirit actually call you to join us on our tour in March 2020. Others will enjoy the journey vicariously as I give a little glimpse of each tour day and describe the locations we’ll visit. Some places, you will have read about in my books. Others, you’ll most certainly recognize from your Bible reading.

Okay, don’t stop reading because you think it’s gonna be boring…give it a chance. Let this section of land, about the size of New Jersey, capture your heart.

It’s the soil, rock, water, and vegetation that God chose out of all other locations on earth to give to Abraham and his descendants. Why? What’s so special about the Promised Land? Let’s take a look together…

First Day

Leading up to the trip, our tour director, Bev Henry, will coach us on what to pack, how to avoid jet lag, and how to rest well on our non-stop flight. On Friday, March 6, 2020, our group of travelers will gather at Newark Liberty International Airport and board our flight to Tel Aviv. After sleeping on the flight (yes, I will take an Ambien—I’m not too proud to admit it!), we’ll arrive in Tel Aviv and meet our Israeli guide!

I’ve already made sure we’ll get to dangle our toes in every body of water in Israel. We’ll begin in Caesarea with the Mediterranean Sea (the other three include: Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. BTW, as a bonus, we’ll also visit En Gedi Springs later in the trip!).

Touring Stops

Caesarea by the Sea 2000

As we tour on our uber comfy private bus, our wonderful guide will fill us with fascinating information. Honestly—I wasn’t much into research until I went to Israel in 2000. Our first stop? Caesarea, where King Herod built a magnificent Roman seaport. This is also where Peter baptized the Roman centurion Cornelius, the first gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10:1-8).

A devotional atop Mt. Tabor

We’ll continue along the coastal road north to Mt. Carmel for a breath-taking view of the Jezreel Valley from the spot where Elijah (1 Kings 18:16-45) challenged the prophets of Baal. My hubby did a devotional for our group back in 2000 in the chapel on top of Mt. Carmel. But I think this time, we might wait for the devotional until we get to the next stop…

Driving through the lush Jezreel Valley, we’ll reach  Megiddo. Remember that Megiddo was a fortified city mentioned in several of my books—one of Solomon’s chariot cities in Love’s Sacred Song. Remember when Solomon made his midnight ride to Shunem? Arielah (designated, the Beloved or She, in Scripture) said,

“Listen! My beloved! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.” Song of Solomon 2:8-9

Arielah (the shepherd girl) peers out her latticed window and sees a man on horseback approaching her window and tries to reason out who it might be:

Few travelers ventured through the Judean Wilderness at night, and even fewer risked the journey alone. A horse could travel from only two cities at that speed, Jezreel in the south or Megiddo in the west. This rider approached from the south—Jezreel.

Perhaps it’s a royal courier. She thrilled at the thought. Maybe he came all the way from Jerusalem, trading for fresh horses at the three chariot cities along the way.

We’ll traverse that same climate, vegetation, and valley—in a bus, thank heaven! And our guide will point out the location of ancient Shunem, Arielah’s northern city—in the shadow of Mt. Hermon, as we travel east toward the Galilee region.

At Nazareth Village, we’ll experience the replica of a 1st–century farm & village and center our hearts on some of Jesus’ teachings. Afterward, we’ll drive through the city of Nazareth on our way to our three-night Galilee accommodations—the Ma’agan Eden Kibbutz Holiday Village—where we’ll check in and enjoy a lovely dinner.

What’s a Kibbutz?

In general, a kibbutz is a communal settlement in Israel in which all wealth is held in common and profits are reinvested in the settlement. The first kibbutz was founded in 1909; currently there are about 270, with a total population exceeding 120,000. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kibbutz)

If you’d like more information on our specific accommodations at the Ma’agan Eden Kibbutz Holiday Village, CLICK HERE. Located on the southern coast of the Sea of Galilee, each window has a view of the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Galilee. Check box #2 on dipping our toes in Israel’s four bodies of water!

Is This A Sales Pitch?

Mostly “no” but partly “yes”. I realize a trip like this isn’t possible for some—either for financial reasons or because of life-stage and/or circumstances—but if it’s ever been on your bucket list…make sure you do it. And, if at all possible, come along with Roy and me! Our tour is capped at 40 travelers because we want to keep everyone on one bus. Why? Because we’ll become a family on this trip. The things we’ll experience spiritually and emotionally during these 12 days in Israel will be life changing. And while we’re on this dream trip, why not add the 3-day/2-night extension to Petra, Jordan—the location some believe to be Job’s city of Uz (Job 1:1). There’s still room for you! CLICK HERE for more information.

If you can’t come along in March 2020, it’s okay! Over the next few months, I’ll show you some pictures of our trip from 2000 and give you a little background on some of the amazing locations we’ve seen—and others we’ll see in March—that correspond to places in my books.

Why Israel Matters to Me

I became a believer in Jesus Christ because of Genesis 3:15—not just John 3:16. When someone showed me that the Bible was one, single story, and it was MY story—about MY history and MY future—it’s become a passion to learn all I can about it.

As I mentioned above, Megiddo is one of the locations we’ll see on the first day of touring. Besides its significant OT history, it also has a significant role in the world’s future. Biblical scholars believe Revelation 16:16’s referral to “Armeggedon” is likely Hebrew for “hill of Megiddo.” So much of the Bible comes alive when we walk the Land God chose to make a part of His Story. Learning more about it matters. I hope you’ll walk through it with me for the next few months—and perhaps even in March 2020!

To read Part 2 of our “Experience THE BOOK Tour” posts, CLICK HERE.