Israel Day 2

Day 2 began with a lovely breakfast brunch at our hotel. We certainly will not go hungry on this trip! We then traveled from our hotel in Tel Aviv to Kiriath Jearim (beside modern day Abu Gosh) where the ark of the Lord rested in the house of Abinidab for 20 years (1 Samuel 6 to 7). There is a church run by a convent that sits on the location of this house. We then traveled to the Valley of Elah where David killed Goliath. We were encouraged to take five stones from the creek bed (the same one from which David picked his five stones to kill Goliath) as a reminder of what God can do when we trust Him. We then visited the Bell Caves at Bet Guvrin.  These are large caves from which soft limestone was quarried.  The outer layer of the limestone is hard and when they break through this hard outer layer, the limestone is soft and quite easy to carve out. As they work down the caves become wider resulting in a bell shape.  Our day concluded with a tour of the ancient city of Joppa (or Jaffa) which is 4,000 years old.  This is the port from which Jonah fled when told to go to the city of Ninevah and then subsequently swallowed by a large fish. It is also the where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9). Peter also stayed at the house of Simon the Tanner in Joppa when he had the vision from God of a large sheet of unclean animals coming down and he was told to kill and eat.  Later Cornelius from Caesarea sent for Peter (Acts 10). Below are some pictures from today

Our tour hosts, Norma Jean and David Mainse (founder of 100 Huntley Street) @ Kirieath Jearim

Our tour group at the place where the ark of the Lord was brought after being returned by the Philistines.

The inside of the church that sits on the site of Abinidab's house where the ark was kept.

200 year old olive tree beside the above church.

Inside one of the Bell Caves. At the top is the original opening. You can get an idea of the size from the person standing on the floor at the bottom.  They hold weddings and concerts inside these caves. There was also a church inside one of these caves when the Christians were in hiding.

The entrance to the house of Simon the Tanner in Joppa.  Right now there is an Armenian Christian family living in the house and it is not open to the public.

This is the view of Tel Aviv from the seaport at Joppa.  There is really no separation between these two cities.  But you can tell where one ends and the other starts as Tel Aviv is only about 100 years old whereas Joppa is over 4,000 years old.