[caption align="aligncenter"]Israel Conquests[/caption] CONQUESTS The land of Israel is really quite small. The biblical borders of the "Jordan River to the Mediterranean" and "Dan to Beersheba" are about 65-miles wide and about 200-miles long, with virtually no natural resources, (there is no gold or silver or metal deposits). Even Golda Meir, former Prime Minister of Israel, humorously chided Moses when she said, "He travelled the wilderness for forty years and…

[caption align="aligncenter"]The Nativity Church In Bethlehem[/caption] THE NATIVITY CHURCH The traditionally accepted birthplace of Jesus is in a grotto located under the Church of Nativity. This is not inconceivable, in the sense that stables were usually on the ground floor or underneath the inn rooms. The tradition, however, only begins 175 years after the birth of Jesus. Three Christian churches, Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic, hold separate services here and…

[caption align="aligncenter"]Wild Oregano[/caption] LIFE GOES ON No matter the economic hardships one may encounter, this I know, life goes on. This family of Elimelech, with two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, settled in Moab for several years. Mahlon and Chilion took Moabite women to wife. Eventually, Elimelech died along with his two sons Mahlon and Chilion (whose names in Hebrew actually mean sickness and death). All that was left of Elimelech’s…

[caption align="aligncenter"]The Hula Valley[/caption] THE HULA VALLEY The challenge to drain the ancient, stinking swamps called the Hula, was met by new Jewish immigrants in the 1940's and 50's. The land is now fruitful. Many of the returning Lebanese visitors are surprised to see the new landscape which has changed considerably since they last saw it almost forty years ago. New settlements and development towns like Kiryat Shemona dot the…

[caption align="aligncenter"]Mount of Olives[/caption] MOUNT OF OLIVES In the Judean hills, the Mount of Olives looks over Jerusalem. It is about 2700 feet above sea level and is the highest of the several hills in the immediate area of the Holy City. This mount is sacred as a place for the dead as well as for its biblically renowned orchards and vineyards. The graveyard has been the hallowed resting spot…

[caption align="aligncenter"]Desert in Israel[/caption] On the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, an old inn has been restored to represent a New Testament parable Jesus told. Modern Christians call it the "Good Samaritan Inn." The truth is that Jesus never used the term "good" Samaritan. Let’s take a closer look . . . A lawyer, challenged Jesus, the Lawgiver: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25) Jesus, who…