Israel Journey

This is the diary of Clay Corvin and his experiences as he, Tom Krimsier, Stan Watts, and Robert Cleland traveled in Israel. The trip was from 11/11-11/24/95.
We began our 7,500 plus mile trip on 11/11/95, Saturday, from New Orleans, heading for Tel Aviv. Traveling on Delta to Brussels we experienced excellent weather and minimal wait times. The planes were comfortable except that the change to Sabena in Brussels was a tight fit, their configuration on the 767-300 wasn't as comfortable as Delta.

We had several goals in mind as we began our journey:

1.Not rush through the trip. See the sights and think about what they mean in light of our personal knowledge of the Scripture and personal experience with the Lord. This was my fifth trip to the Holy Land and for me was a journey of bringing things together. I was focused on learning the road system and the location of all of the major religious sites. Also, I had spent the previous year reading through the Bible with an eye to identifying locations of mountains, passes, and locale of several Biblical events.
2.Hear the history. There are voices from the past that speak today. The Bible, ancient kingdoms thru their physical remains, land forms, commerce of the region, interaction with neighbors and other things that are happening in the land.
3.Experience the emotion of the land of Israel:
4.Share our experiences in devotional times, fellowship during the daily travel, over coffee and tea, and as we turn back toward home at the end of our time in Israel.
5.Take good pictures and a good video. Stan took the video and did a good job.

I want to know Him permeated my every thought as we journeyed toward Israel. I read the Bible, contemplated previous trips, and rehearsed our own journey that would begin on the 11/12.

I remembered the chaos at the Eldan Car rental station. Everyone arrives to pick-up cars in huge batches and it took an hour to get through the paperwork and exit the airport complex. We didn't have a good map so we headed to the Mediterranean and turned left to wander down to Bat Yam. It took us about an hour and a half to make the thirty minute trip from Ben Gurion Airport to the Sun Hotel in Bat Yam. Although the Sun is a decent hotel, it is a little out of the way for an Israel journey.

Up for an early breakfast on Monday morning, 11/13/95, and on our way. The traffic to Jaffa was atrocious. We made it without a great deal of hassle. We were earlier than the tour busses and spent some few moments looking at the Mediterranean from the wall area. We were near Simon the Tanner's house, and began walking the old walkways by the old wall. We were well aware that these walls and walkways were only a few hundred years old but they were where it happened. Jonah came this way. He refused to follow God and the Lord chased him down. Does God do this to us today? I think so. He has in my life.

We walked up to the park near the clock tower. We could see modern day Tel Aviv on the beach. It was very pretty and growing, it seemed while we watched. Buildings being built everywhere. A testimony to the keen interest the entire world is experiencing for Israel. Tourism is growing, hotels are filled up and time marches on.

After about an hour, we headed back to the car and began our journey north. We fully intended to stop at Caesarea by the Sea but missed the turnoff and continued on to Muhraqa. We journeyed into the Carmel Mountains and turned off the main road up to the Carmelite Mission at Muhraqa where Elijah called down fire on the altar and killed the prophets of Baal and Ashtorah.

The sun was bright and the sky clear. Below the overlook on top of the Carmelite building we could see the Via Maris. Looking across the Jezreel Valley we could see Mt. Tabor and to the right Megiddo. We read 1 Kings 18 and prayed that the Lord would teach us about servanthood on this pilgrimage. Time to go so we loaded up and carefully traversed the road back to the main road and down to Megiddo.

Megiddo exudes antiquity. Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer preceded the journey of the ancients into the Promised Land and guarded the trade routes to and through this ancient land bridge between the civilizations to the north and those in Egypt. We purchased our National Parks pass in the ticket area and headed up to Tel Megiddo.

Unfortunately, the water tunnel was closed for maintenance but we walked the entire site, taking pictures and talking. Taking time to identify various locations on the site. The gated entrance is always impressive to me and the silo is of major importance, especially if you lived in the city in ancient times. Sometimes when I've been there, Megiddo was too hot or too cold and windy. Today, it is just right. We really enjoyed the site
visit.

We walked back to the entrance complex and stopped for lunch at the cafeteria. The people were very friendly and we ate our meal outside on the patio. It was very relaxing. We continued our trip headed for Tel Bet Shean. The traffic was heavy and we drove very carefully as we traveled to Bet Shean. We parked the car in the parking lot at Bet Shean and as we entered the National Park site, we were impressed with the beauty of the site. They were working full speed ahead developing the ancient Roman City.