“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree.” Psalm 91:12 (NIV)
In 2005, a team of researchers first tried to germinate a 2,000-year-old seed found in 1963 by archaeologists from the ancient fortress of Masada.
It sprouted and the researchers named this Judean date palm Methuselah, after the oldest man in the Bible who lived to the age of 969 (Genesis 5:27). Methuselah is a father. It has been successfully pollinated with another date palm, which is producing offspring.
Date palms once flourished in the valley from the Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. They were an important source of food, shelter, and medicine. Over the centuries, the Judean palm was decimated by years of war and foreign conquest. Some 800 years ago, the Crusaders destroyed the last remaining specimens, rendering the plant extinct.
The seeds of Judean date palm turned out to have remarkable longevity. Over the following years, the scientists were also successful at growing six more trees from seeds found mostly from Masada or Qumran where the world-renowned Dead Sea Scrolls were unearthed. Scientists pointed out that the Dead Sea, being the lowest point on Earth, has a special thick atmospheric layer that protect the seeds from harmful cosmic radiation.
You can see these amazing Judean date palms at Arava Institute Research Park in Kibbutz Ketura.
For more information on our destinations, click on the following: Israel | Jordan | Turkey | Greece
You will surely see the Western Wall when you visit the Old City of Jerusalem. The Western Wall is the only remains of the retaining wall surrounding the Temple Mount, the site of the First and Second Temples of Jerusalem, held to be the most significant site in the world for the Jewish people.
To celebrate the arrival of Shabbat, there is always a large crowd at sunset on Friday. The Western Wall Plaza is a popular site for bar mitzvahs which are usually held on Shabbat or on Monday and Thursday mornings. This is an excellent time to visit as the area is lively with families singing and dancing as they approach.
Western Wall Tunnel Tour
The part visible to all at the Western Wall Plaza is a small section (70m) of a much larger, mostly underground wall that stretches almost 500m long. Its greatness is truly awed when you descend underground to the Western Wall Tunnels. Walking through the tunnels, it is possible to see an ancient aqueduct, water pits, old cisterns, and Second Temple-era homes. You also get to touch the original and special stones from various periods. Many of these building stones are huge. The largest of these is the Western Stone, measuring up to 13m long and weighing over 500 tonnes.
If you are interested in a deeper look at the history of the Western Wall and Temple Mount, then this tour is worth 75 minutes of your time.
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In 1999, Wakf bulldozers illegally ascended the Temple Mount and surreptitiously removed 9,000 tons of ancient soil, laden with countless invaluable artifacts, without proper archaeological care, and dumped close to 400 truckloads of it all as “garbage” in the Kidron Valley.
Two archaeologists realised that this dumped soil is a potential treasure-trove of archaeological information about the Temple Mount. In 2004, they founded the Temple Mount Sifting Project which has grown into the world’s largest communal antiquities salvage effort, attracting hundreds of thousands of volunteers and tourists from across the globe, and unearthing over half a million valuable finds.
Every bucket of earth that is sifted contains fragments of pottery, glass vessels, metal objects, bones, worked stones and mosaic tesserae stones, spanning from the First Temple period to the present. Every stone has a historical meaning and background. They might have been used in the Temple, in the streets of ancient Jerusalem, the same stones that probably kings and prophets had walked on.
“For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.” Psalms 102:14, NIV
The Temple Mount Sifting Project is a splendid way to experience the work of an archaeologist while helping find artifacts that continue to shape the understanding of the history of this ancient and holy place. The opportunity to search through piles of history is surreal. Every bucket is filled with potential and the anticipation of what will be found is exciting for every participant. Each find made is exhilarating, whether small or large. For the geologists and archaeologists, the hard work of cataloguing is just beginning. For the tourists, it is fun, educational, and relaxing – dump each bucket onto a wood-framed screen mounted on plastic stands, rinse off any soil with water from a garden hose, and then pluck out anything of potential importance. A great way to spend an hour or two!
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Do you know that the City of David is older than the Old City of Jerusalem? In fact, it’s considered the birthplace of Jerusalem, the place where King David built his kingdom.
City of David
The entrance of the City of David is decorated with a harp, closely associated with David who took a harp and played with his hand to calm King Saul from his bad moods (1 Samuel 16:23).
“And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.” -1 Samuel 16:23 (NKJV)
Descending the stairs into the Large Stone Structure, the possible remains of King David’s palace or the Jebusite fortress that David captured. The foundations are visible at the top of the massive Stepped Stone Structure, believed to have served as a retaining wall for the palace or the fortress.
At the bottom of the massive wall is the House of Ahiel (based on the finding of a potsherd with the name Ahiel), a four-room house designed with a kitchen, storerooms, residential rooms, and a place for the cattle. In one room, a limestone toilet seat was embedded in the plaster floor, with a cesspit beneath it. The house had a central courtyard that was open to let in light since there were no windows in the house.
Hezekiah’s Tunnel
The Hezekiah’s Tunnel was first designed to bring water from the Gihon Spring to the Siloam Pool, as documented in the famous paleo-Hebrew inscription that was etched into the tunnel wall, describing the excavators, working from opposite ends, calling to each other near the completion of the project. Visitors get to wade through this tunnel. It is wet, dark, and exhilarating! If this dark and winding tunnel is too daunting, an adjacent Canaanite tunnel provides a well-lit and dry-shod alternative. Both tunnels lead to the ancient Siloam Pool, said to be the place where Jesus healed a man who had been blind since birth (John 9).
HALLELUJAH Nighttime Presentation
Not to be missed is “Hallelujah”, a spectacular multi-sensory night show displayed on the ancient walls of the City of David, telling the story of the rebirth of ancient Jerusalem, under the open night sky.
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The Garden of Gethsemane is a remarkably beautiful garden, across the Kidron Valley on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus went with His disciples to pray after the Last Supper just before He was betrayed and arrested (Mark 14:32-41).
“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” – Mark 14:32 (NKJV)
What is the meaning of Gethsemane?
The name “Gethsemane” is made up of two Hebrew/Aramaic words “Gat Shemanei” which means “olive press”, suggesting that the garden was an olive grove complete with an olive press where harvested olives were processed, crushed and the olive oil extracted.
Today, the garden has manicured and tended flower beds surrounding a protected area that includes eight magnificent ancient olive trees, with some said to be at least 900 years old, still producing olives.
Adjacent to the garden is the Basilica of the Agony, also known as the Church of All Nations, that enshrines a slab of rock where Jesus is believed to have been praying before His arrest. The church was constructed with support from 12 different nations, thus the name “the Church of All Nations”.
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The Dung Gate is one of the gates in the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, built in the 16th century by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Until the end of Ottoman Rule, the gate was merely a tiny doorway in the wall for pedestrians and pack animals to pass through. It was enlarged by the Jordanians who controlled the Old City between 1948 and 1967. After the Old City of Jerusalem was reclaimed by Israel paratroopers in the Six-Day War, the gate was restored.
How did the Dung Gate get its name?
The Dung Gate is first mentioned in Nehemiah 2:13 where the prophet examined the walls of Jerusalem which had been broken down and its gates which had been destroyed by fire. The gate is so named because of all the scattered rubbish and soil dumped out into the Valley of Hinnom below, each time Jerusalem was destroyed. When the First Jewish Temple was still in place, all the garbage and ash from sacrifices were taken out of the city through this gate into the valley to be burned.
“After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.” – Nehemiah 2:13 (NLT)
Today, the Dung Gate is the main entry to the Jerusalem Archaeological Park and Davidson Centre, home to archaeological finds and displays from the First and Second Temple periods. The Dung Gate is the most convenient of the Old City of Jerusalem’s seven gates for visiting the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter.
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Israel may be a tiny country in the Middle East region, but it has many interesting facts. Here is our list of 10 remarkable facts.
Fact #1
Israel is the only country to have revised a dead language and made it the national language. Eliezer Ben Yehuda developed a modern Hebrew vocabulary, combining brand new and ancient Hebrew words. Hebrew became the official language of the Jews in 1922, a testament to the hard work and success of Ben Yehuda and his fellow Zionist pioneers in spreading the language.
Fact #2
The Mount of Olives is the oldest continuously used cemetery in the world. Many Jewish people since biblical times have requested to be buried here, hoping to be first in line when the Messiah comes on the Mount of Olives. Many ancient monumental Jewish tombs line the hillside.
Fact #3
Israel is one of the few countries in the world that has a mandatory military service requirement for women. Women have served in the Israel Defense Forces since its establishment in 1948. Today, women make up about 40% of conscript soldiers and 25% of the office corps.
Fact #4
Scientists in Israel managed to grow fresh dates from 6th century seeds found at Masada and Qumran. Hannah, one of the Qumran trees, was pollinated by Methuselah, a 2,000-year-old seed found in excavations in Masada and grew dates, a type that has not been tasted since the times of Jesus and the Maccabees.
Fact #5
In Israel, a meal without a salad is not a meal. You can find Israelis eating Israeli salad for breakfast or dinner or as a side dish for lunch. Traditional Israeli salad is made from fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and onion. Israeli salad goes well with some of the best Israeli foods such as shakshuka, in a pita together with falafel, sabich or any other street food, or as a side during a picnic or BBQ.
Fact #6
Israel Postal Company receives letters from around the world and from people of all religious denominations that are addressed to God or Jesus. Israel Post keeps the letters in a department until they are placed once a year, ahead of Rosh Hashanah, into the cracks of the Western Wall.
Fact #7
Israel has five out of seven natural erosion craters in the world. Ramon Crater in the Negev desert is the world’s largest, measuring 40km long, about 2 to 10km wide and up to 500m deep. Ramon Crater forms Israel’s largest national park, a place for hiking, camping and other outdoor activities.
Fact #8
The glue on Israeli postage stamps is kosher. These stamps are certified kosher by the chief rabbis of Israel.
Fact #9
Israel is the biggest junction in the world for migratory birds. Every spring and fall, over half a billion birds touch down at Israel’s nature reserve and marshes to rest and refuel. People from around the globe flock to Israel to see a high diversity of feathered species from desert birds to wetland fliers to migrating flocks.
Fact #10
Israel is number 1 in the world in water recycling. About 90% of the wastewater generated in Israel is recycled and reused mostly for agriculture and trees. About 60% of the domestic drinking water supply in Israel is provided by desalination.
For more information on our destinations, click on the following: Israel | Jordan | Turkey | Greece
Passover 2022 begins at sundown Friday, 15 April and ends at nightfall on Saturday, 23 April 2022, that is, the Hebrew calendar dates of Nissan 15-22. Passover or Pesach is an annual weeklong festival commemorating the Biblical story of Exodus where God freed the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The Story of Exodus
Moses went to Pharaoh and asked that he let the Israelites go free from Egypt. Pharaoh said no, so God sent down 10 plagues to force the king to change his mind. The tenth and final plague was the most drastic: the killing of the firstborn sons by the angel of death. The Israelites were spared from the plague because Moses told them to mark their door posts with lamb’s blood so that the angel of death would pass over them. Thus, the name “Passover”. Pharaoh’s son died from the plague. In his grief, Pharaoh ordered Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt.
The people were happy but mistrustful of Pharaoh, afraid he would go back on his word again. In their haste to leave Egypt, the Israelites could not let their bread rise and so they brought unleavened bread and followed Moses into the desert. In commemoration of this, Passover is also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread where only flat unleavened bread or “Matzo” is consumed.
Seder
Passover is celebrated with great pomp and ceremony, especially on the first night, when a special family meal called the seder is held. During the seder (meaning “order” in Hebrew), family members eat, pray, drink, sing, discuss current social justice issues and tell stories as prescribed by the Haggadah, the Passover book.
The Sedar plate holds five or six items, each of which symbolizes a part of the Passover story. Parsley symbolises the new spring. Charoset, a sweet mixture of apples and honey, represents the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to construct buildings for Pharaoh. A bitter herb, often horseradish, associates with the bitterness of slavery. A second bitter herb, often Romaine lettuce, is used. A roasted lamb shank bone serves as a visual reminder of the sacrifice that the Israelites offered immediately before leaving Egypt. A roasted or hard-boiled egg represents a sign of new life.
Want to greet your Jewish friends a happy holiday? The greeting for Passover is simply “Chag Sameach!” (Happy Holidays) or “Chag Pesach Sameach!” (Happy Passover Holiday).
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Purim 2022 begins at sundown on Wednesday 16 Mar 2022 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 17 Mar 2022, that is, on the Hebrew date of Adar 14. Purim, also called the Festival of Lots, is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from the cruel Haman in the ancient Persian Empire; a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther. Purim celebrates the strength and resilience of the Jews.
In the 4th century BCE, the Jewish people lived under the rule of the Persian King Ahasuerus who had his wife, Queen Vashti, executed for refusing to follow his orders. The king decided to arrange a beauty pageant to find a new wife. Esther, a Jewish girl, caught his attention and became his new queen.
Meanwhile, the Jew-hating Haman was appointed prime minister of the empire. Fuelled by his hatred for Mordecai, the leader of the Jews and cousin of the new queen, Haman convinced the king that the Jews were rebellious and should be exterminated. With the king’s consent, Haman threw lots to determine the date for the execution.
Queen Esther asked the king and Haman to join her for a large feast. During the meal, Esther revealed that she was a Jew and pleaded for the Jews. She accused Haman of plotting the annihilation of her people. The outraged king ordered that Haman be hanged and that Mordecai be appointed the new prime minister. His first decree granted all Jews the right throughout the empire to defend themselves against their enemies. On Adar 13, the Jews mobilised and killed many of their enemies. After an exhilarating victory, the Jews rested and celebrated on Adar 14.
Purim begins with a day of fasting and reading the Book of Esther in the synagogue on the eve of Purim. On Purim (meaning “Lots” in Hebrew), the Jews exchange gifts and make donations to the poor. They eat a celebratory feast as well as triangle-shaped foods such as kreplach and hamantaschen pastries (“Haman’s ears”). When Jews meet each other, they say “chag Purim sameach” or “Happy Purim”. The day is filled with lots of fun, customs and traditions such as dressing up, carnivals and drinking.
For more information on our destinations, click on the following: Israel | Jordan | Turkey | Greece
“ …a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey…” (Deuteronomy 8:8, NKJV)
The olives trees in Israel have been around for centuries. It is mentioned many times in the Bible, indicating the great significance of the olive tree in biblical times. It is one of the seven species in the Land of Israel. The olive tree is extremely symbolic for the Jewish people. An olive branch stands on either side of the seven-branched menorah in the emblem of both the State and the Israel Defense Forces. The dove that returned to Noah’s ark carried an olive branch in its mouth to symbolise the end of the flood and the return of life to earth. Today, the olive branch is an international symbol of peace.
Olive oil has been more than just a food to the cultures of the Mediterranean region. It has been used for lighting, cooking, medicinal purposes, and moisturising skin. The oil of its fruit has anointed the noblest heads throughout history. Olive wreaths have also been given out to crown victorious athletes of sport as well as victorious generals of war.
The olive tree is among the oldest known of cultivated trees in the world. It can grow up to 6m high. Its trunk is thick and twisted with a silvery foliage. It has long roots that penetrate down to the deep, damp layers of the soil, making it capable of surviving through Israel’s dry summers. Its flowers appear in late April and during May. Olive trees start providing fruit when six years old and over. Its fruit grows during the summer, remaining green until November when it ripens, and its colour becomes purple black. It contains a high ratio of oil and is rich in Vitamin A.
In Israel, olive trees grow wild and are also cultivated. They are known to live longer than most other fruit trees. Some of the ancient trees now growing in the Galilee and the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem are thought to be at least 900 years old and beyond. Olives are now one of the most important fruits grown in Israel, with olive plantations in the mountains of the Galilee, on the coastal plain, and in the mountains of Samaria and Ephraim. While wild olives are reproduced from seeds, cultivated olives are planted using shoots that grown at the base of another olive tree. Psalm 128:3 uses this imagery in comparing children to olive shoots around the table.
Where can I buy Olive Oil products?
Today, many people recognise the health benefits of a diet rich in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and at the same time, are embracing a revival in the culture of bath and body products that use olive oil and oil extracts as their primary ingredients.
Olea Essence from the Sea of Galilee has an offering of olive oil and olive-based skincare that is eco-responsible and fully natural. You can check out this collection of products at Rock Gifts & Book Centre at The Star Vista #02-07 or visit their website https://rockonline.sg/collections/olea-essence
For more information on our destinations, click on the following: Israel | Jordan | Turkey | Greece
There are several stories about the mysterious Zedekiah’s Cave, a 5-acre underground limestone rock quarry under the Old City of Jerusalem. The stones for Solomon’s temple may have been hewn from this cavern, which is why the site is sometimes called Solomon’s Quarries. By Jewish tradition, it is the cave through which King Zedekiah snuck out of Jerusalem, escaping the Babylonians, hence its name Zedekiah’s Cave. Herod the Great used this quarry for his numerous construction projects including the renovation of the Second Temple.
The stones quarried from the cave are known as Melekh stone which is a high-quality type of limestone which had been used to craft many of the magnificent buildings in Jerusalem since biblical times. Suleiman the Magnificent apparently mined the quarry to build the present-day city walls. The cave was later sealed to prevent enemy attacks and its existence forgotten.
The cave was rediscovered in 1854 when an American missionary named James Turner Barclay discovered the entrance after his dog ran into a small opening that had been revealed by heavy rainfall. In the 1880s, a German religious cult moved into the cave but was eventually evacuated by the German Consul in Jerusalem after many fell ill from living in the damp conditions. The Freemasons believed that King Solomon was the Grand Master, and they regarded this cavern as the ideal location to hold their first ceremony in 1868. The Freemasons of Israel continue to hold an annual ceremony in it every year. The last known use of the quarry was for the building of the clock tower that once stood above the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.
At first, Zedekiah’s Cave was a small, natural cave. It became a quarry, possibly the largest quarry of Jerusalem in antiquity, and a large space was created following the many quarrying operations carried out there for centuries. After the narrow entrance, the cave slopes down into a vast auditorium-like chamber that leads into many “galleries” carved out by ancient stonecutters. At the back of the cave is a tiny spring known as “Zedekiah’s Tears” in keeping with the tragic story of the blinded king who shed upon losing his kingdom and seeing his sons executed by the Babylonians.
Today, the cave is a major venue for concerts and cultural performances throughout the year. The concert area inside the cave provides a unique experience for both artists and audiences with its exceptional acoustics.
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Greece is blessed with an exceptionally beautiful nature and striking landscape. Greece has a long history and innumerable stunning monuments to prove it. It was in Ancient Greece that philosophy has its roots, where democracy was born, where theatre came to life, and it was home to both the ancient and the modern Olympic Games.
UNESCO world heritage sites
Greece offers the world over 100 outstanding archaeological sites, with theatres, public assembly buildings, temples, public markets, revealing a history exceeding 5,000 years. Greece is home to some very interesting UNESCO world heritage sites: the beautiful monasteries in Meteora, the amazing Acropolis in Athens, the Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki and the many archaeological sites scattered all over the country.
Greek Islands
The thought of Greece conjures up images of the islands and the splendid beaches. Santorini is probably the most famous island in all of Greece. Greece has also some incredibly beautiful sunsets and crystal blue waters. Aboard the Aegean Cruise is one of the best ways to explore the different islands at every port.
In The Footsteps of Paul
Greece is also home to the noteworthy route that Apostle Paul took to spread the word of God in a time when polytheism was practised. This route comprises of places such as Kavala (Neapolis), Philippi, Thessaloniki, Veria, Athens, and Corinth.
Discover Greece with 3 Nights Iconic Aegean Cruise
Join us and tour across the endless blue seas and extraordinary mountain ranges of Greece, on foot and aboard the Aegean Cruise.
Tour dates: 12 Mar 2023, Sunday – 22 Mar 2023, Wednesday
Click here for tour details. Register today!
For more information on our destinations, click on the following: Israel | Jordan | Turkey | Greece