Visitors can't resist taking pictures of the upper falls at En Gedi, as Patty McClure demonstrates.

Susan Sevier at En Gedi, where she had to compete for attention with two hyrex (also called coneys) feeding in nearby trees, and passersby on the trail. The study tour from Campbell University Divinity School started the day at En Gedi, an amazing oasis on the west side of the Dead Sea, the place where David famously cut off a corner of Saul's garment but refused to harm the king, who had gone into a cave to relieve himself while on a mission (with 3,000 men) to find and kill David, whom he deemed to be a threat.

Susan Sevier, a student at Virginia Theological Seminary who is traveling with our group, led us in a devotion from 1 Samuel 24 while also teaching us a Hebrew song, which Israeli school children joined in with gusto as they passed by on their way to an outing.

While some of the group stopped at the lowest fall, others hiked the steep trail past several other cataracts to the highest fall, which spills from a crevice in the mountain as if gushing straight from the rock -- an amazing sight, especially for the thirsty.

Brown-winged blackbirds guard empty storage rooms at En Gedi, while visitors view the northern palace in the background.And we were more than thirsty at Masada, a mountain fortress complete with two palaces that Herod the Great built as a potential retreat from danger, but never used. Masada is most famous as the stronghold from which nearly 1,000 Jewish zealots held out for six months against Rome's famed 10th legion, ultimately committing mass suicide before surrendering to the Romans.

Masada offers some amazing sights ... The rugged fortress, atop an isolated mountain ridge, was equipped with nine massive water cisterns to preserve what little rain falls in the area; large storerooms for grain, dried fruit, and wine; a Roman bath house complete with a cleansing pool, cool room (frigidarium), warm room (tepidarium), and steam room (calderion); and living quarters for all who resided there at different times.

A synagogue with benches built around the walls is one of the oldest surviving synagogue structures in the world, and families still come there to celebrate bar and bat mitzvahs.

Lunch at Masada offered several options, including a McDonalds which featured the "Big America" burger, which one won't find in America.

Brothers: Thomas Farrow noted that Josh Owens had a chance to experience being a "person of color." So did many others.A trip to Israel isn't complete without an opportunity to float in the Dead Sea, which is the lowest spot on the face of the earth at 1300 feet below sea level, and 10 times saltier than ocean water. The water is so bouyant that "swimmers" can float in any sort of configuration, including vertically, and never worry about sinking. Our crew enjoyed both the sea and it's famous mud, which is claimed to work miracles for the skin.

The day was long and hot, and tomorrow begins with a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call, but when you've come this far, you want to see and do all you can -- including being thankful. Very thankful.

(You can find other blogs from our group at these links:

David Stratton: davidsdeliberations.blogspot.com

Josh Owens: joshuakowens.blogspot.com

Susan Sevier: sevierlybaptist.com)

The ancient boat (an older picture, when they were still studying it).The church of "Peter's Primacy," near Capernaum.The remains of a 2,000-year-old fishing boat carefully preserved helped the study tour group from Campbell University Divinity School launch into a fifth day of travel in Israel. After brief visits to the church at Tabgha, which commemorates the feeding of the 5,000 with a famous mosaic floor, and the neighboring Peter's Primacy, where a tradition holds that Jesus cooked breakfast for the disciples and confronted Peter after the resurrection, we bade the Sea of Galilee goodbye and headed south for Jericho.

The ancient tower at JerichoThe city of Jericho claims to be the oldest city in the world, as archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon found an ancient tower there that could date back as far as 8,500-10,500 years ago. The city is located in a desert region some 1,000 feet below sea level, and could only exist in ancient times because it is home to a strong spring that makes the city a green oasis amid a barren wilderness overlooking the Dead Sea (see the photo below)The traditional "Mount of Temptation," near Jericho.

A nearby mountain is known as the "Mount of Temptation" due to a tradition that Jesus was tempted there after his baptism in the Jordan at a site nearby, at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. We royally failed temptation by eating a buffet lunch at the "Temptation Restaurant" before going to visit the baptism site.

The Israeli side of the baptism site is called Qasar el Yehudah. Although the water is muddy, shallow, and foul-looking at that point, a group of Russian Orthodox believers were baptized, then splashed each other with glee before emerging from the river.

Cave 4 at QumranThe sun was really bearing down as we drove a few miles further south to the site of Qumran, where a small village is thought by many to have been the headquarters of the Essene community, and where the "Dead Sea Scrolls" were found in nearby caves. The most important of these caves, known as Cave 4, is just across the deep wadi from Qumran, though difficult to access.

Jerusalem, from the Haas PromenadeA short jaunt up the old Jericho road allowed us a short look at St. George's Monastery, built into the side of the deep wadi Qelt, and from there we drove less then 20 miles, mostly uphill, into the city of Jerusalem, where we caught our first glimpse of the temple mount while singing "The Holy City," and stopped for a brief devotion at the Promenade overlook before heading to our hotel, where we will spend five nights before returning.

Do you find a journey like this intriguing? We plan to do it again in May of 2015. You might want to start planning now!

(You can find other blogs from our group at these links:

David Stratton: davidsdeliberations.blogspot.com

Josh Owens: joshuakowens.blogspot.com

Susan Sevier: sevierlybaptist.com)

Modern Jericho, from Tell Es-Sultan (the tel of the ancient city)

Walking on the cardo of Scythopolis, with the Beth She'an tel in the background.

Susan Sevier sings from the stage of the Roman theater in ScythopolisScythopolis (so named because it was populated mainly by Scythians) was a prosperous city with a beautiful colonnaded cardo, a huge temple to Dionysius, two bathhouses, a hippodrome, an amphitheater, and a theater. We visited the theater first, where contralto Susan Seveir, a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., thrilled all present with a scintillating rendition of "The Holy City."

After visiting the lower city, about half the group climbed the 200 or so steps needed to reach the top of the tel, where we could take pictures of the lower city and pose beneath a tree prop left from the filming of Jesus Christ Superstar more than 30 years ago (Judas hung himself from it in the movie).

I got the privilege of demonstrating how to "lap like a dog." Photo by Susan Sevier. From Beth She'an we traveled to Harod Spring, also known as Gideon's Spring. Judges 7 tells the story of how God told Gideon to reduce the size of his army so any victory would be clearly attributed to God and not to the army. Gideon had 10,000 men drink from Harod Spring, choosing only those who "lapped like a dog" while remaining alert rather than sticking their faces in the water -- and winnowed his forces to 300 people, who were indeed victorious.

A scenic drive past fields of sunflowers, mangoes, and other crops took us near Mount Tabor on our way back to Tiberius, where we had an amazing lunch of St. Peter's fish at the Decks cafe, on the waterfront of the Sea of Galilee. We boarded a boat directly from the cafe and made our way north across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, where we viewed an ancient church built over the traditional site of Peter's home, and saw a fourth century synagogue built over the basalt foundations of the first century synagogue where Jesus would have attended and likely taught during the time he spent in and about Capernaum.

Thomas Farrow, pastor of one of two First Baptist Churches in Clinton, NC, leads the group in a devotion at Capernaum.Nathan Morton, pastor of Burgaw Baptist in Burgaw, N.C., speaks a confession before Dr. Cameron Jorgenson charges him to "remember your baptism." Morton then baptized two members of his congregation.One of the greatest surprises for some of our travelers has been the discovery that the "Sea of Galilee" (also known as Kinnereth and Lake Gennesaret) is not really a sea, but a big lake. A nice drive around the north and east sides of the lake brought us to the southern end, where 18 members of our group took the opportunity to remember their baptism in the waters of the Jordan River at a location called Jardenit.

It was a long and hot day, but filled with inspiring experiences that left many of us feeling, on this Pentecost Sunday, that the Spirit of God was indeed present in our midst.

Guide Doron Heiliger explains the structure of the Roman theater at Caesarea Maritima.After a Sabbath breakfast we struck out on a long drive to the coast, where we visited the Roman theater in Caesarea Maritima, where Peter brought the gospel to Cornelius and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Gentiles gathered there. Doris Moore-Russell led our devition, reminding us of the story, which took on added significance, given that our visit took place on the day before Pentecost, and the events of Acts 10 are sometimes called the "Gentile Pentecost."

Remains of Herod's palace in Caesarea MaritimaCaesarea Maritima, the Roman capital of the territory of Israel, was also the place where Paul was held prisoner for a time after appealing to Caesar. It's where he made his appeal before governors Felix and Festus along with King Herod Agrippa, "almost persuading" Agrippa to become a Christian. The ruins of Herod's palace are still visible, along with an amazing hippodrome (where chariot races were held) and impressive mosaic floors.

Group members enter through the Canaanite gate at Megiddo.The city of Megiddo, the most important fortified hilltop in ancient Israel, was next on our list. In a commanding position over the Via Maris (the main highway from Egypt to Mesopotamia), Megiddo was such a desirable spot that it was constantly the target of invading forces, including the Israelites (Josh. 12:21 says that Joshua defeated the city, though Judg. 1:27 says they were unable to conquer it).

The Canaanite altar at Megiddo was once atop the hill, one of the "high places" of the Canaanites.Archaeologists have uncovered 21 occupation levels at Megiddo, going back more than 5,000 years. An amazingly intact circular Canaanite altar is there, along with an equally impressive cone shaped storage silo for grain, cut at least 30 feet into the ground. We saw evidence of stables built by Solomon or one of the kings that followed him, as well as a massive excavation project resulting in an underground tunnel leading to a disguised water source outside of the city.

Lunch brought a special treat. As it was the Sabbath and most Jewish-owned restaurants were not open, we ate at a place owned by Arab Christians in Nazarath. There we enjoyed courses of pita bread and arguably the best hummus in the Galilee, a variety of fresh salads, kabobs made of chicken or meatballs containing ground beef and lamb, and baklava for dessert.

Fully fortified, we made our way north a bit to Sepphoris (also known as Zippori), which was a Roman town in Jesus' day, but so close to the sleepy village of Nazareth that it's likely that Joseph and Jesus would have found carpentry or stonework there. Sepphoris is a large site containing a theater, several villas owned by wealthier residents, and an impressive city complex featuring a Roman cardo (the main road, running north-south) paved with limestone, crisscrossed by the decumanus, the primary east-west street. The white pavers still bore grooves worn by countless wagon and chariot wheels eating into the relatively soft limestone.

Amy and Patty McClure paused to pose beside the "Amazon" mosaic.The lower city also contains a number of impressive mosaic floors, including one that features the mythical Amazons on a hunting expedition.

From Sepphoris we returned to Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation, a modern church built over the ruins of an ancient church that was destroyed by an earthquake in the seventh century. The older church was built over a cave-house that, in popular tradition (I emphasize tradition, as there is no real evidence) thought to be the home of Mary and Joseph, and the place where Mary received word from Gabriel that she would bear Christ (an announcement known as "the Annunciation").

In the lower level of Nazareth's Church of the Annunciation, the grotto where tradition says Gabriel announced the news of Jesus to Mary.It happened, as we entered the lower level, that a wedding was concluding on the upper level, so we got to hear the organ playing loudly and to see many happy people enjoying a special occasion.

Our last special occasion of the day was a journey to the top of "Mount Precipice," a tall hill just outside of Nazareth. With some evidence, it is thought to be the place described in Luke 4 when the people of Nazareth, unhappy with Jesus' unorthodox teaching, tried to throw him off the cliff before he "passed between them" and escaped.

Cameron Jorgenson holding forth on Mt. Precipice.Dr. Cameron Jorgenson read that scripture for us and reminded us to be bold with the gospel, even when though it could be a dangerous message. The wind was blowing so hard that when I asked that we sing a hymn, the first suggestion was "I'll Fly Away" -- and we sang it with gusto before heading back to the bus and the hotel for a late dinner and meeting to prepare for tomorrow, when more inspirational opportunities await. 

A panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley, from Megiddo.

David Stratton: davidsdeliberations.blogspot.com

Josh Owens: joshuakowens.blogspot.com

Susan Sevier: sevierlybaptist.com)

At Tel Hazor we had our first opportunity to examine a tel, a man-made hill built up from the ruins of a city that has been built, destroyed, and rebuilt many times, with each step adding to the height of the hill. At Hazor, 21 occupation levels go back 4,000 years or more. We entered through an Israelite gate and saw remains from an earlier Canaanite period, including a large cultic and administrative structures made largely from mud brick. The olive press at right comes from the Israelite period.

From Hazor we drove north to Dan, the northernmost city in Israel, where we saw the beautiful spring, the main headwaters of the Jordan River, and climbed up an old cultic site where an extant temple platform may go back to the time of Jeroboam, the first king of Israel. The author of 1-2 Kings regarded Jeroboam as particularly evil because he built temples at Dan and Bethel and put golden calves in them. From the high place we could look directly into Lebanon, and see a rusted out tank left from conflicts in 1967 and 1973. Some intrepid travelers walked through an old Israeli bunker.

Our next stop was the Banyas (or Panyas), where a grotto and a large spring gave rise to ancient worship of the nature god, Pan. The spring used to come from the grotto, and it was regarded by some as an entrance to the underworld, thus known as the "Gates of Hell." Herod Phillip built the city of Caesaea Philippi near the site. It was there, at a site considered holy to other gods, that Jesus asked his disciples "Who do men say that I am?" When Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus spoke of Peter's involvement in building the church, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16).

From Banyas we drove into the Golan Heights, near the border with Syria, for a nice (if late) lunch in Druze village (the Druze are an independent offshoot of Islam). There we ate "Druze pita" made from very thin bread smeared with soft goat cheese and drizzled zata (hyssop and other herbs in olive oil), then folded and heated on a grill. Others ate schnitzel or falafal sandwiches (falafals are like Mediterranean hushpuppies made from ground chickpeas).

Going deeper into the Golan, we paused at the "Valley of Tears" overlooking Quneitra, a Syrian city destroyed during the 1973 war, and later rebuilt further from the border. Many soldiers on both sides died in the fight, with two vastly outnumbered Israeli tank brigades barely managing to hold the high ground against the Syrian advance. 

An opportunity to swim in the Sea of Galilee (cool and refreshing), along with another delicious dinner, capped the day for a happy and inspired group of travelers.

Tomorrow (for any friends or family who are following from home), we will be following the Sunday itinerary, then doing the Saturday itinerary on Sunday. We're doing this because some of the places we planned to visit are closed on Saturday for the Sabbath.

Shabbat shalom!

(You can find other blogs from our group at these links:

David Stratton: davidsdeliberations.blogspot.com

Josh Owens: joshuakowens.blogspot.com

Susan Sevier: sevierlybaptist.com)

A group of 37 folk landed in Tel Aviv today, traveling with me and others from Campbell University Divinity School. We all arrived safely, healthy, and with luggage intact: praise be to God.

For the first several days of our pilgrimage, we're staying at a kibbutz hotel called Nof Ginosar. It's on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, between ancient Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene) and ancient Capernaum (home of Peter and Andrew, some of the other disciples, and Jesus' home base for much of his ministry).

I'm posting a few pictures below for the sake of loved ones back home, and plan to add highlights from our journeys along with more photos for the next ten days or so. Other group members may also be blogging, and I will also post links to their blogs if I can.

At the moment, however, I've been in the same clothes for at least 36 hours, and I'm looking forward to sleeping where Jesus slept -- or at least within a reasonable proximity.

And he loved a good fight.

Gene Puckett always had an opinion and was willing to share it: folks were rarely in doubt about where he stood on the issues.

I read Gene's sometimes sharp and sometimes touching editorials for years before being recruited to take over the editor's chair at the Biblical Recorder following his retirement in 1998. Not the actual chair: he said it was a tradition for the editor to take his chair home with him. I bought another chair, but used the same desk.

It was a privilege.

I'll be in Israel when Gene's funeral is held on Saturday, but will offer a salute from afar to a man who lived -- and died -- holding firmly to his convictions.

Photo by Luci Prazeres

This year, as graduation exercises for the Campbell University Divinity School unfolded, it was my turn to carry the mace, a ceremonial scepter of sorts the university considers so valuable that two security guys follow you around whenever you're carrying it, and meet you at the door to take it away the moment the service is over.

The mace-bearer enters first as a faculty representative and stands at the front as if presiding over the exercise while the graduates file in. And that's when the tears started trickling as I watched them come, taking note not just of the honor students who delight us with their amazing work, but also the ones whose cheerful attitudes routinely brightened our days, and especially those who had to struggle or overcome significant obstacles to achieve their goal of higher theological education.

People like David Vesper, a long-time Freewill Baptist pastor who's somewhere in his 70s and took 6 1/2 years to complete his Master of Divinity degree (including a year out due to health issues). David's vision isn't the best, so his wife Roxie drove him on the several hour journey to divinity school all those years, and read countless books while he was in class. Fellow student Ralph Johnson, an African-American pastor who graduated several years ago, and his gracious wife, hosted the Vespers for overnights so they could make part of the weekly trip the night before and arrive at school more rested. David went with me to Israel twice, bringing his sons. I will never forget watching him baptize Joshua in the Jordan River.

And people like Soo Mi Lee, who grew up in South Korea and traveled to Bolivia as a missionary, but realized her theological education needed greater depth. She worked hard on her English so she could come to Campbell and dig more deeply into an understanding of scripture, the church, and theology. I was happy that the Bethany Rush Cartledge scholarship could help make it possible for her.

And people like Luci Prazeres, originally from Brazil, who struggled mightily with migraines as she doggedly pursued the foundational education she wanted to improve her ministry -- in an unpaid position down in Robbins, NC. She and her husband worked hard and sacrificed much, while raising two young daughters, so Luci could learn and grow and mature in ministry.

It is customary at Campbell for a loved one to bring each graduate's hood forward as they step to the stage to receive it, and for student prayer partners or other friends to stand in support as students receive their degrees. Watching the process as men and women from their 20s to their 70s came across the stage, white and black and Hispanic and Asian, Baptist and Methodist and Pentecostal and more -- how could I not let a tear fall in their honor?

I can't even write about it with dry eyes. Joyous pride in the accomplishments of others can do that to you.

As colleges and graduate schools all over fill Mothers' Day weekend with pomp and circumstance, I predict an outbreak of happy tears -- and as far as I'm concerned, that's just as it should be.

I landed full force on my right side, waist high, just at the point where the big pelvic bone called the ilium is just beneath the surface.

It hurt.

But, I caught my breath, said "Ouch," and decided it would be better to keep moving than to sit around and get stiff. I pointedly didn't look at the sore spot, but went about cleaning for another 90 minutes before putting up the vacuum and heading to the shower. For the first time, I looked at my side, where I expected to see a bruise forming, but the only color came from a patch of blood: the sharp edge of the tub had driven the waistband of my pajamas right through the skin and made a deep cut that clearly needed attention (I'll spare you further details or a picture, but the word "liposuction" comes to mind).

An hour later I had six fresh stitches and a delightful conversation with the doctor, who had never had a stitch or staple and jokingly complained that people like me get more than our fair share of sutures and don't leave any for him.

Two days later, I realized that I'd actually cracked the inch thick cultured marble shelf on the edge of my tub.

Double ouch. I must have one tough pelvis.

The episode reminded me that hurt can go further than we expect -- and not just to ourselves or to inanimate objects, but to real live people. There are times that we might say something critical to someone, or make a remark that we think is just joking around, only to discover later (if we discover it at all) that our words have cut deeply and caused more damage than we know.

It has reminded me to be more careful, lest I leave some dear soul needing stitches, or with a crack in an already troubled sense of self-esteem.

Perhaps it could remind you, too.

Cambodia's Angkor Wat, built as a Hindu temple, later refashioned as a Buddhist shrineThe few words in the article are scattered, repetitive, and badly in need of editing, but it's the pictures that matter: a collection of satellite images taken by the IKONOS satellite, the first commercial satellite capable of taking incredible high-resolution photographs and making them available to the public.

The posting combines satellite images with ground level photos of ancient wonders ranging from Egypt's pyramids and Saqqara temple complex to Mayan ruins like Chicken Itza, Britain's Stonehenge, and Peru's incomparable Macchu Picchu.

I've visited two of the wonders on display, the 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex near Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the pre-Columbian city and temple pyramids of Teotihuacan, northeast of Mexico City, parts of which go back to 100 B.C. I've visited sites near and similar to ancient Heliopolis, pictured from Lebanon. Perusing the IKONOS images leaves me adding even more wonders to the already crowded bucket list of places I want to go.

If you want to be impressed with the ingenuity and architectural accomplishments of peoples who worked with no access to power tools or even good steel, if you appreciate beauty and wonder, if you like the occasional excuse to say "oh wow," then check out the photos, and let yourself dream awhile.

It's good for you.