NT Walk
On this walk I got to go to the Temple Mount which was really cool, we saw the dome of the rock and everything, but the crazy thing was being there on the mount and knowing that the Temple once stood there. This was just an amazing thing to realize because not just the fact that the Temple was there but that the Temple was where the glory of the LORD dwelt and so to be there in that area was just awesome. Also just walking around the Temple Mount area it was huge, the area around where the Temple once stood was a lot of area to cover and so this really put into perspective when Jesus cleansed the Temple because in this passage it is actually referring to the Temple area around the Temple and He went around overturning the tables and I was just sitting there thinking I can't even imagine running around this thing I would be exhausted! let alone overturning tables as I went! So that was no easy task of cleansing the Temple area.
Also on the New Testament walk we got to head outside of the Old City walls and go over to the Garden Tomb, which is the place that some people believe the tomb of Jesus to be rather than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Even though the Garden Tomb looks a lot more like a place where the tomb could have been it probably wasn't where the tomb and crucifixion took place, but there is an actual tomb there but it dates back more to the Old Testament times so that was still cool to be able to go into a tomb like that and see it.
Benjamin Field Study
This field study focused mainly on places that were located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. On this field study one of the main things we got to see was the city of Jericho. It was cool picturing the Israelites walking around this city and then the Lord working for them and knocking down the wall. There is a lot of excavations going on at this site and has been heavily debated for many years but even with all that stuff going on we were still able to walk around all over the area and see some of the ruins that had been uncovered and everything.
Also on this field study we got to go to the Aijalon Valley, which probably at first doesn't sound too familiar to too many people but it was the place where one of the coolest events in the Old Testament occurred (at least in my opinion). This was the account of Joshua and the Israelite army chasing the Amorites down this valley and while the Amorites were fleeing the Lord rained down large hailstones on the Amorites and when you think about it, the Lord has got some pretty amazing aim since the Israelites were probably pretty close to the Amorites and the Lord only hit the Amorites with the stones, pretty awesome if you ask me!
Jerusalem Approaches Field Study
This field study focused on a few of the different approaches that one could take as they approach Jerusalem, we were mainly at places to the south of Jerusalem. So on this trip we got to go to the town of Bethlehem which was pretty cool but of course the modern city is a lot different from what you have in mind you know but it was still amazing being at the place where the Savior of the entire world was born and came down from heaven in the form of human flesh! We got to roam around there for a little while and I went into the Church of the Nativity for a little while. And then we went to some fields just outside of Bethlehem where shepherds sometimes come and this could have been the location of where the shepherds were when an angel of the Lord appeared to them and proclaimed to them the birth of Jesus Christ the Savior, isn't cool to think that the Lord could have proclaimed this amazing birth to kings, rich men, people in power, but rather than those He chose to first proclaim this world changing message to the lowly shepherds, how amazing!
Also on this trip we went to the Herodian, which was the fortress/palace that Herod the Great built in honor of himself and is also where Herod was buried. This fortress was located on top of a hill with pretty much nothing too close to it and so from the top was an amazing view of a lot of Israel.
So I think that little summary kind of catches you guys up. I hope everyone back home is doing well! And you are fervently pursuing the Lord and growing closer to Him each and everyday!
