Israel 2012

Arriving at the Port of Haifa, Israel	Ships in Port at Haifa, Israel	Boats from Haifa Naval Museum with Mt. Carmel in the Background	Campers on Haifa Beach	Fruit Orchard Covered to Protect from Birds
Cattle Grazing along the Road to Jerusalem, Israel	Interesting Architecture for McDonald's Near Jerusalem	 Jerusalem Light Rail Became Operational in December 2011	Morning Traffic in Jerusalem	Overlooking Jerusalem
 The City of Jerusalem, Israel	Churches Dot the Skyline of the Old City of Jerusalem	The Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, Jerusalem	Hagia Maria Sion Abbey (Left) on Mt. Zion & Hurva Synagogue (White Dome) in the Jewish Quarter, Jerusalem	Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Grey Domes) is Built on the Hill of Golgotha in the Old City of Jerusalem
The East Side of the Old City Wall of Jerusalem Includes the Gate Through Which Jesus Entered on Palm Sunday	The Judean Desert Starts on the East Side of the Mount of Olives	Russian Orthodox Church of Mary Magdalene is on the Mount of Olives	The Garden of Gethsemane; Where Jesus Was Betrayed by Judas	Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane are Thought to Be 1,000-2,000 Years Old
Bill & Susan at the Garden of Gethsemane	The 'Sacred Stone' Where Jesus Prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane	The Catholic Church Enshrined a Section of Sacred Stone in the Basilica of the Agony	Susan at the Sacred Stone Inside the Basilica of the Agony	Behind the Altar at the Basilica of the Agony
Plaque Inside the Basilica of the Agony	Dome in the Basilica of the Agony	The Basilica of the Agony in Jerusalem	The Basilica of the Agony is Also Known as The Church of All Nations	An Arab Cemetery in Front of the Golden Gate was Built to Prevent the Return of the Jewish Messiah into Jerusalem
The Golden Gate Where Jesus Entered Jerusalem is Sealed	Churches on the Mount of Olives	Many Jews are Buried on the Mount of Olives Because They Believe that the Resurrection Will Begin Here When the Messiah Comes	A Bar Mitzvah Begins Outside the Old City Walls of Jerusalem	Blowing the Shofar at the Bar Mitzvah
Entering 'The Dung Gate' on the Southeast Corner of Old Jerusalem	Al Aqsa Mosque on the Old City Wall of Jerusalem	Area Outside the Temple Wall is Probably Where Jesus Expelled the Moneychangers	Guidelines for Visiting the 'Wailing Wall' in Jerusalem	The Six Stars Represent the Six Million Jews Killed in the the Holocaust
The Men's Side of the Wailing Wall	Jewish Ceremony at the Wailing (Western) Wall	Praying at the Wailing Wall	Notes & Prayers in the Cracks of the Wailing Wall	Women's Side of the Wailing Wall
Bill & Susan in Western Wall Plaza, Jerusalem	Western Wall Plaza, Jerusalem	3rd Century Arches Lead to the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem	Our Guide, Yizhak, Leads Us into the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem	The Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem
The Moslem Quarter of Jerusalem	The Way of the Cross is the Path Jesus Walked on His Way to Crucifixion	The Third Station of the Cross - Jesus Falls for the First Time	The Fourth Station of the Cross - Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother	The Fifth Station of the Cross Marker
The Fifth Station of the Cross - Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus to Carry His Cross	The Place on Via Dolorosa Where Jesus Placed His Hand on the Wall	The Sixth Station of the Cross - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus	Susan on the Via Dolorosa	Cafe on the Via Dolorosa
The Seventh Station of the Cross Marker	The Seventh Station of the Cross - Jesus Falls the Second Time	Chapel at the Seventh Station of the Cross	Big Tray of Rolls on Via Dolorosa	Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem
 Suq (Market) Aftimos Served as the Headquarters for the Crusaders in the Middle Ages	The Church of the Holy Sepulcher (also called Church of the Resurrection)	The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was Conscrated in 325 AD	Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher	12th Century Mosaic in "The Catholic Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross" in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Altar of the Cross in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is Tended by the Greek Orthodox Church	The Rock of Golgotha inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher	Icon of the Virgin Mary Above the Rock of Golgotha	Dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher	Mural in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Stone of Unction Where it is Believed that Jesus' Body was Prepared for Burial	The Edicule (Chapel) serves as an Entrance into the Holy Sepulcer Where Jesus was Buried	Jacobite Chapel in the 4th Century Constantine Church behind the Tomb of Jesus	Remainder of 4th Century Constantine Church Ceiling behind the Tomb of Jesus	 Entrance to a 1st Century Tomb in the Jacobite Chapel
Tomb in the Jacobite Chapel Thought to Belong to Joseph of Arimathea	Another View of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher	Explanation of Paving Stones from 3rd-4th Century AD	Ancient Roman Paving Stones in Jerusalem	Leaving the Old City of Jerusalem by the Jaffa Gate
Vendor Outside the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem	The 'Tower of David' (2nd Century BC) in Old Jerusalem	The King David Hotel (left rear) is an Important Landmark in Jerusalem	Flower Boxes in Front of the Hotel Where We Had Lunch in Jerusalem	Unknown Church in Jerusalem
Israeli Beer for Lunch	Israeli School Boys	YMCA Hotel in Jerusalem	Dormition Abbey on Mt. Zion is a German Catholic Complex Constructed by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1900	Dormition Abbey on Mt. Zion
On the Road from Jerusalem to Bethelehem	'Separation Wall' Around Bethlehem (Which is in the Palestinian Authority Territories)	Guard Tower on 'Separation Wall' Around Bethlehem	Entering Bethlehem	Graffiti on the Palestinian Side of the 'Separation Wall' Around Bethlehem
View of Beit Sahour, Palesinian Town near the Place where the Angel Announced Jesus' Birth to the Shepherds	A Sign on Manger Street in Bethlehem	Avoiding Copyright Infringement in Bethlehem	Shopping on Manger Street in Bethlehem	The Mosque of Omar (1860) in Manger Square, Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity (326-565 AD) in Manger Square, Bethlehem	A Jerusalem Cross in Manger Square, Bethlehem	The Only Doorway into the Church of the Nativity is 3 feet 11 inches Tall	The Church of the Nativity is Administered Jointly by Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic Authorities	The Mosaic Floor is from the Original Church of St. Helen (326 AD)
12th Century Mosaics Added by the Crusaders to the Church of the Nativity	12th Century Mosaics on the Wall of the Church of the Nativity	The Main Basilica of the Nativity is Maintained by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem	The Roman Catholic Church of St. Catherine is Part of the Church of the Nativity	Stained Glass in the Church of St. Catherine
Stained Glass in the Church of St. Catherine in the Church of the Nativity	In the Church of St. Catherine in the Church of the Nativity	Grotto of the Nativity is the Place Where Mary Gave Birth to Jesus	Chapel of the Innocents Commemorates the Children Who were Slaughtered by Herod	Statues of St. Jerome & St. Catherine at the Church of the Nativity
The "Crusader's Cross" is a Simpler Form of the Jerusalem Cross	John the Baptist Souvenirs Shop is Beside Manger Square	Har Homa is a Disputed Israeli Settlement Near Bethlehem	Leaving Bethlehem	More Graffiti on the Separation Wall Around Bethlehem
More Graffiti on the Separation Wall Around Bethlehem	More Graffiti on the Separation Wall Around Bethlehem	Leaving the Checkpoint at Bethlehem	Along the Road to Haifa, Israel	Sunset Over the Mediterranean Sea off the Coast of Israel
Overlooking the Mediterrean Sea Near Haifa, Israel	Fish Farming in Israel	Highrises in Tel Aviv, Israel	Apartments in Tel Aviv, Israel	Apartments in Tel Aviv, Israel
Bathroom Break Near the Armored Corps Museum, Israel	Israeli Tank on Display	Israeli Track Vehicle on Display	Trappist Monastery of Notre-Dame de Sept-Douleurs (1890), Latrun, Israel	Bedouin Camp in Israel
Bedouin Camp in Israel	Pulling Into a Layby Where the Road in Israel is at Sea Level	Camel Rides at Sea Level in Israel	Sculpture called 'Awakening Sea Level 2010'	Farming in the Judean Desert
An Oasis in the Judean Desert	Qumran Caves is Where the Dead Sea Scrolls were Discovered	The Dead Sea on the Israeli Side	The Dead Sea is a Salt Lake with Shores that are 1,388 ft Below Sea Level	An Israeli Checkpoint beside the Dead Sea
Resorts on the Dead Sea, Israel	The 'Lot Hotel' Resort on the Dead Sea, Israel	Lot Hotel Facilities at the Dead Sea	Susan, Richard, Bill, & Susan in the Dead Sea	Susan, Richard, & Susan in the Dead Sea
First Time in Bill's Life He Could Actually Float (in the Dead Sea)	The Dead Sea has 33.7% Salinity	Life Is Good Today	Driving North Along the Dead Sea	Looking Across the Dead Sea at Jordan
The Judean Desert on the Israeli Side of the Dead Sea	Masada is a Fortress in the Judean Desert Fortified by Hasmonean Kings in 50-108 BC	Cable Car to the Top of Masada	Riding the Cable Car to the Top of Masada	Masada Sits about 1500 ft Above the Dead Sea & 165 ft Above Sea Level
The Cliffs on the East Edge of Masada are about 1500 ft High with Clear Sight Lines to the Dead Sea	Entering Masada Fortress	Masada Plateau is 1,800 ft X 900 ft with a 4,300 ft Casemate Wall Around the Top	Sharon, Our Guide, at Masada	The Commander's Residence at Masada
Herod had 29 'Long Rooms' at Masda for Storage	Susan & Bill at Masada	Herod Built Three 'Hanging Palaces' at Masada (37-31 BC)	Herod Built Roman Baths in His Palace at Masada	Wall Decorations in Herod's Baths at Masada
37-31 BC Floor in Herod's Roman Baths	Inside the 'calderium' (Hot Room) in Herod's Roman Baths	The 'calderium' had a Double Floor on Columns where Hot Air Flowed under the Floor	Examples of the Clay Pipes that Carried Steam Through the Wall of the 'calderium'	Furnace Outside the 'calderium' (below the black line is the original wall)
Looking at the Ruins of the Middle Terrace of Herod's Palace at Masada	Site of Roman HQ during 72-73 AD Siege of Masada against 'Sicarii' Jews	Bird at Masada	Stairs Up the West Side of Masada	One of Herod's 1st Undertakings at Masada was an Intricate Water Supply System to Store Over 10 Million Gallons of Water
One of the Water Storage Cisterns at Masada	When Jewish Rebels took Refuge at Masada in 70 AD, They Made this Room into a Synagogue	This Siege Ramp on the West Side of Masada Took the Romans 2-3 Months to Build	Before the Romans Breached Masada in 73 AD, the Jewish Men Killed Their Wives & Children & then Each Other to Avoid Capture	Stones that Might have been Used to Repel the Romans Before They Breached the Wall
Remains of Barracks & Jewish Rebel Housing at Masada	Water Channel & Cistern in Wall of Masada	Snake Path Up the East Side of Masada	Part of the Dead Sea Canal	Bar Yehuda Airfield near Masada
Israeli Town Touted as Lowest Point on Earth (1388 ft Below Sea Level)	Farming in the Jordan Valley	Separation Fence Between Israel & Jordan	Looking from Israel across the Jordan River Valley at Jordan	Harvest Time in Israel
Israel Soldiers Taking a Lunch Break at a Convenience Store	Israeli Farmland	Driving in the Jericho Valley	Megiddo (Armageddon) has 26 Layers of Ruins in the Jericho Valley of Israel	Sunset Behind Mt. Carmel, Israel
Hill Leading to the Shrine of Bab, Haifa, Israel	Shrine of Bab Contains the Remains of the Bab, Founder of Babism & Forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá	Mary's Well in Nazareth Where Greek Orthodox Tradition Believes the Angel Announced to Mary that She Would Bear the Son of God	Nazareth Baptist School	Walking in Nazareth
Jaffa Oranges in Nazareth	The Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth is Built on the Site Where Roman Catholics Believe Mary was Visited by the Angel	Front Door of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth Depicts Major Events in Jesus' Life	Mosaic at the Church of the Annunciation Donated by the Philippines	Sculpture at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth
Inside the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Grotto of the Annunciation is Believed to be the Orginal Home of Mary	Stained Glass in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Stained Glass in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Jerusalem Cross Floor in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth
Inside the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Mosaic Donated by Spain to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Mosaic Donated by the USA to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Mosaic Donated by Poland to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Statue Donated by Venezuela to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth
Mosaic Donated by Japan to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Mosaic Donated by Mexico to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Mosaic Donated by France to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Stained Glass in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Natural Light Comes in from the 170 ft High Cupola on the Church of the Annunciation
The 170 ft High Cupola on the Church of the Annunciation	Part of the 'Ancient Village of Nazareth' at the Church of the Annunciation Date to the 7th Century BC	Byzantine Mozaic Probably Dates to the 4th Century BC at the Church of the Annunciation	Susan with Virgin Mary Statue in the Courtyard of the Church of the Annunciation	The Salesian Church of Nazareth Sits on the Highest Hill in the West of the City
Interesting Sign in the Shadow of the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth	Flowers in Nazareth	Leaving the City of Nazareth	Franciscan Wedding Church in Cana, Galilee, Israel	Tall Minaret in Cana, Galilee
Farming in the Jordan Rift Valley between Israel & Jordan	Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus Delivered the Sermon on the Mount Overlooking the Sea of Galilee	The Church of the Beatitudes Sits on the Hill where Jesus Delivered the Sermon on the Mount	Sign on the Walk to the Church of the Beatitudes	The Church of the Beatitudes (1936-38) was Built on the Site of a 4th Century Byzantine Church
The Church of the Beatitudes, Sea of Galilee, Israel	Byzantine Mosaics Outside the Chuch of the Beatitudes	Inside the Church of the Beatitudes	Early Sheet Music in the Chuch of the Beatitudes	The Church of the Beatitudes' Floor Plan is Octagonal; Representing the 8 Beatitudes
Inside the Church of the Beatitudes	Popes Paul VI & John Paul II Celebrated Mass at the Chuch of the Beatitudes	On the Terrace at the Church of the Beatitudes	Looking Across the Sea of Galilee at the Golan Heights	Garden and Hostel at the Church of Beatitudes
Greek Orthodox Church on the Site of Biblical Capernum	Walking Across the Jordan River North of the Sea of Galilee	The Jordan River North of the Sea of Galilee	Israeli Settlement on the Golan Heights	'Fisher of Men' Sculpture on the Golan Heights
Flowers by the Jordan River, Israel	War Memorial in Samakh, Israel is Dedicated to Lives Lost in 1948 Arab-Israeli War	Near the Entrance to the Yardent Baptismal Site on the Jordan River	Susan at the Yardent Baptismal Site on the Jordan River	Baptismal Site on the Jordan River Where John the Baptist Baptized Jesus
Mc Donald's in Hebrew Reads from Right to Left	Back at the Port of Haifa, Israel