KUC members take biblical tour through Israel
Posted In: Education
by Steve Bobo
Gil and Marlene Bowen led a group of mostly KUC members on a pilgrimage to Israel from November 4 through November 14. The group of 16 included Reverend Andrew and Christine Chaney. The Bowens have led over 20 such trips over the years, consistently using the same local guide and bus driver, so each day was well-organized and packed full of experiences. Much of the time was focused on visiting sites of religious significance, both from the Old Testament and the New Testament. Nazareth, Bethlehem, the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee and of course Jerusalem were all highlights. Other places were of more historical and archeological significance, including the multiple-layered remains of the ancient cities of Jericho, Megiddo, Sepphoris and Beit Shean, the temple of Pan at Banias, the Dead Sea, and the nearby mountain top fortress of Masada.
As interesting as the sites themselves were, we were also struck by their physical connections to Biblical events. For example, we saw a monument stone on which had been carved the name of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time of Jesus. Herod was no longer just a name in the Christmas story but we learned that he was the local king installed by the Romans. We visited several of his palaces and the remains of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, all of which were monumental in scale even by Roman standards. We retraced Jesus’s last days in Jerusalem, including walking the Via Doloroso, spending time in the Garden of Gethsemane, and visiting the sites attributed to the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.
We came to understand what a small country Israel is – it is only about 50 miles from the Mediterranean to its eastern border with Jordan. Water is obviously a precious commodity in most of the country, as the area east of Jerusalem is essentially desert, with towns and agriculture possible only where there are springs or other sources of water. However, grapes, bananas, avocados, and other fruit flourished in areas where access to water permitted it. Olives are an age-old crop as well. We all certainly enjoyed the local food and wine.
Part of the trip was devoted to learning more about the current political and social issues in Israel, most significantly the issues surrounding the Palestinians and the future of the West Bank. The issues were both weighty and complicated. We were exposed to many sources of information, including meeting with an official at the Israeli Foreign Ministry as well as well as an after-dinner talk with a U.N. employee who was involved with looking after Palestinian interests. Our guide offered his point of view on certain issues as well. While we didn’t come away with any new solutions to the Israeli/Palestinian problems, we certainly gained insight into their difficulty and the need to continue to look for a permanent peaceful solution for both Jews and Palestinians.
In addition to all the knowledge we gained on this trip, another benefit we gained was a real bonding with the other members of the group. Through shared experiences and spending most waking hours of eleven days together, the group grew close and agreed how meaningful the trip was to them. It was also a pleasure getting to know Andrew Chaney better away from his official functions in the pulpit. We are grateful to the Bowens for organizing and leading the trip as well as working hard to make it meaningful to us.
