About two years ago, my parents had the opportunity to take a study tour of Israel. And about two years ago my parents decided to send me instead of themselves. Therefore, I offer a big thanks to them for providing me with this opportunity. And I’d like to ‘dedicate’ this post to them.
I spent the past 10-11 days on a study tour in Israel. We visited an unbelievable amount of locations (more than are represented in the photos here); and I took a enormous amount of photos (around 1,250!). I’d like to share an incredibly narrowed down selection of those photos. The following are some of my amateur iPhone shots that I took throughout the trip. Enjoy!
**Click on photos for larger images.
Jerusalem Area
Mount of Olives (left) and Jerusalem (right) from Mount Scopus.
View of the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem.
Jewish tombs on the Mount of Olives.
Gethsemane.
Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
Jerusalem sunset.
Damascus Gate (Jerusalem).
North wall of Jerusalem.
East wall of Jerusalem from the Kidron Valley.
East gate of Jerusalem.
South wall of Jerusalem with the Al-Aqsa mosque.
This man approached us during our tour as we walked along the east wall. As you can see, he had a human scull which he had retrieved from a muslim grave near the wall.
Excavations south of Jerusalem. It is known as “the filling” seeing it fills in the valley that runs through the city, between Mount Moriah and Mount Zion.
View of Jerusalem from the Israeli quarter of Jerusalem.
Ancient gate in Jerusalem (and our guide).
Inside Jerusalem (with view of the Dome of the Rock).
Wailing wall (western wall of the temple mount).
Army officers in Jerusalem.
Army officers in Jerusalem.
Shops in Jerusalem.
Location of the Pools of Bethesda – Where Christ healed a lame man.
Ruins of the Pools of Bethesda.
Location of the Last Supper.
Ruins of Caiaphas’ court – Where Christ was examined.
Broader Judah Area
Panoramic capturing the ‘lowlands’ from the Mediterranean to the hill country in the East towards the Jordan River.
Bethlehem.
Ramah (not to be confused with various other Ramahs). Place of Samuel’s burial.
Gibeon (photo taken from the Ramah mentioned above).
Road to Emmaus (Luke 24).
Beit Shemesh – A panoramic shot of the way the Ark of the Covenant travelled (1 Sam 6) as it moved from Philistine land (left) to Beit Shemesh (rocks on far right).
Elah Valley – Location of the fight between David and Goliath (photo was taken from the side of what was the Philistine’s camp).
Valley in which Jonathan and his armor bearer fought the Philistines in 1 Samuel 14.
Herodian ruins.
Herodian ruins.
Judean Wilderness and Dead Sea Area
Judean wilderness.
Judean wilderness.
Judean wilderness.
Qumran – Location of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
View of the Dead Sea from Qumran ruins.
Land mine warning signs (common in various parts of Israel).
Jordan River (photo taken near the Dead Sea).
Caves at Ein Gedi – Where David hid from Saul.
Ein Gedi.
Ein Gedi.
Dead Sea from Ein Gedi.
View of the Dead Sea from Masada.
View from Masada (Roman siege station on the left).
Samaria and Western Israel Area
Place where the tabernacle was located in Shiloh.
Mount Ebal (across), Shechem (see ruins in the valley between the two mountains), Sychar (top right) from the view of Mount Gerizim. This is where Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well (bottom right). This is the location of Joseph’s tomb. And from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim the Israelites proclaimed the blessings and curses of the Mosaic Covenant.
We ran out of gas in Samaria. And then we nearly couldn’t get the gas pump to work because the Sabbath was starting; and the gas pump was closed. We had to call the gas company to have them turn the pump on.
Megiddo (aka Armageddon) ruins.
View of the Jezreel Valley from Megiddo.
Mediterranean Sea.
Ancient aqueduct in Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea.
Ruins of Caesarea.
Chariot racing and gladiatorial arena in Caesarea.
Herod the Great’s palace ruins in Caesarea.
Sea of Galilee Area
Rules for entering Capernaum (various locations throughout Israel had ‘dress codes’).
Capernaum ruins.
Capernaum synagogue ruins.
Sea of Galilee.
Sea of Galilee.
Fisherman on Sea of Galilee.
‘Mount of Beatitudes’ (left) and the Sea of Galilee.
Corizim ruins.
Our guide, Arie Bar David (aka R.E.A.), doing whatever he wants (sign reads, “Do not climb”). In Chorazim.
Northern Israel Area
Tel Dan ruins.
Idolatrous altar at Dan.
Hasbany River in Dan.
Caesarea Philippi.
Mount Hermon – Traditional site of Gen 15; possible location of the ‘Mount of Transfiguration.’
Golan Heights.
Golan Heights.
Golan Heights.
Miscellaneous
Camel (taken near the Dead Sea).
Ritual bath (seen while walking the ‘Road to Emmaus’).
‘Seat of Moses’ (in ruins of synagogue in Chorazim).
Threshing floor.
Vineyard.
Larger winepress with smaller winepresses added later (seen in Shiloh).
Small winepress.
Judgment seat (in Dan).
Kirk E. Miller 
Kirk–these are great! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks son. Now go and continue to serve our Lord with heart filled with passion for our Great God and the teaching of His Word. We love you.
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