Page 41 - Holyland Magazine - 2020 Edition

Excited, he turned to me and said: “So it
means that what we read in the Bible, what
we teach our children, what we follow, is the
wholehearted truth, moreover, it has been
proven true.”
I replied to him: “Welcome to the study tour.”
Study tours come with schedules, long site
visits and are structured like an academic
course, with written and filmed material
administered before and during the tour,
dedicated specifically to each site.
Upon visiting a site, the guide and/or the priest
will give an account of its relevant highlights,
with a challenge to experience between five
to eight sites a day. The term drinking from a
fire hose is fitting in this case. So how do we
solve this problem you ask? The answer is,
technological means and self-taught material.
The goal is to convey a large amount of The Temple Mount Sifting Project
knowledge which will ‘sit in a participant’s
mind’ only after returning home, when
information will slowly begin to form a general
picture. Through a study tour, one can build a an archaeological analysis of the site, we learn Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave
visual image of the biblical story and prove it by that it was an unbelievably important pagan you birth (Isaiah 51:1).”
means of archaeological and physical findings. ritual center. That is to say, the biblical rock is Abraham our
By conducting a cultural analysis, we learn that father, and on the foundation of Abraham’s
An Illustration of a Site Tour: the Greeks and Romans believed the cave led faith and righteousness, Jesus will build his
to the opening of the underworld kingdom –
church, the same Abraham who gave birth to
One of the most significant sites on any study the kingdom of the dead. As Jesus said: “... the nation of Israel.
tour is Caesarea Philippi – Banias. and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
Imagine visiting this wonderful place, hearing it” (Matthew 16:18). That is, the followers of In a geographical analysis, Banias is located
on the road to Damascus, not far from the site
a flurry of waterfalls from the mountain flowing Jesus, those who obey his teachings, even in which the covenant between Abraham and
into the Jordan River as you slowly ascend to the kingdom of the underworld, could not God took place (Covenant of the pieces) where
the place where Jesus said: “Upon this rock, I have them, especially on this rock which is the God promised Abraham that his descendants
will build my church” (Matthew 16). doorway to that kingdom of hell. would inherit the Land of Israel.
Imagine a large cave which was used in Jesus’ In a biblical analysis – “on this rock I will build After an in-depth look at all the analysis above,
day to sacrifice goats to the Pan god (hence my church," what rock is Jesus referring to? we will read the verse, Matthew 16:18, once
the name Panias), a place associated with the We know that Jesus was most knowledgeable
pagan faith of the Roman era. in the text of the bible and often quoted the again: “On this rock I shall build my church,
and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
prophets: “Listen to me, you who pursue
According to Matthew 16, Jesus came with righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look
his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and gave his to the rock from which you were cut and to
sermon. Why did Jesus choose this place? In the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Omer Eshel – CEO The Bible Comes to Life Study
Tours – www.tbctl.com

Caesarea Philippi – Banias

41