A Journey following the beginnings of Christianity
Where: Ein Karem&Ma'ale Adumim in Jerusalem.
Duration: 1 days
What to bring: High-topped shoes, hat, sunscreen, water
Language: The tour is originally in English.
The largest religion in the world developed out of Judaism at the end of the Second Temple period, during a particularly turbulent period in the Land of Israel. What were the reasons why Jesus, who was a believing Jew and died as a believing Jew, acted for change? Did he consider another religion? Did he envision contemporary Christianity? What was the environment like at the time? What movements and trends existed in Judaism at the time? What existed in the pagan world that encompassed Judaism and the Land of Israel? Who were the Pharisees? The Sadducees? The Essenes? The Sicari? Why did this cult phenomenon begin in the Second Temple period? Who were the Samaritans?
Activities
We will try to answer these questions, visit the sites, determine the attitudes of each group, such as the phenomena of separatism versus universal phenomena. We will talk about the motivations for change embodied in the character of Jesus and then in the apostles, and in a religion that burst forth with great force.
We will begin at Ein Kerem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, visit his father Zechariah's house, Mary's Spring and the meeting place of Mary and Elizabeth, we'll see where John was hidden, visit the site of church ruins and its special story. From north of Bethlehem on the Patriarchs Road, we will travel eastward and stop in the area of Ma'aleh Adumim In order to tell the story of the Good Samaritan and why it is so important in our journey, we will descend to the Jordan River to the baptismal place of John, and in the late afternoon we will see Jericho and Carental where Jesus spent time in solitude.
It is a journey in search of spiritual perfection, and the clash between the worlds of the spirit and the worlds of action.
Matthew 4:16-17 - "The people living in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”