One People Travels, a leading travel agency in Ghana in collaboration with Ethiopian Airlines, has supported a group of Ghanaian pastors and media personnel to embark on a pilgrimage tour of Holy sites in Israel.
The memorable one-week experience in August 2018 was facilitated by the Israeli Embassy in Ghana and Israel Holy Land Travels in Israel.
The aim of the familiarization trip was for the pastors and media personnel involved to have an opportunity to visit the Holy Land at a reduced cost, and also to have a first-hand experience of the Travel Agency’s services.
On the seven day trip, the team first visited the traditional location of the Mount of Beatitudes, which is on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, was identified as the sermon place Since 4th century CE.
It is on this Mountain that Jesus is believed to have spoken words such as Blessed are the pure in spirt for they shall see God- an account given in Matthew chapter 5.
Magdala was an ancient city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, North West of Tiberias Sea. It is believed to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene.
Archaeological excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted in 2006, found that the settlement began during the Hellenistic period (between the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE) and ended during the late Roman period (3rd century CE).
Later excavations in 2009–2013 brought perhaps the most important discovery in the site: an ancient synagogue, called the “Migdal Synagogue”.
It is the oldest synagogue found in the Galilee, and one of the only synagogues from that period found in the entire country, as of the time of the excavation. They also found the Magdala stone, which has a seven-branched menorah symbol carved on it. It is the earliest menorah of that period to be discovered outside of Jerusalem.
The team later visited Capernaum, which is described as the hometown of Jesus.
Though no longer a functioning town, Capernaum’s importance in modern times is based on its rich history in antiquity and its multiple mentioning in the New Testament. Most notably, Capernaum is believed to have been Jesus’ home for three years and the centre of his ministry after leaving his birth town of Nazareth.
Reference to Capernaum as Jesus’ home and the place where He performed many of His miracles is made in the Gospel of Mathew chapter 8, where it is said that Jesus was approached by a Roman officer who asked Him to heal his servant when the latter fell ill. Jesus’ ability to cure the feverish servant serves to this day, as a reminder of His ability to work miracles. In the Gospel of Luke too, the town of Capernaum is mentioned several times with regard to Jesus prophetic abilities.
According to Luke, in the town of Capernaum Jesus healed a man who was possessed by the devil, as well as curing Peter’s sickly mother in law.
Capernaum is mentioned twice more in the New Testament, once as the home of Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the dwelling place of Matthew the tax collector. The second time Capernaum is referred to is as one of the three cities damned by Jesus for its inhabitants’ wrong doings and lack of faith in him. For all its importance in Jesus’ life and His ministry, Capernaum is a destination not to be missed when on a Christian tour to Israel.
Capernaum – The Ancient Synagogue
Of particular interest when on a Bible Land tour to Israel are the ruins of Capernaum’s ancient synagogue. Though there is no finite knowledge of the time the synagogue was built, archaeologist estimate that it dates back to the 1st century AD.
It was the Roman officer who asked Jesus to heal his servant that is credited with building the synagogue as a token of good faith and gratitude to Jesus for his miracle work. Liturgical documents indicate that Jesus held regular sermons in this synagogue, most notably the famed sermon on the Bread of Life (John 6: 35-59).
Of this ancient synagogue, only the western wall remained intact. It has been the foundation for a later synagogue built on the same grounds some three centuries later. The ruins seen in Capernaum today are of the later synagogue.
Capernaum – The House of Peter
Of the many residential structures uncovered in Capernaum, the one that drew the most attention is the house believed to have housed Peter, a place where Jesus is said to have visited often maybe even lived in.
Members of the team, who were already enjoying the experience, then moved to the sea of Tiberias, Galilee, where Jesus, after resurrecting from the dead, met the disciples including Peter, and performed the miraculous catch of 153 fishes. At the location stands a church that has a rock inside, believed to be that rock on which Jesus prepared the fish and bread and ate with the disciples. This account is given in the Book of John Chapter 21.
The team visited many other places including Tabgha, which is traditionally accepted as the place of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes as mentioned in Mark 6:30-46, and the fourth resurrection appearance of Jesus (John 21:1-24) after his crucifixion.
The team had an experience of a 30 minutes boat ride on the Sea of Galilee on which Jesus walked, and then visited an area in Canaan, Nazareth where Jesus is believed to have performed the miracle of turning water into wine for wedding guests as narrated in the Gospel of John.
The exact location of Cana has been subject to debate among scholars.
There is the “Wedding church” in Kafr Kanna, a pilgrimage site believed by many Christians to be the site of the biblical marriage. Two couples on the team, who have married for nearly forty years, took the opportunity to renew their marriage vows in that historic church. The team later visited Israel’s biggest church also in Nazareth, the Basilica of the Annunciation.
The team then visited the biggest church in Israel, the Basilica of the Annunciation located in Nazareth.
Other places visited were Mount Carmel, where Prophet Elijah defeated Ball and his prophets, the Mount of Temptation in Jericho and the dead sea also in Jericho, the River Jordan, the Mount of Olives located on the eastern slopes of the Jerusalem mountains, Gethsemane in Jerusalem, and the Bethesda pool in Jerusalem, identified as the scene where Jesus healed the paralyzed man who had waited for 38 years for someone to help him into the pool “when the water is stirred” — an event believed to have curative powers.
There was a brief prayer at ‘The Wailing Wall’ in Jerusalem, a visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ is believed to have risen from the dead, the Shepherd Fields in Bethlehem where an angel announced the birth of Jesus, the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem where the team had a prayer and communion service, and a visit to Ein-Karem, the hometown of John the Baptist.
The awesome experience was finally climaxed at the Government Village in Jerusalem, which houses major institutions such as the Israeli Parliament, the courts and various ministries.
The team was there to specifically visit the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to familiarize. They were treated to beautiful Israeli songs and dance, and presented with Israeli souvenirs and certificates for participating in the pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Speaking to citinewsroom.com, Victor Satuh, Head of Marketing, Business and Product Development at One People Travels, said the company, which has been in existence for some five years, has sent over 500 people from about 20 different groups to Israel in the last five years.
“Our packages are always tailor-made to suit the clients. We just don’t pick people and take them on pilgrimage. We discuss with them and find out exactly what they want to do. We then build their profile and create a package that will suit them. The package as in the places they want to visit, the sort of services they would want to have. So this is one of the things that distinguish from other pilgrimage operators in Ghana. Over the years we’ve built up a good client bae. We’ve organised packaged tours for parliament of Ghana, Action Chapel International. We’ve one office in Rome, Jerusalem and another office in Accra, and our packages are usually cheaper because we don’t have to buy from other tour operators.”
Victor Satuh noted that his outfit has received positive testimonies from Christians who have embarked on the pilgrimage.
“The testimonies have been varied. People experiences and expectations are usually different coming from the Holy land. Apart from the fact that it enriches their faith, the main highlight from what we have learnt is that, it actually puts a geographical perspective for places and events that occurred in the Bible that we read. People come in and they are able to step foot in Jerusalem and have a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee so those are all putting geography to the scripture.”
“As to people’s personal testimonies and experiences, from what we hear, people usually come with expectations and a lot go back fulfilled, either physically or by spiritual upliftment. We’ve had instances of instant healing and miracles, so overall it’s been a very fulfilling experience for everyone who has come here. They’ve always gone back with at least an enhanced understanding of the Bible and more profound knowledge of details” Victor stated.
On concerns about the safety of tourists in Israel particularly as a result of the political upheavals between Israel and Palestine, Victor Satuh said Israel has generally been a peaceful country, and it doesn’t affect tourists or put their lives at risk in anyway.
“Yes, there are some political upheavals between the state of Israel and Palestine but you’ve been here, and by God’s grace you’ve been to Israel, you’ve been to the northern part of Israel from Galilee to Judea through Samaria, Tel Aviv; and you’ve also been to Palestine. So where is the upheaval? Israel is a quiet place and a peaceful country. There are political issues, but they don’t necessarily reflect or touch those of us who come here as tourists. And Israel is a major tourist destination with an average of 3.5 to sometimes 4 million tourists a year. This season is just the beginning of the peak season so you wouldn’t have experienced such a crowd. But if you come here in September, October, November, that is peak season, and the crowds are enormous. Israel derives a lot of its capital from tourism” he noted.
Amalia Alexander, an official of Marketing Administration at the Israeli Tourism Ministry, reiterated that indeed Israel was a peaceful country where tourism thrives, and thus urged those who have fears due to reports of chaos in western media, to pay a visit to the country.
“Tourism in this country is a big thing, and so I want tourists to come and see that it’s not as bad as it is reported in the news. Here in Israel, the tourists come and they feel free, they enjoy themselves and smile, and they go and come back. But unfortunately, the news about Israel puts us in a bad light and it’s a pity. But as you can see, you walk the streets and you see a lot of tourists from all over the world and I think it’s beautiful for Israel and for the tourists themselves. We receive over three million tourists yearly and we are working very hard for the industry so that those who come from China, Russia, Africa and the rest can all enjoy themselves. For those who talk about Israel without knowing what is here, I will urge them to come here and see” she said.
One of the tourists, who’s the Head Pastor of the Heavens Gate Assemblies of God Church at Dote in Kumasi, Reverend Justice Boadi, a first-timer on the pilgrimage, told Citinewsroom.com that he was exceptionally grateful for the experience and exposure.
“As a Christian, it has really enhanced my way of understanding the Bible. I have seen things the way they are, and I think that it’s a blessing to touch on this soil as a Christian. Secondly as a pastor, it has also helped me to understand how to teach, and in case of research, I will be able to get into deeper things because the sites that we visited, you look at it and you realize that Jesus was born, he was crucified, he died and resurrected.”
“I also believe that God is going to bless me because I have prayed here. The way I will worship will change, and I am happy that in my lifetime I have been here. The people were friendly, and socially I tried to compare Ghana with Israel. Even in terms of Israel’s roads; the nature of their land can discourage you from developing but they have been able to do greater things, and that challenges me as a leader, a Ghanaian and as a Christian, and I thank God for that” he noted.
A licensed Tour Guide and Bible Teacher who led the team round for the entire period, Sakher Rizkallah, affectionately called Peter, urged Christians who have the opportunity to travel to visit Israel’s holy sites to enhance their knowledge of the Bible.
“This journey is good to be able to understand the word of God, which is not that easy. Most of us we teach our children that Jesus loves you and he will take care of you and all that. But if you go into theology it’s very complicated. So to be able to understand the word of God you have to understand the culture, and where else are you going to see this culture? It’s only here in Israel. As soon as you come here you will see people in this case more of the Arabs and the Eastern Jews not so many of them, who still live this culture.”
“We still live in the villages; we still have the same shape of villages, the streets, mountains, the daily life and the Food. I remember my father laying left and eating with one hand, and I even have pictures of him. So this will help us to understand the word of God more, and I think for every Christian who can travel, this should be one of the important places to visit, the Holy land, because it will make it easy to understand the word of God.”
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citinewsroom.com/Ghana