The 5th Gospel

"Five Gospels record the life of Jesus.  Four you will find in books and the one you will find in the land they call Holy.  Read the fifth gospel and the world of the four will open to you."

St. Jerome (347-420 A.D.)

The Catholic saint Jerome called Israel the fifth gospel.  In the faces of its people we glimpse His features.  In its streets we hear His language.  We walk through the maps we've carried around for years in the back of our Bibles.  We see ancient customs still lived out and previously innocuous words and phrases from scripture become significant.  We see evidences of the law of Moses still being practiced today and we are humbled to know that on a few occasions, we truly walked where Jesus walked.  

Traveling to Israel has been a lifetime desire of mine.  On April 25th I had the opportunity to go with my darling daughter Jordan, along with friends (Sue, Jason and Shelley) and thirteen other people who would become friends over the course of the two weeks we traveled together.  Excitement built on the long trip over from SLC-LAX-Istanbul-Tel Aviv and gave us time to transition from our modern, sheltered world to a world rich in Biblical history and eternal significance with customs, foods and lifestyles so different from our own.  I won't attempt to share everything we experienced, just the best parts.  I couldn't possible share all that was going on in my heart and soul as we learned, changed and grew in spiritual ways.  The spirit of this land was felt in heart, body and soul.

A friend who had previously visited Israel told me this "as we traveled around, the surroundings felt familiar.  It felt like home." 

Jordan and Shelley at the beach on the
 Mediterranean Sea in Netanya 

Shelley, me and my long-time friend Sue

Our fanny packs were so useful!

At the ruins of Caesarea on the coast line

Jordan sitting on the ancient steps at Caesarea,
 including a seaside Roman theater,
and Herod's palace where Paul faced
 trial before Herod Agrippa.

A manger used in the time of Jesus made of rock, not wood

Our guide and teacher - BYU professor Kerry Muhlestein

We're not in Utah any longer.