Where was Stephen buried?

According to tradition, this church is built over the place where Stephen, the 1st martyr who followed Jesus, was buried.

I've been to a lot of churches in Israel, and I didn't expect this one to be so breathtakingly beautiful.

The light! 

The colors!

Take a look for yourself at what is now one of my favorite churches in Israel:

Meaning “the House of the Camel”, but it’s also suggested to have something to do with Rabbi Gamaliel the Elder.

Nowadays, there’s a monastery here and some caves. In one of these is where tradition says that Nicodemus and Gamaliel buried the body of Stephen, the first Christian martyr in from Acts 7.

The murals tell the story. Can you see the man in blue holding garments at the stoning? That would be the man responsible for writing most of the New Testament: Saul of Tarsis, before he met Jesus.

Caesarea: Where Paul appealed to Caesar

The first time I went to Caesarea (in 2017), we walked thru the theater and then on the remains of Herod’s Palace.

This time, I got to explore the whole city- the Roman and Crusader parts, and everything in between. From the ancient synagogue to the hippodrome, Pilot’s basement, and the theater once again, it was a day to remember!

It took Herod the Great 9 years to construct Caesarea on the remains of the ancient Phoenician town of Strato's Tower. The town had Roman-style buildings, a large aqueduct stretching 16 miles, an artificial harbor of concrete blocks, a large theater that could seat 4,000, and a hippodrome for 30,000.

the lower section of Herod's summer home- indoor pool!

Herod had a palace here (this Caesarea was better known as 'Caesarea Maritime') and Pilot had a residence as well. After Jesus' ascension back into heaven, the Early Church thrived here after the conversation of Cornelius and his family. Paul was actually imprisoned here for 2 years and testified before Agrippa, Felix, and Festus, before being sent to Rome. Caesarea fell in 66AD to the Romans, and was also a significant during the Bar Kochba Revolt of 132-135 AD. Rabbi Akiba and 9 others were martyred here, something that is observed by the Jews on Yom Kippur.

Then, Caesarea became the capital of Syrio-Palestina, the name given to Israel when its name was taken by the Emperior Hadrian after the revolt in 135 (Palestine means "Philistine", who were a sea-faring people from somewhere else). Britannica says the city declined under the Byzantine and Arab rule, then was built back up by the Crusaders, then was razed to the ground by the Mamluks in 1265.

Wow!!!

And, this is one of those places where it is IMPOSSIBLE to see it all in 1 trip. I'll definitely need to go back and explore more! But here are some of the sites that made me gasp:

1. Ancient Roman Roads- with ORIGINAL FLOORS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T EVEN!!!!!

2. The lowest level of Pilot's Palace (his cellar), as well as some storage facilities:

3. The view from the Byzantine-era synagogue and more of the harbor: 

What an incredible place! There's so much more to learn and explore. Next time I'll have to go with a guide (for the whole day)!

One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!

I know this blog is supposed to be about Biblical history/historical places, and all things Israel, but I'm going to wander a bit and return to my trip to Cyprus for one more post. 

But really, can you blame me?

The caves of Cape Greco are just incredible. And also—historical! It's one of the most ancient settlements on the island, so Lazarus definitely could have come here.

In 2007, a shipwreck dating back to the 2nd century AD was found in the cape. So again, Lazarus definitely could have visited, haha.

There are caves that are only accessible by water, and wildlife specific just to this area of Cyprus. So it's definitely a place I recommend visiting. 

And at the end of the day, you get to go swimming! Definitely a win. Seriously... how is the water this blue and clear at the same time? It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Okay, that's it for Cyprus—next week, it's back to exploring the incredible Land of Israel!

Where Lazarus was buried (the 2nd time!)

I interrupt this series on historical places in Israel to talk about where I went last month: Cyprus!

This was my first time to this beautiful country, and it did not disappoint!

My first stop in Larnaca was to see the promenade... and I was pleasantly surprised to immediately find a castle!

It's not too far from the crown jewel of Larnaca: the Church of St. Lazarus.

It's said that after Jesus' ascension back to Heaven, Lazarus had to flee for his life. So, he went to Cyprus, and lived there until he died (again) 30 years later. He was buried in this church in Larnaca, but his grave was lost over the centuries... until the 8th century, when a tomb was uncovered that said, "Lazarus, 4 days dead, friend of Christ." The remains were moved and later stolen, but a church was later built over the site of the tomb.

It's a Greek Orthodox church, built in the 9th century AD. The inside is really ornate, and it's free to enter.

In addition to a Greek Orthodox church, the Church of St. Lazarus has also been a Catholic church, and for a few years under Ottoman rule, a mosque.

I love historical places, especially Biblical ones. And I so wish I could have gone to Paphos, because it was the birth place of Barnabas—and he and Paul went there on one of their journeys—but getting to see a place where someone who knew Jesus as friend (who was raised back to life!) lived and died is still pretty cool!

And you don't even have to guess: going to Bethany and where Lazarus died (the first time) and was raised back to life by Jesus is 100% on my list!

The Newest Discoveries in Israel!

Did you hear about this?

Apparently, it's long been believed that there was a church of the apostles in the village of Bethsaida, the home of the disciples Peter, Andrew, and Philip, in the Galilee; however, until recently, it has never been found. 

According to The Jerusalem Post, archaeologists have searched for years for this church, which was visited by the Bavarian Bishop Willibald in 724AD and was chronicled in his writings. A few decades after his visit, a major earthquake shook the country, and the Muslim ruling dynasty changed, and many Christian sites—and the memory of their exact location—were lost. 

In 2017, archeologists identified a tel (hill) they wanted to explore as a possible site for Bethsaida. Not long after, they discovered "the Roman layer dating back to the time of Jesus, unearthing houses, pottery, coins, and so on. Since the beginning, some finds suggested us that the there must be a church somewhere, such as pieces of mosaics," said Professor Rami Arav of the University of Omaha, Nebraska.

Then, the archeologists decided to investigate another tel 2 kilometers away. 

There, they found a large basilica, about 89 ft x 53 ft. " We found mosaics, two inscriptions, the apses, all dating back to the Byzantine period," Aviam said. "The church was built at the end of the fifth or the beginning of the sixth century and probably remained in use until the eighth century."

In the last season of excavations of 2021, the archaeologists found something interesting: a door-less wall in front of the basilica. Was it built to protect the church? or simply to add on to a new structure?

In 2022, we hope to find out when the team excavates around the church!

A second recent (and incredible) find is an amythest seal discovered in Jerusalem with the balm of Gilead engraved on it. 

According to the Jewish News Syndicate, this could be the first seal ever discovered with this kind of engraving, despite the written accounts of seals like this. 

WOW!!!

The Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin

 Finally, my review of Charles Martin's newest book, They Turned the World Upside Down!

I always need to start off talking about Charles Martin by stating that he is my favorite author, especially in the fiction world. His first nonfiction, What if It's True?, was incredible, and his second has not disappointed either. It felt very different than the first book, though still familiar, and it's clear why this book needed to be written and published as well. It's message is powerful, and one that needs pouring over instead of a quick read-through.

Since my focus on this blog is highlighting things about Israel or a culture connected with the Bible (first century or modern times), I'm going to focus on that for this review and specifically feature one insight that stood out to me. But I did want to say that these details are included to enhance the story and explain the context, not the focus—which is encouraging readers to live as Jesus charged His followers to. 

But here's what stood out to me as far as this blog's focus (and there were many moments like these with clear, cultural insights throughout the book):

In Chapter 9, "Willing to be Willing", Martin opens with the story of Peter and John going to the temple to pray in Acts 3. There, at the gate called "Beautiful", they meet a lame beggar who is asking for alms. He asks them for money, but Peter says, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" The Bible says that immediately, the beggars feet and ankles were made strong and he does: "leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God." 

This is where Martin says something I hadn't considered before: "Then he walks into the temple. Why? Because he's been lame since birth, and according to Leviticus, 'no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame.' Which means he was excluded from temple worship. For his entire life. No fellowship with God. He was born and has always been a complete and total outcast. But not any longer. Now he's included" (pages 138-139). 

WOW! Maybe I've heard this before in my life, but I can't remember if I had. The magnitude of that moment... not only the physical healing, but that it allowed the beggar to enter the temple for the first time... that can't be glossed over. His healing brought Him near to God. It brought him in fellowship with others, but most of all, the God of the universe. I'm going to be thinking on this for a while, and its wider implications of how our healing and freedom always brings us closer in fellowship with God. 

What do you think about this story? Did you know this before? And have you read this book? If not, I definitely recommend it! You can get it here on Amazon. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Empire's End by Jerry B. Jenkins

In November, I covered a book called I, Saul by Jerry B. Jenkins, and said that I felt like it was possibly a part 1 of a 2-part series, only I couldn't find the second book, I, Paul (published in 2014). That's because it appears the series got a re-vamp and book 2 (I say this loosely, as it could be a stand alone) is actually Empire's End. 

Written in 1st person, as if from the perspective of Paul, this fictional memoir follows Saul of Tarsus from childhood, through his education under Gamaliel in Jerusalem, his persecution of the early church, his conversion, his 3 years in Arabia, and the beginning of his early ministry. It's an interesting read, as long as the reader keeps in mind that it is fiction (as is good practice with all Biblical fiction). And it could easily lead into a part 3, although I can't find evidence of one's existence yet.

I enjoyed this book, as it explored something I'd never seen depicted before, so I definitely wanted to share it with you. If you like Biblical fiction, I recommend this book. Click here to find it on Amazon!

From Nominal Muslim to Christian Author

 Last week, I heard an interview by Susie Larson of author Tessa Afshar, and wanted to share it with you.

The interview was about Tessa's book, Daughter of Rome, my favorite of hers, and the incredible couple of Aquila and Priscilla. I spoke more about them in this blog on July 27, 2020. It again really brought their story alive to me to understand with better context what was really going on in the lives of this couple in the Early Church.

But for the last 10 minutes of the podcast, Tessa spoke more about her story, being raised in Iran, moving to England, and then the US, and what it was like coming to Christ from a nominal Muslim context. How incredible! Her story is so good that I wanted to share it with you here. It was blown away by the goodness of God and the power of her testimony of this woman who now writes Biblical fiction. I think it will bless you too! You can listen here on Apple podcasts and here on Google Podcasts. 

Let me know what you think below in the comments!