CSI Israel: Christ Scene Investigation

Pippa at Garden Tomb: He is not here... He is Risen

I returned to Israel in March 2017 (having first visited in 2013) to personally show 18 Aussies the Core Sites of the Core Stuff - where the key events occurred that founded Christianity on solid, historical foundations. 

As tour leader, I had less time to process the journey, but on the upside I could take the tour where I wanted to go in the time available. We squeezed a lot in - maybe too much if you count that one time I forgot lunch! But it was worth it! 

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It became a presentation, CSI: Christ Scene Investigation. We personally investigated how the sites agree with the texts of the Core Stuff. We saw for ourselves:

• that God knows best how to look after the Land he created and make it flourish - Neot Kedumim
• reminders of our human sin, which makes a Saviour necessary - Holocaust museum, soldiers, checkpoints, crime, and disparate worldviews 
• where Bible texts were so accurately scribed and preserved, containing prophecies fulfilled by the Messiah - Qumran. And we saw some parts of those actual texts from the time of Christ with our own eyes - Shrine of the Book
• where Jesus was born - grotto under the Church of the Nativity
• where Jesus grew up and worked - Nazareth and Sepphoris
• Jesus hometown during his ministry years - Capernaum 
• where he taught and did miracles - Mt of Beatitudes, Kursi, Magdala, Tabgha, Tiberias, Cana, Galilee, Baptism site over Jordan, Mt of Temptations, "Old" Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, clues to the location of the Temple, excavations of David's City, Mt of Olives  
• where Jesus endured Passion Week - Palm Sunday Road, Upper Room, Gethsemane, Caiaphas's House, Roman Praetorium and Pavement  
• where Jesus died for all our sins, and rose defeating sin and death - Gordon's Garden site / Church of Holy Sepulchre / a view from approximate Red Heifer site on Mt of Olives. We checked all three. The former is the best preserved site for us to get a sense of place, and may even be it. 
• where Jesus appeared post resurrection - Garden, Emmaeus, Upper room, a Galilean mountain
• where he ascended - Mt of Olives Church of the Ascension
• where he descended as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - Upper Room 

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The Core Sites of the Core Stuff of the Christian faith