The Garden

We were able to stay with my parents while we were in Israel.  They volunteer 6 months of the year at the Garden Tomb.  It was neat for us to wake up in this incredible spot every day!


On Thursday, after we got back from the tunnel tour, we took a tour of the garden with my dad.  He was leading a group (that had friends of Mike and Jessica's from Germany ... small world!) and we just joined in the group.

My dad ... ready to do his thing.  We are so thankful that God has allowed this desire of his and my mom's hearts.  He did it in such a way that it was truly His desire for them too!

My dad was sharing about the garden ... how it came to be, why they believe it COULD be the place where Jesus was buried, and why he is there doing what he does.

I had already listened in to quite a few of the tours, but it was a first for these two ... they already loved the garden, but after the tour, I think they loved it even more!


At some point in the tour, my dad talked about Golgotha, which means place of the skull.  It was a spot where public deaths would have happened ... it was a spot outside the city, and yet close enough that many people could have been a witness.


After he shares that, he shows the group "skull hill" ...

... which gave me goose bumps when I first saw it 20 years ago and still gives me goose bumps today.  How like God to give us a reminder of what He did for us.  Is it Golgatha?  I don't know ... but, I know that Jesus was crucified and risen again in a place near here.

We know that Jesus was buried in the private tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.  We know he was wealthy and that his tomb was in a garden.  When the land for the garden was purchased, a man was trying to plant an olive orchard on the property.  He sold the land because he couldn't find a source of water.  He was looking in the wrong place ... because this is what the garden tomb people found ... an extremely large cistern.  Which proves there was a garden here at one time and the owner of the garden would have been wealthy.

Into the cistern ... a long way down!

A very large wine press is also on the garden property ... further proof there was a garden here in the past.

A replica of the stone that would have been used in the track in front of the tomb ... a very small replica.

The tomb.  The reason we are free.  The reason we love this place so much.  It was thrilling to be able to share this with Torrey and Dean ... to see them fall in love with it as much as I did 20 years ago.  We all continue to talk of our trip and what we saw and all that we learned ... and long to go back again.  


I know for my parents, their being in the garden has been a special gift from God, but I can't help but think how neat it was for them to watch 4 of their 6 grandchildren walk through the gate of the garden.  They loved sharing their homeland with the kids!

And, just in case you are wondering ... the tomb is empty!