Israel: David and Goliath

We had just a little time left before heading back to Tel Aviv for our early morning flight.

So, CC drove us to the open field where Joshua fought a battle and the Lord caused the sun to stand still.

We then drove on to the spot where David slew Goliath the Philistine.

We began to read this famous Scripture, a favorite Bible story of my son.

And soon we were joined by a group of elderly Israelis. One man asked to take a family picture for us.

We began talking and had a wonderful conversation. They explained that their group, mostly retired, had been friends for most of their lives. They gather each month for a small outing. They explained that these Scriptures we were reading were permanently engrained in their minds, as they all had to memorize them as children. We explained how important it is to us, as Christians, to teach them to our children. We had such a nice time talking to them. The gentleman had lived in the US, and had even been to Tennessee. He began telling me of a small town in Tennessee that wanted its children to understand just how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust, so it collected a paper clip for each one. He became emotional as he explained it to me. He told me he was one of the few boys his age who had a grandfather in those years of the war.

Then my new friend sent the children down to a tree to get carob pods.

She showed us how to open them and eat the pod itself. It was so sweet! They are rich in both sucrose and protein. Native to the Middle East, it has been grown for 4000 years.

She then explained that the seeds are all exactly the same weight. Always. So they were used to measure the weight of gold. Hence, the word "carat." I had no idea! I counted out 24 of them for good measure! 24 carats!

It was a beautiful place. We made some new friends. I continued to fall in love with this country.