Reflections on My Trip to Israel, Greece, and Rome

I spent most of July travelling around Israel, Greece, and Rome with N.T. Wright and four wonderful guys from Zondervan,  filming materials for a DVD about the New Testament and the early church. The DVD will go with a NT Intro that we’re working (don’t hold your breath, I’ve only finished the Jewish and Greco-Roman backgrounds and historical Jesus chapters!)

Thoughts.

The ladies who work in Israelis customs were all former “Miss Israel” contestants.

Jerusalem should be called “Guns-n-Moses.” I’ve never seen so many guns and I used to be in the Army and I’ve been to Texas.

While driving through Cana I saw some Palestinian youths graffiti the stone wall fence of a Greek Orthodox church with “God is One” in broad daylight, and up the road we saw the Church at Tabgha which was torched by ultra-orthodox and the words “Gentiles go home” tagged on the side of the church a few weeks earlier.

Loved Tiberius, esp. one evening where I got to hear a stage show sing “Gangnam Style” in Hebrew, which I had to explain Tom Wright (the song, not the Hebrew).

North Galilee is filled with Roman Catholic propaganda – Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter.

The church at Kursi is well worth stopping to see!

I learned to love Halva as a breakfast food!

Nazareth village was a bit touristy, but definitely worth a visit, and make sure you stay at the Golden Crown Hotel, probably best hotel I stayed in in Israel.

Reading Nazareth manifesto while in a reconstructed Synagogue in Nazareth – priceless!

Being in Athens during the vote about austerity was weird, not knowing what currency to use the next day.

But Athens was my favourite place. Mars Hill, Stoa, Parthenon! Greek Salad in Greece and best Souvlaki ever! Very inexpensive and everyone has one relative in Melbourne!

Consider spending some time at the summer school of the Greek Bible College, Liberty Uni and Moody Bible College have programs run there, seriously they have a great lecturers there and it is a wonderful place to study.

Loved Corinth, definitely work checking out. Purchased some lovely icons there and there is a great cafe overlooking the ruins.

Rome was nice, but I was pretty exhausted by the time I got there. Titus’ arch is awesome. Oh, find the Anglican Center and try get down into “St. Paul’s House,” a first century house located underground which has credibly been suggested as the site of Paul’s imprisonment in Rome. Best carbonara in the world!

Helpful people at the Pontifical Biblical Institute!

Never got to the Vatican, had to watch updates for the State of Origin match.

Filming is hard work, trying to sum up complex historical and textual issues, off-the cuff, while jet lagged, in 40 C/105F heat, in 2-5 minutes.

This was a dream trip of a life-time. Hanging with Tom Wright and watching him wax lyrical about everything from Jesus to Paul to Second Temple Judaism to Roman religion with about 1 minute notice. The scenery and sounds and smells, having so many “aha” moments like “so that’s where that is.” Plus the Zondervan team were professional and yet knew how to relax as well with a swim by the pool or a chill out session in the hotel lobby.