Study group from Concordia tours Holy Land

Published by Concordia University, Nebraska 11 years ago on Fri, Aug 10, 2012 12:03 PM
Concordia students Ian Smith, Tyler Zander, Dustin Atkinson and alum Ryan Duerr enjoy the view from Mt. Precipice in Lower Galilee, with the Jezreel Valley in the background.

A group of nearly three dozen Concordia students, alumni and friends embarked on a 15-day study tour to the Holy Land June 6. The tour, led by Dr. Mark Meehl, professor of theology, included visits to Galilee, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem.

The tour was designed, according to Meehl, as a pilgrimage tailored to the needs of Concordia’s students, alumni and friends. Participants had the opportunity to meet and speak with people of the region—Palestinians, Israelis, Christians, Jews and Muslims—as well as take part in a 13th century worship service in the Crusader Chapel of Jerusalem. The tour highlighted important biblical sites and events in order to help students better understand and relate to both the Old and New Testaments.

“The best part of the trip was being able to learn a lot about God's Word, Middle Eastern culture, and biblical history every day knowing that I was walking where Jesus walked,” said Tyler Zander, a senior theology education major. “A journey like this makes everything you learn in Sunday school, church, and in a Lutheran school classroom growing up seem and feel more real.”

The view of the Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives was one of the sites the group explored during its time in the Holy Land.