Shalom ...is also used as a greeting to either say hello or farewell, and...
(SHALOM, from Wikipedia.org)
Shalom, this is the word Jesus was greeted with when he walked in land of Israel And this is the word you will be greeted with when you walk in His land.
Many things have changed in the land of Israel since Jesus time: Israel became a high-tec superpower, and if you do see a Shepard boy, he's more likely to have a cellphone in his pocket rather then a flute.Yes, we do have cola, McDonald & Hotspot wi-fi just like many other countries do. In that respect the land of Jesus has indeed changed.
Yet, in Israel, not only will you the Shalom He was greeted with, but you will walk on the very paving stones & steps He did, you'll view the very same scenery He was looking at and you'll sail on the sea of Galilee.
Very likely, one of the first Shalom you'll be greeted with will be of your tour guide. The Israeli tour guide is trained and tested at a very high level to get the official government license, among the subjects of studies; Judaism and Christianity. You probably know some Jews -but it's very likely they have no idea about the New Testament .Therefore, questions such as why was Jesus crucified in Jerusalem on Friday, what went trough St. Peter mind in Jaffa,or why was Jesus reading the scriptures in the synagogue -the source for all this is in Judaism. Being guided by a Jewish tour guide in his land will open to you a window to a whole new world - the world Jesus lived in.
No mater how rich your Bible knowledge is, or how close to Jesus you are, be assured that the visit to Israel will give you a better understanding of the Bible and will get you a better understanding of the roots of your faith.
Israel is a tiny little country-a little less then half the size of Lake Michigan, fits into a square of 85 by 85 miles. Many countries in the world are known for great scenery, amazing buildings , culture or history. Israel has some of all this, but on top of all that- we are the Land of the Bible,the Holy Land.
When one summarizes a tour to a foreign land it will be-great, amazing, beautiful etc. Regarding Israel -on top of all these, many are saying -this was a lifetime experience.
Many are coming to Israel again and again, not only to enhance this experience but also because there is so much to see in this country(Israel holds the world record of museums and nature historical sites per capita ) Most tourists on their first visit are getting to see the highlights of some of the sights of this country. An experienced travel consulate will put together a program that may take you to some sites you haven't heard about in your first visit, and on top of all -
Israel is an ancient renewing country. Just like anywhere else's we keep building new places,hotels and tourist attractions and we keep updating our visitor centers and museums in new media display. This can be found from Disneyland to Dubai. But what is found here is the past, which we keep renewing. Everywhere you go in Israel you see archeologist at work. Major archeological breakthroughs are made very frequently : King Herod's grave- 2007, King David Palace-2005, Pool of Siloam- 2004, The "new" water reservoir that changed Waren's shaft theory in 2002 and many more. Recently a street was exacerbated in Acree, going back 800 years, and in Jerusalem the street leading from the Siloam pool to the Temple, the very street the man in John 9 walked down blind, and walked up healed is partly open to visitor.
If you want to walk this street, to walk the way Jesus walked and have a life time experience - come to Israel, and you'll never be the same. If you've been here, don't say "I saw it". You ain't seen nothing yet!!!