Jericho Town, the Sycamore Tree (Zacchaeus) and the Mount of Temptation, Palestine, Israel

Jericho Town, the Sycamore Tree (Zacchaeus) and the Mount of Temptation, Palestine, Israel
Holy Land Tour
November 15, 2022
Jericho
We drove through Jericho in Palestine, near the Jordan river on the West Bank. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, an oasis in the middle of the desert. It is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, founded in 9600 BC - with the oldest known protective wall in the world. It is also the lowest city in the world, 250 meters (820 feet) below sea level. Its population is 35,000 people, and only 500 are Christians. It is under the Occupation and a very poor area.
Historic Palestine means the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel. The population of modern Palestine is nearly 50% people who have been there for centuries or even thousands of years. They are Arab and mostly Muslim, but some are Jewish and Samaritans.
Sycamore Tree
From the bus, we saw the tree where it is said the chief tax-collector Zacchaeus climbed up to see Jesus.
Luke 19:1-6
Jericho
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Lunch at Restaurant: Green Valley Restaurant Samar Park, Jericho, West Bank, Palestine. No napkins, no salt and pepper on the table, no sauce for the French fries.
Mount of Temptation
A mountain over Jericho in the Judean Desert on the West Bank of Palestine. This is where Jesus went after his baptism, to fast for 40 days. He was tempted by the devil there.
Shopping at Abu Fared store, at the Mount of Temptation. I got pens, shekel coins and note, and yummy pomegranate juice outside.
Matthew 4:1-4
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”