The Lord promised to give the Israelites a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:1).
On our first day after we arrived in Israel, on the way to Caesarea, our guide Yossi shared interesting tidbits about Israel. “Our cows produce more milk than any others in the world.”
They also have many different kinds of honey and not only that of bees’. I searched the Internet and found a site, Chabad.org, with a column called “Ask the Rabbi.” He wrote, “Honey here [ in Ex. 3:8] (and elsewhere in the Scriptures) is generally understood to be a reference to fruit nectar, specifically date honey—not bees' honey.” That cleared up my puzzlement since our tour in 2009 when we ate chicken prepared in date honey at Abraham’s tent. I’d never heard of “date” honey, but it was so good that I bought a jar, and this time, several of our group purchased large containers of it.
They also have many different kinds of honey and not only that of bees’. I searched the Internet and found a site, Chabad.org, with a column called “Ask the Rabbi.” He wrote, “Honey here [ in Ex. 3:8] (and elsewhere in the Scriptures) is generally understood to be a reference to fruit nectar, specifically date honey—not bees' honey.” That cleared up my puzzlement since our tour in 2009 when we ate chicken prepared in date honey at Abraham’s tent. I’d never heard of “date” honey, but it was so good that I bought a jar, and this time, several of our group purchased large containers of it.
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| Date palms growing along the road between Jerusalem and Masada. |
Friends have asked us what we eat when we go to Israel. We can only say—wonderful! So many tourists come to Israel each year that hotels accommodate these groups (some which can be up to 40 or more) by having buffets for breakfast and dinner. The plentiful choices are not only healthy but tasty. I could live on their breads alone—dark, crusty, and filled with flavor. A lot of different cheeses, fruit, and vegetables combined in all kinds of salads. Humus is a mainstay on the buffet table as well as restaurants and cafes throughout Israel.
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| Humus |
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| Rice and Chicken |
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| Dessert choices. Their dark chocolate--marvelous! |
Want a drink with ice? Sorry, but it's hard to come by here. Our hotel in Jerusalem did not have any. In Tiberias, however, if you asked the servers in the hotel restaurant, they would go to the back and bring out a large sack of ice. They have learned Americans like their ice!!
When we're out touring, we don't go back to the hotels for lunch. It is not usually included in the tour price; it's on your own. Yossi took us to places where we could try local dishes like falafel and St. Peter’s fish. (See June 14 and June 18 posts). And of course, you can still find a KFC or MacDonald’s, even in the desert.
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| KFC in Bethlehem |
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| Macdonald's in the desert near Be'er Sheba. |
The Israelites have been transforming the desert into fruitful fields. The photo below shows grapes and almond trees flourishing in the desert across from the archaeological site of Arad. The grapes grown here surprisingly make superior wine, according to Yossi.
Then there are fig trees, pomegranate, olive, and so many more!
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| Fig Trees at Nazareth Village |
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| Pomegranates |
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| Olive Trees |
One thing for sure, the “latter rains” and the hard work of the Israelites have made Israel once again, a “land flowing with milk and honey.”
