Haifa and Mt. Carmel

It was a nine-hour flight overnight from New York City to Tel Aviv, and it was probably the least peaceful flight I've ever taken. According to one of our travel guide books:

Israel is one of those countries that seems to begin the minute you step on the plane. Soon after the plane takes off, you might notice that a religious service seems to be taking place at the back of the plane. At the same time, everyone else seems to be strolling about, joking, and drinking endless rounds of soft drinks.

The flight attendants gave up trying to keep order, and even the captain wasn't able to calm the mayhem.

I slept much of the second day, while Mom and Dennis explored Haifa. Haifa is the main port of Israel. Because Israel's coastline is almost straight, there aren't many good ports. In the 1930s, waves of European Jews came through Haifa. In 1939, the British White Paper limited immigration to just 750 Jews a month. Many people arrived here after a long difficult journey only to be turned back. Haifa was the only ground they touched in the Holy Land.

The photo was taken from Mt. Carmel, where Elijah called down fire from heaven (I Kings 18). David's wife Abigail was from Carmel (I Samuel 25:40).

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