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Dear Friend,
Shalom! I am back at my home away from home in the U.S. having returned recently from Israel where I had several opportunities to meet with pastors and their groups during their trips to the Holy Land. It is always a blessing for Irit and me to spend personal time with each of them and to watch as they grow closer to Jesus. We hope they were blessed during their stay as much as we were by their visit.
This week marks two important holidays for Israel: Memorial Day and Independence Day. It is a time for us to honor and show gratitude for the sacrifices made for the freedoms we enjoy in Israel today. As you know, Israel is the only democracy in the region providing stability in a part of the world all too often scarred by conflict. We hope you'll join us this week in celebrating the sovereignty of the Jewish State and ask that you continue to pray for peace in the Middle East.
Despite what is going on around us, Israel is a very safe place to visit and tourism statistics just out show we have hit another all-time high in the first quarter of 2012. We hope you can help continue this trend throughout 2012 and 2013 by joining one of our amazing tours.
We look forward to welcoming you to Israel and sharing this amazing destination with you.
 God bless, Shalom & Irit Almog
Coral Travel & Tours LTD
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Rare Egyptian Scarab Found in Jerusalem
A miniature scarab bearing the name of the Egyptian sun god "Amun-Ra" in hieroglyphics was found during recent excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquity Authority. A scarab is a small, usually oval-shaped Egyptian gem-like amulet or miniature seal. The scarab discovered during these excavations is made of soft gray stone and is approximately one and half centimeters in length. It served as a seal and was used to stamp documents.
The ancient artifact, which dates back to the 13th century BCE (the era in which the Exodus took place), was discovered in the Spring House in the City of David National Park and is the first of its kind to be found in the capital.
The director of the dig, archaeologist Eli Shukron, commented that, "The seal is from the late Bronze period, during which time the land of Israel was under Egyptian rule. It's exciting and interesting to have discovered this unique artifact, and gives us a glimpse into Jerusalem during that era."
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 Israeli Tourism Hits Another All-Time High
According to a recent article in the Jerusalem Post the Central Bureau of Statistics reported that there were 752,000 tourist entries during the first quarter of 2012, an all-time high. There were 2% more tourist entries during the first quarter than in the corresponding quarter of 2011, and 1% more than in the corresponding quarter of 2010, the previous all-time high. |
