From the Dead Sea to Mount Carmel, Lagos Pilgrims receive double portion of Elijah’s fire

… pilgrims visit Mount of Temptation of Jesus Christ

 

Admin I Sunday, December 29, 2025

 

JERUSALEM, Israel – In continuation of the spiritual exercise to Jordan and Israel, embarked upon by pilgrims from Lagos State, various holy sites have been visited in the last two days.

On Friday, the pilgrimage journey was filled with excitement and spiritual renewal as the groups, aside previous sites visited, explored several other iconic sites.

They visited Jericho and the Dead Sea Region.

The Bible records that in Jericho, right after the baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by satan. A two-thousand-year long tradition claims it happened on the hills to the West from Jericho. Jesus was tempted there for 40 days and nights, but overcame victoriously. Today, there is an Orthodox monastery at the top of the Mount of Temptation, over the city of Jericho.

This historic site, which is a mountain over the city of Jericho in the West Bank, is in the State of Palestine. Historically the site of an ancient Hasmonean fortress; as earlier stated, has been identified as the location of the temptation of Jesus – described in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in which it is said that, from “a high place”, the devil offered Jesus rule over all the kingdoms of the world.

The city of Jericho lies at the feet east of Mount Quruntul, at 258 m (846 ft) below sea level, with the nearby Jordan River and the Dead Sea at even lower elevations, further to the east and southeast. The Mount has around 400 m (1,300 ft) of prominence over Jericho, which translates to an elevation of 138 m (453 ft) above sea level, and offers a commanding view of its fabled surroundings to the east.

Pilgrims, understandably, had to ascend this mountain via a cable car ride (which, in itself, was an exciting experience), with breathtaking views of one of the oldest cities in the world.

In Jericho, still, pilgrims literally walked in the footsteps of Nicodemus, visiting the site of the Sycamore tree where he climbed up the tree to encounter Jesus, due to his height disadvantage.

Nicodemus was a New Testament figure venerated as a saint in a number of Christian traditions. He is depicted as a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who was drawn to hear Jesus’s teachings. As is the case with Lazarus, Nicodemus is not mentioned in the synoptic Gospels, and is mentioned only by John, who devotes more than half of Chapter 3 of his gospel and a few verses of Chapter 7 to Nicodemus, and lastly mentions him in Chapter 19.

Nicodemus is considered by both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church traditions to have secretly been a disciple of Jesus on the basis of the narrative in John 19; there is no explicit mention of his discipleship in the Gospel of John. Owing to his insistence on a hearing for Jesus according to Jewish law, Nicodemus is sometimes referred to as “defender of Jesus”, and was credited to have been the one who carried the body of Jesus from the cross for burial in the tomb.

The day’s pilgrimage exercise was rounded off at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, where pilgrims marvelled at its natural wonder.

The Dead Sea, also known by other names, is a landlocked salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, the Israeli-occupied West Bank to the west and Israel to the southwest. It lies in the endorheic basin of the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

As of 2019, the lake’s surface was 430.5 metres (1,412 ft) below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. It is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2% (in 2011), it is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water – 9.6 times as salty as the ocean – and has a density of 1.24 kg/litre, which makes swimming similar to floating. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea’s main, northern basin is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point.

This site was, indeed, breathtaking for the pilgrims to behold.

The pilgrims equally had the pleasure of visiting Qumran – congregation of hermits in the Judean Desert of the North West corner of the Dead Sea. Kalia Beach was another port of call for the pilgrims. This is a popular recreational area located on the North West shores of the Dead Sea. It is known for its unique and stunning landscape, especially being situated at the lowest point on the earth.

On Saturday, pilgrims took a step further in this unique experience to explore Nazareth’s historic landmarks. They embarked on a journey through the ancient city of Nazareth.

Areas visited included: Nazareth – Jesus childhood home; Mount Carmel – where Prophet Elijah challenged, defeated and killed the false prophets of Baal, calling down fire from heaven; Cana of Galilee – site of Jesus’ first miracle (of turning water into wine). At this location, due to the significance of Jesus performing his very first miracle at a wedding ceremony, a special wedding rededication/vow renewal ceremony was conducted for couples on pilgrimage.

The Basilica of Annunciation, built on the ancient ruins where Mary received the angelic announcement of birthing the Saviour of the world from Angel Gabriel, was another site to behold. This church is credited to be the largest church in the entire Middle East. It is a very massive and breathtaking edifice. And pilgrims took a tour of the entire building.

Bishop Akinpelu Johnson, Board Chairman, Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, was on ground, as has been the case since the pilgrims arrived the holy land, to give leadership and direction to the team, in his calm and mature demeanour.

Prayer sessions, as usual, were led by esteemed ministers of the gospel, including Bishop Ogedengbe Stephen, Revd. Dr. Dele Ajayi, Apostle Fagbamila, and other anointed Ministers of God.

Officials of the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board have been spot on in ensuring that all activities go according to plan, and have ensured, while working with Tabar Tours, that checking in and out of the various hotels, and other logistics matters, have been smooth and seamless.

Pilgrims heaped encomiums on Mrs. Yetunde Gbafe, Executive Secretary of the Board, for her astute, pragmatic and proactive leadership style, and her ability to deliver upon promises made.

The day was concluded with the pilgrims, who had checked out of Ramada Hotel, checking into the Plaza Hotel of Nazareth.