JUNE 16 – DAY 8

IMG_8184We left the Sea of Galilee area this morning.  Checking out of the Maagan hotel around 7:30, our first stop o this beautiful morning was the Kinneret cemetery.  We listened to the story of a Jewish immigrant named “Rachel.”  She is someone who is admired today by all Israelis, with many of her poems still read and even put to songs.  Traveling from her to Lower Galilee, Sepporis was the next stop.  This city was the primary city in Jesus’ day, and located only 4 miles from Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown.  Here we saw paved Roman streets (the “Cardo” and “Decumanus”), villas, and mosaics.  One is called the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee” and was made with amazing detail.

IMG_8196Close by was the precipice of Nazareth.  Reading from John 1 (and Luke 1 & 4), we were invited to “come and see” Jesus, for he grew up in this small town.  From the precipice we also looked across a large portion of the Jezreel Valley.  We remembered the stories of Deborah and Barak at Mt. Tabor (Judges 4), Gideon and the Midiantes at the Hill of Moreh (Judges 6 & 7), King Saul’s death on Mt. Gilboa (1 Samuel 31), and Elijah vs. the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).

Crossing the Jezreel Valley we next came to Megiddo, a very strategic city of the Canaanites and later the Israelites.  We read from Revelation 16 and rejoiced together that in the future, God wins the final battle!  Here was saw 3 sets of gates, storehouses, stables, a grain silo, and the impressive water system.

IMG_8220After eating lunch on Mt. Carmel, we drove to an overview of the Jezreel Valley at the edge of the Carmel Range called Muhraha.  We read from 1 Kings 18 about the story of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal.  It was so clear that Caesarea on the coast could easily be seen.  We enjoyed singing in the Carmelite chapel.  Caesarea would be our last visit of the day.  This port/harbor city was built by Herod the Great from 22 -10 BC.  Peter (Act 10), and Paul (Acts 14, 21, 26) were here, boldly proclaiming the message of the kingdom to Gentiles.  Here we saw the theater, hippodrome, the harbor, a number of marble statues, and the aqueduct.

IMG_8246We left Caesarea and drove about 1.5 hours to Jerusalem.  We checked into our hotel, the Prima Kings, and enjoyed a late dinner together.  A few of us walked down to the old railroad station for ice cream (our walk to the Western Wall will be tomorrow night).

It’s good to be in Jerusalem!

JUNE 17 – DAY 9

We plan to visit the Mt. of Olives, the Old City, Herodium and Bethlehem.

 

Pin It on Pinterest