Day 4 – Wednesday, March 23: Hippos, Katzrin, Syrian Border, Saar Falls, Caesarea Philippi, Dan
Today we traveled to the Golan Heights and the northern part of Israel. The weather was an interesting mix of rain, wet snow (up north), and a few occasional breaks of sun. Temps were cool in the 40s most of the day. After breakfast we departed at 7:30, reading Matthew 4 as we began the day.
Hippos/Sussita
We first drove around the northern end of the lake before turning south on the eastern side. We made a brief stop at the lone cliff area on the eastern side where perhaps the story of Mark 5 took place. From here we ascended to the top of the site of Hippos/Sussita, one of the Decapolis cites. This is an impressive archaeological sites with ruins that date from the 2nd century BC to the 8th century AD. The ruins we saw were primarily from the Late Roman period. A number of Byzantine churches were discovered here. We read from Mark 5 as we concluded our visit.
Katzrin
We drove back north on the eastern side of the lake before turning east to Katzrin. A Talmudic Village was here (from about the 3rd-8th centuries AD). We saw a synagogue and other house structures. We then gathered in a completely-restored stone house where we read from Mark 2. We could see the story unfolding before our eyes!
Syrian Border
As we drover further north to the Syrian border, the wet snow began. This limited the visibility of looking across the border. We could not even see Kuneitra. Shlomo still shared a brief word on the 1967 and 1973 wars that took place here, as well as the current situation in Syria.
Saar Falls
Driving through a few Druze towns, we made a brief stop at the Saar Waterfalls. The amount of water flowing was impressive! We also enjoyed sahlab, a unique hot drink served by the Druze.
Caesarea Philippi/Banias
Descending off the Golan Heights, the archaeological site of Caesarea Philippi was our next stop. This was a very pagan city in the days of Jesus and through the Roman Period. The city enjoyed the waters of the Banias Spring, one of the three tributaries of the Jordan. We read from Matthew 16 where Jesus asked His disciples the “final exam” question, “Who do you say I am?” Among the ruins we saw what is left of the Temples of Augustus, Zeus/Jupiter, Nemesis, and the Temple of the Dancing Goats.
“The day was incredible once again! Despite the colder temperatures and occasional rain, it was a day of seeing biblical stories come to life! I especially enjoyed the site of Dan. Seeing the Jordan River was also special.”
Dan Nature Preserve & Archaeological Park
Our last stop of the day was the nature preserve and Tel Dan. The Dan Spring served this ancient city originally called Laish. We walked along the river to a quite place where we heard Shlomo play a song on his recorder. We also enjoyed reading and singing Psalm 42 before we walked to the archaeological ruins of the high place. We read from Judges 18 and 1 Kings 12 about the patterns of disobedience displayed here. We also overlooked the Lebanon border. Leaving the site of Dan we saw the Israelite gate and where the famous Dan Inscription was found in 1993.
We drove back to the hotel along the Sea of Galilee from here. We past by Hazor on the way (Joshua 11). At the hotel we enjoyed dinner together followed by a free evening.
Day 5 – Thursday, March 24: Arbel, Yardenit, Magdala, Kinneret Cemetery, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Ancient Boat, Sea of Galilee Boat Ride
