Day 1-3 – Thursday-Saturday, August 4-6: Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Caesarea, Megiddo, Jaffa, Tiberias
The day of departure finally arrived, at least for seven of us in the group of 16. We gathered from various parts of the world (the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand) for our flights to Tel Aviv. Unfortunately for nine in the group, the flights were delayed. This caused a re-scheduling of flights, causing a day-late arrival in Israel. For those who did make it to Israel on time, we all made it through the procedures at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv before making our way to the first night’s hotel in Herzliya. On Saturday, the seven of us began the day following breakfast, We read from Psalm 100 as we left the hotel about 8 a.m. We also learned a new song (The Sun’s Coming Up) as we drove north through the Sharon Plain
Caesarea
Our first site of the day was Caesarea. This coastal city was built by Herod the Great over a 12 year period (22- 10 BC). We first gathered in the reconstructed Roman theater where we read about Peter (Acts 10), Herod Agrippa (the grandson of Herod the Great, Acts 12), Philip (Acts 21), and Paul, who spent two years here following his third missionary journey (Acts 24-26). Among the impressive ruins we saw the palace (Praetorium), the hippodrome, many mosaics, the Crusader moat and walls, and the area of the harbor. We also drove to see the aqueduct (one of four) that was used to bring water into the city from there Carmel Range.
Megiddo
From here we drove to the Carmel Range (Amos 1, 9; Isaiah 35; Song of Songs 7, and 1 Kings 18) for lunch at a Druze restaurant. We then descended to the Jezreel Valley to the Canaanite and Israelite city of Megiddo. Following a list to see a model of this archaeological site, we then climbed the “tel” (ancient mound) and saw a series of ancient gates (Middle Bronze, Late Bronze, and Iron Age), the suggested stables of Solomon, the Early Bronze altar, and the grain silo. From on top of the site we could see Mt. Carmel, the Nazareth Ridge (Luke 4), Mt. Tabor (Judges 4-5), the Hill of Moreh (Judges 6-7), and Mt. Gilboa (1 Samuel 31). We left the site by walking down 180 steps through the water system.
“We all finally made it! With canceled flights, nine in the group were not able to join us until today. But we are now all together, and thankful for our group. We are all looking forward to the adventures that await us here in the land of the Bible.”
Jaffa/Ben Gurion Airport
About 2 p.m., we drove back towards to the Tel Aviv area towards the airport to pick up the nine who just arrived a day late. Traffic wasn’t bad since it was Shabbat. Before arriving at the airport, we made a brief stop at Jaffa (Joppa). We walked the narrow alleyways and enjoyed a nice panoramic of the Tel Aviv coastline. We remembered the stories of Jonah (Jonah 1) and Peter (Acts 9-10). Upon arriving at the airport, we warmly greeted the nine, loaded the bus, and started our drive back north to Tiberias.
Tiberias
The drive from the airport to our hotel along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee took about an hour and a half. The drive took us through part of the Lower Galilee, past places like Cana (John 2). Approaching Tiberias, we stopped for a view of the lake. It was remarkable! Upon checking into the hotel, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner, after which a few in the group enjoyed a moonlight swim in the Sea of Galilee. We are thankful that everyone has now arrived and we are eager to explore some sites and hiking in the Golan Heights tomorrow.
Day 4 – Sunday, August 7: Gamla, Qatzrin, Mt. Hermon, Dan, “Hill 713”
