Day 3 – Sunday, May 7: Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Tel Jezreel, Mt. Gilboa, Precipice of Nazareth, Nazareth
Today was our first full day here in Israel and a great start to our trip. We made many biblical connections all day long. While the morning started with a cloud cover, we enjoyed the sun and partly cloudy skies the rest of the day, with high temps in the mid 70s. We read from Psalm 44:8 as we left the hotel at 7:35.
Caesarea
Our first stop here in the Sharon Plain was Caesarea. This was an impressive coastal city built by Herod the Great over a 12 year period (22-10 BC). In the theater we read from Acts 8 (Phillip), 9 (Paul), 10 (Peter), Acts 12 (Agrippa 1), Acts 21 (Philip), and Acts 26 (Paul). From here we walked across the city to see the palace, hippodrome, the location of the grand harbor, and the Crusader gate, wall, and mote. We also saw an impressive porphyry (purple) statue, probably that of Hadrian. Before we left the site, we saw the aqueduct that brought water into the city.
Mt. Carmel
Following an early lunch (to beat the crowds), our second destination of the day was to Mt. Carmel, a mountain range overlooking the Jezreel Valley on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Since the Carmelite chapel called Muhraha was closed, we took the trail that led us to a great view of there Jezreel Valley below. Here we cold see Mt. Gilboa (1 Samuel 31), the Hill of Moreh (Judges 6-7, 2 Kings 4), Mt. Tabor (Judges 4-5), and Nazareth (Luke 1,4). We read passages such as Isaiah 35, Amos 1 & 9, 2 Kings 4, Songs of Songs 7, and 1 Kings 18 that reference Mt. Carmel. This last narrative captures the confrontation that took place between Elijah and the prophets of Baal!
Megiddo
Located along the edge of the Jezreel Valley is Megiddo. This archaeological site was about 25 layers of occupation spanning a period of about 2,500 years! It was a Canaanite and Israelite city. Pharaohs like Thutmose III conquered it in 1468 BC. Climbing the site, we saw 3 series of city gates, Solomon’s stables and palace, a sacrificial altar from the Early Bronze Period, and a grain silo. We left the site be descending down through the water system that was engineered to bring water safely inside the walls of the city. We also had a great view of the Jezreel Valley referred to as the Valley of Armageddon in Revelation 16. In the end, God wins when Jesus returns!
“Today was a great first day of the trip. We began at Caesarea and finished in Nazareth. We were all amazed at the many biblical connections at each site. This area of Israel is beautiful. We enjoyed a number of great views too throughout the day!”
Tel Jezreel & Mt. Gilboa
Further east is Tel Jezreel. While there is really not much to see archaeologically here, we read from 1 Kings 21 and 2 Kings 8-9. These stories reference Naboth (who had a vineyard), Joram, Jehu, and Jezebel. High up on the slopes of the Gilboa Range nearby we walked to a wonderful view of the Harod Valley. Looking east we could see Beth Shean. We read from 1 Samuel 31 about Saul and his three sons dying on Gilboa.
Precipice of Nazareth
To end the day we drove north across this broad part of the Jezreel Valley to get to the Precipice of Nazareth. The visibility from here of Mt. Tabor, the Hill or Moreh, Gilboa, and Mt. Carmel to the west was impressive! To the east we could even see the Hills of Gilead across the Jordan Valley (in Jordan today). We considered the life of Jesus as read from Luke 4 and John 1.
From here we drove to our hotel here in Nazareth. Upon arriving, we enjoyed dinner and a free evening. What a great first full day!
Day 4 – Monday, May 8: Sepphoris, Kh. Cana/Beit Netofa Valley, “Hill 713,” Capernaum
