Day 10 – Sunday, March 17: Wadi Qelt, Shiloh, Beth Shean, Mt. Gilboa, Tiberias
Today we traveled from the Dead Sea area to Tiberias in the north along the Sea of Galilee. Our travels once again included great sites and experiences along the way. The weather was partly cloudy today, with high temps around the low 70s. We read from portions of Psalm 61-63 and Luke 10 as we drove off from the hotel following breakfast and checkout.
Wadi Qelt
En route to Shiloh, we made a stop overlooking a specific part of the Judean Desert called the Wadi Qelt. We were fortunate to get permission to enter this area (it was blocked off for security reasons). However, Shlomo’s nephew was the soldier on guard this morning. 🙂 The view of the Wadi Qelt was spectacular. Here we heard the “prophet Isaiah” (all dressed up in a new outfit HA) as he shared the powerful words, “Prepare the way for the Lord…” (from Isaiah 40). Also, Shlomo sang in Hebrew Psalm 23.
Shiloh
Next, we drove into the Hill Country of Ephraim to Shiloh. On the way, we drove through the Desert of Pareth where Jeremiah hid the linen belt (Jeremiah 13). We even saw a few gazelle’s on the way as well as the backside of the Mt. of Olives further to the west. When we arrived at Shiloh, we made our way up this ancient site where the Tabernacle once stood here for over 300 years. It was destroyed by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). We watched a hologram as well as a short movie about the events that took place here. We also read from 1 Samuel 3 (the call of Samuel) and Jeremiah 7. Among the ruins we saw a massive Middle Bronze wall that was incorporated into the Israelite site. Other structures, including perhaps the Holy of Holies area (as proposed by archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling) could also be seen. It was young Samuel who said, “Hineni” (“Here I am!”) When God called Him into service. Abraham (Genesis 22), Moses (Exodus 3) Isaiah (Isaiah 6), and even God (Isaiah 65:1) used this word.
Beth Shean
Leaving Shiloh, we traveled through the Desert of Samaria to Beth Shean. The ride took about an hour and a half. This ancient site is an incredibly large site, with many ruins from the Roman Period. We saw colonnaded streets, the bathhouse, agora, public latrenes, and the theater. Some in the group climbed to the top of the OT site. According to 1 Samuel 31 (and 1 Chronicles 10), the body of Saul was hung on the walls of the town square after he died on near by Mt. Gilboa. The men from Jabesh Gilead (located on the east side of the Jordan Valley), came at night to rescue the body of Saul.
“We continued our travels today to the north. Our visits to the Wadi Qelt, Shiloh, Beth Shean, and Mt. Gilboa were memorable! We continue to see the Bible come to life right before our eyes as we visit the regions of Israel and biblical sites.”
Tel Jezreel & Mt. Gilboa
Further east is Tel Jezreel. While we only saw it from a distance (there is really not much to see archaeologically), we recalled the stories from 1 Kings 21 and 2 Kings 8-9. These stories that happened here at Jezreel reference Naboth (who had a vineyard), Joram, Jehu, and Jezebel. We ascended up on to the slopes of the Gilboa Range where we walked to a wonderful view of the Harod Valley. Looking east we could see Beth Shean. We read from 1 Chronicles 10 about Saul and his three sons dying on Gilboa. We took time to sing a song and were led in a prayer. At the end of our time on Gilboa, some enjoyed dancing with a group of Israeli ladies.
It took about 45 minutes to drive to Tiberias where we checked in to our hotel and enjoyed dinner together. We are looking forward to spending three nights here along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.
Day 11 – Monday, March 18: Gamla, Qatzrin, Hippos, Khirbet Cana
