Day 10 – Monday, January 13: Precipice of Nazareth, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea, Jerusalem
Today was yet another sunny day, with highs in the low 70s by the afternoon. Simply outstanding! For January weather, this has been an incredible streak of sunny and rain free days! Today was also a longer driving day as we eventually made our way to Jerusalem. We saw three sites on the way, all of which were inspiring. We read portions of Mathew 5-7 (Sermon on the Mount) as we loaded the bus and departed at 7:30.
Precipice of Nazareth
We drove south through the traditional Cana to get to the Precipice of Nazareth. The visibility from here permitted us to see Mt Tabor (Judges 4), the Hill of Moreh (Judges 7), Afula (home of Gideon, Judges 6), and even Mt. Carmel to the west (1 Kings 18). We considered the life of Jesus as read from Luke 4 and John 1. We were encouraged by the words of Philip who said, “Come and see!” In response to Nathaniel’s question, “What good can come out of Nazareth?” (John 1)
Megiddo
Located along the edge of the Jezreel Valley is Megiddo. The traffic was heavy (as usual) as we cross the Jezreel Valley to get there. 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 walking to the water system that was engineered to bring water safely inside the walls of the city. Unfortunately, it was closed so we could not descend down to it (180 steps). 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!
Mt. Carmel/Muhraqa
Our next first destination was to Mt. Carmel, a mountain range overlooking the Jezreel Valley on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. After lunch (at the Mitzpe Carmel, owned by a Druze family), we ascended to the top of this ridge to a place called Muhraqa. We went into the Carmelite chapel to read passages such as Isaiah 35, Amos 1 & 9, 2 Kings 4 (Elisha) , Songs of Songs 7, and 1 Kings 18. This last narrative is about the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal! We enjoyed singing a few songs too! What wonderful harmony! Also, we walked to the rooftop for the view of the Jezreel Valley. The some-what hazy skies did not allow us to see very far other than to the area of Nazareth and Mt. Tabor in the distance.
“We traveled from the north (Galilee) to Jerusalem today! It was another perfect weather day, with amazing sites along the way. The Bible continues to come alive in real and exciting ways!”

Caesarea
To end the day, we descended down to the Sharon Plain to Caesarea. We first began at there aqueduct that brought water into this city built by Herod the Great over a 12 year period (22-10 BC). In the theater we read from Acts 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 drove to the aqueduct where many got wet in the Med Sea. The sunset was stunning!
Jerusalem
The drive to Jerusalem took about two hours. We checked into our hotel and enjoyed a late but great dinner. Following dinner, many in the group walked to the Western Wall, the most holy place for Jews today. It was a late night, but a wonderful day. The full moon was incredible to see too! We all are looking forward to seeing Jerusalem over the next 2 days!
Day 11 – Tuesday, January 14: Jerusalem, Shepherds’ Fields, Herodium, Bethlehem







