Day 7 – Friday, January 16: Arbel, Hippos, “Hill 713” (Har Mitzpe ha-Yamim)
Because of the wet forecast for Sunday, we decided to change around our Sunday program for today. This meant we began and ended the day with amazing views! The sunrise over the Golan Heights was spectacular! The sunset from “Hill 713” was just as nice! The weather was perfect, with mostly sunny skies all day long, with highs in the mid 60s. We left the hotel at 7:35 following a very full breakfast! We read Matthew 4 as we drove to the trailhead of Arbel.
Mt. Arbel
We arrived at the trailhead of Mt. Arbel in 10 minutes. Twenty one (21) in the group hiked to the top on the 1.5 mile with an elevation rise of over 1,000 feet). It was an uphill trail that included handholds at the top. Everyone else in the group bussed around to the other side and ascended to the top from there. The view for everyone was stunning! The snow-capped Mt. Hermon was clearly visible! While we cannot be sure, perhaps this was where the Jesus’ Transfiguration took place (Mt. 17), or perhaps it was on the lower slopes of the cliff where he taught the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). Additionally, perhaps this is where Jesus met His disciples following His resurrection (Mt. 28). We also heard Shlomo read Matthew 5 in Hebrew. We intentionally spent some solitary time here, considering the invitation, “Lech Acharia” (Come, follow me). We then walked back down to the busses. We were treated to ice cream before we loaded the bus (thanks Amiel, our Israeli land agency).
Hippos/Sussita
From here, we traveled around south end of the lake to get to Hippos/Sussita. It is actually located on the eastern side of the lake. At Hippos (a Decapolis city), we saw many Roman ruins. During the Byzantine Period (4th-6th centuries AD), there were no less than a half a dozen churches were built here. Upon leaving the site, we read the transformational story of the demoniac from Mark 5.
“We enjoyed today’s full sun, warmer temps (in the 60s), the amazing views, and the biblical connections with Jesus. This Sea of Galilee region is beautiful! We also started with an amazing sunrise and ended the day with a sunset.”
Optional Visit and Hike – “Hill 713” (Har Mitzpe ha-Yamim)
In the mid-afternoon, we dropped some of our group back at the hotel, while the rest of us (37 of us) drove north to the Mt. Merom range, and specially to “Hill 713” (in Hebrew, Har Mitzpe ha-Yamim, the view of two seas). The visibility was descent enough, but the haze was limiting. From here we could literally see across the width of the country, from the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee to the east, to the Carmel Range, Haifa, and the Mediterranean Sea (although the haze prevented us from seeing it). Looking south from here we could at least see Tiberias, the Arbel, Mt. Tabor, Mt. Gilboa, and the Nazareth Ridge. It was a special experience. We returned to the hotel for dinner and our another overnight here. We spend the entire day around (and on) the Sea of Galilee.
Day 8 – Saturday, January 17: Magdala, Chorizim & Walk to Capernaum, Jordan River Baptism, Ancient Boat, Sea of Galilee Boat Ride
