Into the Desert Wilderness

 Hello Grandkids Family and Friends

Today we left the Sea of Galilee and drove south along the Jordan River which looks like a western US valley with some irrigated fields along the river and dry hills and mountains on either side.  We stopped at a garden spot that has been developed for Christians to be baptized in the river- and bought some souvenirs at their shop.  Our next stop was at an old city (Tel) where the Philistines defeated Saul and Jonathan and hung their heads on the city gates.  The Romans had built a large city sometime after Jesus that was destroyed by an earthquake and abandoned and covered by sand.  When it was discovered and excavated in recent times (after 1967 6-day war) many mosaic floors and fairly complete walls and many toppled columns were found.  This was a very impressive Roman ruins- we wondered how they could have built such a large city with huge stone walls and decorated marble columns.

We saw the old city of Jericho which has been occupied for 10,000 years- the oldest known city.  We stayed in a very luxurious hotel in Jericho which is one of the Palestinian Authority cities within Israel. We had time for a swim in their large pool and a nice dinner- always a buffet with many different dishes to choose and try new things.  The land is so dry that we can’t understand how anyone could live here- where did they find enough water to grow anything and raise animals?  This is not too far northeast of Jerusalem, so maybe John the Baptizer came through here and maybe Jesus came this way on one of his trips from Galilee to Jerusalem.

In the morning we drove to the south end of the Dead Sea to Masada- a tower cliff where David stayed for a time while hiding from Saul and later Herod built a huge palace and fortress with a wall all around the top of the cliff- maybe 10 acres.  When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem about 1,000 Jewish people escaped and used the supplies that Herod had stored there-which only the military outpost guards had used.  Thankfully they have built an aerial tramway that takes you up and down (800 feet high).  They had closed the Snake path which has switchbacks all the way to the top due to the hot weather.  I liked the water diversions and cisterns that were part of the fortress.

We then visited En Gedi- which is a wadi (desert stream) where David hid from Saul for a while.  We hiked up along the stream and walked (I wore sandals) in the water at several waterfalls along the way up.  We stopped at the first waterfall and put our feet in.  Judy headed back and Russ went on.  It was at this walk that Bob fell and scraped up his hands and knees.  Many trees and shrubs and birds and other animals live in this small valley in the desert.  Water in the desert has such importance and value- and the idea that Jesus can give us “living water”- not from a well or from a spring- but from his sacrifice for us that gives us a new birth in Christ and eternal life and forgiveness from our sins is wonderful. Would you like Jesus to give you his living water that can save and refresh your soul?

We also stopped at Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1947.  These are our earliest copies of the Old Testament Books of the Bible.  A Jewish sect wrote these copies of the Bible books and other historical documents and hid them in clay jars during the Roman revolt of 66-73 AD. 

Before we left the wilderness desert we stopped at a beach at the Dead Sea with the world’s lowest bar and snack shops at about -1,300 feet.  We changed into our swimming suits and floated in the very salty water.  It is not quite syrup but it is very dense so you float by just sitting down and it is a little hard to keep your head and eyes out of the salty water- the buoyancy tries to turn you over onto your stomach.  Some people like to add the salt to their baths and some people like to rub the mud on their skin- as a health and youth treatment.  Judy put mud on her face and back and arms.  They had nice showers at the beach and chairs under shade to sit for a while after our float in the Dead Sea.   

 

Golan Heights

Hello Grandkids and Family and Friends

Today we took a loop into the Golan Heights which is north of the Sea of Galilee.  We had a late lunch at a Druze restaurant on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, which is about 10,000 feet high and usually has snowpack that supplies lots of water for the Jordan River and for the groundwater of northern Israel.  We first stopped at the site of Bethsaida- on a lagoon near the Sea of Galilee- which was the fishing village where Jesus called some of his disciples.  An archaeological team was working there and were just stopping for breakfast- they work early before the heat of the day.  We got to walk on stones that were from Jesus' time.  Since He called Peter from that area He probably walked on those stones Himself.  Judy was moved by that thought.

Next we stopped at Tel Hazor which was one of David’s fortified cities.  This city also had a spring water supply with a staircase and tunnel to the water level inside of the city walls.  The Egyptians built a palace here and the Canaanites controlled the city after the Egyptians but before the Israelites entered the land.  It’s a little hard to imagine the cities when all that remains are parts of the walls and gates and foundations of some of the houses.  Are the pictures beginning to look similar to you?

Then we visited Tel Dan which is near a very large spring that forms one of the streams leading to the upper Jordan River.  This was in a very beautiful riparian forest preserve with birds singing and very shaded paths and shallow pools to wade in- a great place for a family outing.  The city walls were built of large rounded stones.  The large gates to the city have been excavated and an inscription mentioning the “army of David” was found here about 25 years ago. Judy & Russ put their feet in the water at a less torrential spot.

 

We visited one more large spring that emerges from a large cave and rock cliff.  This was a place filled with niches and caves devoted to pagan worship of many false gods as well as human sacrifice. It was at this “huge rock” near Caesarea Philippi that Peter (rock) may have proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah, and Jesus told Peter that on this “rock of faith” he would build his church.  This was the northern extent of ancient Israel.  The tribe of Dan had moved here because they couldn’t defeat the Philistines in the area they were assigned by Joshua (south of Joppa).  Abraham had passed through this town when he first entered Canaan- and they have recently excavated an early clay brick gate that Abraham might have walked through.  The City of Dan has remnants of many periods of Bible history. The Golan Heights have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 six-day war, when this area was captured from Syria.  The afternoon drive back to the sea of Galilee was through very beautiful hills with agriculture and some trees.  We crossed the Jordan River flowing into the Sea of Galilee from the Golan Heights and Mt. Herman and we were back at Tiberias.   

Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

Hi Grandkids and Family and Friends

We travelled north along the coast to Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to a contest to decide who was the true God.  Catholics have purchased the land and built churches and monasteries to commemorate Bible story places.  Some of the people of Israel had a long journey to assemble at Carmel to watch the contest. On the way to lunch we stopped at a tomb with a round rock like was used to seal the tomb of Jesus- this tomb was discovered recently as they were building the road.  We next visited Tel Meddigo, which is an archaeological site with more than 25 layers of city re-constructions.  Cities were built on mountains for defense with walls and gates.  Gates are often found in the ruins because they are so massive. This city was fortified by David or Solomon or one of the early kings of Israel.  They built a shaft and tunnel to reach a spring in a cave that was the city water supply, and then sealed the cave from the outside so the water supply would be secure even when the city was besieged.  Normally you can walk down the steps and through the tunnel but today the electricity was out so we couldn't go in. Finding a water supply- spring or well- was always an important requirement for a town. The temperature reached 110 F today so we were glad to arrive at our hotel in Tiberius.  This was a Roman city so Jesus probably didn’t come here but he would have visited all of the Jewish towns around the Sea of Galilee.

The next morning we took a ride in a wooden boat with a large covered deck across the lake and visited a museum with a fishing boat discovered in 1987 during a drought when the fishing boat was found well preserved in the mud.  The people from the nearby Kibbutz called in marine archaeologists who carefully excavated the mud and artifacts and raised the boat, after coating the boat in a fiberglass foam. 

Then we visited the church and beautiful gardens that commemorates the sermon on the mount with the beatitudes and teachings of Jesus.  Next we visited the synagogue at Capernaum with a church that is built over the house foundation for Peter’s mother-in-law. We had lunch where Peter’s fish (whole or fillet) was served. And we visited a recent discovery of a synagogue site at the town of Magdela- where Mary was from.  

The next day we visited Nazareth where they have a reconstructed village with houses and a synagogue and sheep and a donkey eating the vegetation and a wine-press and vineyards.  Our guide was a Christian Arab who spoke English very well and told us many verses about Jesus’ illustrations using farming and animal stories. This reconstructed village was very well done and helped us imagine the real village where Jesus was raised 2000 years ago.  And our mini-bus driver took us to the ridge surrounding Nazareth where they took Jesus to throw him off the cliff after he read from Isaiah and claimed to be God himself- the Messiah.  So now we have "seen" where Jesus grew up and where he taught the people who would listen and follow him.