Sunday, November 02, 2008

Day 4-Northern Galilee

We visited a whole range of Old Testament and New Testament sites today. The internet is amazingly slow, so I may be posting in bits and pieces today. And it seems the pictures are out of order again.

This is our view outside our hotel window of Tiberias.

Look closely and you'll see most of our group on the top of what was a 2900 year old temple to a golden calf set up in the area of the tribe of Dan.
An oil press at Hazor.

There is nowhere we can go that Ana cannot find an animal to make friends with.
Not exciting to look at, but the was a palace area built by Solomon's orders and a place he probably visited and stayed it when in the north.


We used the fresh and clean Jordan River water that flows out of the Banias spring to do some re-dedication of Baptisms. We actually did one full baptism of a trip member who had not been baptized. It was a very special moment.

It out of the cave the the Jordan once flowed. Romans saw it as an entrance to the underworld and worshipped Pan there. Jesue took his disciples there are asked them "Who do you say that I an?"

This is a 3800 year old city gate (really), one the Abraham may have wandered through.

This is the altar at Tel Dan that the renegade king of Israel set up to keep people away from Jersualem 2900 years ago. They worshipped a golden calf there.

One the the streams that is fed by underground springs and eventually makes up the Jordan river.

Here are Alisha and Melissa just outside the military bunker on a hill that overlooks Syria.
Hard to see, but on the middle left of the picture are the edges of Damascus. The overlook is only about 35 miles away. The apostle Paul had his conversion experience somewhere in the landscape, as he was heading to Damascus.

Here is part of our group, with Syria in the background.

Back near the Sea of Galilee, we stopped at Chorizim. This is a 4th century synagogue. The city Jesus did miracles in was just up the hill.

Not much to look at, but this is another city the Jesus visited and did wonders at-Bethsaida. Three of the disciples called this their home town - Peter, Andrew, and Phillip. It's amazing to think that you're walking in a place Jesus walked in 2000 years ago.