How long will you waver?

Day 6: Beth She’an (Scythopolis), Mt. Carmel, Mediterranean Sea, and Caesarea

Several stops today, but just highlighting a couple…

Beth She-an: Our roundabout route to Jerusalem from the Sea of Galilee began at Beth She’an, first seeing remains of an Egyptian’s governor’s house dating back to the Old Testament time period. Biblically, we know from 1 Samuel 31:10 that Saul’s body was temporarily fastened to the wall in this area and it’s vantage point to view the Valley of Armageddon. Walking down in the same area, we got to tour through remains of a 1^st century Roman city, Scythopolis, a city with a population of 80,000+. At the heart (cardo) of the city, was the theatre, key politically for entertaining and drawing people to the city. This city is one of the most preserved Roman cities, originally destroyed in the 749 A.D. earthquake, abandoned, and discovered again in the early 1990s and the excavation began.

Mt. Carmel: “Great victories on God’s behalf” Our stop at Mt. Carmel focused on the “duel” between God and the Baal gods. Matt Clinger shared from I Kings 18 when Elijah challenges Israel in verse 21 saying, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” Matt pointed out that prior to this challenge, Elijah had spent time in isolation and living with a widow in her upper room, virtually devoid of community. Possibly not Elijah’s ideal life, but “he was being prepared for the future showdown.”

And tonight we arrived in Jerusalem!