Israel In Depth - Real Life Church
April 21 - May 1, 2015
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On the Road to Jerusalem
Each day we wake up with excitement and enthusiasm for 'what's next' on our study tour and everyday comes with a wealth of historical information and rich biblical teaching.
Today we left the Sea of Galilee to begin our 76 mile journey to Jerusalem. Our first stop was Beth Shean. Our guide took us on a hike to the top of a ridge that overlooked and showed (it wasn't hard to picture) the magnificence of the Roman city. The size and prosperity of the city brought about its paganistic life style. To realize that we were at the very place that King Saul and his sons’ bodies were hung was quite difficult to comprehend. Pastor Brennan taught about the magnitude of what was built and emphasized how it was for all the wrong reasons. He taught on the contrast of a completely immoral land, one totally against God that glorified themselves, and contrasted that to the One who was to come and who was to glorify God.
Beth Shean
Located 17 miles (27 km) south of the Sea of Galilee, Beth Shean is situated at the strategic junction of the Harod and Jordan Valleys. The fertility of the land and the abundance of water led the Jewish sages to say, “If the Garden of Eden is in the land of Israel, then its gate is Beth Shean.” It is no surprise then that the site has been almost continuously settled from the Chalcolithic period to the present.
Then off to the tel of Megiddo, also known as Armageddon—the deepest tel found so far—25 layers deep. It was an important throughout history as it sat at the crossroads of major trade routes. Brennan referenced Revelation 16:16, where it talks about this battlefield, but reminded us that death and sin has already been defeated. God has overcome the world.
Megiddo
From the earliest times (EB) to the earliest historical records of the area (Thutmose III) to the future (Revelation 16), Megiddo assumes a prominent role. This is largely owing to its strategic location astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Ara) and inside the busy Jezreel Valley.
Our visit to Mt Carmel was brief, but left a lasting impression. We were reminded of the prophet Elijah, and his encounter/showdown with the prophets of Baal. We walked away in confidence knowing there is only 1 true God that revealed himself to us.
Mt. Carmel
Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the “splendor of Carmel” was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: “your head crowns you like Mount Carmel” (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4).
We finished off the day seeing another one of Herod's creations at Caesarea, this one at the Mediterranean Sea, a crucial port for Herod, but also for our faith. Every site makes the Bible come alive and reminds us of the wonderful God we serve.
Doug and Debbie Robert
Real Life Church - Valencia, CA
Caesarea Maritima
The city and harbor were built under Herod the Great during c. 22–10 BC near the site of a former Phoenician naval station known as Stratonos pyrgos (Στράτωνος πύργος).[2] It later became the provincial capital of Roman Judea, Roman Syria Palaestina and Byzantine Palaestina Prima provinces. The city was populated throughout the 1st to 6th centuries CE and became an important early center of Christianity during the Byzantine period, but was mostly abandoned following the Muslim conquest of 640. It was re-fortified by the Crusaders, and finally slighted by the Mamluks in 1265.
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