The Trade Route of the World

Today started with the biggest surprise of the trip, Beth She’an.  Not the Jewish town where King Saul and Jonathan died in the battle with the Philistines, rather the Greek city that existed at the time of Christ. It has the largest theater found in the Mediterranean, we got to see and “experience” the co-ed bathrooms where people actually sat next to each other and conducted their “business”.  The center of town was much like our towns with wide streets, covered walkways, shops, banks, restaurants, large restrooms, spas, theater, and much more.  So now that we’ve visited Beth She’an really see no reason to visit the ruins of Italy and Greece.

We left the strategic inland area of Beth She’an and headed down the Valley of Megiddo, the most battle weary valley in the world past Nazareth on our way to Mount Carmel where Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to see whose God is real.  Lunch was in a Druze town followed by a trip to the coast where the Valley of Megiddo meets the Mediterranean Sea at a major seaport names Caesarea.

As we reflect and contrast the difference between many of the simple farm towns and the opulence of Beth She’an and Caesarea it reminds me much of our culture…so much has changed and yet so much is the same.  As I’m writing we’re traveling to Jerusalem and to make this visit even more crazy – the Pope is here right now.

Greg Bair