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Israel Familiarization Trip
January 7-17, 2015
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God, kings, and priests
We got an early start and headed for the coast, from our hotel on the shore of the Dead Sea. Our guide and bus driver were amazed at the amount of the water flowing through the dessert that on average gets about 10cm of rain a year. Our first stop, Ceasarea, was a former port designed and built by King Herod 2,000 years ago. We were introduced to the city through a film explaining the historical significance of this city. We also toured the “new” part of the city, built 1,000 years later by the European Crusaders. Cesarea was built from granite brought from Egypt and marble shipped from Greece and Italy. Besides being an amazing architect, Herod had the foresight to build the largest port of the day to encourage commerce by the sea to match the strategic trade routes of the Jewish lands. The city included a sophisticated hippodrome, outdoor ampitheater, and Herod’s palace that included a fresh water pool. We were surprised to find Pontius Pilate’s inscription on a ruin, indicating he spent a great deal of time in the city as well.
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.
From the sea we headed north, enjoyed an authentic falafel lunch on our way to Mt. Carmel, the site where Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to prove who was the one true God, recorded in I Kings 17 – 19. From the roof of the Carmelite church we were able to see the entire valley of Jezreel, and our guide and Rich pointed out to us many biblical sites such as Nazareth across the valley, Mt. Tabor, etc.
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 drove down the hill to Megeddo, a Tell that includes 25 different cities dating back 4,000 years! A short film explained the importance of this city that was at the cross roads of the main trade route from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Of course, we were most interested to hear that this is also the site of the biblical Armegeddon – the last battle recorded in the book of Revelation.
After a great day of sun (and no rain), we headed to our hotel in The Galilee, a place where we are greatly anticipating the sights to come.
Beckie Melli
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.
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