Israel Pastor's FAM Trip
January 2-13, 2019
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The competition for my attention and my heart
After a day of rain, we woke this morning to sunshine. Together as a group we said the Shema on the beach of the Sea of Galilee. We then made our way to the bus for a day filled with opportunities to learn about the Roman world in which Jesus lived and did his ministry. Our first stop was in a city called Beth She’an (later renamed by the Romans as Schythopolis). The city has a fascinating history with 9 different civilizations found within the Tell. What was most striking was the elaborate lifestyle we saw in the Roman ruins. Personally, I was deeply moved when comparing this megacity with the humble Galilean life we witnessed at Qatzrin yesterday. This site has forced me to examine how technology, consumerism, and leisure may compete for my attention and my heart.
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.
Our next stop was at Megiddo, an ancient fortress city overlooking the Jezreel Valley. It’s from Megiddo that we get the word Armageddon. We were able to walk through and learn about an ancient gate, take in an incredible view of the valley, and learn about ancient military tactics. We left city by walking through an elaborate water system.
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.
From Megiddo, we drove to Mt. Carmel where we ate lunch at a Druz restaurant. Pastor Randy lead us on a devotional about the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal which happened on this mountain and challenged us to think through how this story applies to our life and ministry.
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).
Our last stop today was at Caesarea Maritima, a city Herod the Great built on the sore of the Mediterranean Sea. The city featured a theater, hippodrome (stadium where they held horse races), a large harbor, and one of Herod’s own palaces. I couldn’t help but think about how the first century world would have been shocked that Jesus is the name known around the world when Herod the Great was so obviously prevalent and powerful in theirs.
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.
We ended our night with a drive into Jerusalem. Throughout the trip, Ronin has told us that we were not yet ready for Jerusalem. Finally, we are here and will explore the city tomorrow. I can’t wait.
Written by Jeremy Kreuze & Tim Wilson
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