The Roman way of life

Today was a much more relaxing day than we’ve had so far on the trip! It seems like many of us are starting to feel a bit tired after a non-stop schedule, so today was a refreshing change. Don’t get me wrong... this trip has been full of incredible experiences, from climbing Masada to riding camels, but we were all definitely in the mood to spend a couple hours relaxing at a hot spring.

We started the day by exploring the magnificent ruins of Beth Shean, one of the biggest ongoing archaeological digs in Israel. It’s an ancient Roman city from the time of Jesus, and as we meandered through its streets, we learned about the daily life of people living in this town: the entertainment they enjoyed, their state of the art bathroom, their shopping center, and even sauna. There were many intricate details that had been unearthed from this city, and it was easy to get a feel for the grandeur of the Roman way of life.

Up next was the aforementioned hot spring at the foot of the hills of Gilboa, the location where Saul met his death. At this site, we learned the important lesson that to obey is better than to sacrifice. Saul did not understand this truth, and lost his place as king because of it.

The hot spring, called the Spring of Harod, is the place where Gideon is believed to have separated his men down to 300 before going to battle, which you can read all about in Judges 7. We then got to go for a swim in the 88 degree water! Many were delighted by the fish that swam up and nibbled on your feet. The rain made it a particularly special moment for everyone who braved the cold air to jump in to this unique location.

The final highlight of the day was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. As the boat glided across the water, we spent time in worship and heard a message from Michael on the power of faith and risk. Finally, our fun-loving Israeli tour guide Ronan led us in one of the best dance parties I’ve ever been a part of. You’ll have to check out the vlog to see what happened there.

We’re entering the home stretch of our trip, with just 3 days of exploration left. Keeping following along on social media and we’ll see what tomorrow has in store!