Who do you say I am?

Day 4 began in Qatzrin where we learned about the ancient Talmudic village and synagogue. We all dressed in the traditional clothing and were educated by a wonderful woman named Noga about the process of olive pressing. There are so many interesting facts about the olive and it’s benefits. The impurity of Israeli olive oil is about .04-08% compared to the impurity of the olive oil from Italy which is around 2% depending on the age of the olive tree. We then entered into a recreation of an ancient traditional home. As we sat huddled in a small room we re-read the story of the paralytic lowered from the roof to be healed by Jesus in Mark 2.

We then traveled to ancient Dan and learned how the tribe was established as an important culture and administrative center in the kingdom of Israel.

After visiting Dan, we traveled to Caesarea Philippi and learned about the significance of Pan and the Nymphs. Pan is the ½ man, ½ goat figure we see in Greek mythology playing the pan flute. Greeks worshipped him as the god of fertility and Caesarea Philippi was the center of their worship. It was here that Jesus would turn and ask the disciples, “who do you say I am?” in Matthew 16. Here, we are reminded even in the darkest places in our world and in our lives, God reveals himself to us because the gates of Hell cannot prevent the goodness of God from breaking through.

What an amazing feeling to know God can reach anyone of us who will receive him because he is motivated purely by His love for us.

-Cyndi Motooka