Day 07 - Galilee - Jerusalem: Springs of Harod, Beth Shean, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea Maritima

Day 07 – The Way to Jerusalem       

After a last devotional by the sea, we turned south and started making our way to Jerusalem. Our trip is about to pick up the pace!

Springs of Harod

Once we arrived, we walked down a path that led to a cave of chittering bats. Pastor Ralph read Judges 7:1, where Gideon is camped at the spring of Harod with his army. Those same waters still flow from the mouth of the cave. Gideon was a very unlikely person to lead Israel; he even described himself as “the least of his father’s house.” However, when we first meet Gideon, hiding in a winepress from the Philistines, the angel of God still addresses him as a “mighty man of valor”. Isn’t it amazing how God can take someone so ordinary and fearful and turn them into an extraordinary warrior?

Bet She’an

Bet She’an is an ancient city that was 1 of the 10 cities of the Roman Decapolis. Here, we were able to see a little of what a Roman city in its prime would be like. The Romans took lavish to a whole new level! Theatres, baths, fountains, shopping…mosaic floors with depictions of lions, gazelle, and zebra lined both sides of the street. This city had it all. An average citizen’s day revolved around the agora, a central shopping area that provided gossip, news from travelers, and trade.

Mount Carmel

After a lunch of pizza (which some of us were delighted to see!) we sped off to our next site. Mt Carmel is a range of mountains, but there is a peak closest to the Kishon River that sets the stage for an epic showdown. One of our group, Riley, shared the Biblical story found in Kings 18. Elijah challenges the false prophets to prove the power of their god Baal against the God of Israel. In a not so surprising turn of events, Baal is a no show.  Maybe we need to challenge the false gods we have; things in our lives that we have maybe put before God and realize they just can’t compete.

Caesarea Maritima

Our last stop was a location on the Mediterranean coastline, Caesarea Maritima. This city was designed by Herod the Great and took 12 years to complete. Trivia for you to impress your friends: the first time that 2nd and 3rd place medals were offered to the victors was in this city! Herod hosted the Olympic games here in 10 B.C. to celebrate the completion of the construction of the city. Instead of only giving 1 medal to the victor, he offered them to the first 3, a tradition we continue today! The most notable event here for our trip is that Paul was imprisoned here, likely underneath Herod’s palace. Acts 23 tells us that he was transported here by Roman soldiers and had several trials, not for any criminal deeds, but for testifying about his faith.

We have checked into our last hotel of the trip, and it is so hard to believe we have been in Israel for 7 days! We are just as excited for tomorrow as we were for our first day.