Galilee

Hello! I am now back in Jerusalem to stay until I leave in 3 weeks. Which is very sad. Our two week stay in the Galilee area was wonderful. I do not know where to start. It already seems like forever ago.












First, there are so many Biblical events which took place near and around the Galilee, so I am afraid I will not be able to recount them all on my blog. I'm just going to attempt to share the most memorable ones. On our drive up to the Galilee, which is in the north eastern most part of Israel bordering Syria and Lebanon, we stopped by Caesarea on the coast. It is a very beautiful place. There are mostly Crusader ruins there, but we sat on the ruins from one of Herod's palaces and read about Peter and Paul and some of their ministry. Caesarea was a huge port in Christ's time which was built up by Herod for trade and also to win the affection of the Romans. I love the Mediterranean. I was sad to think that I would not see it again until I fly out from Tel Aviv on December 17th.

I was also able to spend a brief hour or two in Nazareth. It is a decent sized little city. I wish we had been able to spend more time there to wander and explore. I went to several churches there; there are two churches which claim the Annunciation. One of the churches had artwort depicting Mary holding the Christ-child from countries all over the world. The architecture of the church was...unusual. It was basically all cement...and seemed very cold to me compared to so many of the gaudy over-ornamented churches and shrines made on Holy sites. I would have to look in my journal to remember what exactly this church was for, if it was the site of where Joseph lived, or where they believed the annunciation actually happened. I believe it is the latter. We also visited St. Gabriel's church which was the Greek Orthodox version of the Annunciation and had a spring/well within it, which was a main source of water in the 1st century for Nazareth.

We stayed in the Ein Gev Kibbutz Holiday Resort for our entire trip. They did a fairly good job accomodating our large group, though I do not know if I would stay there again. Only 9 students in my class did not get a stomach sickness while we were there...which many believe was due to food poisoning or something related. But the change of food was refreshing from the Oasis at the center. I shared a bungalow on the beach with three other girls.

Some of my favorite spots include Tel Dan, Banyas Waterfalls, Capernaum, Nain, and the boat ride on the Galilee.
Tel Dan is possibly the most Northern you can get in Israel. While we were there we looked across the valley to a city in Syria. It is lush, green, and almost tropical there. Sometimes I felt like I was in Kauai again. There were streams, springs, and waterfalls everywhere. If I had a choice of which tribe to be in in ancient Israel, I would most definitely pick Dan, though they were always battling to keep their land. It is there that many of tributaries to the Jordan River begin. It was also incredible to see the ancient site where the temple area was in Dan, which is referenced in the Old Testament frequently. For example when Jereboam set up a golden calf there after Israel had split from Judah. When I think of Dan I think of the phrase "From Dan to BeerSheba" which is the expanse of the Kingdom of Isreal. The Banyas Waterfalls were just a short way from Dan and was just a small little hike to some beautiful water.

Capernaum is on the northern edge of the Galilee. It is simply ruins now, which is not at all surprising because it was one of three cities that Christ cursed, though it was as his second home. Peter was also a resident there, and archaeological projects have uncovered one they think is Peter's home. There is a synagogue there (The picture is the back of our Bibles) where Christ most definitely would have visited. I watched one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life just down the road from Capernaum.

We had a boat ride from Ein Gev across to the Northern shore of Galilee. We were able to read the parts of the New Testament which took place on the Sea of Galilee. Like when the tempest was raging and Christ calmed the seas, showing his power over the elements. And also how Peter, Andrew, and John were fishing, and Christ came and asked them to be fishers of men. Or when Peter walked on water then sank, and Christ pulled him up.

Mt. Tabor and Mt. Carmel were in the area too. Mt. Tabor is where Peter, James, and John were transfigured and received the keys from Elijah and Noah. (i think that's right?) Mt. Carmel is the site where Elijah showed up the priests of Baal in 1 Kings 18.

Friday (yesterday) we met with Danny Seidemann, who was an amazing speaker and informant. He knows everything about Jerusalem. Politically, I suppose. We visited part of the separation barrier this morning. I feel like his two or so hours of lecturing and answering our questions was almost more informing than my two "modern near east" classes. The barrier serves as a beneficial tool according to Seidemann,though the Israelis find ways to abuse tools such as these. The news of Israel freezing settlements in the West Bank was good news he said, though I just read online they were building 20+ news schools there.

Pictures
top to bottom:
1.Me at part of the separation wall in East Jerusalem.
2. Turkey with sparklers in it for our Israeli version of Thanksgiving.
3.Fish head at the fish restaurant in Galilee. This was not my fish. It was my friends. I ordered pizza. Don't judge me.
4. View from Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus taught the 12 apostles and some of the 70.
5. Me at Banyas waterfalls near Tel Dan
6. My class picture at Tel Dan at the "Winnie the Pooh Tree". Really, that is what the park called it.
7. Me on a boat out on the Sea of Galilee.
8. Thailand depection of Mary and baby Jesus at the church in Nazareth.
9. Inside the church in Nazareth, the supposed spot of the Annunciation.
10. Entrance to Capernaum, Jesus 2nd home, home of Peter and location of the synagogue he taught at and the Centurion funded.
11. View at Caesarea of the Mediterranean.