Saturday, March 7th:
I am going to start this entry out with a riddle our guide, George, told us:
Who was the greatest sinner in the Old Testament? (answer will be at end of entry)
Brenda and I got up between 6:00 and 6:15 a.m. We had to have our suitcases in the hall by 7:00 a.m. We then headed down to breakfast. The bus was slated to pull out at 8:00 a.m. sharp. Before you were allowed on the bus, you had to check to make sure your luggage was on the bus. We then set out for the day.
As we went along, we saw Mt. Nebo. According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1). According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown.
As we drove along, George pointed out the approximate are where St. Jerome is: they say this is where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
We drove along the Gilad Mountains (they are in Jordan).
Our first stop was Bet She'an National Park. Bet She'an, in the northern Jordan Valley, was first settled in the fifth millennium NCE on a mound south of the Harod Stream, in the heart of a region of great fertility and abundant water, and at what became a major crossroads. During the Late Bronze Age (16th–12th centuries BC), the Egyptians made Bet She’an the center of their rule over Canaan. According to the Bible, the Israelite tribes were unable to capture Canaanite Bet She’an. After a battle at nearby Mount Gilboa, the Philistines hung the bodies of King Saul and his sons on the city’s ramparts. King David conquered Bet She’an together with Megiddo and Ta'anach, and in King Solomon's day it became part of an administrative region encompassing the country's northern valleys. In 731 BC, the city was destroyed by the Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III. There are 15 cities jumbled on top of each other here. If you would like to read more go to the following website. It is very interesting information. In 849 A.D., an eartquate leveled the area. This area was not found and excavated until the 1960's. http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~25~~961220707
Public latrene (use your imagination...)
There were fields and fields of mustard seed flowers along the road. There was so much of them, it made you wonder why mustard seed is so expensive!
We could see Nazareth off in the distance.
We continued to travel north. We passed Mt. Tabor. It is believed by many Christians to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus.
We then passed through Jezreel Valley, a large fertile plain and inland valley south of the Lower Galilee region in Israel. This is supposed to be where the battle of Armegeddon will take place.
Our next stop was Megiddo National Park (Megiddo is another name for armegeddon). It is a fortress set high on a hill. It is one of the most important archeological sites in Israel from the time of the Bible. It is mentioned in Egyptian writings and is forecast to be the site of Armageddon in the Book of Revelations. Megiddo is a key location on Via Maris, as the Romans called the sea road that led from Egypt to Damascus, and has a long history of upheavals and conquest. The nearby springs and fertile ground drew settlers from the earliest ages of antiquity. It was a city with formidable walls 5,000 years ago. One thousand years later it fell under Egyptian rule. Then the Canaanites conquered the city to be followed by King David. King Solomon refortified the city, which reached the heights of it powers under King Ahab around 2,900 years ago. Ahab turned Megiddo into “Ir Rekhev” and built impressive water works. Israelite Megiddo fell to the Assyrians in 732 BC and was finally demolished by the Egyptians in 609 BC. We viewed a short video and then walked around. The exit was through a tunnel they dug to bring water from a spring in to the fortress. In doing this, they didn't have to leave it during the times of siege. It was quite fascinating!
Valley of Armageddon behind me:
We ate lunch at a Kibbutz. It had good food but was a bit pricey. Brenda fed some of her pork meatballs to 3 cats who were begging. We sat outside to eat - it was a beautiful day! After lunch, Brenda and I went to the store next to the Kibbutz. I bought some chocolate covered corn puffs- very yummy!!
Our first stop after lunch was the Bascillica of the Annunciation. The church was established at the site where, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the Annunciation took place. This was where Mary was told she was going to have a baby conceived of the Holy Spirit. In the church is an old ruin of a "cave" house. The Catholics have traditionally said this was her house but is was not actually proven.
From there we walked to see Joseph's "carpentry workshop". Again, this is just tradition not fact.
We drove a short ways to the City of Cana. We went to a church where it is said Jesus performed His first miracle of turning the water into wine at a wedding. Couples in our tour group that wanted to could take part in a renewal of vows ceremony. Brother David renewed his and his wife's and 7 other couples vows. It was quite moving!
We loaded back onto the bus but had to wait a few minutes due to one man in our group having stomach problems. Our next stop was the Ceasar Hotel in Tiberias where we will spend 2 nights. The hotel was on the Sea of Galilee! We were given our keys and stickers to put on our luggage with our room number so the bellhops could take them to our rooms. We had checked in around 6:15 p.m. At 6:50, our luggage was still not in our room so Brenda went down and got them both. We stopped in the gift shop for a few minutes before going to dinner. It was a nice buffet but there wasn't much on it that I cared for and I am not one for trying too much new stuff.
After dinner, our guide, George, took a few of us to an ATM where we could withdraw some US money. Then a few of us walked around in the shops. Brenda and I kept walking around when everyone else went in. We came in at 10:00 p.m. and were in bed shortly thereafter. It was quite a busy day. We were tired!
Now the answer to the riddle:
Who was the biggest sinner in the Old Testament?
Moses, he broke all 10 commandments
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