Late last evening a storm front blew into Israel which did away with our beautifully sunny days and our warm weather. Despite the cold rain, we headed out early this morning for the Jordan River where myself and a handful of others were baptized to reaffirm our faith. The actually place where the baptisms took place, just south of the Sea of Galilee, is nowhere near where John the Baptist did his ministry and where Jesus was baptized. Because the Jordan serves as the border between Israel and the nation of Jordan, there are very few places where tourists like us can access the river. That said, it’s the same river and that’s close enough for me! The baptism itself was very nice, if cold.
From the baptism site, we travelled to the ancient city of Bet Shean/Scytopolis. Bet Shean was a city in Old Testament times, and like so many other cities we’ve visited, was built on the ruins of twenty-come previous cities so it is atop a high hill, or tel. After the Philistines killed King Saul and three of his sons on Mt. Gilboa, they hung his body from Bet Shean. The arrival of the Roman Legion in Israel made the hill-top fortified cities like Bet Shean obsolete. The Romans built a new city, Scytopolis at the base of the tel. Scytopolis was a thriving city in Jesus’ time, but we have no record that he ever visited. It moved from Roman to Byzantine and then Islamic rule before being destroyed by an earthquake in the 700s. The remains of Bet Shean are largely unexcavated, but Scytopolis has been. Archaeologists have uncovered a theater, amphitheater, public gymnasium and bath, temples, and even a red light district. On one of the mains streets they have left things exactly where they found them so visitors can get an idea of what the city looked like after the earthquake.
Today we began our move South, so from Bet Shean we followed the Jordan Valley out of the lush green of Galilee and into the barren Judean Wilderness. We visited the ruins of Jericho, where excavations have uncovered a Neolithic watch-tower which may be 8,000 years old. Jericho claims to be both the oldest and lowest city on earth. The latter claim is confirmed. On a clear day the Dead Sea is in view of the city. Today was not clear. As we arrived in the city the coming rain whipped up a small dust storm which was followed by a real storm. Jericho is also one of the cities under Palestinian control, and there was a marked economic difference from what we have seen in the purely Israeli towns.
We ended the day heading up to Jerusalem where we will stay for the next five nights. It takes about 30 minutes to make the drive, but you ascend nearly 4,000 feet. The storm was in full force when we arrived, so we haven’t seen much of the city yet.
As I reflect on where I have seen the Spirit at work on this trip, I keep getting drawn back to an image I saw a few days ago in Nazareth. As I told you, the Catholic Church of the Annunciation is the largest basilica in the Middle East and it is everything you would expect from such a structure. However, it sits in sort of a low point of Nazareth, and on a hill overlooking the church is a large mosque. Our guide Raed, who is an Arab Christian, keeps reminding us that Christians are disappearing in Israel. “Dissolving like salt,” is how he describes it. The image of the mosque overlooking the church seems relevant, and I can’t help but think that this is the work the Spirit is doing in the world today. Jesus wasn’t born into a basilica, but to a humble family from a hill-billy region of a backwater Roman province. This is where our faith found its identity, and maybe the Spirit is calling us back to humility. Let others have the glamour of big buildings, let’s just focus on the man who grew up in that dirty town in Galilee.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
February 27-28 - Nazareth and Megiddo
I’m falling behind on my journaling, so I’m going to cover two days in this one entry. Yesterday we began the day in the city of Sepphoris. Built by Herod Antipas in 4 BC, the city was the Roman capital of Galilee, and was located just down the hill from Nazareth. Being teknos a term which probably encompasses carpenter and mason combined, Joseph and the young Jesus probably did a large amount of work in this town. It was large, growing during their time, and there was a lot of money in the city. The ruins of Sepphoris today are littered with mosaic floors including the famous Nile Mosaic and the Mona Lisa of Galilee.
From Sepphoris we travelled into the modern city of Nazareth. What Jesus knew as a sleepy mountain town of a few dozen families has grown to a city of 170,000, primarily Muslim, residents. In the city there are two rival churches marking Gabriel’s announcement of Mary’s birth. The first is maintained by the Orthodox church and is built over the ancient well at Nazareth. We can be sure that Mary, Joseph, and later Jesus used this well because it was the ancient village’s only source of water. The second location, maintained by the Roman Catholic church in the form of the largest basilica in the Middle East, marks the locations of Mary’s house. This identification is based on some graffiti found in the structure dating back to the 1st century. Both churches are identified as the “Church of the Annunciation.” Just up the hill from the Catholic Basilica is a smaller church marking Joseph’s house. All three churches are beautiful. I could have spent the entire day photographing them, but they also made me feel a bit removed from the reality of the locations. What was very exciting was the Nazareth synagogue. This is where Jesus announced his identity as the Messiah in front of his hometown. To get to the synagogue you have to walk deep into the Arab market, which is a fun little stroll itself. The synagogue as it stands today is a crusader-era structure build on top of the site of the original synagogue. Despite that, it is sufficiently ancient to give a feel of authenticity. The acoustics inside are amazing and our group sang a few verses of “Amazing Grace.”
Today, Tuesday, we began with a winding ride up to the top of Mt. Tabor. At the base of this mountain the judges Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanite general Sisera. While he was fleeing the battle he crossed the wrong woman and ended up with a tent steak through his head. This is also one of the possible site of Jesus’ transfiguration. The other option is the slopes of Mt. Hermon to the north. There is a pretty little church on top of Mt. Tabor, and the views of the Jezreel Valley are stunning.
From Tabor we travelled to Megiddo, or Armageddon. Megiddo is one of the oldest cities on earth. Archaeologists have discovered more than 20 eras of civilization at the city. It is believed that it was destroyed and rebuilt 25 times in some 5,000 years. Megiddo is another world heritage site because of its 2,700 year old pagan altar, found complete with the bones of children on top, and its water system. The residents of Megiddo dug straight down until reaching the level of the valley below and then horizontally out to a spring so that they could obtain water without leaving the city walls. Megiddo is known as the “chariot city” because of the large horse stables and open courtyard for chariot parking inside its walls. In the Bible, Megiddo is fortified by Solomon (he may have dug the water system), and is the place where King Josiah is killed by Pharaoh Neco. It is also thought to be the location of the last battle at the end of time.
We also visit the Harod Spring, which is at the foot of Mt. Gilboa where Gideon gathered and selected the men he would take across the valley to attack the Midianites at the foot of Mt. Moreh. Mt. Gilboa is also where King Saul and his sons were killed in a battle with the Philistines.
Visiting the Megiddo and the Nazareth synagogue were significant moments for me personally. The other locations were certainly nice, I enjoy a beautiful church, but something about the unvarnished reality of sites without massive churches on top of them is more appealing to me. I shouldn’t be surprised that the greatest challenge I feel the Spirit presenting to me personally has little to do with holy locations, and much more to do with loving others. Israel is a pushy society. In this culture it is completely acceptable to shove to the front of a crowd or ignore a line to get what you want. At first this was annoying and offensive, but then I realized that it is completely acceptable. I love to throw an elbow as much as the next guy and realized that this was place where I could shove people around too. But then I thought about it. I am visiting locations where my Lord not only taught that whoever wants to be first must be last and a servant to all, but he lived those words. Without hard evidence, I’m going to assume that the culture he lived in was a pushy and entitled as the one I’m encountering today. That challenges me to look at how I treat others, even in a place where a shove or two is expected.
From Sepphoris we travelled into the modern city of Nazareth. What Jesus knew as a sleepy mountain town of a few dozen families has grown to a city of 170,000, primarily Muslim, residents. In the city there are two rival churches marking Gabriel’s announcement of Mary’s birth. The first is maintained by the Orthodox church and is built over the ancient well at Nazareth. We can be sure that Mary, Joseph, and later Jesus used this well because it was the ancient village’s only source of water. The second location, maintained by the Roman Catholic church in the form of the largest basilica in the Middle East, marks the locations of Mary’s house. This identification is based on some graffiti found in the structure dating back to the 1st century. Both churches are identified as the “Church of the Annunciation.” Just up the hill from the Catholic Basilica is a smaller church marking Joseph’s house. All three churches are beautiful. I could have spent the entire day photographing them, but they also made me feel a bit removed from the reality of the locations. What was very exciting was the Nazareth synagogue. This is where Jesus announced his identity as the Messiah in front of his hometown. To get to the synagogue you have to walk deep into the Arab market, which is a fun little stroll itself. The synagogue as it stands today is a crusader-era structure build on top of the site of the original synagogue. Despite that, it is sufficiently ancient to give a feel of authenticity. The acoustics inside are amazing and our group sang a few verses of “Amazing Grace.”
Today, Tuesday, we began with a winding ride up to the top of Mt. Tabor. At the base of this mountain the judges Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanite general Sisera. While he was fleeing the battle he crossed the wrong woman and ended up with a tent steak through his head. This is also one of the possible site of Jesus’ transfiguration. The other option is the slopes of Mt. Hermon to the north. There is a pretty little church on top of Mt. Tabor, and the views of the Jezreel Valley are stunning.
From Tabor we travelled to Megiddo, or Armageddon. Megiddo is one of the oldest cities on earth. Archaeologists have discovered more than 20 eras of civilization at the city. It is believed that it was destroyed and rebuilt 25 times in some 5,000 years. Megiddo is another world heritage site because of its 2,700 year old pagan altar, found complete with the bones of children on top, and its water system. The residents of Megiddo dug straight down until reaching the level of the valley below and then horizontally out to a spring so that they could obtain water without leaving the city walls. Megiddo is known as the “chariot city” because of the large horse stables and open courtyard for chariot parking inside its walls. In the Bible, Megiddo is fortified by Solomon (he may have dug the water system), and is the place where King Josiah is killed by Pharaoh Neco. It is also thought to be the location of the last battle at the end of time.
We also visit the Harod Spring, which is at the foot of Mt. Gilboa where Gideon gathered and selected the men he would take across the valley to attack the Midianites at the foot of Mt. Moreh. Mt. Gilboa is also where King Saul and his sons were killed in a battle with the Philistines.
Visiting the Megiddo and the Nazareth synagogue were significant moments for me personally. The other locations were certainly nice, I enjoy a beautiful church, but something about the unvarnished reality of sites without massive churches on top of them is more appealing to me. I shouldn’t be surprised that the greatest challenge I feel the Spirit presenting to me personally has little to do with holy locations, and much more to do with loving others. Israel is a pushy society. In this culture it is completely acceptable to shove to the front of a crowd or ignore a line to get what you want. At first this was annoying and offensive, but then I realized that it is completely acceptable. I love to throw an elbow as much as the next guy and realized that this was place where I could shove people around too. But then I thought about it. I am visiting locations where my Lord not only taught that whoever wants to be first must be last and a servant to all, but he lived those words. Without hard evidence, I’m going to assume that the culture he lived in was a pushy and entitled as the one I’m encountering today. That challenges me to look at how I treat others, even in a place where a shove or two is expected.
February 26 - Hazor and Dan
2/26
Today we visited the ancient city of Hazor. The Old Testament tells us that Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, organized a coalition of cities to resist Joshua and the Israelites as they occupied the land. Jabin’s coalition met Joshua and was defeated in battle. Joshua then burned the city to the ground. Several centuries later, Solomon fortified the city. At the present day excavations, we saw the gate of the city and a good deal of the walls, palace, houses, temple facilities, and defenses. Notably, the excavations uncovered a scorched level of habitation, indicating that the city had once been burned. Hazor also used well/tunnel system. Ancient walled cities would dig a well within their walls down to ground level, most were built on high hills, and then tunnel horizontally to a spring. Hazor got lucky, after digging about 90 feet their tunnel flooded, so they didn’t need to go further.
From Hazor we travelled to Dan. The excavations of Dan are located within an Israeli nature preserve and it is a nice hike along one of the tributaries of the Jordan river to reach the city. The tribe of Dan took this city from its original inhabitants after the Philistines proved too tough an opponent in the south. Dan is also where Jeroboam erected one of his rival temples to Jerusalem, complete with Golden Calf. We were able to see the seat for the altar and the foundation of that temple. Of even more interest is the fact that Dan is home to the oldest standing archway in the world. It is estimated to be around 4,000 years old. We know that around that time, Abraham attacked the city after its inhabitants kidnapped Abraham’s nephew, Lot. It is very likely that Abraham used the gate we can still see today. The gate has also been designated as a UN World Heritage Site.
From Dan we travelled to Caesaria Philippi. Not to be confused with Caesaria Maritima, which we visited a few days ago. Caesaria Philippi was built at the source of the Banias river, another tributary of the Jordan. Herod Philippi, one of Herod the Great’s sons, built the city as a worship center. At the base of a large cliff he constructed a variety of temples to pagan gods. Pan received most of the attention, and had a grotto backed against a large cave. At the base of the cave was a small pond, sacrifices were thrown into the pond and the worshippers would then proceed to the source of the Banias to look for signs of blood seeping into the river, the results were interpreted as showing the god’s approval or disfavor. This is where Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The location appears to be an intentional contrast to the pagan practices and competing loyalties of the day.
Leaving Dan we travelled deep into the Golan Heights. Israel and Syria have fought multiple wars over this region, and the remains are evident in abandoned bunkers, tank entrenchments, and marked mine fields. It is very rough and hilly country, and had piles of snow in some areas. After a tasty lunch of traditional Druze food, we drove to the border and looked down into Syria. Somewhere in that general area was the ancient road to Damascus where Paul had his conversion experience.
Today was yet another amazing whirlwind of discovery as we visited a number of locations where biblical events occurred. We continued to encounter groups of Christians from around the globe, but that “warm fuzzy feeling” wasn’t as evident as in days past. We visited Dan at the same time as a South Korean group, which was fine until they held a prayer meeting on top of the temple mount. There was a great deal of whooping and howling for about twenty minutes. This didn’t leave me with feelings of affection for my Christian brothers and sisters. My response wasn’t so much theological as it was sociological. They were just being rude. As we drove home I reflected on what it means to be a united body of believers, and what degree of involvement the Spirit must play in calling us into this united relationship. People are easy to love in distant and superficial ways, but as we get to know them, things become much more difficult. I think one place I see the Spirit at work on this trip is in bringing me, and perhaps others, to a place where we can disagree and take issue with other practices of our faith, without creating an “us versus them” scenario. I’m not sure what I expected when I came here, but what is obvious is that proximity to the places where Jesus lived and taught doesn’t make the Christian life any easier to live. As much as I appreciate the fact that these locations have been preserved, the basis for my Christian life doesn’t lie in these ruins. It must exist in the work that the Spirit is doing in my own life.
Today we visited the ancient city of Hazor. The Old Testament tells us that Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor, organized a coalition of cities to resist Joshua and the Israelites as they occupied the land. Jabin’s coalition met Joshua and was defeated in battle. Joshua then burned the city to the ground. Several centuries later, Solomon fortified the city. At the present day excavations, we saw the gate of the city and a good deal of the walls, palace, houses, temple facilities, and defenses. Notably, the excavations uncovered a scorched level of habitation, indicating that the city had once been burned. Hazor also used well/tunnel system. Ancient walled cities would dig a well within their walls down to ground level, most were built on high hills, and then tunnel horizontally to a spring. Hazor got lucky, after digging about 90 feet their tunnel flooded, so they didn’t need to go further.
From Hazor we travelled to Dan. The excavations of Dan are located within an Israeli nature preserve and it is a nice hike along one of the tributaries of the Jordan river to reach the city. The tribe of Dan took this city from its original inhabitants after the Philistines proved too tough an opponent in the south. Dan is also where Jeroboam erected one of his rival temples to Jerusalem, complete with Golden Calf. We were able to see the seat for the altar and the foundation of that temple. Of even more interest is the fact that Dan is home to the oldest standing archway in the world. It is estimated to be around 4,000 years old. We know that around that time, Abraham attacked the city after its inhabitants kidnapped Abraham’s nephew, Lot. It is very likely that Abraham used the gate we can still see today. The gate has also been designated as a UN World Heritage Site.
From Dan we travelled to Caesaria Philippi. Not to be confused with Caesaria Maritima, which we visited a few days ago. Caesaria Philippi was built at the source of the Banias river, another tributary of the Jordan. Herod Philippi, one of Herod the Great’s sons, built the city as a worship center. At the base of a large cliff he constructed a variety of temples to pagan gods. Pan received most of the attention, and had a grotto backed against a large cave. At the base of the cave was a small pond, sacrifices were thrown into the pond and the worshippers would then proceed to the source of the Banias to look for signs of blood seeping into the river, the results were interpreted as showing the god’s approval or disfavor. This is where Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” The location appears to be an intentional contrast to the pagan practices and competing loyalties of the day.
Leaving Dan we travelled deep into the Golan Heights. Israel and Syria have fought multiple wars over this region, and the remains are evident in abandoned bunkers, tank entrenchments, and marked mine fields. It is very rough and hilly country, and had piles of snow in some areas. After a tasty lunch of traditional Druze food, we drove to the border and looked down into Syria. Somewhere in that general area was the ancient road to Damascus where Paul had his conversion experience.
Today was yet another amazing whirlwind of discovery as we visited a number of locations where biblical events occurred. We continued to encounter groups of Christians from around the globe, but that “warm fuzzy feeling” wasn’t as evident as in days past. We visited Dan at the same time as a South Korean group, which was fine until they held a prayer meeting on top of the temple mount. There was a great deal of whooping and howling for about twenty minutes. This didn’t leave me with feelings of affection for my Christian brothers and sisters. My response wasn’t so much theological as it was sociological. They were just being rude. As we drove home I reflected on what it means to be a united body of believers, and what degree of involvement the Spirit must play in calling us into this united relationship. People are easy to love in distant and superficial ways, but as we get to know them, things become much more difficult. I think one place I see the Spirit at work on this trip is in bringing me, and perhaps others, to a place where we can disagree and take issue with other practices of our faith, without creating an “us versus them” scenario. I’m not sure what I expected when I came here, but what is obvious is that proximity to the places where Jesus lived and taught doesn’t make the Christian life any easier to live. As much as I appreciate the fact that these locations have been preserved, the basis for my Christian life doesn’t lie in these ruins. It must exist in the work that the Spirit is doing in my own life.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
February 25: Along the Sea of Galilee
Wow, what a difference a day, and a good night’s sleep make. When we arrived in Israel yesterday it was cloudy and rainy. Today began hazy, but cleared up to be absolutely beautiful. We began with an early breakfast and then a boat ride up the coast of the Sea of Galilee. For reference, the Sea of Galilee isn’t so much a sea as it is a large lake (Hebrew has no word for “lake). While it lies 35-ish miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea, it is also some 600 ft. below sea level. It is bordered by mountains which rise as much as 1,000 ft. above sea level, and Mt. Hermon a few miles to the north is 4,000 ft. above sea level and snow-capped year round. So, you can imagine that the geography of the region is dramatic. This morning the Sea was calm, nearly flat, but the mountains of the region catch the prevailing winds coming off of the Mediterranean and funnel them through a few valleys directly onto the Sea of Galilee. The result is the freak violent windstorms for which the Sea is known. Jesus’ miracles of walking on water and calming the sea both occurred during such storms. As we moved northward through the sea we passed Migdal, home of Mary Magdalene. And stopped for a moment to read some scripture and sing a few hymns. We eventually arrived at the north end of the sea where a local kibbutz houses the famous “Jesus Boat.”
The water level of the Sea of Galilee fluctuates quite a bit depending on the weather. In 1980s the region experienced a severe drought and two local men discovered some ancient nails while walking on the exposed sea bed. As the explored some more they uncovered what appeared to be a boat. After a tricky excavation, a 2,000 year-old fishing boat was uncovered, preserved, and is now on display. The boat dates to the 1st century AD, so would have been in use when Jesus and his disciples were using this type of boat to travel and fish on the sea.
From the Jesus Boat we travelled to Tabgha, traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus fed 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves of bread. Today the site is protected by a very pretty little church. Inside there is a rock reported to be the one on which Jesus rested the bread and fish to pray before serving the people. This site does hold some of the credentials we look for in determining the authenticity of a location. It is certainly in the right region, it has been viewed as legitimate since very ancient times, and those opposed to the faith have attempted to destroy it. So, if it isn’t the exact spot, it is close. Actually, there was a church built at Tabgha sometime in the 3rd century AD, but it was destroyed by invaders a few hundred years later. The church and the site itself were forgotten until the 1300s. Amazingly, the mosaic floor of the original church survived all that time, and forms the floor of the current church building today. The ancient mosaic floor designs themselves are well worth a visit. We were in the church with a group of fellow pilgrims from South Korea who were singing hymns in their own language.
We then drove a short distance to the Mt. of the Beatitudes which is a high hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. A church here marks the spot where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Like a good number of these holy places, that this is the exact spot where Jesus stood isn’t certain, but it is probably close. At the foot of the hill are the ruins of a much older church marking the same event at the same location. The hill itself has a natural shape that enhances acoustics, so it is reasonable to believe that Jesus picked this location to speak. By the time we arrived the sun had burned off the morning haze, and it was a beautiful day. The monks which care for the site have the place beautifully manicured, and there were groups there from all around the world. After our guide, a Palestinian Christian named Raed, finished his lecture, I roamed about the grounds and caught bits of lectures and sermons from an Italian priest, a South African pastor, and a German guide.
Just over a hill or two, there are a great number of hills here in Galilee, are the ruins of Korazin. This was one of the towns which refused to listen to Jesus’ preaching and was cursed by him. The town itself is very old. Remains of houses, a ritual bath, and a synagogue still exist along with an ancient road weaving around the hillside. One of the most remarkable things about these ancient sites is that they, so far, look nothing like anything you see in the movies. Galilee is incredibly hilly and covered with large rocks. There is a local joke which says that when God finished making the world he had some leftover rocks. He put an angel in charge of dispersing them throughout the earth. But the angel was a little bit lazy and dumped the whole load in Israel. The other thing is that the ancient houses are all made of dark black stone. It makes for a very interesting contrast with the lush green hillsides.
After spending a short time at Korazin, we headed back past the Mt. of the Beatitudes to Migdal and ate a lunch of St. Peter’s Fish, which is basically a fish which is cooked and served on your plate, no cleaning or prepping. The restaurant in which we ate was a stone’s throw from both the sea and the excavations of the ancient town, home of Mary Magdalene, which are still underway.
Next we stopped at the church marking the Restoration of Peter. This is supposedly the site where Jesus appeared to Peter after the resurrection, asked him if he loved him three times, and then ate some fish with Peter and a few others. It is a nice little spot along the sea. We weren’t given much explanation regarding why this was the spot for this event. To me it just seemed like someone picked a pretty spot by the water to build a church. Then again, there are only so many ancient churches a person can enjoy in one day. Perhaps I was reaching my limit.
Our last stop of the day was at Capernaum. This was a large ancient city, and probably had a few thousand residents. It was the home of Peter the disciple, with whose family Jesus lived during his three years of ministry. The city receives a great number of mentions in the gospels. There are a number of really interesting items which have been found in the excavations. There is a pillar from the 1st century referencing Zebedee, whose two sons became disciples of Jesus. There is also a mile marker from the Via Maris, which was an ancient road travelling along the Mediterranean Sea from Gaza to Damascus. Its northern end cut inland to the Sea of Galilee and passed by Capernaum. The synagogue at Capernaum is very well preserved. The first few layers of foundation are the typical black rock and are from the time of Jesus. The upper structure is white rock, and was built a few centuries later, but on the exact footprint of the previous structure, so that one can get a feel at least for the size of the original. In the gospels, Jesus teaches and heals at this synagogue. Literally a stone’s throw from the front entrance to the synagogue is Peter’s house. It might seemed a bit too convenient that this house is so close to the synagogue. It isn’t, in this ancient town, virtually everything is a stone’s throw from the synagogue. This is one of the holy sites which is as authentic as we can hope for. Today the location is marked by a large, hideous, UFO shaped church which the Catholic church built in the 1990s both as a place of worship and to protect the ancient remains underneath. It is built on pillars and “hovers” over the older structures below. Looking under the modern church, you can see a series of three octagonal walls. These are the remains of a 5th century church, which actually sits on top of an even older church. Underneath all of that is Peter’s house. The structure is an ancient home very similar to the dozens of others that surround it. Yet at some point in the second half of the 1st century the walls were plastered and people began carving prayers into them. So the house became a place of worship at a very early date.
Capernaum was fitting site for our last stop of the day. So where did I see the Holy Spirit at work? Everywhere. It was a wonderful and moving day, even for a guy like me who doesn’t get very emotional. Seeing where all of these places are, understanding how Jesus and his disciples could have walked around and sailed on the sea was striking. From the early morning when we sat worshipping in a boat together to the end of the day at Peter’s house, nearly every moment underscored the reality of Jesus. We have a member of our group who might have been described as a nominal or skeptical believer before the trip began. I saw this person searching their Bible and asking some great questions about what they saw. For me, the greatest moment was the Mt. of the Beatitudes. The Sermon on the Mount has been very personal to me for a long time, and seeing the place where it was delivered, understanding why it was in this place at this time, was a great moment. I was also struck by the diversity of the groups we encountered. Like everywhere you go, Japanese and Southern Americans aren’t hard to find. But the Koreans, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Australians. It seemed as if the whole world was sending delegations to explore and worship Jesus Christ. Our guide is a Palestinian Christian and it was meaningful to hear him speak about how local Christians are neither welcome in the Jewish or Arab communities but they continue to stay in the land. There are places we travel where he isn’t comfortable speaking about his faith too loudly, but at the holy sites he finds his bravery, and isn’t afraid to preach on occasion! Overall it was a wonderful day where I not only saw the ancient sites, but watched the Spirit gather representatives from the entire world together at these preserved memories of the real life of Jesus.
The water level of the Sea of Galilee fluctuates quite a bit depending on the weather. In 1980s the region experienced a severe drought and two local men discovered some ancient nails while walking on the exposed sea bed. As the explored some more they uncovered what appeared to be a boat. After a tricky excavation, a 2,000 year-old fishing boat was uncovered, preserved, and is now on display. The boat dates to the 1st century AD, so would have been in use when Jesus and his disciples were using this type of boat to travel and fish on the sea.
From the Jesus Boat we travelled to Tabgha, traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus fed 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves of bread. Today the site is protected by a very pretty little church. Inside there is a rock reported to be the one on which Jesus rested the bread and fish to pray before serving the people. This site does hold some of the credentials we look for in determining the authenticity of a location. It is certainly in the right region, it has been viewed as legitimate since very ancient times, and those opposed to the faith have attempted to destroy it. So, if it isn’t the exact spot, it is close. Actually, there was a church built at Tabgha sometime in the 3rd century AD, but it was destroyed by invaders a few hundred years later. The church and the site itself were forgotten until the 1300s. Amazingly, the mosaic floor of the original church survived all that time, and forms the floor of the current church building today. The ancient mosaic floor designs themselves are well worth a visit. We were in the church with a group of fellow pilgrims from South Korea who were singing hymns in their own language.
We then drove a short distance to the Mt. of the Beatitudes which is a high hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. A church here marks the spot where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Like a good number of these holy places, that this is the exact spot where Jesus stood isn’t certain, but it is probably close. At the foot of the hill are the ruins of a much older church marking the same event at the same location. The hill itself has a natural shape that enhances acoustics, so it is reasonable to believe that Jesus picked this location to speak. By the time we arrived the sun had burned off the morning haze, and it was a beautiful day. The monks which care for the site have the place beautifully manicured, and there were groups there from all around the world. After our guide, a Palestinian Christian named Raed, finished his lecture, I roamed about the grounds and caught bits of lectures and sermons from an Italian priest, a South African pastor, and a German guide.
Just over a hill or two, there are a great number of hills here in Galilee, are the ruins of Korazin. This was one of the towns which refused to listen to Jesus’ preaching and was cursed by him. The town itself is very old. Remains of houses, a ritual bath, and a synagogue still exist along with an ancient road weaving around the hillside. One of the most remarkable things about these ancient sites is that they, so far, look nothing like anything you see in the movies. Galilee is incredibly hilly and covered with large rocks. There is a local joke which says that when God finished making the world he had some leftover rocks. He put an angel in charge of dispersing them throughout the earth. But the angel was a little bit lazy and dumped the whole load in Israel. The other thing is that the ancient houses are all made of dark black stone. It makes for a very interesting contrast with the lush green hillsides.
After spending a short time at Korazin, we headed back past the Mt. of the Beatitudes to Migdal and ate a lunch of St. Peter’s Fish, which is basically a fish which is cooked and served on your plate, no cleaning or prepping. The restaurant in which we ate was a stone’s throw from both the sea and the excavations of the ancient town, home of Mary Magdalene, which are still underway.
Next we stopped at the church marking the Restoration of Peter. This is supposedly the site where Jesus appeared to Peter after the resurrection, asked him if he loved him three times, and then ate some fish with Peter and a few others. It is a nice little spot along the sea. We weren’t given much explanation regarding why this was the spot for this event. To me it just seemed like someone picked a pretty spot by the water to build a church. Then again, there are only so many ancient churches a person can enjoy in one day. Perhaps I was reaching my limit.
Our last stop of the day was at Capernaum. This was a large ancient city, and probably had a few thousand residents. It was the home of Peter the disciple, with whose family Jesus lived during his three years of ministry. The city receives a great number of mentions in the gospels. There are a number of really interesting items which have been found in the excavations. There is a pillar from the 1st century referencing Zebedee, whose two sons became disciples of Jesus. There is also a mile marker from the Via Maris, which was an ancient road travelling along the Mediterranean Sea from Gaza to Damascus. Its northern end cut inland to the Sea of Galilee and passed by Capernaum. The synagogue at Capernaum is very well preserved. The first few layers of foundation are the typical black rock and are from the time of Jesus. The upper structure is white rock, and was built a few centuries later, but on the exact footprint of the previous structure, so that one can get a feel at least for the size of the original. In the gospels, Jesus teaches and heals at this synagogue. Literally a stone’s throw from the front entrance to the synagogue is Peter’s house. It might seemed a bit too convenient that this house is so close to the synagogue. It isn’t, in this ancient town, virtually everything is a stone’s throw from the synagogue. This is one of the holy sites which is as authentic as we can hope for. Today the location is marked by a large, hideous, UFO shaped church which the Catholic church built in the 1990s both as a place of worship and to protect the ancient remains underneath. It is built on pillars and “hovers” over the older structures below. Looking under the modern church, you can see a series of three octagonal walls. These are the remains of a 5th century church, which actually sits on top of an even older church. Underneath all of that is Peter’s house. The structure is an ancient home very similar to the dozens of others that surround it. Yet at some point in the second half of the 1st century the walls were plastered and people began carving prayers into them. So the house became a place of worship at a very early date.
Capernaum was fitting site for our last stop of the day. So where did I see the Holy Spirit at work? Everywhere. It was a wonderful and moving day, even for a guy like me who doesn’t get very emotional. Seeing where all of these places are, understanding how Jesus and his disciples could have walked around and sailed on the sea was striking. From the early morning when we sat worshipping in a boat together to the end of the day at Peter’s house, nearly every moment underscored the reality of Jesus. We have a member of our group who might have been described as a nominal or skeptical believer before the trip began. I saw this person searching their Bible and asking some great questions about what they saw. For me, the greatest moment was the Mt. of the Beatitudes. The Sermon on the Mount has been very personal to me for a long time, and seeing the place where it was delivered, understanding why it was in this place at this time, was a great moment. I was also struck by the diversity of the groups we encountered. Like everywhere you go, Japanese and Southern Americans aren’t hard to find. But the Koreans, Africans, Indians, Europeans, Australians. It seemed as if the whole world was sending delegations to explore and worship Jesus Christ. Our guide is a Palestinian Christian and it was meaningful to hear him speak about how local Christians are neither welcome in the Jewish or Arab communities but they continue to stay in the land. There are places we travel where he isn’t comfortable speaking about his faith too loudly, but at the holy sites he finds his bravery, and isn’t afraid to preach on occasion! Overall it was a wonderful day where I not only saw the ancient sites, but watched the Spirit gather representatives from the entire world together at these preserved memories of the real life of Jesus.
February 23-24: The Long Day
Our initial “day” of this trip began early Thursday morning in Pennsylvania, and ended Friday night in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. That “day” included an 11 hour flight and some 30 hours with little to no sleep. We departed the plane in Tel Aviv and drove straight to Caesaria Maritime, originally constructed by Herod the Great. The original city included a palace/administrative center, hippodrome for chariot racing and other games, theater, pagan temple and harbor. The harbor itself is a wonder. Israel has virtually no natural harbors, so Herod built this one. He imported massive blocks made of a kind of charcoal, when the blocks were dropped into the Mediterranean Sea they absorbed the water and solidified into a type of concrete. The harbor opened up trade with the rest of the Roman Empire and made Israel a trade rival with neighboring Egypt. Over the years the harbor succumbed to repeated beatings by the sea and a number of earthquakes and eventually broke apart. The city also suffered at the hands of the earthquakes, but much more at the hands of men. None of Herod’s sons could consolidate rule over his kingdom after his death, and many of his accomplishments, like Caesaria Maritime declined and fell into disrepair. As Rome faded and the Byzantine Empire rose, the pagan temple in the city was demolished and a church was built in its place. As Byzantium itself declined and Islam dominated the region, the church was replaced with a mosque. Caesaria Maritime saw frequent conflict during the Crusades, and the crusaders built a heavy fortress over part of the old city. Eventually, the crusaders were defeated by the Malmuks (Islamic Bosnians). So on our visit we saw portions of each of these eras.
Caesaria Maritime has played a significant role in Christian history. It was in one of the rooms within the palace area where Paul was interrogated by Felix about Christianity and where he made his famous appeal to Caesar. He set out from this city on his way to Rome, a journey which brought the faith’s leading missionary to the capital of the Empire. It was in Caesaria Maritime that Cornelius the Centurion and his family became the first gentiles baptized into the faith. Peter, the evangelist to the Ethiopian Eunich, made his home here. Early Christians were tortured and killed for sport in the hippodrome.
From Caesaria Maritime, we drove North along the coast to the top of Mt. Carmel, which overlooks the Jezreel Valley. The mountaintop is the place where Elijah had his showdown and victory against the prophets of Baal. We will visit the valley again in a few days, so I will leave all of the biblical accounts for later. However, the Jezreel Valley has played a major role in world history. The crusaders fought several battles here, Napolean passed through in is fated attempt to conquer the Middle East, and General Allenby and the British army drove the Ottomans out of the land here in WWI.
Finally, we ended our day in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. This is a beautiful area and we will explore more of it tomorrow. Having been built on an ancient graveyard, living in Tiberias was taboo for the Jews for centuries, and the city doesn’t play a role in biblical history.
As part of the theology course I am taking at seminary this semester, I am supposed to take time to reflect on where/how I have seen the Holy Spirit at work on this journey. To be honest, after a day and a half of no sleep, I’ve been in no condition to reflect on anything. I suppose I could B. S. on the wonderful reliability God demonstrated in creating a world where the scientific principles of air travel consistently work, but we all know that’s a bit cheap. I will try again tomorrow.
Caesaria Maritime has played a significant role in Christian history. It was in one of the rooms within the palace area where Paul was interrogated by Felix about Christianity and where he made his famous appeal to Caesar. He set out from this city on his way to Rome, a journey which brought the faith’s leading missionary to the capital of the Empire. It was in Caesaria Maritime that Cornelius the Centurion and his family became the first gentiles baptized into the faith. Peter, the evangelist to the Ethiopian Eunich, made his home here. Early Christians were tortured and killed for sport in the hippodrome.
From Caesaria Maritime, we drove North along the coast to the top of Mt. Carmel, which overlooks the Jezreel Valley. The mountaintop is the place where Elijah had his showdown and victory against the prophets of Baal. We will visit the valley again in a few days, so I will leave all of the biblical accounts for later. However, the Jezreel Valley has played a major role in world history. The crusaders fought several battles here, Napolean passed through in is fated attempt to conquer the Middle East, and General Allenby and the British army drove the Ottomans out of the land here in WWI.
Finally, we ended our day in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee. This is a beautiful area and we will explore more of it tomorrow. Having been built on an ancient graveyard, living in Tiberias was taboo for the Jews for centuries, and the city doesn’t play a role in biblical history.
As part of the theology course I am taking at seminary this semester, I am supposed to take time to reflect on where/how I have seen the Holy Spirit at work on this journey. To be honest, after a day and a half of no sleep, I’ve been in no condition to reflect on anything. I suppose I could B. S. on the wonderful reliability God demonstrated in creating a world where the scientific principles of air travel consistently work, but we all know that’s a bit cheap. I will try again tomorrow.
Here I Am
Hi Folks,
I'm going to use this blog both to keep you updated on my travels and to fulfill a course requirement from a very generous professor who is allowing me to miss class for this trip. Look for updates here every few days. Please note. I'm writing these things down after a day of touring, so don't look for grammar and spelling perfection.
I'm going to use this blog both to keep you updated on my travels and to fulfill a course requirement from a very generous professor who is allowing me to miss class for this trip. Look for updates here every few days. Please note. I'm writing these things down after a day of touring, so don't look for grammar and spelling perfection.
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