We set out a bit later today since it was the Sabbath and we headed south following the Jordan River as it exited the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop was Bet She'an. There we saw the ancient hippodrome uncovered when they were building a newer part of the city and then we went to the Roman remains. This city never ceases to amaze me. It's so massive. It had to be a beautiful city in its day. It was also busy. You could almost hear the people shopping, bathing, worshiping, traveling in and through the city. It's difficult to fully understand the impact of the earthquake that destroyed it too, and made them abandon it. From the amphitheater to the columned streets and beautiful mosaic floors, Bet She'an has much to see. (The tel of old Bet She'an is where Saul and his sons' bodies were hung on the wall to reveal their defeat by the Philistines.)
We left there and visited a site where 3 springs bubble up from the ground at the same warm temperature year round. Called Sachna, it's been a "resort" since it has been inhabited and is now a popular spot for families to gather for Shabbat/weekends and vacations. The pools are beautiful as are the waterfalls. It's how all pools and water parks should look.
Just above Bet She'an is the mountains of Gilboa. It is here that Saul met the Philistine army and when the Israelite army saw them, they ran which left Saul and his sons exposed. (1 Samuel 31) Today, the mountains are alive with trees planted by the Jewish Nature Foundation (more than 340 Million trees have been planted throughout Israel in the last 68 years.) It's here that the Israeli National Flower grows, the Gilboa Iris, and covers the mountain every spring.
Coming down from the mountain we stopped at Ein Harod, also known as Gideon's Spring, the place in Judges 7 when God helped reduce Gideon's army to 300 before sending them to defeat Midian. Today the spring, which still bubbles right out of the ground from a cave, flows into a series of pools and canals to create a beautiful oasis and recreational park. Hundreds of families were taking advantage of the Sabbath and the coolness of the springs on this hot, but beautiful day.
Near here was one of the earliest kibbutzim, called Bet Alfa, that discovered an ancient synagogue on their grounds. It had been built over an even older synagogue that would have stood during the time of Jesus. It's one of the best preserved mosaic floors of a synagogue and is the most unique in its simple depiction of the 12 astrological signs. Here we saw a film that explained it in more detail and how it may have been created. It was an interesting discovery for them, and for us, since it was one of those "extra" stops today.
On our way back toward Tiberius we stopped at a place called Aroma for an excellent lunch and then stopped at the Yardenit Baptismal site, not for baptism, but a chance to see and feel the water of the Jordan River. We also spent time in the gift shop just for fun where Peggy and I found some rings we had been searching for. They are inscribed with the Hebrew blessing from Song of Solomon, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." It's a perfect symbol for our 35th year with a remembrance from this Holy Land.
We finished up our traveling day at the Valley of the doves, walking a short distance between the mountains of Arbel and Nitai. We will be on this trail in a few days, but we wanted to take everyone here for a photo op as we prepare to leave the Galilee in the morning.
The day ended with a trip into Tiberius which is where we're headed right now.
Peace ><>
And just for fun...
Our word List for the Journey:
Sababa - nice, good
Sabbath-baba - very nice, good
Ken - yes
Lo - no
Shukrun - thank you (Arabic)
Toda - thank you (Hebrew)
Toda raba - thank you very much
Bavakasha - please
Shalom - hello/goodbye (peace)
(Shabbat Shalom)
Boker tov - good morning
Erev tov - good evening
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