Mar 10, 2013

Mar 10, 2013

• To stand early morning at the Mediterranean Sea looking out where Paul set out with his friend Barnabas to take the message of the gospel to the gentile nations. I was reading about it and now I was looking at it.

Caesarea:

• North we went to the port city of Caesarea, named wisely after Cesar by King Herod the Great. This site was amazing; a huge Roman theater that sat 3k people to view plays and hear music concerts. Great acoustics without amplifiers. And the gentle breeze was so pleasant. You can see why Herod picked the location to "Create" this port city.

• We saw the man made pool area on the edge of the Mediterranean, just outside of the stadium where chariot races took place and various athletic competitions were held.

• Between this pool and the pavilion where chariot races took place was the praetorian where is was believed that Paul was tried and imprisoned… note, within hearing distance of the athletic events taking place next door.  His writings influenced by what people connected to… maybe?

• Chariot Races Arena (Hippodrome)
• *Athletes were invited to come compete, but few came because only one winner lived. Herod is the one credited for coming up with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place - without fear of death to get athletes from around the world to come compete, whew.

 

• Aqueduct - amazing to see the level of engineering and design with arches that the raised aqueducts were constructed to bring water to cities. Of course without water people knew they could not survive (you can see why Jesus used water to relate to the very thing of value that people understood on a daily basis. Later that day we saw another example of the importance of water to the people of the region).

 

• Mt Carmel - meaning God's Vineyard"
• Sits in a valley overlooking the Jezreel valley.

 

• The place where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to determine who's god was the real God of the people of Israel.
• There is a monastery built and occupied at Mt Carmel where we had a brief service.
• Megiddo
• Moving south down the valley we arrive at Megiddo– entering it 3 part gate.
• This valley also is known as the valley of Armageddon (“Har Megiddo,” per our guide Shmulick).

 

Underground secret water supply

• There we saw an Israeli air force base with no planes (above ground that is). The air force keeps all its planes underground. So much strategy everywhere you look. (Israeli convoy passing as I write this – every soldier carrying a rifle).
• From Megiddo we could see Mt Tabor, Nazareth, and one other notable location that I did not note.
• Megiddo is the key point within the Jezreel valley that is the intersection of all three entry points one could take to enter it to enter into battle; from the North, from the South, or from the West.
• The Valley of Jezreel is where more battles have been fought than anywhere in the world (i.e. through history every 30 – 40 years there is a battle in this valley).
• Our Group
• So much to write - the group we are with... are friends we will share this experience with forever.
• Getting abbreviated sermons along the way.
• Stopping to sing praise songs with our worship leader John Hewlett.
• And hearing from each other what we experienced that day.
• Nothing short of special.