The Galilee

Crossing the Jordan River

Camels Crossing the Road

September 25, 2009
Thursday, the 24th, our team got a much needed break and went touring the Galilee. We had a delightful day, leaving around 8:30 a.m. heading east toward the Jordan River Valley, an exteremly fertile area with all kinds of agriculture going on. This portion of the Jordan Valley is under control of the country of Jordan and I must say they are making good use of this land. We followed the border between Israel and Jordan for awhile going past numerous date plantations and more vineyards and other agriculture we were not familiar with.

Date Palms and Grapes

Our first stop was at the archaeological park of Bet Shean. During its heyday it was the center of the Decapolis region for hedonistic living! The town had spas and hot tubs and cool pools and steam rooms complete with underground plumbing, shopping malls and theaters and arenas for entertainments; like throwing people into the arenas with wild animals. Pretty much like modern-day football! It looks like we aren't so inventive afterall - Solomon did say that there was nothing new under the sun!

Sports Arena at Bet Shean

We proceeded from there up onto the Golan. What magnificient views and what good reasons for the Israelies not to give the Golan Heights back to the Syrians. From the heights you can control the entire Galilee region. The area is full of bunkers built by the Syrians when they controlled the area, from these locations they would fire down on the Israelie towns.

Syrian Built Bunker on Golan Heights

The Golan is beautiful and much agriculture takes place there as well. Tommy directed us to an overlook where we had lunch. A beautiful, quiet olive grove with picnic tables overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We enjoyed humus and pitas and black-bean salad and taboulie, took lots of pictures and then loaded up for the trip down from the Golan and on to Capernaum.

Our Group Looking Over Galillee

They grow a lot of bananas in the Jordan River / Galilee area. On all the ripening fruit of both the date and the bananas they cover with bags to keep the mediterranean fruit fly from destroying the crops. They also put under shade cloth a vast amount of their agriculture. I mentioned to Steve that if we had done that in Bangor, maybe we would have had a better garden. He said probably so but that would have been a lot of work. I agree!!!

Ancient Synagogue at Kafar Nachem (Capernaum)

From Capernaum we went to Tiberias and took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee with Daniel, a Jewish believer in Y'Shua, who is a recording artist as well as boat captain. Across the lake he was playing Michael W. Smith over the sound system. Then he stopped the boat and demonstrated how the disciples would have fished with their nets, but unlike them we didn't catch any fish! He then led us in a time of wonderful worship, singing and praising and dancing on the boat.

Daniel Showing us How to Fish

All to soon it was time to go back to shore and say farewell. We were set free for an hour to find our own supper - we choose a schwarma stand and finished the day with some gelato ice-cream. Getting back to the vans we soon discovered that one of the vans had a flat tire and it took some doing to get it changed. The lug nut wrench wasn't cooperating with the lug nuts!

Flat Tire!

So a bunch of us played Bible Trivia, jeopardy style while we waited. We finally got home around 10:00p.m., a very full and fulfilling day.