Mt. Carmel and Caesarea

Sorry its taken so long between posts. We are on the tour bus at 7:30 each morning and get back around 6:30 in time for dinner and then to bed to rest up for the next day. Our days are jam packed with activies but we had to do this to make up for the time lost at the beginning of our trip. Trust me, it is worth it!!!

Today we started by traveling through the Jezreel valley to Megiddo to the Armageddon battlefield where archeologists have uncovered 20 levels of civilization. It was interesting to walk through the ruins. It amazes me how entire buildings, i.e. a colisseum is uncovered intact. I mean some of these foundations are huge.

Next we traveled to Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged King Ahab and the prophets of Bael as is told in First Kings Chapter 18 verses 16-46. The view was awesome. It is amazing to be able to stand here and see the same view as those who lived 2,000 years ago. I love being able to read scripture and be able to picture in my mind what it was like. The bible has really come to life for me. The land is so rugged and 2,000 years ago there were no roads or paths, people had to journey through the desert sand and up the barren mountains. What amazes me is the faith that Abraham and so many others had to just pack up their families and go wherever God told them to go not knowing where they were going!!! The dangers that they faced but yet trusting that God would deliver them safely.

We ate lunch at a Druse restaurant. The Druse are a branch of the jewish faith. The restaurant was very charming. It was a cottage in the middle of nowhere with lovely gardens and a fountain. Ou lunch consisted of falafel (which is chick peas and herbs rolled into balls and deep fried) and a variety of salads (we ate salad with every meal including breakfast).

We spent the afternoon at Caeserea Philippi. What a place this was!!!! It was King Harod's palace on the Mediterranean Sea tha was built in 37 BC. I could spend days here. The view was spectacular. I'm telling you, the palaces of today do not hold a candle to the palaces of the kings of yesterday. This was the post where King Herod's army's ships were kept. We saw several sail boats in the sea. The weather was beautiful today (it has been all week). The sea is so blue. I couldn't resist wading along the shore (several of us did). The water was not really that cold (not as cold as the Dead Sea). On the grounds (along with the palace) were a theatre for musical productions as well as an amphitheatre where chariot races and other "entertainment" was presented to the king. This was also where Peter preached the god news to the Gentiles.

Tomorrow is the heart of this entire trip as we spend the day walking where Jesus walked the last days of his life on earth.

Shalom,

Diane