Friday Wrap-Up

As far as the weather goes, there have been better days for experiencing things outdoors.  After walking (or were we swimming?) to the first site, one woman remarked, "All I can say is 'quack!'"  Wet as we were, there were special moments.  Four couples renewed their wedding vows in the church at Cana.  Elizabeth suggested that I go ahead and do mine, even though mom wasn't with me.  I thought there might be advantages to that, but refrained from participating since my best half wasn't with me.

In Nazareth we visited the Church of the Annunciation, commemorating the angel's coming to Mary and announcing the birth of Jesus.  The stained glass and architecture of this church were amazing.  Photos will not do it justice; it is a must see for visitors.  On the way out of town we went up to the Mount of Precipice, where we got one of the best views imaginable of northern Israel.  One could practically see from one side of the country to the other, which was impressive even for a country as small as Israel.

Our lunch was at Megiddo, the ancient mound of civilization that once stood strategically in King Solomon's kingdom and helped him exert control over the trade routes of the nations (see 1 Kings 9:15).  The valley next to the tel, the Valley of Jezreel, is representative of the final battle of the world mentioned in Revelation 16:16.

Our last stop of the day was the once-mighty seaport of King Herod called Caesarea.  Built under Herod the Great and named for the Roman emperor, the remains of the palace and manmade seaport are still visible, and the amphitheater is partially reconstructed.  The glory of the city must have been immense.  Consider this: while Herod built this for himself to draw trade into the region, God used this to enable the message of Christ to go forth from the world.  It was from this very seaport that Paul departed on some of his journeys to spread the gospel message.  God is so awesome!

Elizabeth got her first experience with a street vendor in Caesarea.  He was selling scarfs out of the trunk of his car (and postcards, etc.).  Just wait until we get into the old city of Jerusalem!

We arrived in Jerusalem just before the beginning of Sabbath, got settled into very comfortable hotel rooms, and received a delicious meal with out-of-this-world desserts.  (Rene, our room is facing the mosque!)  Tomorrow we start the day in Bethlehem, then make our way east to Jericho and Qumran.  It will be a great day.

Thanks for staying with us on the journey.