Middle East Memoirs: Day 8

Date: Thursday, April 7
Location: The Galilee Triangle
Temperature: Mild
Excitement Level: *****
New Discoveries: Eau de Cow Poo does not attract the men folk. Nor does "sweat back" as a result of mountain climbing with a backpack on.
New Frustration: Would it kill you people to leave a comment when I write about my trip?! I KNOW you're out there. I KNOW you're living vicariously through me. Don't be a drip; leave a comment about my trip.

Hey, I have an idea! Let's go hiking! Who's with me?!?!

*sigh*

Let me roll my sore bum out of bed, crack my back, stretch my calves and drag myself onto the bus.

Today's mountain: Mt. Arbel.

Yep. We're climbing that. Now, before you all say, "Oh, that?! That looks easy!" let me assure you that it is NOT. While the gradual "Oh my gosh, my calves are going to burst right out of my skin!" hike through the mud to the base of the cliff was not so bad, aside from the calves wanting to burst out of my skin, then we had to literally go mountain climbing. With no harnesses. Or a net underneath. Gulp.

Allow me to take you through the various stages of Mt. Arbel: It's Better With Mud.

Here we are taking a break. Most of us spent the allotted 10 minutes searching for a stick and spending the remaining 34 seconds scraping the 3 inches of mud and cow poo off the bottom of our hiking boots. Oh, AND, my hiking boots were still wet from my jaunt in the Sea of Galilee yesterday. I asked our Rabbi if I could wear my Asics that day and he strongly advised me, "NO." Best advice I've ever gotten. My white Asics would have never survived Mt. Arbel: It's Better With Mud. Lucky for me, Jeff, had an extra pair of hiking boots. Also lucky for me, my own hiking boots were spared from the never ending exposer to mud and cow poo.

Ugh. Seriously. Because it's not hard enough carrying a backpack heavy laden with 2 liter water bottles, let's add 10 pounds of mud to this ascent.

Look! Up ahead! It's Rabbi George's last tour group! gulp.


Ahhhhh, and there are the little crappers now. What they left in their wake however...not so little. Let's just say the name "cow pies" is a fitting term. Next time, have the decency to keep your crap in the right lane. Thank you kindly.

Another rest stop. Another chance to clean the mud and cow poo off our boots. Another opportunity for Rabbi George to point. Epically.

Another photo op for the trail crappers.

And then things got interesting.


That's my "dad" in the red hat, bringing up the rear. He chose to document my "mom's" ascent up Mt. Arbel: It's Better With Mud in pictures. She was none too thrilled. But, being the woman of grace that she is, she pushed through the grueling pain of knowing someone is documenting your backside, forced a smile, and promised to "accidentally" push him off the side of the cliff once we reached the summit. Kidding, kidding. It wouldn't be an accident.




Handles! To be used for hands ONLY. We were not allowed to put our mud and cow poo boots on the HANDles. Small blessings, people.

The top!



After a quick skip and a jump back to our bus, which kindly met us in the parking lot at the top of the mountain, we headed to the Galilee Triangle, north of the Sea of Galilee. The Galilee Triangle is a small geographic area containing the area between the biblical cities of Capernaum, Korazin and Bethsaida. It was here that Jesus concentrated his ministry. And it was here in which Jesus chose all of his disciples. Some people ask, "Why Galilee?" Why did Jesus choose this particular triangle in which to spend his time and energy? Isaiah 9:1 says, "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan." So we know that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, but the question is still asked, "Why Galilee?" Why did Jesus choose such a small area for his ministry? There's a comparison of Galilee to starting a fire. We know that sunlight can start a fire. We also know that it will not start a fire unless it is focused with a magnifying glass. Perhaps this was the plan of Jesus in focusing his ministry in such a tiny area and on such a small band of young boys. The Sea of Galilee area offered some other benefits. Galilee was a relaxed, beautiful and fruitful area. While Jerusalem was a place of confrontation, the Galilee was more suited for relaxation, teaching and disciple-making. It was also a fairly safe area for Jesus to establish himself.

We began our afternoon at the ancient city of Korazin.

Here we can be seen walking into an ancient synagogue.



Any guesses what this is?

Here's another angle-

That, my dear readers, is a manger. Kind of puts a damper on your Christmas Nativity scene doesn't it. This absolutely fascinated me, but it made sense. In every city of ruins that we had visited up to this point, everything had been made out of stone. It was at this particular stop on the trip that I had my first "tears behind the sunglasses" moment. I was envisioning my Lord and Savior, as a baby, lying in a trough made of stone. And this baby, 33 years later, would be crucified in a stone quarry. And we, his children, are called living stones. Living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.

After Korazin, we headed to Capernaum.


Capernaum was home to the disciple, Matthew, a tax collector. It is also believed to have been the town in which Jesus lived. Matthew 4:13 says, "Leaving Nazareth, [Jesus] went and lived in Capernaum..."

Capernaum in the Bible:
1. Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath.
2. Jesus then healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil and healed a fever in Simon Peter's mother-in-law.
3. Capernaum is the place where a Roman Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant.
4. Capernaum is the location of the famous healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof to reach Jesus.

An ancient olive press.

The school room in the 4th century synagogue found at Capernaum.

The gathering room of the synagogue.



Our last visit of the day was to Bethsaida. Bethsaida was a small fishing town located only a few miles from Capernaum. Bethsaida was also the town from which Peter, Andrew and Phillip dwelt. Some sources believe that Bethsaida was also the home of brothers, James and John.

Bethsaida in the Bible:
1. The miracle of the loaves and fishes took place on a hill near here.
2. Jesus healed a blind man.
3. Jesus condemned Bethsaida because the people refused to repent.



Late that afternoon, we boarded our bus and began the 2 hour trek south to Jerusalem, the Holy City. Jerusalem. We had spent the last eight days walking in the steps of God's people. First, the Israelites. Then, the disciples. Now, we were going to be walking in the final steps of Jesus's life here on earth. Jerusalem. Where God's infinite plan of love and redemption would be fulfilled.