Day 18 - Text (see previous Day 18 for pictures)

Day 18, our last full day prior to departure, began with a 1 hour bus ride north to the Decapolis city of Jerash, regarded by some as the most outstanding archaeological site in the region. Built by Pompey in the 1st century BC its golden age was in the 1st-4th centuries AD with a population of 45,000 and as many as 16 churches, the ruins of several still remain, despite the area being prone to earthquakes, the worst of which was in 1927. One enters the city through Hadrian's Arch, a stunning limestone structure built by the people of the city to mark the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 129AD. Hadrian was so impressed he stayed for 6 months, and built the "South Gate" to express his appreciation. Jerash was primarily a trading station situated on ancient caravan routes, evidence of which is to be seen in many shops, a vast warehouse, and an agora.
The city boasts a splendid forum/plaza and a long colonnaded cardo. There are temples to Zeus, Bacchus, Artemis, a large theatre, in which an Arab bagpipe band entertained us. A Church built to honour twin brothers who were martyred by the Romans for their faith: Cosmas and Damianus. A smaller theatre called a podium is in excellent condition. In the hippodrome, a chariot race was staged by a group of actors dressed as Roman soldiers. The total area of the site is 3.5 square ks, with much more excavation still to be done. The quality of the craftsmanship that went into the stonemasonry was very impressive. There was a reconstructed machine, believed to be one of the first ever shaft driven machines devised that was water powered and its purpose was to cut limestone flagstones to pave the roads and buildings.
Following our visit to Jerash, we returned to Amman, stopping along the way to view the Jabok River, which Isaac crossed when returning to the Promised Land, where he met Esau and where he wrestled with God and was given the name Israel.
Our tour of the city of Amman took us to the citadel, past the royal palace, the Roman theatre, which has a 7,000 seat capacity, and the nyphium (fountain).
Late afternoon we met for a debrief meeting, at which each member of the tour party was invited to share one significant experience from the trip, which was also an opportunity to express appreciation to those who had contributed to the planning and smooth running of the tour.
Our last evening together was spent at a restaurant set up like a bedouin camp where traditional Arabic food was on the menu. Almost everyone else seemed to be smoking, the restaurant supplying a bong-like device used by many to smoke tobacco. We celebrated the birthdays of two including Bob D before returning to the hotel for our last night before heading home.
We give thanks to God for the joy of being able to share such a journey together and for the delight of all that we have seen and heard. We look forward to being able to share some of our stories with you soon.

Day 18 - pictures (see next entry for Day 18 text)

A visit to the ruins at the Roman city of Jerash

Hadrian's Arch - from 130AD

Remains of The Church of Marianos - 570AD

The Oval Plaza at Jerash

Aussie Phil B watches as our Palestinian guide claps a band of Arabs playing drums and bagpipes in a Roman Theatre - incongruous!!!

Phil M and others in the Roman Theatre

We are watched over by the Jordanian Tourist Police!

An original Roman colonnaded street

The remains of a church in Jerash

Celebrating two birthdays on our last day

Day 17

Quite a lot of driving today, initially from Amman (1000 metres above sea level) through the Jordan Valley towards the Jordon River and the Dead Sea (400 metres below sea level). Along the way we stopped at Elijah's Hill, near where Elijah was supposed to have been taken to heaven ( "and Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven" ... 2 Kings 2, 1 - 11). Excavations from as recently as 1996 have uncovered the site with a "cave church" and "prayer hall" from the early Christian Era.

On then to the Jordon River, to the site where it is believed that John the Baptist baptised Jesus at "Bethany beyond the Jordon". Archeological evidence in the area shows the remains of five churches built since the 5th century, where pilgrims and travellers have come to see the site where the baptism took place. One of our group read from Matthew 3 ... "But He who is coming after me .... he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire".

The Jordon River forms the border between Jordon and Israel (West Bank), although the river is totally controlled by Israel. We sat on the Jordanian side with a Jordanian soldier and watched the tourists on the Israeli side (with an Israeli soldier) not more than 20 metres away. Some of us washed our feet in the cool water of the Jordon.

Our final visit for the day was to the Fortress at Machaerus (partially built by Herod the Great (just before the time of Jesus) where Salome is reputed to have danced for the head of John the Baptist. We climbed a very steep hill to get to the Fortress which afforded magnificent views across to the Dead Sea.

Outline of the Prayer Hall at Elijah's Hill

The Cave Church at Elijah's Hill

Pilgrims at Elijah's Hill

Depiction of the Baptismal area - it is off to the side of the river proper (at bottom right in the picture) and the actual site is totally dry today.

Steps leading down to the Baptismal area - compare with diagrammatic picture above 

The Jordon River - Jordanian side on the left, Israeli side on the right

Cooling the feet in the Jordan

Our Jordanian "guard"

Dipping in the water - from the Israeli side

The track to the summit of Machaerus 

Summit achieved!!!

Day 16

Out on boat in Sea of Galilee in considerable heat.  Australian flag raised and sang Advance Australia Fair.  Our Guide Jack pointed to mountain caves where Simon the Zealot who hated Rome lived and to Capernaum where Matthew the tax collector lived and spoke movingly of how being Christ's disciples reconciled them.  Did Havanagila dance on boat.  Boat played Michael W Smith songs "Breathe" and "Let it Rain" - beautiful.  In north west shore of lake visit Mount of Beatitudes and Tabgha being site of miracle of loaves and fishes - explained how layout of small hills near lake would have enabled 5,000 to sit and hear. To place on north west shore called Mensa Christi where Jesus appeared to disciples fishing after resurrection - movingly reminded of how Jesus dealt with Peter.

Drove past crusader Belvoir castle to near border at Bet She'an where after McDonalds lunch crossed into Jordan taking 1.5 hours.   

Drove to Amman for about 2 hours down Jordan valley then across Gilead Mountains including seeing much dust, rubbish, arid country, partially completed buildings, sheep and goats to be slaughtered by each family next week on a Muslim holy day, and going past the Jordan headquarters of McDonalds and also the Sharia Law Court.

A Galilee boat like ours

Raising the Aussie flag

Our team on the boat

At the Mount of The Beatitudes looking towards the Sea of Galilee

Loaves and fishes mosaic near where Jesus fed the 5000

Where Jesus appeared to his disciples while they were fishing - after his resurrection 

The same location

Jordon - what a contrast!

Amman

Day 15

Day 15 started like almost every other day of the trip: warm and sunny with cloudless blue skies. First stop was Korazin, in the north west quadrant of Lake Galilee, referred to in the NT by Jesus and condemned for their unbelief. Built entirely of local bluestone, the city is situated on top of a hill with panoramic views of the lake. Among the many structures still standing is a synagogue, an olive press, and a town square surrounded by houses.

Next stop was Tel Dan, the capital of the region settled by the tribe of Dan, in the far north of the country. After the division of the Jewish kingdom into northern and southern kingdoms, a temple was established in Dan as well as Bethel, which became centres for increasingly godless worship in the north. Nearby was a city gate made of mud brick and built by the Canaanites, predating Israelite settlement. It is possible that Abraham may have passed through these gates as they are on the route he would have taken from Ur to Cannan. Tel Dan is close to the boarder with Syria, and while we were at this site, we heard multiple heavy artillery fired in the distance.

From there we travelled to Banias, known in biblical times as Caesarea Philippi. Located here, and also at Dan are two of the three natural springs that form the headwaters of the Jordan River. Both springs were flowing strong. Caesarea Philippi has long been a syncretistic place. In Jesus' day there was a temple to the god Pan located there. Herod the Great had built it several decades previous. Its remains are still to be seen today. Apparently, Herod the Great built numerous pagan temples throughout his realm when it was politically expedient to do so. It was in this place that Jesus asked his disciples the question "who do you say that I am?", to which Peter replied with his famous confession:"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God".

We stopped for lunch at Neve Ativ Restaurant on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, adjacent to which was a volcanic crater filled with water. In this area, as in most of Israel, almost every square metre of arable land is put to use in producing a crop of one kind or another, with ancient terracing of steep slopes to achieve this.

We then drove through the Golan Heights, an area that Israel claimed from Syria in the 1967 war, and stopped at a lookout near the border with Syria, from where we could clearly see the fence, the area planted with land mines, and into Syria itself. As we drove away from the border, one could not help but notice the military build-up that was taking place on the Israeli side, with tanks and armoured personal carriers strategically positioned at multiple locations close to the border.

Our last stop was just next to our motel, where we viewed the "Jesus boat" as it is called, a 2,000 year old fishing boat that was discovered several decades ago. It had been submerged in mud on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Walking on the sea shore after a drought year, ancient nails were found, which led to the discovery. Understandably, the fabric of the boat is very fragile, and great care was taken in excavating, refloating and retrieving the boat in tact. The fact that it was buried in mud is what preserved it. The boat is @5 metres long, is made of 12 different timbers local to the area, and is consistent with the design of fishing boats used on the lake 2,000 years ago.

Paul Barnett reading from "the Rabbi's seat" in the Synagogue at Korazim

Phil B in the Synagogue

The olive press at Korazim

One of the three springs that feeds the Jordan river - this one at Tel Dan

Mud brick gate at Tel Dan - possibly used by Abraham

Spring at Caesarea Philippi - Jesus asked "who do you say that I am?"

Looking into Syria from the Golan Heights - yellow marker for land mines, white buildings in foreground  are part of a UN compound at the border between Israel and Syria with Syrian lake and city in the background

The "Jesus Boat" - in the grounds of our Kibbutz 

Day14

Today was meant to be a free day, but because the next two days were to be very busy we made some visits from the itinerary this morning. Paul read from John ... "The people living in darkness have seen a great light" ... as we drove to Capernaum on the shores of The Sea of Galilee where Jesus started his public ministry. We saw the ruins of an ancient synagogue where Jesus is believed to have taught. This is next to "Peter's House" where Jesus performed two miracles - Luke 4, 38 & 39 where he healed Peter's mother-in-law and also where he healed the paralysed man who was let down through the roof by his friends because there was a crowd outside.

We crossed into the Golan Heights which Israel occupied after the Six-day War in 1967. When Israel was excavating for a new road at Kursi (at Gergesa) they discovered mosaics and then substantial remains of a Byzantine church from the sixth century. This is supposed to be where Jesus cast out the legion of demons from the man with the impure spirit who lived in the tombs (which we saw on the hill) - and the demons entered the pigs who ran down the hill into the Sea of Galilee. (Paul read from Mark 4). We climbed the hill for wonderful views over the Sea if Galilee.

On return to our Kibbutz accommodation we dropped Phil and Carol at Tiberius for Phil to try and find where he stayed in 1978. On arrival at the Kibbutz we had driven all the way around the Sea of Galilee.

This afternoon Phil Mercer conducted the baptism of one of our party - Margaret - in the Sea of Galilee, a moving and unique experience for all of us. 

Jan at the remains of the "Synagogue of Jesus"

Modern Catholic Church built over the remains of "Peter's House"

Byzantine church from 6th century near where Jesus cast out the demons from the man with the impure spirit - into the pigs

The hills where the man with the impure spirit lived in the tombs and where the pigs ran down into the sea

View across the Sea of Galilee to the Golan Heights

Margaret about to be baptised by Phil Mercer

The baptism

Day 13

To Cana where visited church in honour of Jesus' first miracle and saw ancient water container and purchased wine and had great explanation of meaning of event.  And in distance Horns of Hittim where Crusaders finally defeated by Saladin.

To abandoned town of Sepphoris where saw ruins and mosaics from 1st century AD on including large mosaic of Nile and its animals and Crusader building.  Sepphoris was a Jewish centre which in about AD 70 was under the control of a rabbi who co-operated with the Romans so as to avoid the twin dangers of the Jewish revolt and the  rising sect called Christians and where Jewish scholars over the next several centuries wrote the Talmud, parts of which added glosses to the bible which justified Jews treating non Jews differently from other Jews.

To hill town of Nazareth where visited large Catholic Church of the Annunciation.

Drove south in Galilee past town where Elisha raised son of Shunamite woman next to which is town of Nain where Jesus raised the widows son, then through Jezreel valley where Naboth had his vineyard and Ahab and Jezebel lived, and past Mount Gilboa where Saul and Jonathan died in battle and to Bet Shean where philistines took their bodies.  

Bet Shean was later called Scythopolis being one of the decapolis ie 10 roman cities established in first century BC as a loose defensive alliance.  Destroyed by earthquake in about Sixth century AD.  Extensive Ruins over area of about size of half of Camberwell junction.  Including best preserved roman theatre in Israel which would seat say 500 and best preserved roman public toilets in the Middle East.

Back to Nof Ginosar hotel where Carol and Phil B swum in Sea of Galilee perfectly calm and beautiful and not cold.

A stone jar in Cana used for ritual cleansing by the Jews. By turning water into wine, Jesus demonstrated that he would offer a new way of cleansing - through his blood.

Phil and Lavena at the Roman Theatre at Sepphoris

Phil and Carol at our real destination - beautiful Palm Beach, Hawaii - courtesy of Hawaii Tours!!! 

(Oh well - one day)

Catholic Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth

Our Christian guide "Jack" at the earthquake remains at Bet Shean

Our leader Bishop Paul Barnett makes a "point" to Phil and Carol. We are enjoying his leadership and teaching.