Day 9- Through Jezzreel to Jesrusalem

Arbel Cliffs – 400 meters above the Sea of Galilee

We left the Galilee early and headed up to the Arbel cliffs before making out way to the Jezzreel Valley on our way to Jerusalem.

The Arbel cliffs are a natural fortress with caves in the front face that Jewish rebels used in a final stand-off against Herod’s army. The tales of this final standoff are brutal – with the Roman’s burning the rebels live in the caves – whole families committing suicide rather than surrender – soldiers being let down by rope over the entrance of caves and spear-hooking inhabitants before dragging them out to fall on the rocks below.

It’s hard to process/internalize the relentless brutality this land has and continues to witness. I can’t begin to find language for the solemn heaviness/sadness that over-comes over you at places like these. At any given moment – just how far are we, in safe Manitoba, away from unimaginable inhumanity?

Looking back over Galilee from on top of Arbel

Lonely tree on top of Arbel

On top of Arbel – if you turn around 180 degrees you see the Arbel valley swelling up to the Horns of Hittin – famous mountain where Muslim invaders under Salah ah-Din defeated the Crusaders (1187 CE) in a battle that forever changed warfare from static brute clash to light-footed strategic maneuvering. You can read about the battle here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hattin

Thorns in the fore – Horns (of Hittin) in the aft.

From here we drove to Nazareth which is a predominantly Arab Israeli town. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it’s a modern city along a long string of smallish Arab towns.

We stopped briefly at the Church of the Annunciation and well where tradition remembers the Angel Gabriel visiting Mary and inviting her to receive the very life of God into her womb. The church is built over a well where the visitation was supposed to have happened.

Inside the church leading to the well

The well

Icon of the Annunciation

We also stopped at Nazareth Village – a model village depicting life at the time of Christ. I’m not usually into these kinds of places but it was very well done and quite interesting.

Olive Press

Rick using the first Black and Decker drill.

That’s gotta hurt!

Leaving Nazareth we made our way through the Jezzreel Valley to Tel Megiddo. The Jezzreel was such a verdant relief from the relentless desert we spent the last week in; rich farmland that often resembled scenes from back home.

This is also the valley known as the valley of Armageddon – a vital strategic plain that is the site of many great battles from biblical times right up to the first Wold War. The word Armageddon itself is a corruption of the Hebrew Har Megiddo – and Megiddo is the fortress that stands astride the great trunk road linking Egypt to Syria and Mesopotamia.

Entrance to Tel Megiddo

Megiddo sits on a hill guarding the valley and is site to fortifications from 20 distinct historical periods from 4000 B.C.E to 400 B.C.E. Currently exposed is the great chariot city of King Solomon (10th century B.C.E.) and the 9th century water system which is a stunning piece of engineering consisting of a large shaft sunk through the rock to a depth of 120 feet, where it meets a tunnel cut through for a distance of 215 feet to a spring outside the city/fortress. This ensured hidden access to water supply during times of siege.

Water toughs for livestock

Sunken grain storage

Tunnel to water supply outside fortress

View of valley of Armageggon from on top of Tel Megiddo

From Megiddo we traveled to Mt. Carmel, which amazingly, I don’t seem to have any pictures of. But on route we passed this picturesque tomb by the side of the road. It was unearthed recently by road builders and is apparently the best preserved example of a family tomb common at the time of Christ.

Three of the five chambers inside the tomb.

My favorite meal of the whole trip was in a Druze village near Mt. Carmel. I’ve never been one

for Falafel but this was amazing food – humus, olives, baba ganoush, couscous salad, fresh pita etc. Later came lamb shish kabob. Fantastic!!

Shops outside restaruant.

Before heading finally toward Jerusalem we made one last stop at Caesarea – a port city built by Herod the Great and named after his patron Octavian Augustus Caesar. The city has a long history but most importantly served as the base for the Roman legions sent to quell the Jewish revolt.

Entrance to the City

The Mediterranean at Caesarea

Finally we turned south down the Mediteranean coastline – past Tel Aviv before going “up” to Jerusalem.

The familiar phrase “going up” to Jerusalem simply refers to the topical lie of the land. From the plains by the sea – the land of Israel quicky rises into the north-south mountain range that devides the land between the fertile coastland and the more barren desert lands of Judea, Samaria, Sodom etc before the land rises once again to Jordan. Jerusalem occupies a high spot so that almost no matter where you are in the land – Jerusalem is up.

Just outside the city we were passed by a flashing motorcade of about eight identical vehicles – one of which bore Israeli Prime Minister Natanyahu having just returned from his visit with Barack Obama.

We arrived late at our hotel after a long tiring travel day. Tomorrow – Jerusalem.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Cairo to Jerusalem, Journeys. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Cairo to Jerusalem, Journeys

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