Thursday - June 16, 2011 - Tiberius

Karnei (Horns of) Hittim:

Large losses on the Crusader side against the Muslims on this dormant volcano on July 4, 1187

Tree planting

Helping to fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah that the desert would bloom:

The land of "milk and honey"

Mt Meron - Highest mount in northern Galilee

Tel Hazor - Conquered by Joshua in 13th century BC - under excavation

Plain of Hula in the Golan Heights

Springs of Dan

City of Laish conquered by Dan

Canaanite gate of Laish:

Temple of Jeroboam where the golden calf was worshiped in 1 Kings 12:

Our tour guide Ilan sitting on the "throne of Jeroboam":

"High Places" like what Josiah defiled in 2 Kings 23:

Area where the famous archeological find of the inscription of the "House of David" was discovered in the ruins of the ancient city of Dan:

Caesarea Philippi; also the site of the ancient Canaanite city of Pan

The "gates of Hades" where Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah in Matthew 16:

Ancient ruins of Pan where human sacrifice was performed:

Caesarea Philippi Scripture reading: Matthew 16:13-20

Description of Caesarea Philippi from ChristianAnswers.Net

Falafel Lunch in a Druze village next to Crater Lake on dormant volcano:

View from Mt Bental

View to the west - Mt Herman - The site believed to be where the transfiguration of Jesus took place. This is also the mountain that Abraham looked at all the Promised Land that was promised to him:

View to the North-northeast - The road to Damascus (Damascus 40 miles out):

View to the Northeast - UN border patrol ("Checkpoint Charlie" - center left) - Israeli military base (on mount, center right):

View of the top of Mt Bental - Military bunkers used in 1973 war:

One of many sculptures made from weapons from the 6-day war at the top of Mt Bental:

Description of Mt Bental from www.golansights.com

Golan

We saw lots of military bases all around the Golan Heights:

Description of Golan from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Last night at the Ramat Resort on the Sea of Galilee:

Flame tree at the hotel and found all over Galilee:

Friday - June 17, 2011 - Jerusalem

Betshe'an - One of the cities of Decapolis

Tel of Betshe'an stands at the crossroads of the two major trade routes Via Maris and the King's Road. Philistines conquered Betshe'an from the Canaanites and built a temple to Dagon on top of the hill pictured below. Saul's body was desecrated here in Betshe'an. Later it was rebuilt and named "Sychtopolis" by the Greeks and then rebuilt again by the Romans. The remains are shown in the pictures below:

Image from Wikipedia

Mountains of Gilboa - Where Saul and Jonathan died

Notice that there is no vegetation on the side. David had cursed these mountains to have no dew because God's anointed died there (2 Samuel 21:12):

Modern day Tel of Jezreel - Where Ahab and Jezebel ruled from

Spring of Harod - Where God chose the men to fight with Gideon against the Midianites

Wilderness in Jordan Valley where John the Baptist preached and Jesus fasted for 40 days

Modern Day Jericho

Qumran - Dead Sea Scrolls

One of 11 caves where the scrolls were found:

Excavation of the Essenes monastery, who wrote the scrolls:

Clay pots that the scrolls where found in:

Qumran Scripture reading: Isaiah 40:1-8

Description of Qumran from Wikipedia

Mt Nebo, where Moses died, looking from Qumran over the Dead Sea

Mt Scopus

View of the Mt of Olives and the Temple Mount from Mt Scopus:

Description of Mt Scopus from Wikipedia

Jerusalem Scripture reading: Luke 13:31-35

Ramat Rachel Hotel in Jerusalem:

View from our floor looking out over Bethlehem. The hills on the outskirts of town are where the heavenly host appeared to the shepherds:

Jewish wedding canopy ("chuppah") looking out over Bethlehem:

Garden outside of the hotel:

Copyright American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise,
Reprinted with permission.