galilee: part 1

My first view of the Galilee. 

Isn't it beautiful? The sight was so welcoming, as it bespoke spring, warmth, light, and life. The following pictures are just a few, relating just bit of the Galilee experience. Bear with the sporadic nature of this post - more pics will come, but I had to share something of my sweet Galilee with you; it is too good to keep to myself over here.

Bet' Shean - a Roman city included in the Decapolis. The Savior could have very well walked the streets of this now deserted city.

This little mount, Gilboa, is the sad setting for Jonathan's death, the son of Saul. 2 Samuel conveys how distraught David was at Jonathan's death, an account that means more to me now after having studied the Old Testament. Putting sites and stories together from history is  the best. Serious.

See that poky hilltop out there? Gamla once rested atop it. Christ referenced this city when He gave us the Beatitudes across the way. I loved this place. It was simple, quiet, and almost undisturbed by man. Hiking down to the city provided good time to think about the same steps our Savior took to reach the people of Galilee. I could not be stopped from just talking aloud with my Father, as I thought about the praying and pondering He must have done as He traversed the same trail. 

 This synagogue at Gamla has not been destroyed by anything but Mother Nature, so when Christ came to preach to these Galileans in the synagogue - this was it!

One fine afternoon we hiked along the mountain passes of the Golan to somewhat of a hidden waterfall. The polar plunge into the crisp, winter water was more than worth it. P.S. - I love hiking, and I miss my mountains! Galilee's peaks and valleys reminded me of my liking of them. 

Tel Dan and its reconstructed altar (that iron frame is how big it was - woo!). Jeroboam, an OT guy, built altars for Jehovah idol worship to appease some of his less-conservative/semi-inactive subjects. He brought back the golden calf for worship, so naturally we reenacted the scripture story casting our best manly man, Neal, as the star (please see below)

Tada! The Golden Calf

This is an excavated gate into Tel Dan from Abraham's time, so when Father Abe once ventured to Dan to rescue Lot this was more than likely his place of entry. Sweet, eh? 

Synthia, me, the incredible Dr. Jackson (love this man more than words), and Linds. Field trips are topped off with the humor and genius of our professors, particularly Bro. Jacks'. This pic comes from our journey to Sephoris, another city of the Roman Decapolis.

Mosaic carpets covered the floors of the excavated homes here...soo detailed, soo impressive.

Bro. Muhlestein challenging us to a duel at the Crusader Castle of Akko, a coastal city on the Mediterranean. This crazy man is in his element here (our professors are so much fun. I have loved getting to know them and their families personally).

Mt. Carmel - a cold, windy place that staged the standoff between Elijah and the priests of Baal. Elijah is in the background there, all stony and statued, calling us all to not "halt between two opinions" - choose Jehovah, he advised. The good word here helps us finish the story...

(say "no" to ambivalence!)

Back on the beach at Ein Gev, the Kibbutz we called home while in Galilee. Beach bonfires were almost every night's activity. S'mores, singing, silliness and smoky clothes highlighted these nights.

More pics, more details, more goods to come. Galilee bought a lot in my heart that will never  be owned by any other place or any other person. Stay tuned!