Around the Sea of Galilee and up to the "city on a hill"

October 7, 2014

Galilee is the green(er by comparison) agricultural area of Israel.  There are still mountains and rocky outcroppings, but expansive fields form a patchwork in the Jezreel Valley.  Palm trees were heavy with bananas. 

Kathy (with her trusty sun "parasol"--she'd given David her hat, as he'd left his in Jordan) at the top of the Cliffs of Arbel overlooking the Plains of Magdala next to the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee

It was good to think of Jesus growing up and spending much of His ministry here, though it was a time of military occupation, tension and oppression (rather like the present),  there was wonderful natural beauty that offers opportunities for refuge and renewal. 

On our way back to Tel Aviv/Jerusalem/Bethlehem, we drove around a smooth and shimmering Sea of Galilee, where we visited some of the Biblical sites and even took a little sunrise swim. 

Sunrise at the Sea of Galilee

After our swim (where we realized we had slipped in to a private hotel beach, but no one stopped us :)--one of those easier to ask for forgiveness than permission times.  

Perhaps the best part for us was driving up partway, then climbing the remainder to Hippos/Susita, the "city on the hill" cited in Matthew 5.  David's Concordia colleague, Dr. Mark Schuler, has led an archaeological dig at this site for more than ten years, uncovering a Byzantine era church on the site. Our youngest daughter, Christine, participated in this dig for two summers while in college. 

David on the way up to Hippos (in the background) wearing Kathy's hat and looking like a jolly Emperor Palpatine.

Kathy walking past the back of the apse of the Byzantine Church (which blocked the road) at Hippos.

The Church of the Transfiguration on the top of Mt. Tabor in the Jezreel Valley.