Faith Bible Church

Cedar Rapids, IA

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Day 17

Exploring the Hula Basin (north of the Sea of Galilee): Cliffs of Arbel; Tel Hazor; Tel Dan/Caesarea Philippi; Golan Heights (and looked down on to Syria).

Barb was fearless!! How many grandmas of 10 little girls would be going down this cliff face?!
Cliffs of Arbel looking down to the Sea of Galilee
Getting ready to head down this cliff face of the Cliffs of Arbel
Yup! We’re going down!
Early in Herod the Great’s career he convinced Rome to empower him as King. With the aid of Roman soldiers he attempted to push down the Jewish Zealots who wanted to overthrow Roman authority over Israel. These zealots took refuge in these caves at the Cliffs of Arbel, making them almost unreachable. Josephus records that eventually Herod wiped them out.
Wasn’t bad. Just have to be purposeful with your feet.
Good job Barbara!!!!
This was a little interesting!
Feels good when you get near the bottom!
We did it!!
Some of the caves in which the zealots would have taken refuge
Some of the caves in which the zealots would have taken refuge
This is where we came down!
Tel Hazor – one of the largest archaeologist sites in Israel
Six chamber gate entering Hazor – 1 Kings 9:15
Reading Joshua 11 and finding the places on our maps. We are sitting inside what would have been the palace at Hazor
Olive press inside a 4 room Israelite house at Hazor. This would have been a source of income for this family
Inside the 4 room Israelite house at Hazor
Most private rooms of the Israelite house
The taboon – the Israelite oven which would have been built up and vented out for baking bread
King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom would have built an altar here at Tel Dan. The metal is just depicting the possible sides of the altar. Read 1 Kings 11 and 12:25. In 1 Kings 12:29 we read that Jeroboam set up a golden calf in Bethel and one in Dan.
One of the city gates at Tel Dan
Judges 18 – the tribe of Dan was pushed back into the far northeastern part of the Sorek valley. So they send out scouts to find some new ground. Read Judges 18 – they spy out the city or Laish. They like it. They take it. They changed the name to Dan. This gate might be able to be connected with Genesis 14:14. Abraham may have actually seen this gate.
Reading Matthew 16:13 as we sit in the area of Caesarea Philippi. This is the area where Jesus asked Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” We are currently on the foothills of Mt Hermon. The next chapter of Matthew (ch 17), the Mt of Transfiguration, could have also taken place on this mountain.
Worship Center built by Herod Philip here at Caesarea Philippi.
The highest peak of Mt Hermon that is in Israel
Fertile land of Mt Hermon – apples and cherries
UN compound in no man’s land between Syria and Israel
Old Quneitra – vacated by Syria when Israel took control – now under Syrian control