Mon 18/11
Caesarea and Nazareth
55 Kms down south from Tel Aviv, on the coast of Mediterranean is Caesarea the port city that King Herod built as a kind of architectural playground for himself over 2000 years ago.He dedicated it to the emperor J'Caeser. It’s a planned city with a network of roads,a temple,markets and residential quarters along with a theater and Hippodrome. It took 12 years to build and became the headquarters of the Roman Govt. in Palestine in 6 BC. Along the seafront are the remains of Caesarea and subsequent Byzantine, Muslim and Crusader structures.We spent about 2 hours here exploring the interesting ruins and wandering through the remains of what was once a great marketplace.
On the edge of the national park is the massive Roman Theater.This classic Roman amphitheater is perfectly preserved. It has the typical semi-circular shape with seating on staggered stone steps facing the stage and the stunning sea beyond. In Roman times the theater would have been important in entertaining the many foreigners and sailors who came into port.We climbed the seats and got a wonderful view of the sea; sat where theater goers of two thousand years ago would have enjoyed,perhaps,a Roman adaptation of a Sophocles play or other Greek drama.The theater is still in use and concerts and plays are held in the summer months.
Structures remaining from the Byzantine era include a villa with floor mosaics and the ruins of a Byzantine church.
We were put up at Fauzi Azar Inn,a 200 year old Arab Inn converted to Dorms/Rooms in the heart of Jesus town. Homemade cakes,hot drinks and a breakfast buffet was included and served in a homely dining room. There's a 24-hour guest kitchen,a leafy courtyard and a laid-back lounge.Rooms have high ceilings.
We walked some way down the road to reach Saint Mary's Well,or the Fountain of the Virgin. This well was the outlet of an underground spring and was used to collect water.The water was also claimed to have miraculous healing powers.Today it has run dry. It is probable child Jesus and Mary often came here to draw water.
There is a Jesus trail of 65Kms established in 2007,a hiking and pilgrimage route that traces the route Jesus may have walked, connecting many sites from his life.Our Inn was supposed to have been on the TRAIL!
We went into a Greek orthodox church nearby.We were told that the best Falafel maker in Nazareth is situated in the square here and so we made haste to get to this vendor and got very fresh Falafel,Salad and gobbled it up with Tahini sauce.Wow! was it good!
Walked back to the Inn and called it a day.
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Tue 19/11 Galilee and Golan Heights
It is going to be another long day today as we troop into the coach at 7:30 in the morning on a pleasant day.
The remains of the synagogue include one complete wall, the ruins of the other walls and several columns. You can still see some of the motif carvings on the walls.We sat by the side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world, 210 meters below sea level. Jesus preached and performed many miracles around this lake.
Next,We drove along the sea up to the Mt of Beatitudes..a 10 min drive.This is the place where Jesus gave his important sermon on the hill to the multitude that assembled to see and hear him. The sermon has 9 verses, each starting with "Blessed the..." or in Latin "Beati ...". The Latin word gave this hill its name - Beati-tudes. It was a beautiful setting with the Sea of Galilee glittering in the Sun a short distance away.A Roman Catholic Franciscan church,monastery with its hostel,gardens and a farm are here,notwithstanding the milling crowd of tourists.It is a beautiful setting with a look-out to the Sea behind the palms in the garden
An hour away,further north is the Banyas nature reserve and waterfall an impressive place to spend some time.There are gushing springs, waterfalls and shaded streams that form one of the most beautiful nature spots in the country.
A short drive up,the mountain-top provides both scenic beauty and a glimpse back at the past – with bunkers open to visitors.Emerging from the bunker, a Binocular can be operated for a small fee to see the Israeli-Syrian frontier and the old battlefield now covered over with fields of olive trees,Vineyards,grain and produce.
← Freekeh and a wee bit chicken for six diners
Tomorrow we are heading to Jordan which I will cover in my next Blog.
Until then, Shalom!
55 Kms down south from Tel Aviv, on the coast of Mediterranean is Caesarea the port city that King Herod built as a kind of architectural playground for himself over 2000 years ago.He dedicated it to the emperor J'Caeser. It’s a planned city with a network of roads,a temple,markets and residential quarters along with a theater and Hippodrome. It took 12 years to build and became the headquarters of the Roman Govt. in Palestine in 6 BC. Along the seafront are the remains of Caesarea and subsequent Byzantine, Muslim and Crusader structures.We spent about 2 hours here exploring the interesting ruins and wandering through the remains of what was once a great marketplace. 
On the edge of the national park is the massive Roman Theater.This classic Roman amphitheater is perfectly preserved. It has the typical semi-circular shape with seating on staggered stone steps facing the stage and the stunning sea beyond. In Roman times the theater would have been important in entertaining the many foreigners and sailors who came into port.We climbed the seats and got a wonderful view of the sea; sat where theater goers of two thousand years ago would have enjoyed,perhaps,a Roman adaptation of a Sophocles play or other Greek drama.The theater is still in use and concerts and plays are held in the summer months. |
| Sarcophagus |
The wealth of Roman Caesarea is reflected through the wide range of stones. They were brought from Mediterranean and Eastern coasts.
Most of the Roman and Byzantine statuary were on display near the entrance of Herod's theater.They represented, emperors,dignitaries and deities and were found headless.
Hippodrome - Among the archaeological remains there is a large hippodrome with reconstructed frescoes. Here the Romans would hold horse and chariot races.It is 450 meters long,90 meters wide and 30,000 people could be seated here.It reminded me of the scene of chariot race in Ben-Hur.
Another surviving piece of the ancient structure is the public toilets – a row of stone seats with holes in them. Throughout the park there are large Roman columns, sculptures, gravestones and carved architectural features attesting to the importance and opulence of this former Roman city.
Also at the site we can see where the bath house, temples, store rooms and homes once stood. Of particular interest among the many archaeological findings was an inscription naming Pontius Pilate. This was the first recorded mention of Pilate’s name dated within Jesus lifetime.
Structures remaining from the Byzantine era include a villa with floor mosaics and the ruins of a Byzantine church.
Today, it’s a place where a man who in 22 B.C., couldn’t spend his fortune fast enough, sparing nothing on his grand master plan and building a glittering array of grand palaces,temples,and areas for entertainment and commerce. The population swelled to an impressive 100,000 citizens. Two thousand years later, as we exited, we watched a short movie show on Caesarea and its glorious days before it all perished owing to the wave of conquests in the later years.
From Caesarea we drove north to reach Nazareth in about an hour and here we were in another historical (Biblical) town in northern Israel.
From Caesarea we drove north to reach Nazareth in about an hour and here we were in another historical (Biblical) town in northern Israel.
We were put up at Fauzi Azar Inn,a 200 year old Arab Inn converted to Dorms/Rooms in the heart of Jesus town. Homemade cakes,hot drinks and a breakfast buffet was included and served in a homely dining room. There's a 24-hour guest kitchen,a leafy courtyard and a laid-back lounge.Rooms have high ceilings.
Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel".The inhabitants are predominantly Arabs,of whom 70% are Muslim and 30% Christian.A Jewish suburb is built on a hill overlooking the old city.
From our hotel we walked down to see the important sights of the town.
Nazareth is a city with biblical history. In the old city,the domed Basilica of the Annunciation is, some believe, where the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear a child. Historians say that the Grotto and its surroundings were the site of annunciation and were turned into a place of worship in 1st and 2nd century. What supports this claim are the numerous inscriptions on the wall left by pilgrims of earlier times.Today this church is the largest catholic church in the middle east which has been successively built/destroyed/rebuilt since the 4th Century.
Next to it,St. Joseph’s Church is said to be the site of Joseph’s carpentry workshop.The underground Synagogue Church is reputedly where Jesus studied and prayed.
From our hotel we walked down to see the important sights of the town.
Nazareth is a city with biblical history. In the old city,the domed Basilica of the Annunciation is, some believe, where the angel Gabriel told Mary she would bear a child. Historians say that the Grotto and its surroundings were the site of annunciation and were turned into a place of worship in 1st and 2nd century. What supports this claim are the numerous inscriptions on the wall left by pilgrims of earlier times.Today this church is the largest catholic church in the middle east which has been successively built/destroyed/rebuilt since the 4th Century. |
| in the Grotto |
Next to it,St. Joseph’s Church is said to be the site of Joseph’s carpentry workshop.The underground Synagogue Church is reputedly where Jesus studied and prayed. 
We walked some way down the road to reach Saint Mary's Well,or the Fountain of the Virgin. This well was the outlet of an underground spring and was used to collect water.The water was also claimed to have miraculous healing powers.Today it has run dry. It is probable child Jesus and Mary often came here to draw water.
We went into a Greek orthodox church nearby.We were told that the best Falafel maker in Nazareth is situated in the square here and so we made haste to get to this vendor and got very fresh Falafel,Salad and gobbled it up with Tahini sauce.Wow! was it good!Walked back to the Inn and called it a day.
______________________________________________________
Tue 19/11 Galilee and Golan Heights
It is going to be another long day today as we troop into the coach at 7:30 in the morning on a pleasant day.
First,we passed through Cana Church the traditional site of the wedding feast where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. Then we had a long drive to Capernaum.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, brought up in Nazareth and preached in Jerusalem but it was in Capernaum where he performed many of his miracles. Capernaum became his home and the Bible calls it Jesus’ “own city”. It was in the synagogue here that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Bread of Life (John 6:35-59) ” Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day”. The original Synagogue lies beneath a more recent construction. In this synagogue Jesus would regularly preach and cure people of maladies..
The remains of the synagogue include one complete wall, the ruins of the other walls and several columns. You can still see some of the motif carvings on the walls.We sat by the side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world, 210 meters below sea level. Jesus preached and performed many miracles around this lake.
Next,We drove along the sea up to the Mt of Beatitudes..a 10 min drive.This is the place where Jesus gave his important sermon on the hill to the multitude that assembled to see and hear him. The sermon has 9 verses, each starting with "Blessed the..." or in Latin "Beati ...". The Latin word gave this hill its name - Beati-tudes. It was a beautiful setting with the Sea of Galilee glittering in the Sun a short distance away.A Roman Catholic Franciscan church,monastery with its hostel,gardens and a farm are here,notwithstanding the milling crowd of tourists.It is a beautiful setting with a look-out to the Sea behind the palms in the garden
An hour away,further north is the Banyas nature reserve and waterfall an impressive place to spend some time.There are gushing springs, waterfalls and shaded streams that form one of the most beautiful nature spots in the country.
We headed for lunch at a Druize restaurant located on the bank of a crater lake with beautiful views from all the tables on the terrace. Druize is a small Arab community living peacefully in Israel and known for their hospitality. Many of us had Druize bread made with goat cheese,oil and Zaatar(a prepared condiment generally made with ground dried thyme, oregano,mint,mixed with roasted sesame seeds and salt).It goes well with veg salad.
After a leisurely lunch we headed to The Golan Heights area a green rocky plateau located in the far north of Israel.
Golan Heights is the area captured from Syria during the 1967 six-day war. Mount Bental can be found in the middle of the Golan Heights,towards the Syrian border.Here is one of Israel’s favorite mountain peaks to visit, partly due to the great panoramic views of the Golan and Syria but also because Mount Bental was the site of a courageous battle fought during Israel’s war for the Golan.
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| View of Syria |
A short drive up,the mountain-top provides both scenic beauty and a glimpse back at the past – with bunkers open to visitors.Emerging from the bunker, a Binocular can be operated for a small fee to see the Israeli-Syrian frontier and the old battlefield now covered over with fields of olive trees,Vineyards,grain and produce.
We indulged in some wine tasting at a nearby winery and got back to Sea of Galilee for a dip in its holy waters and then to our Inn.
Cooking Workshop
In the evening we engaged in a traditional cooking workshop making Freekeh. It is essentially wheat that has been harvested early,while the grains are still tender and green.The kernels are then roasted and dried.
Freekeh is high in vitamins,minerals,fiber and protein. It is common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and has long been part of the food culture in countries such as Jordan, Egypt,Lebanon and Syria.
For 2 cups of Freekeh we took 4 cups of water,brought it to boil and simmered it for 40 minutes.We also made chicken curry and salad and had a jolly good meal
← Freekeh and a wee bit chicken for six diners
Cabbage Salad garnished with Parsley and lemon⇀
Tomorrow we are heading to Jordan which I will cover in my next Blog.
Until then, Shalom!
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