Day three of touring is now complete. We had another incredible day together. It was rainy again – but we were able to visit all of the places that we wanted to visit without any major interruptions. To begin the day, we started out with a drive around the east side of the Sea of Galilee. We headed north to explore the Golan Heights and to visit the ancient cities of Dan and Caesarea Philippi.
On our way there, we drove through the Hula Valley in northern Israel. This valley was developed by some of the first settlers when the State of Israel was established in the 1940s. It was a swamp when they first purchased the land, but thanks to some incredible agricultural engineering, it has become one of the most fertile and thriving valleys in Israel – and probably in the entire Middle East. It was a great reminder of God’s faithfulness to fulfill his promises to the people of Israel.
As we continued driving north, we reached some one of the northernmost cities in Israel – Kiryat Shmona. Several years ago – before our last trip here, during the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon – this town was continuously fired upon with ketyusha rockets. It was referred to on the news almost daily – so it was very interesting to drive through it today.
From there we continued north on our way to Dan. We drove along the border with Lebanon – we were literally feet from the fence that separates the two countries. We even drove by an entry point, with a not-so-friendly looking Lebanese guard staring us down. A little scary…but no harm done. It was a fun thrill that we can tell our families about now – after the fact – but may have hesitated to tell them about beforehand.
We then arrived at Dan – which is the site of the ancient city mentioned in the Scriptures. It is also a nature reserve with some beautiful landscape. It was especially amazing today – with all of the extra rain, the streams that flowed from the springs of Dan were flowing with much more intensity than usual.
When we left Dan, we traveled to Caesarea Philippi. This is the site where Jesus shared with his disciples the profound and powerful truth that darkness, evil, and hell itself have nothing on him. Here was the location of what was referred to in his day as “the gates of hell.” It was a spot where a pagan temple dedicated to the god, Pan, once stood. It was carved out of the bedrock at Caesarea Philippi.
When Jesus visited here, he asked his disciples who people were saying that he was (Matthew 16). They said that some believed he was John the Baptist, others thought he was Elijah, and others thought he was one of the prophets. Jesus asked them, then, who do they say that he is. Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him, “You are right…you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The word that he used that was translated “rock” is a word that referred to bedrock – like the kind that they would have seen in the mountain side in Caesarea Philippi. He wanted them to know that the “gates of hell” – the symbol and representation of incredible evil and darkness, which included even human sacrifice – this would not prevail against the church that was built on the bedrock of Christ. It was such an awesome reminder for us that no matter how dark or fallen or broken things are or seem – as ones who are in Christ, we have power in Him to overcome it.
We reflected on this truth together, celebrated the power and authority of our Savior, took some pictures and explored a bit, and then headed out. We ascended Mount Hermon in northern Israel (the traditional site of the transfiguration of Jesus – recorded in Matthew 17 after the story of Caesarea Philippi). We traveled farther north than any of our previous groups have been able to go. It was snowing at Mount Hermon today, so the views were spectacular.
On the way up the mountain, we stopped at another site that none of our previous groups have visited. It was called Nimrod’s Fortress – it was a Muslim fortress that dates back to the 9th century A.D. The views from this height were also amazing. We took some great pictures of the snow-topped Mount Hermon. We were also able to explore the fortress, which was so much fun. There were tons of hidden staircases and rooms, cisterns, towers, and lookouts. It was a real nice (and unexpected) addition to our itinerary today.
We continued on from there to drive through the Golan Heights – a region in Israel that belonged to Syria prior to the 6-day war in 1967. Leor did a great job of sharing the modern history of this area. We were able to see some of the former military stations of the Syrians – we were also able to see many different fields that still have Syrian mines in them 44 years later (we know this because there are warning signs letter people know that they would be wise to stay out).
We stopped for lunch at a small little restaurant with delicious pizza, calzones, and baked goods (strange combination, I know). From there we visited the Golan Heights winery – which produces and sells some of the best wine in the Middle East. They had some samples available to taste, and a few people bought some to bring back home to their loved ones.
Next, we finished our tour of the Golan – and we wrapped up our day with a visit at one of Leor’s relative’s homes. We enjoyed coffee and some snacks. It was definitely something that tour groups do not ever do, but since we are a smaller group, we were able to. It really helped us connect with the land, with real people and a real family.
When we left there, we went back to the hotel for our final night at the Sea of Galilee. We ate dinner together and are now hanging out in the lobby (as usual) – talking, writing, blogging, etc. Tomorrow…it’s off to Jerusalem!
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