Israel with Sarah

By Sarah Roach

Day 4 began with a beautiful sunrise over the mountains across the Sea of Galilee, after which we departed Tiberias and headed south. Our final destination was Jerusalem.

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Traveling along the Great Rift Valley (I was surprised to learn the GRV extends from the Sea of Galilee area all the way down through Africa to Mozambique, about 4000 miles.), our first stop of the day was Ben Shean (means house of tranquility.) Its Greek name was Decapolis (ten cities) and was one of ten Greek cities founded after Alexander the Great died and his generals carved up his empire into four kingdoms. This city has a long history, but I found the most interesting story relating to Ben Shean was the battle between Saul and the Philistines which Saul lost. His body along with his three sons were hanged from the city walls. This city has some very nice Roman ruins, including several well preserved mosaics (including a good-sized erotic poem on a public sidewalk. I haven’t translated it yet as our guide can’t read Ancient Greek nor did he know the author. More research required....), a bathhouse, a public latrine, and a theater.

Not much of Jericho, our next stop, is left and nothing of those walls that came tumbling down. It is, at 10000 years old, the oldest city on earth, having been founded in the 8th century BC. The archaeological record reveals that the wall surrounding the city was stone on the bottom for defensive purposes and an earth brick wall on top of that. When attacked by the Israelites, the earth bricks collapsed and formed a ramp, allowing “all the men” to rush in. Archaeologists speculate that Jericho’s fall was during Passover as there was an abundance of grain so harvest was over and the grain had been stored. Jericho was considered the wilderness, and after he was baptized in the Jordan River by John, Jesus walked to Jericho and there the devil tempts him with the three temptations: to turn stones into bread, to throw himself off a pinnacle, and offering him all he can see from a high spot.

Not far from Jericho was our next stop, the Valley of the Shadow of Death. I had no idea this was a real place! I always thought it was a metaphor for Christ’s protection for any precarious situation one might find himself in. But it is a real place and through which a road fraught with dangers lies, specifically bandits and wild animals. (One of our tour members related a story of while hiking this trail, he was confronted by a hyena!) This road links Jerusalem to Jericho, about 17 miles, or a day’s walk, but the valley itself is only about a mile long. In 4 BC, Herod the Great died at the base of this valley and is buried at the Herodium. We unfortunately do not have the time to visit it. There is a Greek Orthodox Monastery at the end of the valley and there are crosses along the way to indicate hermit caves. There is also a small waterfall.

Bethany promises the Tomb of Lazarus. Bethany means house of the poor and is now in a Palestinian village. There is now a mosque on top of the tomb also. Apparently it’s just fine to build over a Jewish tomb since it’s underground with several feet of dirt in between. There’s no one in it anyway. The story goes that the family friend Lazarus became ill and word was sent to Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus doesn’t go immediately and in the meantime, Lazarus dies. When after four days, Jesus arrives, he is rebuked for his delay. Jesus goes to the tomb and calls Lazarus by name to come out. If he hadn’t called Lazarus by name to come out, all the other inhabitants would have come too! Joseph of Arimathea gave the family tomb to Lazarus’ family for his burial. Turned out to be a temporary loan.

We arrived in Jerusalem just in time for the beginning of the Sabbath (on Friday) at the Western Wall. I did not realize that man and women have separate sides in which to pray. Took a few pictures of what was going on on the other side of the partition (yes, that’s allowed as long as it’s before 5:00). I left a note in the wall too.

Found a few typos in yesterday’s post. My apologies, it was quite late and It was quite late and I was exhausted.