On day 4 we headed to the northern most parts of Israel. Our first stop was the ancient ruins and nature reserve of Tel Dan. Dan is named after the geographic region promised to the tribe of Dan at the time of Jacob and his 12 sons. It was the site of the northern capitol of the kingdom of Israel when the ten tribes split from Judah and Levi. Here, the king Jeroboam built a city and an altar. Because of the wickedness of the people they were eventually scattered and remain that way today--according to Judah. We know that they are being gathered from the ends of the earth by missionaries and members of our church. Some of us also know from what tribe we come.
We were able to take a nice nature walk through the ruins and surrounding springs. We stopped to see the northern "no mans land" where many fights between the Syrians and Israelis or the Lebanese and Israelis have taken place.
In Tel Dan are the remains of a Canaanite gate. This gate is one of the oldest standing structures ever found, and it dates to the time of Abraham. That's approximately 4000 years! It was unbelievable to see the original steps leading to the city--steps that Abraham and Sarah would have climbed to get Lot in their lifetimes.
(Canaanite gate being reinforced. Notice the ancient mud wall behind the newly reconstructed one to the right of the gate.)Also at Tel Dan are the remains of an Israelite city. We listened as we stood around the king's chair, a chair like the one where Solomon would have sat as he determined which woman was the mother of the child brought before him.
(where the king's judgment chair would have been)
Caesarea Philippi was one of our favorite places. Here Christ asked Peter and all the disciples, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" Upon hearing their answer Christ taught that His church would be built upon this rock--meaning it would be built on the Savior. Richard taught us so beautifully that at this place Peter tempted the Savior to take the easy way out. Peter loved Jesus and knew He was the Messiah, but Peter didn't recognize Jesus as the dying Messiah. Jews, then and now, were looking for a Messiah that would save them from their captors and serve as the king of all men on the Earth. They did not recognize that Christ would offer all men freedom from death and sin because of His Atonement. Christ never wavered from doing what He knew was the Father's will. He was always aware of serving Heavenly Father and never His own mortal self. Richard made this point by demonstrating that regardless of how much Jesus would have loved Joseph, Mary's husband, and would have wanted to save His mother from the pain of losing Joseph Jesus did not heal him or raise him from the dead.
(alcoves would have housed idols)Caesarea Philippi used to be a temple built to the idol god, Pan.
Golan Heights were where we learned that the "lilies of the field" are poppies. We saw the Syrian, Lebanese, and Jordanian borders and ate lunch at a Druze village. Jane, we had the yummiest falafels! Kelly is learning how to make fresh pita, hummus, and the chickpea filling that make up a falafel. Shea and Kelly really enjoyed the "soused eggplant." There sure are a lot of pickled veggies in Israel!
We stopped for a photo of where the Jordan River leaves Galilee and heads south to the Dead Sea. Richard believes that Christ was baptized closer to the Dead Sea than Galilee, but it was good to remember the Savior's baptism there.
We only saw Gamla from a distance. It was the small settlement that is called "Masada of the North" because the Jews who lived there threw themselves and their families off the side of the mountain rather than become slaves to the encroaching army.
Our Israeli guide had served in the Six Day War as a tank commander. We stopped at a tank memorial for a photo shoot. Shea thought it was great.
Hazor was where Jesus cast the devils out of a man and into the swine. The swine ran into the sea and drowned themselves. I made Shea pretend he was a pig and then he wanted to show the danger of the land mines that were in the area.
As we drove back to our hotel we stopped right next door at Peaceland, a store that sells olive wood and souvenirs. Of course they had complimentary beverages and they had enough staff there to hound us all and offer the shoppers "special prices." We did a little shopping for other people and walked back to the hotel for dinner and another walk into town.
The Conroys left our yard and the boys were ready to talk. I looked at Shea, he looked at the boys and their huge brown eyes, and I knew he'd be pitching a tent. He told the boys they could "probably" sleep outside. They didn't want to get too excited and Camden asked, "Dad, what does 'probably' mean?" It was pretty cute. 
In the morning, Jerianne made monkey bread--which my family devoured. 
In the morning, Jerianne made monkey bread--which my family devoured. 
