Day 11 - October 7, 2026
Today is the 3rd anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. It’s been sobering hearing stories of the terror, violence and dislocation which of course results in more violence and dislocation. It was blessedly quiet today, but hard to put it out of our minds - and of course sadly impossible for people that live here.
This morning we drove to the cliffs of Arbel and talked about the international highway down below our viewpoint. A travel route that from earliest of times has brought people into the area of Jesus’s “evangelical triangle” of ministry at the point of Capernaum. Political powers and armies from Africa, Asia and what now call Europe have marched through here and in the mid 1st c were thus exposed to the phenomenon that was Jesus who spoke with authority, healed, sick and cast out demons and restored life. Just as in Old Testament times, this physically small pivot point of land that is Israel exposed far flung people to the one true God.
Next we drove toward Nazareth, which sits on the eastern portion of the north ridge of the Jezreel Valley. We stopped first at a potential place for the precipice where the people of the synagogue were going to attempt to throw Jesus off and stone him. From here you have a broad view of the valley and of all the history and conflict that has occurred here: Deborah, Barak and Sisera, Gideon defeating the Midianites, Saul defeated by the Philistines, Ahad building a royal residence at Jezreel, Naboth executed for his vineyard, Jehu killing Ahaziah, Elisha healing the Shunammite woman’s son, Jesus raising the widow’s son at Nain, and so much more.
In Nazareth, we visited the Church of the Annunciation which is situated over virtually the entire small village of Nazareth of the New Testament. Countries from around the world contributed mosaics or paintings of Mary and Jesus. On the main floor of the church and under the church there are some visible excavations of homes of 1st century Nazareth.
Our next stop was Beit She’an, also known as Scythopolis during the hellenistic and Roman period. It was the only decapolis city on the western side of the Jordan River. The visible remains are mainly hellenistic and roman: a theater, baths, temple area, agora and nymphaem. A few of us braved the heat and walked to the top of the acropolis to see the more ancient remains and the great view of the lower site. When Saul was defeated by the Philistines in the Jezreel valley, they hung his body on the city wall of this acropolis. There are burnt foundations of an Israeli fortress from the time of David and Solomon. It was destroyed by Shishak of Egypt a few years after the death of Solomon. This area had long periods of rule by Egypt. We discussed the near impossibility of being an observant Jew or a follower of Jesus in the setting of this city.
Our last evening at beautiful En Gev Holiday Village, last wonderful dinner (deserts are way too good), and last meeting with everyone tonight. We are all so thankful for amazing experiences seeing the geographical places where our salvation history took place. Grateful for making new friends and renewing old friendships and for safety. But we are also excited to be heading to home family… if we can stuff everything we are bringing home back into our luggage LOL! Tomorrow we have a a few more Biblical site to see, then to the airport where many of us will be hanging out from 8pm until our 4 am flight. God Bless, and we can’t wait to hug everyone at home! PB and Marge
Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Lower chapel is built into excavations of 1st century home and an older church.
