Anytime you travel it is always good to see the universal knife and fork!!
Today we had lunch at the Hagoshrim Kibbutz Resort and Hotel. Sorry, no pics of the food. They had several buffet tables and my hands were full. :) I will point out that all of our meals were Kosher which meant that no dairy was served along with meat. That said we had a long buffet table of creamy desserts and ice cream every night in Jerusalem but it was made with soy! If you are frowning, then you should appreciate that we all fought over the ice cream bowl! (Did I say fought over - OK, perhaps a healthy tussle would be a better description! Ha!)Tel Dan
Tel Dan is a part of the Tel Dan Nature Reserve which is only about 120 acres. The reserve features three trails and the one we are on will take us to the ruins of the Canaanite city of Laish.
"This gate, which was approached on a stepped path, is built of three arches. The arches, the piers supporting them, the the towers flanking the gate are constructed of sun-baked bricks and were covered with white plaster. The gate has survived to it's full height of seven meters. Today it is possible to see only the outer arch."
I am standing at the Tel Dan Post where the "Water War" between Syria and Israel took place. In 1923, the British Mandate of Eretz Israel and French Mandate area of Syria and Lebanon drew a line with a lead pencel to reflect the Biblical verse, "from Dan to Beersheeva". Both sides claimed sovereignty over the area covered by the pencil line, which represented 130 meters of land, including 'En Dan, one of the most profuse springs in the Middle East.
This is one of the oldest arched gates in the world dating back to the 18th century BCE. According to the Bible (Genesis 14;13-16) it is outside these gates that Abraham fought a battle against the 4 kings in order to free his nephew Lot.
Two outstanding women of the faith whom I love - Kay and Tommye from Precept Ministries.
Two amazed women of the faith happy to be in such wonderful company!!
Above is a picture of the Israelite city gate which has been heavily reconstructed. The famous "House of David" stele or sign was found outside this gate.
Thanks to the Bet Ussishkin, a small nature museum in nearby Kibbutz Dan, this is a picture of the stele found in the marketplace in Dan outside the Israelite gate. This inscription is important because it represents the oldest textual reference to the historical King David ever found!
"Following the division of the Kingdon of Solomon in 930 BCE, Jeroboam son of Nebat established a cult at Dan as an alternative to the one at the Temple in Jerusalem. He placed a golden calf in the city and built a house of high places. In the Hellenistic period, the cultic precinct was surrounded by a wall that is visible to this day. A bilingual (Greek-Aramaic) inscription found at this site attests to the sanctity of the precinct."
Jeroboam looked upon religion as a tool of the state, not as a strength and the pleasure and the glory of the life of his people. So Jeroboam made two golden calves; one of them he set up before a great altar at Bethel and the other he placed in the land of Dan at the headwaters of the Jordan River.
And, he said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Now, there are two things about that. One is this: it shows the deep, basic unbelief of King Jeroboam, for God had said to him, “You walk in My commandments and I will establish your house forever.” He did not have to fear or to worry about that dread, that the people might return back to Jerusalem and to Rehoboam, for God had promised him, “You obey My commandments and walk in My laws, and I will establish your house forever.” But, Jeroboam didn’t believe the Word of God.
Jeroboam looked upon religion as a tool of the state, not as a strength and the pleasure and the glory of the life of his people. So Jeroboam made two golden calves; one of them he set up before a great altar at Bethel and the other he placed in the land of Dan at the headwaters of the Jordan River.
And, he said, “These be thy gods, O Israel, that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” Now, there are two things about that. One is this: it shows the deep, basic unbelief of King Jeroboam, for God had said to him, “You walk in My commandments and I will establish your house forever.” He did not have to fear or to worry about that dread, that the people might return back to Jerusalem and to Rehoboam, for God had promised him, “You obey My commandments and walk in My laws, and I will establish your house forever.” But, Jeroboam didn’t believe the Word of God.
Area where Jeroboam would have set up the golden calves of Dan. The stairs located in the right of the picture lead to the high place.
Altar Chamber
The gate throne where the judges and even kings would sit to hear lawsuits brought before the city elders. Lawsuits were routinely conducted at the city gate for several reasons. It was a naturally open place to assemble witnesses; it was the literal and symbolic hub of the town’s public affairs; and many cities housed divine icons, which might serve as ritual object in oath taking.
Tel Dan Post
In 1964, Syria used the thickness of the pencil line as grounds to claim the right to draw water from the Dan. (Note: The Dan is the largest tributary of the Jordan river and the only source of the Jordan that is wholly located within Israeli territory.) The Syrians built a post in the village of Nohila and stationed tanks there. In respo se, the Israel Defense Forces paved the patrol road and blocked Syrian access to the Dan springs. The Israeli armored forces also used the Tel Dan Post to prevent the Syrians from diverting the sources of the Jordan river.
The picture above was taken when I turned and looked up and behind me where the Israeli Defense/Intelligence Force maintains a post.
This is a picture of the United Nations camp that is maintained down the road from the abandoned Syrian village of Nohila.
Trenches used by the Israeli army until the 1967 Six Day War
In front of the largest tree you see in the picture above is the remains of a burnt-out armored tank.
The picture above was taken when I turned and looked up and behind me where the Israeli Defense/Intelligence Force maintains a post.
This is a picture of the United Nations camp that is maintained down the road from the abandoned Syrian village of Nohila.
Trenches used by the Israeli army until the 1967 Six Day War
In front of the largest tree you see in the picture above is the remains of a burnt-out armored tank.These pictures are important if for no other reason than to remind us of how close Israel's enemies are to her and how important our support of her is!
" And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:3
Caesarea Philippi/Banias
Caesarea Philippi was the local center of the Cult of Pan (hence Panias/Banias) and, as being close to the source of the Jordan, had the river gushing out of a cave that led people to declare it was the river Styx, the gateway to the underworld. (You can see the cave above and the water supply is such that it no longer flows from the mouth of the cave.)
Beginning in the 3rd century B.C., sacrifices were cast into the cave as offerings to the god Pan.
The view looking down from the mouth of the cave.
Adjacent to the cave is a rocky escarpment with a series of hewn niches. Archeologists know that statues of the deity were placed in these niches by depictions of such on coins of the city.
One niche housed a sculpture of Echo, the mountain nymph and Pan’s consort. Another niche housed a statue of Pan’s father, Hermes, son of nymph Maia. Inscriptions in the niches mention those who gave large donations.
As always, I am impressed by the detail of the work done at that time.
That is Pat in the distance "getting the shot" and the four women to the right represent Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky and South Africa! And let me just add that we traveled with a wonderful group of people!!
A picture of the countryside as we are headed back to Tiberius and the hotel. I am sorry I haven't included any of the teaching by Kay and her son, David which was awesome but this post is a little long!! And to think this is just the end of day one!!!
" And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Genesis 12:3Caesarea Philippi/Banias
Situated 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee and at the base of Mt. Hermon, Banias is the location of one of the largest springs feeding the Jordan River. It is a beautiful spot that is truly an oasis from the heat! :)
Banias, as well as being a place of great natural beauty, is the site of ancient Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus demanded to know of His disciples who people were saying He was.
And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he charged them to tell no one about him. Mark 8:27-30
Caesarea Philippi was the local center of the Cult of Pan (hence Panias/Banias) and, as being close to the source of the Jordan, had the river gushing out of a cave that led people to declare it was the river Styx, the gateway to the underworld. (You can see the cave above and the water supply is such that it no longer flows from the mouth of the cave.)Beginning in the 3rd century B.C., sacrifices were cast into the cave as offerings to the god Pan.
The view looking down from the mouth of the cave.
Adjacent to the cave is a rocky escarpment with a series of hewn niches. Archeologists know that statues of the deity were placed in these niches by depictions of such on coins of the city.
One niche housed a sculpture of Echo, the mountain nymph and Pan’s consort. Another niche housed a statue of Pan’s father, Hermes, son of nymph Maia. Inscriptions in the niches mention those who gave large donations.
As always, I am impressed by the detail of the work done at that time.
That is Pat in the distance "getting the shot" and the four women to the right represent Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky and South Africa! And let me just add that we traveled with a wonderful group of people!! A picture of the countryside as we are headed back to Tiberius and the hotel. I am sorry I haven't included any of the teaching by Kay and her son, David which was awesome but this post is a little long!! And to think this is just the end of day one!!!
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