Israel Day Two

Day two we boarded the bus and headed north from Tel Aviv. Our first stop was Ceasaria by the Mediterranean Sea. This elaborate city was constructed by King Herod. It boasts a coliseum, an ampitheater, and an impressive palace complete with a swimming pool fed by the sea.

I was impressed by the sycophigus and the Roman sculptures. We had church service in the ampitheater and Michelle sang on the stage. Another church group joined us in service from Canada. This place is also where Peter converted the centurion and where Paul was imprisoned. The crusaders also used this as their main port.

From Ceasaria we travelled on the main trade route to Megiddo. This fort has over 25 layers of civilization. It was perfectly situated on the intersection of two major trade routes. One coming from Persia and the other from Egypt headed north to Turkey. The fort sits on a hill that provides a strategic view of the Armeggedon valley. Within the fort they could house thousands of horses, and would rotate thousands more into the fort from the green valleys surrounding the hill. Their water supply was vulnerable, because it was outside the walls so the ancients tunnelled hundreds of feet through rock to provide a protected way to get access to water.

Across the Armegeddon valley from Megiddo lies the city of Nazereth beacons from a hill side. Tomorrow we head to the Northern most point of Jesus ministry!