Here is our fearless group gathered at the outdoor theater at Bet She’an south of Galilee and north of Jerusalem. It gives a sense of the context of the life and times of the Holy Land during the first century. Â At the time of Jesus it was a gentile city and one of the ten cities that formed the Roman Decapolis. Â It was the most important city of northern Israel.
Today we went to Mt. Gilboa and Harod Spring where Gideon chose his 300 brave men. Then we went to Caesarea, a large port city, built by Herod to honor Caesar Augustus. Herod had a fresh water pool, even though he was right on the Mediterranean! The aqueduct was the way that the water was delivered to his pool ~ 1 mile away.
This is a picture with our guide Jacob (aqua shirt) gathered around the pool of Gideon–the site where Gideon selected 300 good men to fight and win victory against the Midianites (The Book of Judges, Chapter 7)
Beautiful flowers next to Gideon’s pool–climate very similar to sunny California!
This is a view from what would have been the West facing side of Herod the Great’s Palace on the Mediterranean Sea. Â In the words of the immortal Mel Brooks “It’s Great to be the King!” Â Later Herod’s palace was likely used by Pontius Pilate. Â The palace is located in the city of Caesarea Maritima which in the first century was a large and active port city.
The ruins of Herod the Great’s freshwater swimming pool–carved into the coastal rock! Again–It’s good to be the king!
Four of our travelers standing in front of the ruins of the Roman aqueduct that supplied fresh water to the city of Caesarea Maritima.
