Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Today was another busy day.  We started in Tiberias with some ruins of a synagogue with Christian influences. Stopped at one of the Baptismal sites.  There is another that just opened near Jericho which hopefully we will be able to see.  We went by bus to Beit She'an.  A remarkable reconstruction of ruins from the 4th century.  The place was huge.  The town was destroyed by a massive earthquake.  This earthquake destroyed many other sites throughout Israel.  But much has been excavated and restored, including a main shopping area and an amphitheater.  At one time it could have sat 4,000 people.  Just amazing to see what they could build out of stone with simple tools.  It was at the crossroads of two important routes.  Then we had the best lunch at a Circassian Village.  They are kind of a Cossack tribe from Russia.  They migrated to Israel years ago.  The food was delicious and plenty of it.  Then off to a little Church in Nain, where Jesus raised a young boy who died.  His mother was a widow and she had no one else to support her.. Then nearby was Mt. Tabor where Christ showed himself as God to three apostles.  Going up the Mount was a lot of fun in a special taxi with all the switchbacks. It was the most peaceful place. The pictures are of the Church at Nain and the second is the inside of the Church of the Transfiguration (Mt. Tabor). Write more tomorrow.