Israel and Jordan part 2

Check the post dated 11/5/09 or go here for part one.

Wednesday we got up early and headed for the remains of the ancient city of Caesarea. Caesarea was a city built by King Herod in 22 BC on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It was the seat of the Roman government for 500 years. Pontius Pilate lived there. Caeserea is where Peter came after his vision in Joppa that the Gospel wasn't only for Jews anymore. Peter was told to come and preach the gospel to Cornelius, a soldier who lived and worked there. This is also were Paul spent 2 years in prison. There were ruins of an arena where they held chariot races as well. Stacy and I climbed over the fence and down some rocks and got our feet wet in the Mediterranean Sea.

The amphitheatre at Caeserea. We sat here and sang  "How Great Thou Art"

Some ruins at Caeserea

The Mediterranean Sea

My feet in the Mediterranean Sea

Mom, Stacy, and I on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea

ancient arena for chariot races

more ruins at Caeserea

Mom and I amongst the ruins

After Caeserea we went to Megiddo. Megiddo was the site for many ancient battles. The New Testament says the final battle between good and evil, Armeggidon, will occur here. The only source of water in this ancient city was outside the gates. So the people built a tunnel underground so that they could safely reach the water. We climbed down 180 stairs into the tunnel and then climbed another 85 to get back out.

ruins of the city of Megiddo

they stored their food in here. see the steps along the side. this way there was only one way in and the food was safe.

the start of the tunnel down

climbing down

it was a long way, and some of the stairs were pretty precarious. in their time, of course, there were no hand railings

in the tunnel

in the tunnel

Mom, almost at the exit

From Megiddo we headed to Nazareth, Jesus' boyhood home. Nazareth was kind of dissappointing. It is a modern bustling city with no real remnants of Jesus time. But we stopped at a the site of Mary's well. In Mary's time this would have been where the people came to get water. Today, a Greek Orthodox church sits on the site.

After this we headed to the Jordan River. While not the actual site that Jesus was baptized it is very close. Some members of our group were baptized in the river, while Stacy and I took more pictures of our feet in the water. Then we shopped :)

my feet in the Jordan River

me, at the Jordan River

it was really pretty

When we got back to the hotel, we decided to walk around the city of Tiberius to get dinner. We found a McDonalds. I got a chicken nugget meal, and it cost $13, American. It was $39, shekels. Quite expensive for 6 mcnuggets. :)

Israeli Mickey D's.