Israel Trip – Day 3

Wednesday, May 12

We started out the day at 8:00 on the bus to Capernaum. We packed all our stuff on the bus as this would be our last day in the Galilee for the trip.

Capernaum on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee

Jesus lived in Capernaum, the story of Jairus’ Daughter occurred there, the woman with the issue of blood, and the men with the friend with palsy.

We arrived at Capernaum at 8:24am. We visited the synagogue where Jesus would have most likely entered. A newer structure had been built above, but the original stone foundations from the time of Christ still are visible.

You can see the dark stone below.

Mark 5:22 took place in Capernaum. The ruler of the synagogue came for the help of Jesus. As told in Matt 10:17, the disciples are warned about scourging in the synagogue, so the leaders weren’t necessarily friendly to the early Christians stirring things up. Nevertheless, the ruler of the synagogue at Capernaum came to Jesus, probably very desperate.

Jesus didn’t chastise him, just came, but on the way to the house of Jairus (the leader of the synagogue), a woman with an issue of blood came as the masses of people followed and touched the hem of Jesus’ clothes. The woman would have been unclean according to their society, unable to touch anyone without making them unclean…isolated…alone. What is Jairus thinking as the Lord is delayed and speaks to this woman. In verse 35, the party is informed that the girl, the daughter of Jairus died. Jesus says be not afraid, only believe.

When they make it to Jairus’ house, Peter, James, and John are allowed to come in, and the professional mourners and crowd laugh when Jesus says she is sleeping. Where there is no faith, there is no miracle, and those people are asked to leave.

An extremely influential man in the city, Jairus, is told not to tell about the miracle he had just witnessed of his daughter being raised from the dead.

From Mark 5:

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

There may have been 500-1,000 people living in Capernaum. Capernaum was warned because of disbelief.

It was awesome to see carvings in stone of the star of David and the Ark of the Covenant.

We had the opportunity to walk throughout the site. The “buzz saw” noise in the background is from the gardener cutting down some leaves off the palm trees.

It was very interesting to see the traditional site for Peter’s house. A church is now built over it with a glass center to look down on the remains of the house.

The area of Peter’s house is quite small; the surrounding area includes streets and other houses.

Capernaum is right on the shore of Galilee.

From Capernaum, we traveled along the coast into the city of Haifa arriving around 10:30am.

I had to get a video of the absolute beauty of the shore along the Mediterranean Sea.

Haifa on the Coast of the Mediterranean Sea

The Elders in Israel

We made a very special stop in Haifa to honor two LDS missionaries who died and were buried in Israel. It’s a wonderful story, that I can’t do justice here, but because these two elders preached, died (of disease), and were buried in Israel, in the late 1800′s, the LDS Church could prove that it had a presence in Israel before the State of Israel was created in 1948 and thus could be one of the few official recognized religions in the State (even though there is no active proselyting).

The names of the elders buried in the cemetery are Adolf Haag who died Oct 3 1892 and John Clark died Feb 8 1895.

They were buried in a German cemetery in Haifa. There was a small German colony there who called themselves the Templers (not Knight Templars) because they had the “temple in their hearts.”

Haifa is a very tolerant city and home to the Bahai Gardens.

After the cemetery visit at 11:17AM, we were on our way to Mount Carmel. I have to admit, I was trying to think what happened on Mount Carmel, but I found out that it has to do with one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament.

We ascended up quite a bit to get to the mountain from Haifa.

Mount Carmel and the Story of Elijah

Our bus took us up to Mount Carmel and we got out and climbed the stairs of a building to a lookout point on the roof where we could see the Jezreel Valley and Further off, Armageddon.

The story of Mount Carmel dates back to the Old Testament to the Time of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of the Northern Israelite Kingdom. They endorsed idol worship and killed all the prophets but Elijah. Elijah had to hide, and ravens brought him food in the drought that came upon the land.

Elijah was the last of the prophets in their land.

The people worshiped Baal the male deity symbolized by a bullock.  Ashtoreth was the female counterpart to Baal. Priests of Baal represented Baal and the priestesses represented Ashtoreth. Adding “im” to Baal makes it plural; Baalim would probably refer to both these deities. Their worship before these idols was not kowtowing before wooden statues, it was pure abomination.

Elijah was the last of the prophets not hunted down in their land.

Some historians think that to trick the people, some priests would carve tunnels underneath their altars and ignite the altar in a false display of their deity’s power. Elijah commanded that the altar he built be doused in water.

From 1 Kings 18:

17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.
20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:
24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

The following chapter details the story of the “still small voice.”

Back on the bus at 12:50, we were reminded of the story of Deborah and Barak from judges that occurred in the valley that we saw.

We stopped nearby and had lunch at an excellent restaurant; we enjoyed falafels. This restaurant was our only lunch stop on our entire tour. It would simply take too much time to feed our large group. We headed out at 1:43PM to Caesarea Maritima.

Caesarea Maritima so Beautiful

At Caesarea Maritima, there was a stone found called the Pilot with an inscription of Pilot’s name and title.

Caesarea was one of the most beautiful places that we visited…the color of the stone and sand against the beautiful blue of the Mediterranean Sea was stunning.

From Wikipedia:

Herod built his palace on a promontory jutting out into the sea, with a decorative pool surrounded by stoas. In 13 BC, Caesarea became the civilian and military capital of Iudaea Province (sometimes spelled Judaea), and the official residence of the Roman procurators and governors, Pontius Pilatus, praefectus and Antonius Felix. Josephus describes the harbor as being as large as the one at Piraeus, the major harbor of Athens. Remains of the principal buildings erected by Herod and the medieval town are still visible today, including the city walls, the castle and a Crusader cathedral and church.

Archaeological excavations in the 1950s and 1960s uncovered remains from many periods, in particular, a complex of Crusader fortifications and a Roman theatre. Other buildings include a temple dedicated to Caesar; a hippodrome rebuilt in the 2nd century as a more conventional theater; the Tiberieum, which has a limestone block with a dedicatory inscription. This is the only archaeological find with an inscription mentioning the name “Pontius Pilatus”; a double aqueduct that brought water from springs at the foot of Mount Carmel; a boundary wall; and a 200 ft (60 m) wide moat protecting the harbour to the south and west. The harbor was the largest on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Caesarea grew rapidly, becoming the largest city in Judea, with an estimated population of 125,000 over an urban area of 3.7 square kilometers.
In 66 AD, a massacre of Jews here and the desecration of the local synagogue led to the disastrous Jewish revolt.

Vespasian declared it a colony and renamed it Colonia Prima Flavia Augusta Caesarea.

In 70 AD, after the doomed Jewish revolt had been suppressed, games were held here to celebrate the victory of Titus. Many Jewish captives taken during the revolt were brought to Caesarea Maritima and 2500 were slaughtered in Gladiatorial games.

Early Christian mentions of Caesarea in the apostolic period follow the acts of Peter who established the church there when he baptized Cornelius the Centurion (Acts, 10, 11). The Apostle Paul often sojourned there (9:30; 18:22; 21:8), and was imprisoned at Caesarea for two years before being taken to Rome (23:23, 25:1-13).

Source: Caesarea Maritima. (2010, May 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:41, May 31, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caesarea_Maritima&oldid=364290583

We sang “Elders of Israel” (and have a few spectators join us in the hippodrome) as Caesarea is the place where the gates of Christianity opened to the world.

From Acts 10:

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 ¶ On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 ¶ While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and ago with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
34 ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

It was noted on our itinerary that Paul testified to King Agrippa in Caesarea.

After exploring Caesarea, we hopped on the bus at 3:20 PM and drove a very short distance to the aqueduct that fed water to the city.

At 3:50PM were were back on the bus headed for Jerusalem.

We passed by some of the West Bank on our way south to Jerusalem.

This day was Jerusalem day, so we expected heavy traffic.

Entering Jerusalem for the First Time

At 5:41 PM we entered Jerusalem, passing the BYU Jerusalem center, the Judean Wilderness off in the distance, the Dome of the Rock.

Our Jewish guide played this music (featured in the video) when we arrived overlooking the city, and for some reason, I thought it quite dramatic, and look back on it with a good laugh.

At about 6PM, we arrived at our hotel.

To read about the other days in our trip, click below:

The Airport
Israel – Day 1
Israel – Day 2
Israel – Day 3
Israel – Day 4
Israel – Day 5
Israel – Day 6
Israel – Day 7