Day 14-16 Saturday (continued)

This is the continuation of my Northern tour, Day 2 (Saturday). I did not finish my blog b/c it was time for bed the other night. Yesterday, I just didn't feel like blogging. Long day, hard day of work after being gone for 3 days.

I believe I left off talking about tel Dan. At tel Dan we walked through a beautiful jungle-like oasis with water from snow-melt from Mt. Hermon that forms into beautiful rushing rivers/creeks. The path cut through the trees and the river crossings are so amazing. You didn't feel like you were in Israel, or at least, not what you would expect in Israel. It was actually very relaxing walking through the park, through (under) the forest and listening to the water (sometimes rushing by, sometimes quietly babbling by).

We went next to Caesarea Philippi and Hermon Springs Nature Reserve. Here the natural springs from Mt. Hermon come right out of the ground. The water is so clean, clear and perfect, you wouldn't believe it. We refilled our water bottles directly from the place where it was flowing out of the rocks. I drank straight from the spring. It was so cold and amazing. You have to realize that is was amazingly hot in order to appreciate how refreshing the the water was for us. (While I'm on the subject of water . . . I am drinking about 4 liters of water before noon each day. I am drinking more water than I ever have before, so you don't have to worry about dehydration!)

Caesarea Philippi is the place that (more than likely) Jesus took his disciples and he asked them, "who do men say that I am?" and then, "who do YOU say that I am?" Peter then makes that amazing confession of faith, "You are the Christos, the son of the living God." You remember Jesus' response? "You (Peter/or Peter on behalf of the Apostles) are petros (little rock) and/but upon THIS petras (large, immovable rock) I will build my church." (Emphasis mine.) He also said that he would give the keys to the kingdom of heaven to Peter/the church. This passage has amazing implications for Protestant and Catholic theology. How one understands this passage is important for his/her faith tradition. (Matthew 11)

This is the site of the grotto of the Greek god Pan. Also, a palace of Herod Philip is here. Too much to address here, but it was totally amazing.

We left there and headed to the Golan Heights area. Along the way we saw (but did not stop at) Nimrod's Fortress. In Golan we stopped at a place called Coffee Anan (or something like that). It is the location of a former Israeli military bunker that was the sight of significant fighting during the War of 1967 (modern day) with Syria. It was totally cool, you could see the Syrian border in the valley below and the place where the Syrians broke through. An Israeli tank is left (as a memorial) in the valley below.

We headed back to Tiberias from there. Day 2 over.

Link to the Israel Parks and Nature Reserve
http://www.parks.org.il/ParksENG/index_search_tree.php3?NewNameMade=0&InitialEntry=1&from=116