While traveling in Israel you might say, “we’re going to Tel-Aviv” or “we’ll travel to Mt Carmel” but you say “we’re ascending to Jerusalem.” Jerusalem is the center, Jews believe it is the center of the universe. Three monotheistic religions see it as significant. It is the center of the new beginning for you and I. All because Jesus “turned His eyes to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51). Today we traveled the same way Jesus would have, He left the Galilean hills and traveled down the Jordan Valley to Jericho and then ascended to Jerusalem from there. We didn’t do a ton today, but what we did see was enormous! Jesus likely would have walked past a city that sits where the Jordan and Jezreel valleys meet. Here Saul died by his own sword. Paul mentions the people of this city in Colossians. We stopped in Scythopolis, or Beit She’an. We saw things from the Egyptian period, Greek period, Saul’s time, the Crusaders time and the Byzantine time. There was more to see and explore, but we did what we could while ascending to Jerusalem. 

This mosaic was not too far from the public toilet.This view from inside the ruins shows you how huge this structure was in its heyday.These pillars gave shelter to the shops on the street.This Egyptian palace was abandoned in the 13-12th century BC. The wall the crusaders built used material from other walls/ruins.

A couple of takeaways from today. 1) Whoa. 2) Ancient doesn’t mean primitive. 3) Our tour guide here is the best. 4) I can’t wait for good Wi-Fi again. These posts get harder and harder to post.