Israel Day 6

We are now in Tiberias at our 2nd hotel.

Our morning view from the hotel overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Today we started in Tiberias at the hot mineral springs. These thermal baths have been famous for their curative powers for more than 3,000 years. Some biblical commentators have surmised that Jesus cured the sick here. There’s a local legend that Solomon got demons to heal his kingdom’s ailing people at this site, tricking them into perpetually stoking the fires in the earth below to heat up the water.

After Tiberius we headed to a date farm. Israel grows 9 varieties of dates. Dates are not only edible they are used to create other products as well. Dates are known to mankind since ancient times. This fruit is grown by man for more than five thousand years. To this day, they are an important element of the menu in many countries due to their unique nutritional and medicinal properties, not to mention their delicious taste.

A minute up the road from the date factory was the Jordan River where we were baptized. What an amazing experience. The Jordan River is significant for several reasons. Here the Israelites crossed through it into the Promised Land. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and Naaman dipped himself in it 7 times and was healed of leprosy. The moral of the story of Naaman is that God meets us where we are. The Jordan River is the lowest river in the world. It empties into the Dead Sea.

                                                  

                                                 

                                                 

                                               

                                                   

After the baptism experience we went to an olive factory where lots of products are made. Olives are not only edible but useful in making household cleaning products and skin care. Both olives and leaves are used. The leaves have actually10 times more nutrients than the olives themselves.

                                                 

                                     

Following the olive factory tour we headed for Mount Golan where we looked out and saw Syria and the Road to Damascus.

                                         

                  

                                        

 

                                                  

 

                                                 

                                   We ate some delicious pizza before heading down the mountain.

                                         

                                               

We ended the day in Capernaum seeing the Church of the 12 Apostles that sits on the shore of Galilee. This church is commemorative of the place that Jesus fed the people.

                                               

                                              

                                   

                                                 

                                                  

                                  It started to drizzle on us here so we headed back to the hotel.