Northwest Passages: Days Three and (part of) Four

DAY THREE

We got up early today and drove from Jerusalem straight to Tel Dan, the archaeological site that is the basis for my work in Israel. It was about a 3.5 hr. drive, and we got there at 10 am. It wasn't too hot yet as we made our way from the gate complex up to the temple area. Here we are right in front of where the altar would have been during the later Iron Age (700's BC):

The temple precinct is almost on the summit of the site, but just a little farther up is a lookout that affords some great views across to Lebanon. Here is a picture of Em; the buildings in the background are a Lebanese town, and the land in between, though lovely, is a minefield. It is true that Emily is quite good at Minesweeper on the computer, but this was not the time to put those skills to the test.

After Dan it was on to Banias, which is the site of a famous battle between the Egyptians and Seleucids in 199 BC and later became the site of Caesarea Philippi. More exciting is the temple to Pan that was built there. (The name Banias is actually derived from "Pan.") Pan was a forest god who plays the flute, as seen in this picture of a coin found on the site:

I was so moved by the pagan spirit of the site that for a few moments I became Pan. It was rather exciting for Emily and for the group of high schoolers from England. For those fifteen seconds the forest was alive with merriment.

Such merriment brings great hunger, so our next stop was Dag al-HaDan ("Fish on the Dan"), which had been recommended to me by some of my housemates. The uniqueness of this restaurant became apparent when we pulled in to the (open) kitchen and dining area and saw a peacock sitting on the roof of the kitchen. By the time we sat at our table, we counted three peacocks, two cats, four chickens, a dog and a pond with ducks and swans. In the middle of the seating area, they had diverted part of the Dan spring to stream through the tables. Here is a short video to give you a sense of the excitement:

Needless to say, it was an awesome and elegant dining experience. Afterwards we headed back down to the Sea of Galilee stopping along the way at the Mount of the Beatitudes. This small church overlooks the Sea and is said to be where Jesus gave the sermon on the mount. It is octagonal: one side for each beatitude. It is a simple church with a beautiful view, and it is one of our favorites so far, definitely lovelier than anything we saw at the Holy Sepulchre.

After this long day we checked into the YMCA hotel in Tiberias, and since we were still full from our lunch, we didn't bother with supper.

DAY FOUR

After a night's stay at the YMCA by Peniel, we decided that we'd drive back to Jerusalem after another day of sightseeing rather than stay a second night. Before we left, we took advantage of the lovely views of the Sea of Galilee. Here's a shot of Andrew on our balcony:

After a delicious breakfast, we bid the YMCA goodbye and headed out to Capernaum, which is the city where St. Peter lived and where Jesus spent a significant amount of time. Capernaum was fantastic - a beautiful view of the sea and fascinating ruins. One of the most interesting sites was the house of St. Peter, which, prior to the first century AD, was primarily a residence but by the mid-first century showed signs of public veneration. Although it's impossible to say it definitely was the house of St. Peter, the fact that the earliest Christian communities thought so is pretty compelling. There was also a well-preserved synagogue in Capernaum that served as a community center for the town. Here's a picture of me in the synagogue:

From Capernaum it was on to Bethsaida, and then to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. Below is a picture of a famous mosaic in front of the altar. Underneath the altar is a slab of limestone that Christians since the 5th century have used to commemorate the miracle of the loaves and fishes:From there, we headed out to Sepphoris (Zippori). Sepphoris is not mentioned in the New Testament at all, but it was a major Jewish community in the first centuries AD. It is known for its beautiful mosaics, which graced the homes of the wealthy and also the town's synagogue. (Actually, an ancient source remembers several synagogues, but only one has been found so far; hopefully, there are more mosaics to come!). Here is a picture of Andrew on the roof of a later Crusader fortress at Sepphoris. (He'd like everyone to know that he is sporting his Krispy Kreme hat in this photo.):Our final stop at Sepphoris was the ancient reservoir that supplied water to the city. Here's a shot of me in the reservoir: