Golan Heights and the Galilee

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to travel with the group from Truman State Univeristy to the Golan Heights and around the Galilee. I was able to see eleven different sites in two days! It was a long weekend, but definitely worth it.

On Saturday, we started out the morning by trying to go to Katsrin, but unfortunately, it was closed, so we made our way to Gamla. The Aramaic word for camel, Gamla gets its name for being set on a rocky ridge shaped like a camel's back. The town attempted to defy the Romans during the Great Jewish Revolt (66-70 CE) and was sieged for seven months. I hiked down the rocky ancient road to the town to see the ruins of dwellings, a synagogue, baths, and a tower. Along the way there was a spectacular view of the valley.

View from Gamla.

Ruins of Gamla.

After we hiked back up, we headed north to Nimrod Fortress, built by Muslims in the thirteenth century to protect the road from Tyre to Damascus. The tower, situated on Mount Hermon, has a wonderful view of the surrounding valleys.

Remains of Nimrod Fortress.

Our next stop was Baniass, a nature reserve, to have lunch and visit the Temple of Pan built by Agrippa II, Herod's grandson. Our final stop of the day was Tel-Dan to see the Dan River which flows to the Jordan River and the ancient city of the Israelites during the First Temple period (12th century BCE). While we were driving during our trip, we saw the borders of Syria and Lebanon, as well as remains from the Six Day War in 1967. Empty buildings stand, tanks are left in fields, and one can see signs for shelters and signs between every fence post warning of mines left by the Syrians, even after all these years have passed.

We spent Sunday in the Galilee starting with a visit to Korazim, a town from the time of Jesus and the Talmud. There were dwellings, baths, and a synagogue.  Korazim was denounced by Jesus for its lack of faith, along with Capernaum and Bethsaida. On the way to Capernaum, we stopped at the Mount of  the Beatitudes where it is believe Jesus delivered his famous Sermon on the Mount. We also stopped at Peter's Primacy. At Capernaum, we saw the modern church suspended over the remains of the ancient city, as well as the "White Synagogue" which is believed to be built on the "Synagogue of Jesus," likely built in the 1st century CE despite its name. We had lunch in the gardens outside the Monastery of the Twelve Apostles.

After lunch, we headed west towards Nazareth. We visit Zippori, known as "the Ornament of the Galilee." In ancient times, Zippori was a prosperous city and the site today is known for its impressive mosaics. Then we went into Nazareth to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation to see the Grotto. Beautiful mosaics from Catholic communities around the world are on the walls of the courtyard surrounding the church and can be found inside as well. We ended our day at the Cana Catholic Wedding Church where we saw people renewing their wedding vows. Cana is known as Jesus' first miracle, where he turned water into wine at the wedding.