The View from Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel, where God sent down fire and consumed the altar of the prophets fo Baal, is actually not 1 mountain. It's a series of mountains surrounding a beautiful valley... a valley where a future battle is still to be fought.

Nearby is Megiddo, one of three identical cities Solomon built.

The valley and mountains of Carmel are lush, green, beautiful, and full of history.

On one end, you can see Mount Gilead, where Gideon won his battle in Judges 6-8 (above), Mount Gilboa where Saul died in 1 Samuel 31, and Mount Tabor, where Deborah won her battle after Jael drove a spoke into the enemy general's head (Judges 4:17-24; 5:24-37).

Unless a seed falls to the ground...

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:14

When the Romans raided and destroyed the Zealot fort, Masada, near the Dead Sea in the first century, they discovered full cisterns and storage rooms full of food (read the story here).

When those remains were discovered in the 20th century, archeologists recovered fossilized remains of wheat, as well as some dried date pits.

Someone decided to test these 2000-year-old date pit and in 2005, planted one... and in today, it is still growing! 

Methusaelah is now 12-years-old and researchers pollenated him with a female plant—and made dates. 

Gives new meaning to Jesus' words in John 12, huh? We can hold on to our pain and our rights and our dreams and desires, gritting our teeth and standing our ground. And we can hold out for a while. Maybe even a long time. But the power of life—the power of resurrection—comes from being willing to trust God, accept His gift, and die. 

Caesarea

Caesarea and others like it (like Caesarea Philippi where Peter proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah in Matthew 16) was built by Herod for retired Roman soldiers as part of his agreement with Rome. The port included a theater (see last post) and a hippodrome.

At the time, it was the biggest port in the Mediterranean Sea. Herod built a summer palace here. Today, you can stroll the foundations of that very palace (pics above and below).

The Roman centurion from Acts 10:24-48, Cornelius, lived here.

Pontius Pilate also stayed here. You can see the 'basement' entrance to what would have been his palace in the big hole on the upper right. 

Caesarea (Paul before Festus and King Agrippa)

This theater is where Paul defended himself before Festus and King Agrippa in Acts 25-26.

It sits in Caesarea, just off the Mediterranean sea. Caesarea was a city built by Herod for retired Roman soldiers (there are others throughout the country, like Caesarea Philippi- where Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah in Matthew 16).

Standing down near the stage, hearing the waves of the sea pounding from behind, you can imagine what it was like for Paul to argue his case in front some of the most powerful rulers of his day. It is here Paul said to Festus, "I have not done any wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.... I appeal to Caesar!"

And then later, to King Agrippa, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"

A quick visit to Joppa

Joppa:

• The oldest port city in the world
• Solomon imported cedars from Lebanon for the Temple in this harbor
• Jonah was spit up here by the big fish
• Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-42)
• Peter saw the vision of the sheet at Simon the Tanner's house

(above, a view of Tel Aviv)

the port