When I first went to the Galilee in on my Bible tour in 2017, I saw this cliff towering over the north end of the lake and said, "I want to go there".
When I returned October 2021, I saw the same cliff and said, "Yup... I'm definitely going there... in the spring, when the sky will be the most brilliant of blues and the grass lush and green."
Cue my weekend in the Galilee in March. The time had come!
I was going to hike up the cliff, until I heard nonsense like "steep" and even sillier "handholds". Um... nope. Nope nope nope. Instead, I walked all the trails at the top, stayed at least 5 feet from every edge, and "maaaaahhh'ed" at a mountain goat.
Wow, talk about breathtaking views!
But also, the history of this cliff is once again, INCREDIBLE. As if history cannot be incredible... I don't think that's possible.
During the Hasmonean Period (The Inter-Testamental Period, or the "400 years of Silence"), Arbel was known as Mount Nitai. It was conquered by the Selucids (Greeks), as noted in the book of 1 Maccabees.
Herod was only able to win by having men lowered down in cages to the caves from the top of the cliffs. They were then able to kill the rebels that didn't jump to their deaths.
Then, in 66-67 AD, Mount Arbel once again became a site of a great battle. Josephus, who was Commander of the Galilee, actually fortified the caves for refugees both in Mount Arbel and Mount Nitai nearby. To this day, a wall can be seen that was built to protect the caves.
There's obviously so much more to the history of Arbel, as well as the histories up above. Maybe one day I'll explore them more. I'd love to see the synagogue and the caves! I just need cooler weather, a better sense of balance, and a SIGNIFICANTLY decreased fear of heights, haha.
Wow! If you ever go to the Galilee, I 100% recommend Mount Arbel! It's incredible!
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