DAY 17 (May 13, 2011): Second Journey, Day 7
Roman Road, Endor, Nain, Nazareth
Rose and packed for our departure from Tiberias starting at 7:30. By 11 am we’d checked out and driven quite a ways up and out of the Jordan River Valley thus leaving the Sea of Galilee behind, but not for my last time.
Ferrell and I were both quite interested in finding the remains of a Roman road upon which it is quite likely that Jesus and the disciples would have walked when traveling from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee. It was a major east-west thoroughfare in their time. We met with success, but not without a price. After locating the general area and then walking several hundred yards up a small hillside and along a low ridge it began to rain. Then, it REALLY began to rain. Before we could take any decent pictures, thunder was sounding loudly, rain was pounding down, and we were forced to vacate post-haste for simple safety’s sake. Believe it or not, lightning strikes are fairly high up on the list of ways to get yourself killed so it’s not too bright to be the tallest thing on a ridgeline in a thunderstorm. Somewhat disappointed at the tantalizing failure, we headed on down the road.
Shortly later we again met with failure as a museum we hoped to see was closed. At this location the rain had stopped but a high wind was blowing so the weather was still pretty boisterous. But then, exactly one hour after we’d left the Roman road scene, we came upon a very famous but only thrice mentioned site in Scripture that was almost worth the whole trip all by itself - Endor, home of Saul’s medium in 1 Samuel 28. Prominently marked by nine palm trees, we had seen it from afar on the last trip but this time Ferrell nosed the car down through the rows of an olive tree orchard and after navigating a couple of deeply rutted dirt roads we got right on top of the site itself.
Mt. Tabor, which is mentioned half a dozen times in the Bible is quite close (seen in the pictures) and the intervening valley a delight to the eyes. The fields were indeed white unto harvest and by this time the storm had passed, the sun was blazing down through gorgeous white clouds, and the latent archeologist in me was rejoicing. Here are several shots taken from the magical place.
Mt. Tabor as seen from Endor
Endor
Fields white unto harvest at Endor with Mt. Tabor in the background
Ferrell returning from photo foray of Endor with Mt. Tabor in background on right
We stopped for gas and hamburgers at a MacDonald’s in Nain, where Jesus raised the widow’s son (Luke 7:11ff). It is a very tiny little town nestled up against the Hill of Moreh. I took this shot a couple of hundred yards down the road from Big Macville. Can you imagine? I’m eating MacDonald’s burgers not half a mile from where Jesus raised a man from the dead. I shake my head in bewilderment.
Still, I guess, the best was yet to come. We had some time before I needed to get to Nazareth so Ferrell drove us back to the Roman Road location. This time the sun was shining and conditions were perfect for photos. And so, in a fitting way to draw our time together to a close (since Ferrell and I would soon be forced to part company) we stood on one of the most traveled roads in Bible times, the ancient road from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee (and well beyond in both directions). The first photo is of the roadway itself and the second is what I think may become one of the iconic photos for me personally from the whole trip - Ferrell caught unawares as he walked upon the stones of Jesus’ day.
And then it was on to Nazareth. Ferrell and I shared bottles of Sprite (he paid) in a classy little restaurant called Tishreen. The place was quite attractive, small and well appointed, but the light was low so the picture is fuzzy. Here Ferrell and I shared our last moments together in Israel. We then went outside into a brightly sunlit afternoon in Nazareth where we hugged at precisely 5 pm and then I swung my pack on my shoulders, strapped another small bag to my wheeled carry-on bag and with plastic wheels growling on the cobblestones, made my way into the labyrinth that is Nazareth for my stay at the Fauzi Azar Inn.
Tishreen restaurant in Nazareth just as darkness was falling
Oh, how well satisfied with life I am!
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