Days 1 and 2 - Saturday and Sunday: Travel to Tel Aviv, Caesarea Maritime and Mount Carmel

We met at the airport very early Saturday morning.

Our plane was slightly delayed in Newark, but we still landed in Tel Aviv early Sunday morning. Our first stop was Caesarea Maritime. This city was built by Herod the Great to reflect the greatness he had seen in Rome. The theater he built overlooking the Mediterranean Sea still stands. Herod also built a palace and hippodrome here. Pontius Pilate's visit to this city is commemorated by an ancient stone tablet. Peter came here and preached to Cornelius who became the first Gentile convert (Acts 10). Paul spent two years imprisoned here. This is where he made his appeal to Caesar which led him to Rome.

Ritchey Family outside the Theater

Our team in the theater seats

To support a busy life at Caesarea Maritime, Herod the Great built a 7 mile aqueduct to bring fresh drinking water to the area.

Philippe Golaz at the Aqueduct

We continued our journey northward eating lunch at a Druze village. Then, we traveled to Mount Carmel where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19-40). From here, we looked out on the Jezreel Valley also known as the Valley of Armageddon.

John and Vicki Newton at Mount Carmel

Emma and Terry Gibson with a view of the valley

Jezreel Valley (Valley of Armageddon) from the top of Mount Carmel

We ended our evening with a lovely dinner at our hotel in Tiberias. Our hotel overlooks the Sea of Galilee. We are looking forward to a good night's sleep and a full day around the Sea of Galilee tomorrow.

Our hotel has views of the Sea of Galilee and the mountains surrounding it.