Today we say goodbye to Old Jerusalem and turn north for our journey to Nazareth. It is a several hour journey by car which I try to pass by reading and enjoying the scenery that rolls past my window.
Along the way we break up our trek with a stop at Bet-She’an. It is a stunning sight to behold. The remnants of an ancient city unearthed, leaving much of it’s former glory to view, touch, and explore. Streets, pillared platforms, and the most preserved ancient theater in all of Israel were mine to explore. As I walked through the tunneled passageway, volcanic stone streets, past marble pillars carved with intricate and detailed craftsmanship I pause to marvel at the skill, dedication, and amount of labor such an undertaking must have required.
Despite the oppressive heat that is well established deep into the 100’s I decide to climb the mount for a better view of this spectacular city. It is humid and hazy, likely due to the nearby Jordan River valley. The heat presses in from all sides, and though it makes me feel lethargic, listless, weary – I am no less impressed and moved by the sights I behold from on high. It quickly becomes clear why this area was so important and valuable within the region as I survey the lands below in all directions.
Completely drained we load back into our vehicle after a quick stop for lunch and resume our quest to reach Nazareth. I am surprised at how developed and modern Nazareth is – I think I was expecting a city more similar to Bethlehem in nature. Before we make our way to our lodging for the night we stop to view Mary’s well located inside the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. It is a beautiful little church that has a chambered grotto where a tiny well bubbles up – supposedly where Mary (Jesus mother) use to collect water.
Once we checked in to our hotel we enjoyed a delicious (and if I might say, well deserved) dinner. Although I was completely exhausted from the heat and day’s activities – I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play some football (soccer) with some kids that lived nearby. We played four on four and they quickly took the lead with a 4-1 start. We rallied back and were able to win the game by a margin of 3 goals as the twilight hour robbed us of further play. The kids were pretty skilled and athletic players. They asked to play again tomorrow so we told them to meet us at 7:30pm. Ripe with the glory of our victory and the rank odor that was its cost we headed back to our rooms for showers and the peace that comes of well-earned sleep.
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