Day 10 Jericho, Beth Shean, The Belvior Castle

Little Man, Big Tree

Our day began in Jericho where Jesus met the wee little man by the name of Zacchaeus.  In Luke 19 we hear that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so he climbed up into a sycamore tree to get above the crowd.  We read that passage from below the one sycamore tree in all of Jericho (they are not native to this area).  This is not the same tree that Jesus would have passed by since sycamore trees only live to be about 700-800 years.  Yes, a paltry 800 years.

Old Walls

We then moved on to see the ruins of Old Jericho.  After seeing the ruins of Jerash this site pales in comparison, but what makes it interesting is that Jericho is the oldest living city in the world, dating back to 9000 B.C. there has always been an active community living on this site.

Temptation Without the Cable Car

Very near Jericho is the place where Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days and was tempted by the Devil.  The mountains in this area are very rugged and barren and would provide a perfect setting for one to be tempted.  These days Jesus wouldn't have had to walk up the mountain, He could have just taken the cable car.

Here's Something New

We have seen so many ruins that it doesn't make sense to post a picture of another theatre, no matter how impressive it is.  So here is something we haven't talked about yet: toilets.  These are Roman toilets.  How they worked was that you placed one cheek on a white marble slab and the other cheek on the slab next to it.  Between the slabs was a space to, well, ...you know.  Water would constantly flow under the marble slabs to take away the unpleasantries.Thus far our instruction on how to use a Roman toilet.

Sink or Swim?

We then moved on to the Belvoir Castle, a crusader fortress that has a breathtaking view of the Jordan Valley.  Equally impressive is the moat that was built around three of the four walls of this castle.  You get an idea of how big it is when you notice the person in the middle of the photo.

Double Dunk?

We ended the day on a rather disheartening note.  We stopped at a baptismal sight where many people come to get baptized in the Jordan River.  What is disheartening is that for the majority of the people this is not their first baptism; they are being re-baptized.  It is a very emotional experience for people and that is the draw of this place.  This is not a sacred place.  It is not where Jesus was baptized and where John the Baptist baptized.  Those locations are near Jericho and this is many miles upstream in the north of Israel.  These people have turned it into a "holy sight" by their actions, and the place is raking in a ton of money by renting baptismal gowns and selling all kinds of religious paraphernalia.  What is truly sad is that these people view baptism as something they are doing for God, instead of something God has done for us.  In our baptism God made us His own and promises never to leave us or forsake us.  It is His doing, and His Word is good.  What happens here is unnecessary and more commerce than religion, an unfortunate mix that is common in the Holy Land.

Tomorrow we ride the waves on the Sea of Galilee.