Brief update.

So what the heck have I been doing for the past 16 days? More than I can remember right now. I spent one week in Egypt with James, one of the other guys here at IBEX, which was immensely fun. We traveled all around Egypt, hitting Cairo (pyramids, museum), Alexandria (Catacombs, my birthplace, library, etc.), Luxor (Karnak, Valley of the Kings, and such), and Mt. Sinai. Atually, we spent the night on top of Mt. Sinai nestled under a Bedouin blanked that I pilfered.

Since then homework has been kicked into high gear as the end of the semester approaches. Yesterday we hiked all day from Jericho uphill to Jerusalem, along the same path the the good Samaritan story would have occurred and also the road along which Christ made His final journey to Jerusalem before the passion week.

I'm keeping busy studying for finals and working on my paper right now, trying not to think about going home in a little over a week. It will be good to be home though - see everyone and eat non-kosher food. Ahhh, yes.

Galilee, the beginning.

Ooh boy, talkin about Galilee. Well we left the Moshav on the 29th and travelled up to Aphek, one of the cities that Paul would have been escorted through on his way to Caeserea to be shipped off to Rome. There really wasn't much to see there as I recall. On our way to Caeserea we dropped off at the HaAretz Museum which had a lot of displays of really neat archaeological findings, such as clay sarcophagi and big swords. There was also a glass section (some of the earliest glass, as well as pottery, was developed here) in the mueseum, which I would have expected to be filled with ancient glass that they found amongst the Tels (archaelogical treasure-troves). But instead it was filled with all sorts of modern artsy glass things. Jewish people, at least here in Israel, have an odd obsession with strange modern art pieces. Sad to say, most of them are horrendously ugly.

We finished up the day in Caeserea Meritime, which made the whole thing worth it for sure. It was a real roman city, with beautiful architecture and all the luxory Herod the Great could have wanted. Well maybe not. This rather large tourist attraction included a Hippodrome, a Theatre, a temple to Hera (which was no longer standing), and the remains of an ancient man-made bay. Herod stacked large stone blocks in the water in order to create an artificial harbor, since the natural coast afforded none. They had a pretty well-designed presentation. Anyway, that was the first day of our Galilee trip...and there's plenty more to tell and so much homework to do and so little time until Egypt. Scrap! Pray that everything comes together :)

P.N.

Galilee loading...please wait.

I have such a packed week this week, so the Galilee journal may not happen for a little while. But perhaps you can munch on this schedule I copied down of last weeks events until I have a chance to flesh them out.

The Sharon Plain - Saturday Mar. 29
Aphek
HaAretz Museum
Caesarea Meritime (sp?)

Jezreel Valley - Sunday Mar. 30
Mt. Carmel
Megiddo
Jezreel
En Harod
Cana (possible location)
Mt. Arbel

Golan Heights - Monday Mar. 31
Hazor
Metulla
Dan
Casarea Philippi
Baniyas Waterfall
Birkat Ram
Quneitra
Kursi

Sea of Galilee - Tuesday Apr. 1
Bethsaida
Capernaum
Chorazin
Mt. of Beatitudes
Tabgha
Nof Ginnosar
Nazareth Village
Tiberias
Boat Ride accross the Galilee
Eating "St. Peter's fish"!

"Free" Day - Wednesday Apr. 2
Yehudiya Hike with Bill

"Free Day" - Thursday Apr. 3
Life of Christ with Abner Chou

Regional Hike - Friday Apr. 4
Cana
Jotoppata
more?

Jordan Valley - Saturday Apr. 5
Yardenit Baptismal Site
Belvoir
Beit Shan
Jordan Valley