Heading towards the Dead Sea

We woke to a beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee.

We had a delicious breakfast. The fruit was fresh especially the melon.

At the buffet, they had a honeycomb to get fresh honey.

Our first stop today is the Jordan River where several of our travelers will be baptized.

It was a serene site along the Jordan River. Several horses grazed near the river’s edge.

It was a calm river with very little rippling.

A large number of our group were baptized today! Some have been here before and have been baptized in the past.

The pastor lead the way into the chilly water.

It was a beautiful stop and we left before the crowds arrived.

Our next stop is Beth Shean, located at the juncture of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys.

The tool they used to move huge square blocks.

This city dates back to 4000 BCE and was occupied by Philistines, Egyptians then Israelites. In 732 BCE Assyrians conquered and destroyed the city. In the 3rd century BCE, a large temple was constructed. By 63 BCE it was ruled by the Romans. 18 levels of civilization have been excavated. A Roman Theater with mostly original stones.

A Roman bathhouse with many sections of it still in tact including the steps into the pool, the mosaic and the heating area.

There was an Avenue where shops would have been.

Beautiful original mosaics lined rooms throughout the ruins.

The last section we visited was the bathroom, lavatory or whatever you would call it. Literally, elbow to elbow.

We had lunch in Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. The food was delicious. The shop had some wonderful handmade items but I just couldn’t find anything for anyone.

Bruce liked this chair!

After lunch we headed to Ein Gedi, “spring of the goat”which is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. Along the way their was stark beauty in the sandstone mountains.

We walked to a waterfall in the park which was quite amazing because the surrounding area was so arid.

Ein Gedi is where King David hid from Saul and God defeated the enemies of the Israelites by praise and worship led by King Jehoshaphat.

We also saw a few goats roaming around and a baby goat too!

Our lodging tonight is at the Dead Sea. We arrived around 4PM and had time to float in the Dead Sea.

I wasn’t a big fan. It kind of made me feel itchy but it was interesting how buoyant we were.

Dinner was delicious and I had a hibiscus tea!

After dinner we played another round of cards! We have been playing canasta in many countries.

#israel#tours#deadsea#jericho#jordanriver#baptismal