Day 3

today was a much less active day. with the age of most of the folks in the group, they are lightening the load a little. this doesn't really please me, but i have to do what they do, so i may as well roll with it.

we went to the mount of beatitudes where Jesus would have given the sermon on the mount. the bowl shaped place that would have been like an amphitheater is now a banana farm and the top of the mount has a catholic church (like many of the other holy sites.)

while we were there our guide read us the beattitudes. i felt thirsty and took a drink and then he read, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. to be standing where that was originally said and having my thirst quenched with water made it such a beautiful picture in my mind.

i think that is the best part of this. i can not see the scriptures more accurately.

we then went to tel dan, caeserea philippi and the jordan river. all of these were interesting and unique.

we finished up pretty early today. so mike wilkerson and i went for a walk around the town of tiberius and along the sea of galilee. i saw my first armed person. he was carrying something like an AR30 machine gun and a box of cereal. i wanted to take a picture, but he had a gun...

one of the really cool things that i am enjoying is the art. there are all kinds of sculptures, paintings, and mosaics scattered around the towns we have been to.

this sculpture is a tree with leaves that are hebrew letters.

tomorrow we do a boat tour on the sea of galilee over to capernaum. then we head south toward the dead sea.

* don't mind my spelling. im sure some of it is way off.