Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.…“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”.
Matthew Chapter 16
Caesarea Philippi later came to be known as Baniyas, an Arabic corruption of the Greek word Panias, a place named after the Greek God Pan who was worshiped here over 2,000 years ago. Today we celebrate the place for two reasons: it’s life giving waters, a source of the Jordan River, and the place where Saint Peter comes to prominence in the Gospels, declaring that Jesus was the Christ.
There’s a joke we like to tell. If you have just two days to spend in Israel, spend one in the holy city of Jerusalem and one taking in the unencumbered vistas of the Galilee, its lake and the Golan. But if you have three days here, forget all of that, and spend all of your time in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv, founded on sand dunes by 66 pioneering Jewish families in 1909 is Israels commercial and artistic capital, a place where every young Israeli yearns to live. A liberal city with miles of white sandy beaches and culture to match, this is the place for a Mediterranean vacation!
The port of Jaffa dates back thousands of years, and it served as the escape route in the biblical story of Jonah and the whale as Jonah tried to evade God’s command for him to preach repentance to the inhabitants of Ninveh. For millennia Jaffa was the traditional entry point to the Land of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem. Today one can visit the hilltop overlooking the Sea and note evidence of Greek, Roman, Arab and European civilizations before walking the town’s alleys and visiting its artist colony.
Traditionally Acre was the important town in Israel’s north. It was a critical life-line to Europe for the Crusaders in the Middle Ages. Recently discovered Crusader remains are a highlight of the trip to Acre where we’ll explore secret passages, the Knight’s Halls, the Arab market and the port area.
“Come with me from Lebanon, my bride…. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens and the mountain haunts of the leopards.” (Song of Songs 4:8.)
In ancient times locals ascended the forbidding heights of Mt. Hermon to worship their deities. Explorers have subsequently discovered dozens of temples and holy places in the mountains inaccessible high places. This was the place where God spoke to the Patriarch Abraham at Brit Ben HaBtarim, promising him the Holy Land. Scholars also recognize it as the true site of the Mt. of Transfiguration in the New Testament.