2008 Holy Land Day 3 Theater of Scythopolis Scythopolis (Beth Shan) Our third day began by leaving the City of Tiberius on the Sea of Galilee where we stayed our first two nights and going down along the Jordan River.  We did not do any baptisms in the Jordan River on this trip but we will when we go together.  Our first stop was at a major archeological dig started in the 1920's called Scythopolis.  This was a large city that was part of Decapolis (ten Cities) and the picture is of some of the pastors that I was traveling with standing at the top of the seating of the largest ancient theater in Israel.  Walking around the site and seeing streets, theaters, plumbing, and other things from a city over 3,000 years old was pretty interesting.  This is the City where Saul was hung after being killed by the Philistines.  2 Samuel 21:12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) Gideon's Pool Gideon's Pool Now, here is the next place that really touched me.  I had been writing a preaching about Gideon and the pool where God had his men drink to see how many that God would need to defeat the Midianites.  Wow!  Let me encourage you to plan to come with me next time that I go so you can enjoy some of these Wow experiences. Judges 7  So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink."  Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.   The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." Armaggedon Armageddon (Tel Megiddo) Our next stop was what seemed like a small hill in a large valley filled with farms.  When we got to the site we found out that it was Tel Megiddo, or more commonly know as, Armaggedon which is a corruption of the Hebrew Har Megiddo and means literally ?the mount of Megiddo.?  Here I am looking very serious as I stand on the top of Tel Meggido (archeological dig) looking out at the valley of Armaggedon.  It really looks like any farmland you  have ever seen so it is with great gravity that I look at the last battle site before Jesus returns. Revelation 16:16-18  "Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.  The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake." Mount Carmel Mount Carmel There were certainly many events recorded on Mount Carmel but the one we all love is when Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal.  What a wonderful time to stand on the mountain and contemplate the power of Almighty God.  From Mount Carmel you can see Nazareth and the Valley of Armageddon. I Kings 18:36-39  At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.  Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."   Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.   When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!" Caesarea Maritima Caesarea Maritima This was a very important city during New Testament times.  It was the home of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 10:1) and of Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:40). Herod Agrippa was smitten by an angel of the Lord at Caesarea (Acts 12:21-23) and the apostle Paul visited the city on many occasions (Acts 9:30; 23:23-35).  I was impressed with what a beautiful place that it was sitting right on the Mediterranean Sea.  We walked through Herod the Great's home here. It turns out that Herod the Great plays a much larger role in the Holy Land than we see him in terms of Bible verses.  He was a great builder who rebuilt the second temple and the temple mount which still stands today.  Acts 12:21-23  21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. Herod's Palace Location Place of Paul's Imprisonment Acts 23 Jerusalem Jerusalem We ended our third day by entering the City of Jerusalem.  As is customary we listened to the appropriate song and walked into the City.  It was a powerful experience. Matthew 21:10  "When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" More to Come I will work on adding more photos and stories as time permits.  On our 2010 trip we will go to even more places.  I will add photos and stories from my 2008 trip from Jerusalem, Mount Zion, The City of David, the Dead Sea, The empty tomb, and more.