Day three, our first morning in Israel, came early for some with an early walk and devotions on the beach. It was not as early for others (z-z-z-z-z-z). The sky was clear and the sun was shining. A beautiful first morning in Tel Aviv.
After a brief tour of Tel Aviv it was on to the ruins for the Herodian city of Caesarea. King Herod the Great built this city in honor of and named it for Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. It was planned as a port city but since there was no natural port he had to build a man-made port. He did that by creating a way to use volcanic ash to create a form of concrete. His construction was a success and Caesarea became the Roman “capital” of Judea. The city was the site of Herod’s summer home, which included a swimming pool. There were also two theatres and a coliseum for gladiators and chariot races.
Over the centuries of wars, conquests and natural disasters, the city was finally destroyed. In the early 1900’s a “modern” Caesarea was built near the site of the original city. Eventually, the ruins were excavated and it has become a popular tourist attraction. Not far from the ruins are the remains of a 50-mile long aqueduct which Herod had constructed to bring fresh water to the city.
After lunch it was on to the city of Haifa where we entered Elijah’s Cave, the cave where Elijah is said to have gone prior to his showdown with the prophets of Ba’al. It is considered a holy site to Judaism.
From there it was a quick stop at our hotel to freshen up and change, then off to minister with Viktor and Lena Dorjskin, our missionaries in Israel. Our dance team had the opportunity to minister in dance to the congregation. Viktor’s ministry is to Russian speaking Jews. Well over half of those there tonight were Holocaust survivors. As a result of his work with Holocaust survivors, Viktor has been invited to meet with Israel’s Prime Minister. A great opportunity. Please keep he and Lena in your prayers.
Our hotel sits high above the harbor in Haifa, the only natural harbor in Israel. It was to Haifa that the ship “Exodus” brought European Jewish refugees from detention camps on the island of Cyprus in 1948. Today, many immigrants from the former soviet countries come to Haifa. This beautiful city is the third largest city in Israel. One thing makes Haifa stand out in the world: Jews, Muslims, Christians and other religions live together, side by side peacefully. It is what the Middle East COULD look like.
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