Day 3

Today we started the day with a buffet, freshly made omelet, fruit, croissants, chocolate milk and miscellaneous salads.  For those of you that know me well, I was exaggerating about the fruit and the salads but they were available.  Then we said goodbye to Netanya and headed for Caesarea by the Sea.  This was a port city built by Herod for the Romans.  He wanted to empress the Romans and give them access to Israel.   There was no evidence that Jesus ever went there because it was a Gentile city.  It is recorded in Acts 10 that Peter was told by God to go there.  In a vision, Peter was told by God that the gospel message was meant for Gentiles too.  Praise God.  Throughout the years, possession of the port city changed hands numerous times.  Today the remains of Herod’s original palace are visible, including his swimming pool.  The first two pictures shows the remains of Herod’s palace and his swimming pool.  There is a well preserved Roman theater.  The third picture is the theater.  Even a hippodrome has been dug up.  If yourself asking “hippodrome what’s a hippodrome.  If you have ever watched the movie “Ben Hur” you have seen a hippodrome.  The arena where the chariot races take place is the hippodrome.  The fourth picture is the remains of the hippodrome. 

Before leaving Caesarea by the Sea, we took a pitstop.  One important thing that this blogger did not make sure of was which picture is the correct picture for his gender.  He chose the wrong one.  You have the benefit of a direct comparison and he did not.

Then we headed to Megiddo.  If you have studied Revelation then you will realize that this area is where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought.  Napoleon said of the Jezreel Valley or Meggido that this valley was large enough to hold all of the armies of the world.  It was amazing.  The pictures do not do it justice.  I took this one in panorama mode. 

At the top of the hill was access to a spring at the bottom of the hill.  An access tunnel was hand dug with chisels.  The tunnel was 36 meters deep.  I can't imagine.  We went down steps to get to the spring.  The tunnel was cool which gave us a break from the hot temperatures outside.  Pictures to follow.