Today we visited Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, the tip of the Golan Heights overlooking the “road to Damascus” and the modern country of Syria.
Dan is famous for its roaring stream, which became a bone of contention between those wanted control over one of three major springs.
Tel Dan became the location for the tribe of Dan and one of the highlights is the altar and temple of the time of Jeroboam and the Northern Kingdom’s rebellion in worship against the temple of Jerusalem. President Shiell, sitting on the edge of a wall around the altar, gave a thrilling account of the dynamics of that altar and temple in Dan.
At Caesarea Philippi our tour guide sketched the political significance of the location, and he sketched the worship of Pan as well as the three temples constructed there. At this location, or in the “region” of this location, Jesus solicited the opinion of the disciples and Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah. That confession had to cut into the veins of the empire.
We had never been to the tip of the Golan Heights. We got coffee at “Cafe Anan” (rhymes with Kofi Annan), looked over the edge onto the road Paul walked to Damascus, and saw Syria. We also saw the snow on Mount Hermon.
In all, a wonderful day.
Wonderful report! Nothing beats a pilgrimage in The Land…
I'm beginning to covet my neighbor's travels ;-) Seriously though, love the pics :)