He will judge between many peoples
Micah 4:3
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
When asked to think about the geography of Israel, what comes to mind? Maybe deserts, rolling hills, or steep V-shape canyons. Do volcanoes come to your mind? As strange as it may seem, there are extinct volcanoes in Israel, especially in the Golan Heights. Once you drive out of the rift to the east, the region is relatively flat except for dozens of volcanic cones interrupting the landscape.
Much of the Golan region as well as west of the Sea of Galilee is covered in basalt – volcanic rock. Prominent cities in Jesus’ ministry like Capernaum and Bethsaida are made primarily from black basalt. Interestingly, if lava cools slowly enough, it crystallizes, forming hexagon columns. A great example of this can be seen at the national park of “hexagon pools”, not far north of ancient Bethsaida.
Perched atop one of the volcanic cones, Mount Bental, is an old modern Israeli outpost looking into Syria. The border is visible from on top. While we were there, I thought I heard what sounded like distant explosions. Given the Syrian civil war and that Damascus was only 60km away, my guess could be right. Besides the view into Syria, we explored the bunkers and saw various metal sculptures. Scrap metal has been gathered from the surrounding area to make these clever creations.
Just as the destructive power of these volcanoes is past, so God will eventually remove and that’s wrong with the world one day. Syria is still fighting. I don’t know when it will end, but God will set everything right one day.