And when he [Herod] observed that there was a city by the seaside that was much decayed (its name was Strato’s Tower) but that the place, by the happiness of its situation, was capable of great improvements from his liberality, he rebuilt it all with white stone, and adorned it with several most splendid palaces, wherein he especially demonstrated his magnanimity. Josephus, The War of the Jews 1:408 Our third and last ancient seaport is the one commonly visited by tourists: Caesarea. If you’ve ever been there, it’s easy to understand why it’s a common tourist stop: it’s a very […]
Tag Archives: Herod the Great
A Temple on a Lonely Hill
And when he [Herod the Great] returned home after escorting Caesar [Augustus] to the sea, he erected to him a very beautiful temple of white stone in the territory of Zenodorus, near the place called Paneion. Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, 15:363 Reaching the Sea of Galilee, we began a few days exploring the Golan region, east/northeast of the lake. Our first stop of the morning was a remote site called Omrit. Following some directions, we drove off the main road into seemingly the middle of nowhere, the dirt road jostling the car until we pulled over. Hiking a […]
Hideout
He turned the desert into pools of waterand the parched ground into flowing springs;there he brought the hungry to live,and they founded a city where they could settle. Psalm 107:35-36 Two of the prominent sites along the western shore of the Dead Sea are associated with David when he was on the run from King Saul. The first is Masada (meaning ‘stronghold’ in Hebrew). David stayed in “the stronghold” while avoiding Saul (1 Samuel 22:4-5, 24:22). A millennium later King Herod built a fortress on the traditional site with two luxurious palaces. Tourists today can hike the historic snake path […]
Moving Mountains
Our next excursion was to Herodian, the mountain that Herod the Great moved. He built it by chopping away at a nearby hill, looking like a volcano with its flat top. Visible from the Mount of Olives, it stands as a testament to the drive of Herod. Who builds a mountain? Because of difficulties of driving a rental car into the West Bank (our rental car company, like most, only cover driving on 2 main highways in the West Bank), we decided it would be easiest to get there via bus. The Egged bus system covers the country. We took […]
From Sea to Dusty Sea
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry.Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away.The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Nahum 1:3-5 I’m falling little behind after a long weekend traversing the Galilee region in northern Israel. We were on the […]
Of Death and Life
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2 Our third and last day of the long weekend, Monday, brought us to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth at over 1300 feet below sea level. It is the saltiest body of water in the world at 30-40% (by comparison the ocean is about 3% and the Great Salt Lake in Utah is about 15%). Additionally, the sea is dying, […]