In Northern Israel

On Monday, Evertt and I drove to the northernmost regions of Israel; from there we were able to see parts of the bordering nations of Lebanon and Syria. We visited the Tel Dan Nature Reserve, site of a 5,000 year old city (originally called Laish), which the Hebrew tribe of Dan captured during the conquest/settlement period of Israel (Judges 18:27-39). This is also the location at which King Jereboam tried to create a rival location to Jerusalem for the worship of Yahweh, God of Israel, during the divided kingdom (which grew out of the high taxes levied by Rehoboam, son of Solomon). Jereboam put up a golden calf in Dan and created a place to offer sacrifices to it (see I Kings 12:28-30; 2 Kings 10:29).

The location where Jereboam's altar sat


















We also drove to Banias, which was also called the Hermon Stream Nature Reserve. During the time of Christ, this ancient city was renamed Caesarea Phillipi. Mark 8:27 ff. records that this was the location at which Jesus famously asked his disciples "Who do people say that I am?... But who do you say I am?" It was a city with temples dedicated both to pagan and Roman emperor worship, a place in which Jesus' question to his disciples takes on special meaning.

Temple of Pan and Pan's Cave

















Holding up a keystone arch at the Palace of Agrippa II






















This site (Banias) is one that John Wilson and teams of Pepperdine students helped excavate during the 1990s.


















We also traveled to the highest and northern-most part of Israel, Mount Hermon, where we rode a ski lift up to an elevation of over 6000 feet and caught some great views looking southward toward Israel.

On our way down Mount Hermon