Galilee III

Our third day in Galilee began with a trip to Bethshean - an Israeli national park and a great surprise - 18 levels of cities in the Tel (the hill)dating from 3000BC,mentioned in Egyptian texts from 2000 BC, and a "friendly" well-signed archeological site where I could actually walk on Roman and Byzantine roads. With reconstructed walls, the baths, theater, shops and houses were identified - and it was beautiful. I think what struck me is that I had never heard of this place which had at one time been so important for commerce, worship and governance. No New Testament references here either - but it would have been known.
And from there we passed into the "disputed territory" occupied since 1967 and went to Jericho - not a "pretty" archeological dig but the work there since the 1950's has uncovered clay walls and artifacts indicating humans residing here 10,000 years ago - the oldest continually inhabited city on earth! Folks in Jesus' time passed through Jericho to get to Jerusalem from Galilee - and avoid Samaria.
After a delicious traditional Middle Eastern meal - we headed up to a very high vantage point (now we were close to the area where the Jordan River empties into the Dead Sea - traditionally and logically near where John baptized Jesus)to picture the wilderness where Jesus stayed for 40 days. It is barren and windly, wildly ranging in heights and depths below sea level - Bedouins were eager to sell jewelry and camel rides. Two small children played with an empty Coke bottle, ran barefoot over the rocks and chased about on the steep inclines - I couldn't watch. So our reflection time (especially when another bus of tourists arrived) was not particularly meditative. Shows you that the world will seek you out - even on top of a desert mountain! We headed back to our home in Jerusalem at St. Georges College.
The director of a Christian Palestinian justice/peace organization Sabeel (it means The Way or "spring water" in Arabic)came to tell us about the group and its vision for peace as a two-country solution. They consciously work at dialogue with all sides of this conflicted country. Tourists pass through checkpoints rather easily. We could immediately tell that the standard of living is much lower in the West Bank...checkpoints, settlement roads that are off-limits to Palestinians, fenced off land along the Jordan River that no one can use, numerous military enclaves. We could see the dramatic difference on agriculture when water is limited.