November 19th

This entry was transcribed from my notebook that I utilized when the wireless internet made it impossible to use my Chromebook computer.

This morning started early as we were leaving our hotel at 7:40 am with all of our bags loaded on the bus.  We managed to meet the time with a couple of minutes to spare if you don't include the time it took Bill to return the room key (an actual physical key - not a plastic magnetic key).

Leaving Tiberias our first stop of the day was at Beit She'An National Park, located in the town of Beit She'An.  It's a magnificent historical site that goes back to 6000-5000 BCE but it's really known for its Roman ruins.  The Romans took the area over in 63 BCE.  During the Byzantine period it was used first by the Romans and then reverted to the Muslims in 634.  It 749 the town was destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake.  The ruins have been "refurbished" somewhat to fill in missing pieces of rock, tile, etc.  Most notable during our time there was the theatre, the bathhouse, the long walk with the columns and the view from the tell overlooking the town.

Beit She'Al National Park featuring Roman ruins

View from the tell overlooking Beit She'Al National Park

Following this we drove along the border with Jordan.  Each side of the border is fenced with a no-man's land in between the fences.  We then crossed over into the West Bank and then into Jericho.

On our way into Jericho we observed a lot of agriculture in the area such as date tree plantations.  We also observed a few donkeys tethered in, or walking in, the orchards/plantations near the road.

Jericho is autonomous under the Palestinian Authority.  Israeli Jews aren't legally permitted into Jericho or other areas such as Ramallah.  We stopped at a Palestinian gift shop in Jericho featuring Hebron glass and colorful ceramic tiles and bowls.

The sign outside the gift shop.  We didn't ask them whether they actually sold 'POT' as indicated above.

Then we stopped at a sycamore tree in the center of the city that is believed to be more than 2000 years old.  It was this type of tree that Zacchaeus scurried up.

The 2000 year old sycamore tree in Jericho.

Following this we went to Tell es-Sultan (or Tel Jericho) - the ruins of the old town of Jericho (perhaps towns is more accurate since it represents the ruins of multiple generations of the town of Jericho). These ruins excavated from the tell show various periods of "buildings" (in the loose sense of the word). Unfortunately, the site is a bit of a disappointment in terms of the extent of the archaeological digs. Part of this may be the nature of the ruins themselves (e.g. built from mud bricks so there isn't a lot left after hundreds or thousands of years) and the time span of several millenia.

Panoramic view of the Jericho tell and archaeological excavations.

Grace enjoying a brief camel ride around the parking lot outside the Jericho tell.

A couple of fun facts are that Jericho is the oldest city in the world and the lowest - 258 m (846 ft) below sea level.  The Dead Sea, by comparison is 430.5 m (1412 ft) below sea level.

One of the attractions adjacent to the Tell was the Elisha Spring Fountain. On the spring it quotes 2 Kings 2:19-22, “Now the people of the city said to Elisha, “The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.”

Elisha Spring Fountain in Jericho with Tell Jericho in the background behind the fence.

Following lunch near the tell, we checked into the hotel - Jericho Resort Village.  Some of us had huge rooms with a king size bed, three single beds, and a pull-out couch.  It features a very large outdoor pool as well as another smaller pool with waterslides, and a hot tub.  The plaque outside the hotel tells of its difficult beginnings.

The back of Jericho Resort Village Hotel.

Plaque mounted on outside of Jericho Resort Village

Later in the afternoon we went to the nearby Catholic church, the Church of the Good Shepherd, run by the Fransiscans.  The church hosts a parish of 250 Catholics comprising about 50 families.  It also borders two schools run by the Fransiscans with a total student population of 1500, of which 36 are Christian, and the rest Muslim.  Behind the church itself is a open air chapel where Fr. John celebrated Mass for our group.

View of the altar in the Church of the Good Shepherd in Jericho

Franciscan brother explaining the history of the Church of the Good Shepherd

On our way back from the church we observed a butcher hosing down a white concrete pad over which hung a slaughtered goat or sheep that was trussed up by its feet.  Underneath the goat were its entrails.

View of the outdoor pool behind our hotel and the lights of Jericho

Travels Day 6, November 19 – From Tiberias in the north to Jericho (with the 5 bubble indicating 5 adjacent locations that we saw in Jericho – markers C through G)

Marker	Place Name
A	Restal Hotel, Tiberias
B	Beit She'An National Park, Beit She'An, Israel
C	Hebron Handicrafts, Jerusalem.St, 00972, Jericho, West Bank
D	Jericho Sycamore Tree
E	Jericho Tel, Elisha Spring Fountain, and Camel Ride
F	Jericho Resort Village
G	Church of the Good Shepherd, Jericho

Travels Day 6, November 19 showing only the sites visited in Jericho

Updated 2020 March 15