Holy Land Pilgrimage Day 2

After a sleepless night, we started off early (or what seemed that way to me) leaving Tel Aviv and traveling to two different sites. My internal time zone was not set to the Israeli clock and by mid-day, I was very tired. We settled into our hotel on the Sea of Galilee for the evening.

Ancient Aqueducts

Perhaps the most famous and impressive aqueduct in Israel is found near the ancient port city of Caesarea. It was constructed by Herod the Great two thousand years ago to bring extra water to the growing city from springs six miles away. The aqueducts are raised and in relatively good shape for their age.

Caesarea

Caesarea was an ancient and medieval city in the Sharon plain on the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean, and later a small fishing village. It was the capital of Roman Judaea, Syria Palaestinaand Palaestina Prima, successively, for a period of c.650 years, and a major intellectual hub of the Mediterranean, from the time of Herod I until the Muslim conquest of the Levant. Today, the site is an Israeli national park and its ruins are part of the Caesarea National Park.

Walking Caesera

School Kids Walking By

Sepphoris

Since Late Antiquity, it was believed to be the birthplace of Mary, mother of Jesus, and the village where Saints Anna and Joachim are often said to have resided, where today a fifth-century basilica is excavated at the site honoring the birth of Mary. Notable structures at the site include a Roman theatre, two early Christian churches, a Crusader fort partly rebuilt by Zahir al-Umar in the 18th century, and over sixty different mosaics dating from the third to the sixth century CE.

Olive Oil Tasting

We visited Bethlehem of Galilee. Galili Olive Oil was born 20 years ago with the planting of an organic olive grove on the family farm in Templar village Bethlehem of Galilee, footsteps away from the ancient oak forest surrounding the village. The family hobby became a premium quality brand when Eran the youngest son took on the olive farming and built a boutique mill in 2010. Tours and tasting workshops are offered year-round!