Ben Yehuda Street

We went to Ben Yehuda street. Lots of people were out in the street, celebrating the end of the sabbath. There was music, dance, and also some beggars. I asked why there were so many beggars. Ben answered, "Giving is a blessing. When nobody asks, how can the blessing be given?"
Some thought these girls were Christians, others, that they worshiped the moon god. We couldn't understand them.

Shops were open

The only thing we bought was an ice cream cone.

We did notice that there was some tension in the air, with different groups not liking each other.

First view of Jerusalem

Unfortunately, we arrived late so it was quite dark.

Galilee and Bet She'an

This is the Galilee, where the disciples came from. Simple houses, and a family lifestyle.

They lived in community.

This is where they were sent: a lavish place, with temples, baths, library, arena etc.

Something to think about:

How did Jesus prepare his disciples for this culture shock?

They lived in Community.

How do we prepare our kids to live in the real world?

Bet She'an: the Theatre

A view of the first century theatre from the tel. It used to have 3 rings and could hold 7000 people.

Irene took a picture of Olga...

...while Olga took a picture of Irene

A beautiful view of the tell from the seats of the theater.

Bet She'an: the Bathhouse

Looking at one of the bathhouses at Bet She'an. These are from the Roman period, and they had running water, hot baths and a sewage system.

Model of the western bathhouse. It was quite large.



On top of these little stone pillars was the floor. There was a furnace heating up the air underneath the floor, creating a sort of sauna.

The people here are looking at the latrine system. A person would sit atop 2 adjacent seat segments (with a gap between them)

Faith Lesson:

We actually missed our Faith-lesson, but were later told that it was about sponges.

The stones sticking out of the wall here are latrine seats. The trough underneath the seats was where the water would flow through. This was most likely where people would dip sea sponges, which were put on sticks, to clean themselves after using the latrine.

The Bible says that Jesus was offered a drink from a sponge on a stick while on the cross. It doesn't sound as kind anymore.

Bet She'an: walking

Beauty in ruins

Mosaic floors. This is the goddess of the city.

Walking into the theatre.

There is so much to see, touch, and film

Olga standing by fallen marble pillars

Pillars still standing - nice and tall

Lots of pillars, some cracked

The god Dionysus

Bet She'an: View on and From the Tell

On top of the tel we took pictures of our shadows on the base of a temple

All kinds of Egyptian stuff on the top of the tel

Ramses

We looked down from the tell, that's when we saw the theater for the first time.

We had passed it walking.

On the top edge you can see modern Bet-She'an.

Silvanus street.

The people are looking at the washrooms of the bathhouse from the Roman period.

A closer look will be on the bathhouse post.

Paladius street, with pillars on both sides.

There are lots of places left to excavate.

First Glimpse of Bet She'an

Longest continuous archaeological dig in Israel

A 400 acre site with only 10 % excavated.

A first view at the ancient site. There are 20 civilizations buried in the tel.
In the Bible it said that King Saul and his son Jonathan were nailed to the wall of Bet She'an.

Rich man's house

This house had several small rooms

Water would flow down the mountain through a ditch to the cistern inside

On the left is a cistern with water.

Looking up to the roof

The roof, with an adjacent upper room

The upper room.

Synagogue

Outside the synagogue - a "family picture"

The roof was interesting. made from wood and clay


On the outside you can see the "chief seats"

The reader stands in the middle (often reading with natural light) for "the word is in the midst of us." The reader would stand for God's word and sit for his own.

In Luke 4 we read that Jesus did the same.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7)

The scroll closet