Along the Via Maris

Today, we traveled along the "Way of the Sea", the route the Egyptians would have to take to fight any competing empire from Europe or Asia.  We stopped at the theater at Caesarea by the Sea. Herod had his summer palace here.  Paul was tried here before being taken to Rome.  We then climbed up to Mt. Carmel to the place Elijah battled the 450 prophets of Baal.  Along the way we saw where the great fire took place a couple months ago.  A memorial for the guards who were killed was sobering.  The Jezreel Valley looks spectacular from up on the mountain.  We then traveled to Megiddo, the northern guard town that Solomon built up for defense. It is amazing to think they dug its water tunnel by hand.  We had our first falafal for lunch and a nice sweet snack in the afternoon.  We ended our day in the city where Jesus grew up, Nazareth, and read the Scriptures in the synagogue where he first declared Himself to be Messiah.