Our Trip To The Galilee And The Golan

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee

During the long Sukkot school vacation in late September, we traveled up north for a few days to the Galilee and Golan.  This is the first in a series of three (belated) posts about our trip.  The area is strikingly beautiful with something for everyone:  ancient cities; medieval castles; charming hill towns; places of Biblical lore; scenic drives and awesome views; a gorgeous lake; countless streams, wetlands, natural springs and waterfalls; Israel's tallest mountain (Mt. Hermon, at 9,232 feet); and don't forget the wineries, breweries and chocolate factories!  Talia was so eager to get going she couldn't wait to help pack the cooler with food and get in the car.

 

Beit She'an on a hot and hazy day

Our first stop was Beit She'an, a magnificent ancient city about 20 miles to the south of the Sea of Galilee (which is in fact a lake, not a sea).  Several sources state that the earliest settlement at the site dates back to the 5th millennium BCE.  From about 1500 to 1200 BCE, Beit She'an served as an important Egyptian imperial administrative center.  The city appears frequently in Egyptian documents and inscriptions from the reign of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom.  The city was strategically significant given that its location at the junction of the Jordan River and the Jezreel Valley served to control access both from Jerusalem to the Galilee and from the Mediterranean coast to what is now Jordan.  Egyptian rule in Beit She'an came to an end in the mid-12th century BCE, when the city was destroyed by fire.

Part of the Roman theater

The city was then rebuilt and served as an important Canaanite settlement.  It was then conquered by King David in the 10th century BCE and became an Israelite administrative center under King Solomon (David's son).  The Assyrians then destroyed the city in the 8th century BCE, but it subsequently rose to prominence again as a Hellenistic city named Scythopolis in the 3rd century BCE.  But alas, the city was again destroyed, this time by the Hasmoneans, in the 2nd century BCE.  It was then rebuilt as a Jewish city, before falling to the Romans in the 1st century BCE, who made it their administrative center for the region.  During the Pax Romana (the period of Roman peace and prosperity in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE), the city flourished with extensive construction projects and high-level urban planning. The results of this are plainly evident today.

Part of the bathhouse (Jeremy took this photo)

The city continued to prosper during the Byzantine period, reaching a population of 40,000.  But in 634, the city fell to Muslim forces and was renamed Beisan.  The city subsequently declined in importance and reached a low point by the 8th century, as marble from city buildings was removed to produce lime, the main street was blocked off, and the main plaza was converted into a cemetery.  The city reached an even lower point in the year 749, when it was flattened by a massive earthquake.

Today, the place is an archeologist's dream, revealing layers upon layers of different historic civilizations.  According to our guidebook, excavations have shown no fewer than 18 cities superimposed onto one another.  Many of Beit She'an's Roman and Byzantine features are wonderfully preserved, including one of Israel's finest ancient theaters, broad colonnaded streets, extensive bathhouses, and some incredible mosaics.  The site is also scenically located at the foot of a large hill.  In all, Beit She'an is extremely impressive and one of the finest archeological sites in Israel.  But beware, when it's hot in Israel, it's REALLY hot - and absurdly humid - in Beit She'an.  

Another photo from Jeremy (I took the same photo, but his was better)

Belvoir (meaning "beautiful view") is another worthwhile sight not far from Beit She'an.  The site is known in Hebrew as Kohav Hayarden, which means "star of the Jordan River."  Belvior is an isolated, hilltop 12th century Crusader castle with fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.  The Crusaders built the fortress in the hopes of preventing the Muslims from invading Jerusalem from the east.  In contrast with Beit She'an, which has thousands of years of history, Belvoir's history spans only 21 years.  The Crusaders built the castle in 1168 and the Muslims destroyed it in 1189.  The Muslims' victory took some effort, however, as the Crusaders held onto Belvoir for a year-and-a-half after the fall of the First Crusader Kingdom.  Today, Belvoir is a quiet set of ruins at the end of a long, narrow and winding road, frequented by Griffon vultures and other raptors.

But perhaps our favorite sight of the southern Galilee is Gan Hashlosha (also called Sachne), a set of natural freshwater pools that Time Magazine named one of the 20 most intriguing off-the-beaten track attractions in the world.  It looks like a tropical paradise and it feels like one too - the water in the pools is fed by a spring that maintains a constant year-round temperature of 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit).  It's a great place for a swim and the kids absolutely loved it.  Before we arrived, I was feeling quite ill from a stomach bug and utterly exhausted from the searing heat and humidity, but I was completely rejuvenated upon entering the water. These pictures really don't convey the true beauty of the place, as it was very hazy during our visit. 

Jeremy insisted on eating a pretzel during this photo

This post captures only a small fraction of the many diverse sights that the region has to offer.  Good thing we spent more time there!  To be continued...