Chapter 15 - Tuesday, 3/28/99
The Sea of Galilee is twelve miles long, seven miles wide, and lies 690 feet below sea level. The Jordan River flows through the Sea of Galilee down through the Jordan valley into the Dead Sea. Because the Sea of Galilee lies so low, where it is warmer, and there are high hills around it, where it is cooler, the air mixes and storms can rise up very quickly. It is not unusual to have six foot high waves immediately, making the sea very dangerous to be on. It is understandable why the disciples were afraid in their boat out on the sea in the midst of a storm.
This day we drove to the Syrian border, which is blocked off by rolled barbed wire and guarded by a UN guard. This was the road to Damascus that we could only look down, not travel on. The snow-capped Mt. Hermon could be seen in the distance. We viewed Caesarea-Phillippi ruins, and took a nature walk to a waterfall and to the ruins of Dan. It was here that we saw an archgate dating to the time of Abraham, 1800 BC. We were also in the Golan Heights area, an area of volcanoes. After leaving there, we went to Bethsaida, the home of Peter, Andrew, James, and John, located on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. The day ended with a bonfire on the beach and singing of praise choruses. By now we had all become best buddies with each other, almost like a family.
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