Tooday we went to Har Bental. The peak of the mountain that some years ago was used by Syrian Army. There are still bunkers and other things reminding hat time. Anyway the spot provides a marvelous view towards Lebanon, Syria and of course Israel that controls the hill now.
Syrian stuff
It wasn't fun when the real soldiers occupied this site
The hill top is now controlled by Israeli soldiers
However the magnificent view of Mount Hermon inspired me to think about a journey a young Jew was taking down through the plains, the journey that had the outcome he didn’t expect. The young Jew was St Paul the Apostle who was travelling to Damascus which is behind the Mt Hermon. As he was approaching the Hermon Range Jesus Christ appeared to him. After the appearance Paul lost his sight and had to be taken to Damascus where he didn’t imprison Christians as he was planning to but he became a Christian himself. Looking at the breathtaking mountain with some snow still covering its peak I thought about Paul who might have seen this same mountain as the last thing before Jesus appeared to him and this apparition was more impressing.
With Mt Hermon in the background
Mt Hermon with some snow still on the top. Behind the mountain there is the city of Damascus. St Paul was traveling there to capture the local Christians. Somewhere to the right end of the photo he saw Jesus who asked him: "Soul why are you persecuting me?"
The last thing that I would like to mention was our visit to one of the springs that creates the Jordan River. We saw two of the three: Panias and Dan. However as Panias is associated with Caesarea Philippi it overshadowed all the others to me. This is the place where Jesus asked his disciples who people think he is. Here Peter answered: “You are th Son of God who was to come.” The significance of the site is so big to our Christian faith that I kind of overlooked the ruins of the Roman buildings. I rather felt that some interior voice is asking me the same question Jesus put to his Apostles. “Who do you think I am?” That’s why I couldn’t help reciting the Nicene Creed as I stood at the spring of Panias that with three other springs creates the Jordan River.
You can roll this thing in order to imprint in the sand the words Peter spoke here when he acknowledged Jesus as the true Messiah. I prayed so these words may be deeply imprinted in our hearts and minds.
Ruins of a pagan temple of Pan built at the springs of the Jordan
At Panias one of the three springs of the Jordan River
what a change to all the desert places we have visited so far
This stream together with Dan and Hasbani will eventually form the Jordan River
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