To start our fourth day of field study in Galilee we stopped at the ancient remains of Sepphoris. This town was the mid point between Nazareth and the outlying cities. It would not be inaccurate to assume that Jesus spent time in this city the building of it would have needed many workers. Of course this isn't in scripture but it would make sense that the Roman would have drawn on the communities in the surrounding neighborhoods to help build the city. Because they drew on people from many different areas to build the city, we can assume that Jesus would have come to understand other cultures and languages from the the people he encountered. Even if he was not part of the building of the city, it was still a major urban city and a bit of a crossroads for many on the way to the Sea of Galilee and located near Nazareth. This is interesting because it helps us understand how Jesus may have grown up and the things that may have influenced him as he ministered to people later in his life. His ministry was in an area that was extremely urban, highly international, and drew many different kinds of people. His upbringing and growth as a person most defintiely affected how He ministered to others. That is also so true of us. How we grow, develop, and change affects our relationships and care of others and Jesus would have understood this too.
Also at Sepphoris are the "mona lisa" mosaics of the day. They are called this because they are so well preserved and show us the syncritism of the culture during those days. Next, we went to Bet Alfa where we saw some similar mosaics from a synagogue and then went to the "Garden of the Three". The garden is a place that Time magazine called a top 20 of places to go out of your way to see. It was a fun park to swim in the natural spring water from the three major springs flowing through the land from Mt. Hermon. To finish the day we went to Beth-Shean/Scytopolis. Beth-Shean was an Old Testament city where Saul and his son were slain. Scytopolis is a New Testament city that has been very well preserved and had fun things to see. Here are the pics:
Also at Sepphoris are the "mona lisa" mosaics of the day. They are called this because they are so well preserved and show us the syncritism of the culture during those days. Next, we went to Bet Alfa where we saw some similar mosaics from a synagogue and then went to the "Garden of the Three". The garden is a place that Time magazine called a top 20 of places to go out of your way to see. It was a fun park to swim in the natural spring water from the three major springs flowing through the land from Mt. Hermon. To finish the day we went to Beth-Shean/Scytopolis. Beth-Shean was an Old Testament city where Saul and his son were slain. Scytopolis is a New Testament city that has been very well preserved and had fun things to see. Here are the pics:
Mona Lisa at Sepphoris
Mona Lisa at Sepphoris
Garden of the Three
Jenna and me at the springs
Bet Alfa mosiac of the Abraham and Isaac story
Aerial view of Sctyolopis from the hill of Beth-Shean
The theater at Scytopolis
These pillars are along the main cardo (road) at Scytopolis
1 comment:
Great stuff.
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