Going North

Breakfast on the hotel. Not a very large selection, but enough to get started. Checking out, and deposing the suitcases in the lobby. Talking a walk before picking up the car at 12.

Time to leave Jerusalem for now. Lehitraot. There was a trainee at the rental company, so it took a while to get the car. Now the fun part started, navigating out of Jerusalem. I relied on google maps on my iPad. Not sure how smart it was. Maybe I didn’t pay enough attention. I.E. took a sightseeing before getting back on track.

Interesting traffic in Jerusalem… No incidents, so I managed to get on 1 toward Tel Aviv. Somewhere after merging into 6, I noticed that google maps was not too happy, and tried to re-direct me. After a while I discovered that it did not update my position. Switched to maps on the iPhone, which worked much better. Not too bad traffic.

First stop was Tel Magiddo National Park.

Megiddo (Hebrew: מגידו‎‎; Arabic: مجیدو‎‎, Tell al-Mutesellim, “The Tell of the Governor”) is an ancient city whose remains form a tell (archaeological mound), situated in northern Israel near Kibbutz Megiddo, about 30 km south-east of Haifa. Megiddo is known for its historical, geographical, and theological importance, especially under its Greek name Armageddon. During the Bronze Age, Megiddo was an important Canaanite city-state and during the Iron Age, a royal city in the Kingdom of Israel. Excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins, indicating a long period of settlement. Megiddo is strategically located at the head of a pass through the Carmel Ridge overlooking the Jezreel Valley from the west. Evangelical Christians believe it will be the site of the final battle between Jesus Christ and Satan, as outlined in the Book of Revelation. The site is now protected as Megiddo National Park and is a World Heritage Site. –Wikipedia

Megiddo was a site of great importance in the ancient world. It guarded the western branch of a narrow pass on the most important trade route of the ancient Fertile Crescent, linking Egypt with Mesopotamia and Asia Minor and known today as Via Maris. Because of its strategic location, Megiddo was the site of several historical battles. The site was inhabited from approximately 7000 BCE to 586 BCE though the first significant remains date to the Chalcolithic period (4500–3500 BCE). –Wikipedia

Did a quick tour. The best part was the overview of the Jezreel valley. Nice walking through the water system. Surprised how sophisticated it was.

Quite sophisticated water system!

Next goal was driving up to the Gilboa mountains.

In the Bible, King Saul, Israel’s first King, led a charge against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 28:4).[2] The battle ends with the king falling on his own sword and Saul’s sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchishua being killed in battle (1 Samuel 31:1-4). David, who hears about the tragedy after the battle, curses the mountain: “Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of choice fruits; for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil” (2 Samuel 1:21).

Getting late in the afternoon, so set the direction to the hotel.

Dinner at Avi’s restaurant, which is the best of 51 restaurants in Tiberias. If it actually is the best, is hard to know, since I have only eaten at one. Food was very good, and service was great. Very friendly staff.