Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sephoris to Cana

We awoke once more to a beautiful sunrise over Galilee. There was a bit of cloud cover, so the sunrise was beautiful, and we could here the waves on the Seal of Galilee as they crashed on the shore, so much different than the calm lake of Friday. We were up and out of the hotel by 8, and headed south and west toward Sepphoris through Cana.
Our first stop was the wonderful Sepphoris archaeological site which revealed a tremendous amount of work that has been done on the site, and some indication of the size and the extent of the original town site. We learned a few important bits of information. One was that if there are cactus planted, then there was likely a settlement or habited buildings which might be covered, as these were used to dissuade enemy invasion, or risk from animals. It was also interesting to see how one culture had built upon the foundations of another. We also got a good indication of the size and extent of the dwellings, and the elaborate mosaic tile work found in some. A treat for us was to climb to the top of one of the buildings and gaze over the 360 degree panoramic view. It was really amazing. We also saw a wonderful example of an archway which we learned may have been built by Joseph, as he was a carpenter would have helped with the wooden framework integral in the construction of the Roman arches.
Our next stop was in Nazareth where we wound our way through the market towards the Church of the Annunciation. It is a beautiful building with many panels on the top floor – including one from Canada. Unfortunately none of us was particularly enthralled with our contribution – but it can be seen here.
From here we walked over to the Grotto of the Church of St. Joseph – which is believed to be the dwelling place of the holy family. A further wander through the market and we made a brief stop at the Synagogue Church which is believed to be the synagogue in which Jesus read from the torah after his return from the wilderness. We then headed back to the bus and onto a wonderful Falafel lunch in a small restaurant in Cana. We also were able to make a much needed ATM stop.
The next stop was a small Greek Orthodox church which is on the site where Jesus performed his first miracle – changing the water into wine. Here – three couples – the Brown’s, the Dolha’s and the Kaup’s renewed their wedding vows in a short but meaningful service performed by Harry. Dorothy read from the scripture John 2 verses 1 – 11 which is the story of the Cana wine and Barbara sang – “The Greatest of These” a Linnea Good song based on the Corinthian scripture about Love.
We were then headed back to the hotel for a relaxing balance of the afternoon. Some went for a walk, others went swimming, while still others just enjoyed the opportunity to sit around the pool or in each others rooms to socialize and have a before dinner drink.
Everyone retired early to organize suitcases and listen to the another grroup who entertained(?) us with piano and voice.

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