Thursday, March 7, 2019

From the Mountains to The Mountain

We left  the Golan Heights and traveled to Jerusalem through
the Decapolis to the largest of the ten cities where the man
who had been full of demons, brought many to Christ. The
ruins of Scythopolis were Roman. A 9.1 earthquake brought
the city down many years ago. It was quite a large city with
shops, falling water, pillars, and both a theater and an amphi-
theater. The hill behind it was a "Tell," which means there
were treasures under there and the time was probably during
the days of David and Solomon. Evidently Jewish Antiquities
did not want to disturb the hill....

We entered Jerusalem at dusk and my first impression was
the many very tall modern apartment buildings on the hills
around us. Perhaps it was the ruins we had witnessed which
made me think of the predicted earthquake in Revelation in
which a tenth of the city will collapse! (Rev 11:13).

The old city is seems small and is about 30 feet above where
it was in 33AD, as Jerusalem has been leveled many times
in the last 2,000 years. The walls now standing are from the
Crusaders who built so many of the structures in Israel, which
have recently been uncovered. The city is divided into 4 parts--
Christians, Muslims, Armenians, and then the Jewish quarter.
We came into the Armenian quarter and then into the Jewish
quarter where we had lunch. I have to say that we found joy in
the adults we met and enjoyed the laughter of children playing
in the streets of Jerusalem. We came to a large Menorah that
was made in the image of the Menorah which Moses construc-
ted and which was taken to Rome by Titus. It can be seen in the
Arch of Triumph in Rome and it now is thought to reside in the
Vatican archives. The Menorah we saw will be placed in the
Third Temple--the tribulation Temple--which is almost ready to
be set up. It just needs a place. So, you see, in a very small part
of Jerusalem, we saw the past, present and future--all in one day!

Reader, I think I will stop here. There is much more to say about
this beautiful city--where our tall modern hotel was built next to
the wall of the old city. We were very well fed everywhere we
landed--including all of our lunches. And, I did not gain a pound!



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