Late Bloomer: Israel Day 2 - Caesaria, Mt Carmel, Megiddo

Caesaria (By The Sea)

There are two towns called Caesaria in Israel, we visited both (Caesaria and Caesaria Philippi). Caesaria is a port city built up by Herod the Great. It is filled with Roman-style ruins: an Amphitheater, a Hippodrome and an Aqueduct. I had not expected to see so many Roman ruins in Israel but this was the first of several sites with Roman style architecture. They are continually finding new ruins and significant archeological sites in Israel and the Hippodrome here was only uncovered in the last 5 years. There was also a large Roman aqueduct. It was funny to see the beach-goers hanging out on it like it was just another public building.

Roman Aqueduct

Mount Carmel

Mount Carmel has some gorgeous views of the Valley of Jezreel, the site of future battle of Armageddon as well as Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal. We went to the rooftop of the Carmelite monastery to take it all in. There I began to realize that the countryside of Israel is just gorgeous, that alone is worth the trip.

View from Mt Carmel

Megiddo

Megiddo is the first of many tels we visited. A tel is "an archaeological site in the form of an earthen mound that results from the accumulation and subsequent erosion of material deposited by human occupation over long periods of time." At Megiddo they have discovered at least 26 levels of towns built one one top of another. The name Armageddon is derived from the name Megiddo. There is also a tunnel at Megiddo built by Ahab to get to a spring outside the city gates. We were able to walk through the tunnel.