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we were struck with the difference between the Arabs and the Jews.
The Jews are far more progressive, industrious, and enterprising.
From Jerusalem we drove over to Tel Aviv, the largest
city in the new nation "Israel," then on north, and through the
land of ancient Manasseh, over into the Valley of Jezreel, and to
Megiddo, where the great Battle of the Day of God Almighty
(ARMAGEDDON) is to be fought, only a few years from now! I took
motion pictures of it, which I will show later on TV, and our son
Richard took still pictures, which, if good, we will publish in The
PLAIN TRUTH.
Then we went up to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up as a
boy, and into manhood. It is now mostly inhabited by Arabs. A
very hilly city, on a rather steep hill. We visited an ancient
Jewish synagogue, now down underground, since the earth has filled
up over the ground-level of 2,000 years ago by some 15 feet or
more. This synagogue was a very small one---just a small room that
would seat no more than some 50 people. But they claim it is the
very synagogue where Jesus "as His custom was, went into the
synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." (Luke
4:16).
From Nazareth we drove thru the village of Cana, in
Galilee, where Jesus performed His first miracle, at the wedding
supper, turning water into wine. Then we proceeded on to the Sea
(or lake) of Galilee, where so much of Jesus' ministry took place.
This is where He walked on the water. This is where He called
Peter and his brother Andrew, who were fishermen, as He was walking
along the shore of the lake, and saw them casting their nets into
the lake---where "Peter forsook ALL, and followed Christ." I took
motion pictures of the fishermen's boats on this lakeshore, at the
only spot we saw along the shore where boats could come to shore.
Much of the lake shore---especially on the east side, is high
bluff. As in Jesus' day, the fishers' nets were spread out near by
to dry.
Then we drove on around the shore to the ruins of
Capernaum, where Jesus "taught them on the Sabbath days. And they
were ASTONISHED at His doctrine." (Luke 4:31-32). I took several
pictures of the ruins of the synagogue, mentioned in verse 33. You
can imagine it was something of a thrill to walk over these spots
where Jesus walked, and preached, and called His disciples, and
performed His miracles!
We drove back across the Valley of Jezreel to the city of
Haifa to spend the night. There we encountered some U.S. sailors,
from a large cruiser--"The Albany"--which had been rushed into this
"Israel" port suddenly as a result of the Arab-Jewish fighting and
possible threat of world war. We were unable to eat in the dining
room of the hotel that evening. There was a Jewish wedding feast
being held there---and having passed twice thru Cana of Galilee
(see John 2:1-11) that same afternoon, it gave us some idea of what
a Jewish wedding feast is like. It was quite an elaborate affair.
Next morning we drove up atop Mt. Carmel, which rises
just above Haifa. Haifa is Israel's port, one of the chief ports