Jesus Trail, leg 2

Today, we had the privilege of continuing our hike on the Jesus trail. After a 45 minute bus ride to the base of the "Horns of Hittin", we began our ascent. The Horns of Hittin is a horn shaped mountain, famous for being the setting for where the Crusader dynasty was defeated and thrown from power in 1183. From the top of the mountain, we were able to experience an incredible 360 degree view covering much of the region of Galilee including Mount Hermon, a snow peaked mountain which holds the borders of three countries, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon. The most exciting landmark seen from this view however, was the Sea of Galilee, our first glimpse of such a historic part of the land. Being Sunday, we engaged in a small church service on top of the mount consisting of music, scripture, prayer, and reflection, all in a spectacularly beautiful setting.

From the horns, we made our way by foot to a Druze society. This religion, which consists of little more than 1 million people world wide, is known for not being known. All information and tradition regarding the Druze is very secret and only revealed to its members who are all born in, with conversion to the religion not acceptable. Prior to entering the building, we were instructed and required to dress in the long sleeves and hats provided, some of which were definitely not fitted correctly. (see picture) Druze is thought to have originated from the Islam religion, though these people are considered heretics by Muslims.

The last section of our hike involved us climbing to the top of Mount Arbel, which allowed us a spectacular and full view of the Sea of Galilee. After indulging in some great photo opportunities and playing some hackey-sack, we began our descent. The hike down from Mount Arbel seems to be the highlight of the trip for many people. On top of taking in the steep cliffs and incredible views, we were able to explore some spectacular caves which had been the living place for people many centuries ago. These intertwining stairways, rooms, and cliffs built into the side of a mountain were quite a sight to see, and place to explore. We were all happy to make it back to the air conditioned bus after a long day of hiking in the hot Middle Eastern sun.

Although we are an exhausted bunch at the end of these long days, it is always so refreshing to see such amazing sights and hear such amazing stories. There has been so much value in the things we have learned so far and are excited to see what else is in store for us the last two weeks.

On a different note, tonight marks the last night of accommodation at the Fauzi Azar Inn. We will be heading to Tiberius tomorrow and staying at a YMCA there for a couple nights. Internet access at this accommodation is uncertain and therefore our next opportunity to blog is uncertain. We hope to be able to write more very soon.

-Justin Reesor