The day started off cold and drizzly up in the mountains. We drove along the Syrian border in the Golan Heights. The area is hilly, lush, and green. There was a long stretch of patrol roads and fences and many “danger” signs due to the bunkers and land mines in the area. We passed areas inhabited by the Druze people, formerly of Syria, but now this land is under Israeli control. Since 1967, it has been possible for them to obtain Israeli citizenship. The Druze men cover their shaved heads, wear baggy trousers and have bushy mustaches. We were told that they have their own religion based upon elements of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and mysticism. They speak Arabic and Hebrew. There were monuments everywhere to honor the lives lost in the 6 day war and the 1973 war on Yom Kippur, the holiest of Jewish holidays.

Off to Capernaum, meaning pleasant, this was considered the town of Jesus as he would stay with Peter’s mother-in-law. There were 3 churches built over the site of Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. The site contained ruins of a second temple built in the 4th century. It was built by one of Herod’s descendents. It was determined from sculptures that the arc which contained the Torah was on wheels, as the temple did not have a permanent arc. The architecture was Greek/Roman style, and a column had the inscription of the Jewish person who donated the money to build the temple out of white stone from Jerusalem.