Cary Jarrett in Jerusalem: Waterfalls, Caesarea Phillipi, and The Golan Heights

Three streams or small rivers come together to form the Jordan River. One of them is the Banias coming down out of Mount Hermon. Very close to Caesarea Phillipi is the Banias waterfall as it heads towards the Jordan. A fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And streams from Lebanon. Song of Solomon 4:15.

Below is Israel's National Park sign. It's about 1/2 mile hike to the descent and then 200 steps down to the waterfall. A good test for an old man.

Zooming in on the waterfall.

The water is moving very fast just past the falls.

He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers. Psalm 78:16.

The pathway back to the top.

Beautiful scenery along the pathway looking over the small canyon where the Banias runs.

That step at the top is the one I have been looking for.

One last photo from the walkway.

If you zoom in the middle, in the distance you will see a Crusader Castle that is named Nimrod's Fortress. I was there in 1997. The ruins are very good and fun to walk around. However, today it is starting to get dark so I better head back to Vered HaGalil. Nimrod had nothing to with the fortress but someone must have wanted to attach a Biblical name to another National Park.
Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." Genesis 10:8-9.

Sunset over the Lebanon Mountains as I approached the highway.

The next morning I was headed to the Golan Heights with Gamla as my main objective. On the way down to the Sea of Galilee before going up the mountains of Bashan you can see this sign.

The roads up were a little narrow with many curves. Finally I found a place to pull off and take a photo through the olive trees. A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Psalm 68:15

Flowers in Kibbutz Gamla.

Again.

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is scattered all over the Golan. Syria is just a few miles away. Just driving along the deserted highways you will pass an IDF base or two. This sign suggested that it was a tank division or something.

No more guessing. Below are real tanks situated close to the border.

Eventually I found Gamla which is nicknamed "Masada of the north". In the Jewish-Roman War of 67-70 AD just 35-40 years after the Lord Jesus, the citizens of Gamla fought to the death. At Masada, down by the Dead Sea, they actually held out for 3 years and then all committed suicide rather than subject themselves to Roman rule. Masada will have to be another trip.

The Gamla region is known for attracting large birds of prey. After the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39, there may be a lot of those birds here. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Ezekiel 39:4. Below as I was walking back to the Gamla waterfall, this eagle was flying over.

A sign at the entrance to the canyon and the waterfall.

The ravine with Gamla in the distance (pointed top). A lot of knowledge about Gamla comes from Josephus who either fought or was wounded there. Or both.

Below if I had more time I would have walked over to this group of Eucalyptus trees just to see if there were some recent ruins. Between 1948 and 1967, the Golan Heights was occupied by Syria. Israel had a spy in Damascus named Elie Cohn. He came to such prominance in the late 50's and early 60's that his suggestion to "plant trees" near the bunkers of all the Syrian defenses on the Golan was accepted. The idea was for Syrian officers to have some shade. Eventually Elie Cohn was caught and hanged (see the book Our Man in Damascus). When the 1967 Six-Day War broke out, the Israeli Air Force had a simple command to "shoot at the trees".

My destination after a nice walk along a rocky path.

My camera lens is not strong enough to get a good photo.

Zooming in.

While I was sitting there, this eagle came swooping down the canyon. I was amazed that I was higher than he was. But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.

The canyon on the other side. For awhile there were also two young girls doing pre-IDF training. When they asked me where I was from and what was I doing in Israel, I explained to them about volunteering with Christian Friends of Israel. One of them immediately began asking questions that led to a 15-20 minute discussion. Bottom line, the discussion came to a point where I said that "the Lord Jesus is coming back". She thought about that for a minute then said "the Jews are expecting the Messiah and you are also waiting. It's the same!" Pray that seed will be watered. The young kids in Israel do seem to be hungry for the Word of God. The Book of Revelation suggests that the 144,000 could all be young men. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14:3-5.

A wooden walk bridge on the way back. There were several Israeli fighter jets zooming over. This could be a routine flight to go up to the Syrian border and then turn around just to let the Syrians know that Israel is still here.

As I head to the lookout point over Gamla, there are the ruins of a Byzantine Church.

This sign explains it.

Even if the sign did not have English, I got the point from the picture.

Looking back towards the canyon that I just walked around to see the waterfall.

In the distance, the northeastern tip of the Sea of Galilee.

Below is Gamla. The city was built on the side of a mountain for defensive purposes. According to Josephus, the Romans broke through the gates and there was hand-to-hand fighting all the way to the top of the mountain. There many of the Jews decided to jump to their deaths rather than submit to Rome. Today, the Israeli government does not have the same tenacious attitude for the land that God Almighty gave to them. Ezekiel 36 says the Lord will take care of it anyway. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:22-23.

Almost time to start heading home again.

Sometimes you are grateful for signs that are in English.

Below the Golan can get desolate in places. After leaving Gamla and heading to Caesarea Phillipi there were a couple of young men hitch-hiking at a bus stop. I would imagine buses are scarce on the Golan so I offered them a ride. I was headed through the biggest city on the Golan called Katzrin. They got in and we ventured off down the highway. After the first turn, the one who spoke English jumped out said "I have to go the other direction". The one in the backseat, an Ethiopian Jew, did not speak English but pointed to Katzrin so we kept going. Around the next corner was an older lady with some grocery bags. Well you can't leave her on the highway I thought so I rolled down the window and said "Katzrin?" She jumped in. When we got to Katzrin, she pointed at a bus stop and I let her out. Before the door closed, 3 more people wanted a ride beyond Katzrin. One of them was also a young man in the IDF, back packs, gun and all. We headed towards Highway 90 which would take me to Vered HaGalil if I went south. Twenty minutes later at the junction bus stop, 3 of the 4 got out and another jumped in and said "Kiryat Shmonah?" Sure, why not? Except that Kiryat Shmonah was north on Highway 90 instead of south. By the time I got to Kiryat Shmonah, it was almost dark. The last two thanked me and got out. I was laughing with the Lord thinking this is "Christian Friends of Israel". At CFI, I told the story and said I wanted to start my own project, "Taxi Service on the Golan".

The sun beginning to set over the Lebanon Mountains again only further north than yesterday.

Looking north there was still a little daylight.

I finally arriced at Caesarea Phillipi area but it had closed. This is the main tourist site for buses that come this far north. The cave is known as the "Gates to Hell" or something like that. This is where a lot of idol worship took place including some Greek god named Pan. Just across the road behind me are the ruins to Caesarea Philippi. We are at the foot of Mount Hermon which is the largest mountain in Israel. This could have been the location when the Lord Jesus asked his disciples "Who do people say that I am?" When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:13-18.