On Pilgrimage, Day 8 - Zippori to Mt Tabor

...awoke to a rosy-golden sunrise over the Basilica...6 AM...allelulia !!!
on the road to Zippori/Sepphoris---a market town and water source where a rabbi established Jewish law...4th century structures uncovered mostly in the 20th century..the Nile house depicts the story of same....question ? did Jesus come to Zippori ? well his grandmother Anna lived here thus maybe he came from Nazareth for a sleep-over....the traclinium was a tea house with a grand mosaic....excellent preservation efforts are on-going....what makes this a Jewish site ? the bones recovered show no porcine animals and they unearthed a stone with a seven branch candleholder etched in it.
...all through the drive - mustard carpets of color abound
Next Shefar’ am - a city of 40,000...where Christians, Muslims and Druze abide together in peace....mixed marriages are not allowed, though. At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church we are warmly welcomed by Father Fuad and attend the Sunday service with Father Mike assisting. Upon entering , the harmonic lilt of a choir greets our ears - ah ! a recording-- yet soothing just the same. Father Fuad is priest, organist and bi-lingual in the service and lessons...another warm welcome in the Parish Hall with tasty pastries , thick coffee and more conversation with the parishioners.
Marvelous Mohammed-our driver - found .Lari Park for our picnic lunch...the day is sunny, warm and we share our remembrances of the trip .
Next destination is Mt Tabor ---passing through Shibli, a Bedouin town on the way ...clean streets, gardens with tended plots and flowers...vans take us up the final stretch ... the Catholic basilica atop Mt. Tabor - designed by an Italian - Antonio Barluzzi - has panoramic vistas for almost 360 degrees - overlooking the Jisrael valley...more lovely gardens with abundant fruit trees.
... down by van and our bus goes through an allee of eucalyptus trees-they serve as windbreaks for crops in the fields...yellow acacia bushes and many fields of grain and other vegetables...
...the last church of the day - The Widow’s Son - abandoned and empty but looked after by a muslim family...the day comes to a close with our favorite melody ----Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and many Allelulias ----Allelulia !!!
...your technophobe scribe.....amanda
Helpful web sites: Today's photo album Pilgrimage website