May 11 – Spring of Harod, Bet Alfa National Park, Mt. Arbel (Israel)

We began our day with a beautiful walk to the Spring of Harod

The Spring of Harod - this is the place where Gideon gathered his men before fighting the Midianites

The Spring of Harod flows from Gideon’s Cave

The Spring of Harod - Gideon’s 22,000 men were tested, and in the end, the small loyal group that would give God the victory numbered only 300

The Spring of Harod Bible talk

The Spring of Harod

The Spring of Harod

We made an unscheduled stop this afternoon to Bet Alfa National Park where we visited an ancient synagogue and viewed its restored mosaic floor

Bet Alfa National Park. In this model’s rooftop view of the synagogue’s mosaic, you can see the mixing of traditional Jewish symbols with the zodiac

Bet Alfa National Park. Model of ancient synagogue

We completed our shorter touring day with a hike up Mt. Arbel

Standing atop Mt. Arbel

Fantastic views of the Galilee region, and beyond, from Mt. Arbel

Standing atop Mt. Arbel

Several group members hiked down Mt. Arbel

Hiking down Mt. Arbel. There were several caves along the way

Hiking down Mt. Arbel

Hiking down Mt. Arbel

Hiking down Mt. Arbel Rest Stop

Hiking down Mt. Arbel