Galilee Day 3

We began day three in the middle of the Levant at one of the largest cities during the time of the Mesopotamian city-states - Hazor. This place along with Dan is along the funnel of Eurasian traffic from the North, Mesopotamia, to Egypt in the South. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land following the Exodus, Hazor is the leading city state of the land. In Joshua 11, the king of Hazor leads the other kingdoms of the Levant against the Israelites. According to the narrative they seem to use a sneak tactic, but Joshua outsneaks them. When Hazor is declared as no longer being the controlling factor, the focus on the Israelites is obvious.

One of our final stops today was Caesarea Philippi, and it was one of my favorites this semester. Many different aspects of Jesus' ministry come together in this place. During Herod's reign the first Roman Caesar to deify himself, Augustus, was dedicated a temple. The living active identidty was prominent to the extent that the Jews fought against each other and wild beasts in the amphitheater.

To see the place where Peter was called the rock gives so much perspective to the story. This rock is 10,000 feet high and spreads back 25 miles. Add this to the many translation of what rock Jesus is referring to, and you have what Dr. Wright would call "happy hermeneutical hunting ground." The only mention of the church in the gospels is here and its relation to Caesarea Philippi makes one consider the cultural implications. Then just a bit later Jesus begins his 9 month trek back to jerusalem for the triumphal entry.

I am struck with the topography of Jesus' ministry. Not only are the visual examples of the narrative constantly coming to life, but also the history of movement is very... earthy? Real. The question constantly resurfaces: Why did Jesus choose these places? Why did he spend his time around the Hellenistic cities rather than the more firmly Jewish populations? What can we learn from this topography?