Day 4 Israel Part 1: Metula & Tel Dan

 (view out of my hotel room this morning)

Today we left our hotel in Tiberius from along the Sea of Galilee and we headed to the most northern part of Israel. It’s a cold day by Israeli standards!

Our first stop was in Metula which was established in 1896 and is comprised of fruit orchard farming.  It is also a military defense outpost facing both Jordan and Syria. In the picture to the right is the border with Lebanon. Above my head is razor wire. In the background you can see a waterfall coming out of the rock. If you look in the background at the top of my head is a road above the waterfall which is patrolled by the Israeli defenses.  Just above that is a second road (not that visible) which is patrolled by the United Nations. 

Look closely at the top of the picture to the left and you will see a Israeli tank pointed at Lebanon.

Compound and bunker at Metula with Israeli tanks and soldiers.

In this picture you can see a concrete wall. It is placed here in case of attack so people in the area can find protection!  The children's daycare nearby had bullet holes in the windows from sniper fire!

UN Patrol vehicle at Metula (see the white caps on the background mountains)

(click to enlarge and read)

From Metula we headed south for a short distance and then east across the Ayun River which is one of three tributaries of the Jordon River. We arrived at Tel Dan (tel = mound therefore = mound of Dan) which is the location of the biblical city of Dan and the second tributary of the Jordan River, the Dan stream.

    

This stream is spring fed from the rain and snow that fall on Mount Hermon.  The springs gush out of the ground in various places and come together to form a strong flowing stream. With a plentiful supply of fresh clean water, the vegetation is lush and it was also a favourable site for various settlements throughout the ages.

The Book of Judges 18:7f  tells us that prior to the Tribe of Dan taking it over this area; it was known as Laish.  Five spies report that the land was fertile and the people were not going to give them much opposition.  They attack Laish and brutally defeat them and raze the city. On the same location they build their own city and it becomes known as Dan and that it had a sanctuary filled with idols.

For more details follow this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micah%27s_Idol

Archaeologists have uncovered and reconstructed a place of sacred rituals. The metal altar placed here currently is to display the shape and size of what would have been a stone altar used for sacrifices.  See below what it would have looked like.

Example of the shape and form of the stone altar

(Excavation and reconstruction of the Laish gate)

The Laish gate is discovered in 1994.   Notice the canopy built over the gate in order to preserve it.  It is believed to have been abandoned by the Laish people when they realized the weather in this area would easily destroy it because of the soft materials used to build it.

For the rest of the day: visit my blog of Day 4 Israel Part 2.