Caesarea

Day 1 

Caesarea

At all national parks this little goat was there... Amanda and myself found a new friend :)

You know, there are no words to describe Sonie! She is just an amazingly fun woman! So glad she was part of our team!!

Acts 25:13 starts the scene for this Colosseum. Paul would have been down where Johnny is, talking to thousands about Christ while he was imprisoned. Praying I can have his boldness!

The colloseum was enormous! The amazing thing is that you could hear every word the person at the bottom was saying while you stood at the top.

I constantly had to stop and remind myself where I was and who had been here before me. It may have been thousands of years before me, but no less amazing! Paul was an amazing man sitting in the Colosseum listening to Tom read the scene play out in the bible was very emotional for me as I looked towards the bottom and imagined the scene play out.

The staircase leads down to where they say Paul was held.

The jail cells...  obviously there are some modern additions!

Couldn't believe these shells all over!

Next to the colosseum was Herod's palace.

Herod had an amazing view from this palace. It said it was ONE of his palaces... Ponchos Pilot had stayed in it as well.

Can you imagine waking up to this view?! That is part of the ruins from the palace that you aren't able to walk to jetting out over the sea.

So this palace was right next to the Colosseum and then next to it was a chariot racing amphitheater. It was all very close together!

Johnny climbed EVERYTHING. This was the back of the stadium.

Coming out from the back where they would have kept animals.

Just imagine these seats filled with people. I bet it was a lot more entertaining than spending $10 to watch a movie!

Pus you got the amazing view!

This was on the top of the stadium... I think it looked like where the rich people would have got to hang out during the races!

Now back behind the stadium you have some of the public bath areas.... there are so many!

The Romans really loved public bathing...  hmmmm

all part of the bathing area!

Love how you can see how much time has passed. 

The end of the arena.

Through the entire trip I was in awe at the artistry of the time. If someone were to ask for a floor like this in their home the creator would go design it on a computer. This is all tiny little tiles laid out by hand to make this beautiful piece of art work! Was so in love with the floors. CAN NOT believe how well they are preserved after all this time!

      

Delicious frozen lemonade with mint on the Mediterranean!

I pray for the boldness of Paul. I feel like this trip has really helped me to grow in this weakness of mine. Being able to speak up when I feel God speaking to me and not worrying about what others may think. Because no matter what people think, He is the only one that matters.

4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

Acts 26:4-7

This is only the first part of day 1!!! I still have 2 more sights to upload for the first day! Stay tuned!