Gamla

Gamla is not mentioned in the Bible but sure is in Israel! Gamla was once a city on the side of a mountain and all that’s left is the synagogue, lookout post, some of the wall and a few residence structures. I had never even heard of Gamla until a friend took my family and me to see a short documentary on it.





We happened to go to Gamla during Hanukkah. Hanukkah is a celebration about the Jews (also known as the Maccabee's) fighting the Romans for their rights. It’s a Jewish Revolt and one of the many that have happened in the past. Gamla is a Jewish revolt because Gamla was a home to many Jews until the Romans came in and destroyed it. But Gamla was surrounded but a wall, so how did the Romans get in? Well I'll tell you. They smashed in through a "weak" point in the wall which happened to be right next to a family's home. Can you imagine being that family living a happy peaceful life and suddenly the Romans came in and killing your family?! I sure can't! The spot where the Romans came in is known as the "Breach in the Wall" which is still there today. Heartbreaking isn't it? But what I say is, "A Roman rather die knowing that he killed a Jew rather die knowing that he didn’t." It’s awful! What on EARTH did the Jews do to the Romans to make them such an enemy? NOTHING! That’s what! Just because they believe in YHVH makes the Romans hate them. So, the Romans destroyed the city and killed the people living in it. Only a few managed to escape.

Okay I really don't want to talk too much about what the Romans did to the Jews but I will tell you one thing for you to get an idea of how awful they were. They took the Women and Children and catapulted them off the mountain into the next mountain. That’s just AWFUL!!!!!! It broke my heart to hear such a thing! That's just one thing they did to the people though and I'm not going to talk about the rest.

So, Gamla is a site of a Jewish Revolt and there are SO many more! I just don't like how the Jews are SO innocent and they just keep getting killed. But there is no way the Jews can be wiped off the globe because they are spread all over the world! I just can't wait until the Father brings all the Jews back home and they will live unbothered and safe. Let us pray for the peace of Israel and for the Father's return!


Gamla - On the left side of the mountain



Bet She'an

To the Greeks and to the Romans, Bet She'an has weathered lots of different battles. The city was built up and then brought down and once again it was brought up then brought back down. It goes all the way back to Joshua's time. That’s where it really starts!

Not long after Joshua fought the battle at Jericho, he encountered another battle against the Amorites. There were five kings fighting against Gibeon. They were camped around Gibeon and that’s when Gibeon asked Joshua to come from Gilgal to Gibeon to help free them from the Amorites. So Joshua did so and came with all his mighty men of valour. Then later on, YHVH said to Joshua, "Fear them not for I have delivered them into your hands, there shall be not a man of them standing before you." Then YHVH gave the Amorites into the hands of the Israelites and they chased them along the way that goes up to Bethhoron and smote them to Azekah and up to Makkedah. The Amorites fled from the Israelites to Bethhoron and YHVH cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah and they died. That day there were more which died by the hailstones than by the sword. Then Joshua spoke to YHVH that day and said in the sight of Israel, "Sun stand still." And the moon stopped until the Israelites took their revenge on the Amorites. The sun did not go down for a full day and there has been no day like that before it or after it. I stood right where this happened! It was the most amazing feeling to take in! It’s really indescribable! If you ever go to Israel, I recommend that you go to Bet She'an.

The Greek Inscriptions

The Roman pillars are SO big I can't
fit it in the picture!

Probably thousdands of years later, the Greeks came and made Bet She'an their own city. There are barley any remains from the Greeks other than a few Geek inscriptions on some of the floors in the Bet She'an park. But after the Greeks had populated Bet She'an, the Romans came and took control. Most of the remians are from the Romans. The romans just came in and took control and built their city on top of the Greeks. My goodness! The Roman structures are really amazing! Yes I know the Romans aren't the best people but their buildings are pretty impressive! Just one Roman pillar is like probably three feet wide and 30 feet high! Thats just a guess though..Im not 100% sure but I know they are huge! I'm like I look like a midgit next to one. lol!

The Romans had a bathhouse which is kind of like a hot springs sauna thing. They make little tiny pillars and then lay the floor on top of the pillars. Then they make little shafts were the heat comes out! Now thats smart..its kind of like a sauna! Cool, eh? Then they have the big bathtub kind of place were they would have bathed.



They would have layed the floor on top of the pillars.



The romans also had a theater where they would go and watch shows and plays. The theater seats 7000 people! When you see it in a picture you might think that its really not that big and can't possibaly fit that many people, but when you walk in and sit down...its really HUGE! I can see 7000 people fitting in there plus the orcistra and the stage. The seats were white marble and some of them still are! Most of them have weathered down and are just a whiteish grey kind of colour. The Greeks had their theator set up on an oval with the orcristra in the centre in a oval. But the Romans had theirs set up as a half circle with the orcristra playing below the audince and the stage across from the orcristra. I think the Romans had theirs set up better ;) Now when looking stright ahead at the stage, you see an opening and two pillars on each side. That is where the main actor or king would come out. And on each side of the stage there is a door where all the other actors and props came out of and wheeled/walked onto the stage. Now that would have been quite the preformance!

Okay, I have NO clue how the Romans got their pillars to stand up! Honestly each pillar must weigh like 10 tons or more. All I could say was, "Thats a big chunk of stone!" Just down the main street there is probably like 20-30 pillars! The main street was like a shopping centre where they would have sold food and clothes..kind of like a Shook I would say. (A Shook is a fruit and veggies market and they are located everywhere in Israel) But the pillars are pretty impressive!

Bet She'an is an amazing place with lots of history. Check out where time stood still in your Bible! Look up Joshua 10. Read it and imagine...try taking the pitcures I have on this post and putting them into prespective. You will enjoy this story and you will probably want to come to Bet She'an even more!

Elijah and some original roman flooring



The first time I ever felt like Po from Kung Fu Panda.