We had one free weekend without an organized field trip, and I decided to take the bus to Mount Tabor. This is a prominent hill near Nazareth which is known in the New Testament as the Mount of Transfiguration.
The bus only goes as far as the base of the hill. After that you have to hire a taxi or a shuttle. Being very cheap and a little crazy I decided to hike up. It seemed like the best way to enter an appropriately contemplative mode.
I didn't get far before noting that there was no one to be seen anywhere and no shuttles passing me in either direction.
I started to question the safety of my undertaking.
I returned to the base where I was informed that everything was closed that day!
In Nazareth it had taken me an hour to find a bus ticket, which are not sold on the bus, and forty-five minutes to walk to right the bus stop.
Oh well! At least I had a pretty view while waiting for a returning bus to pass through.
I returned to Nazareth and, not yet having had my fill of adventure, decided that afternoon to hike to Mount Precipice. This is according to tradition where Jesus was nearly hurled from a cliff (others say this is a misunderstanding and mistranslation as they nearly killed him by throwing rocks at him instead of throwing him from the rocks).
The path crossed through an abandoned industrial area, and so I was happy that I was able to convince another volunteer to accompany me.
On the way up we had a great view of Mount Tabor. Now I really questioned the sanity of climbing it on foot and alone!
It makes sense that Jesus would have chosen the hill as the site of transfiguration. It's near Nazareth and is the only such prominent rise in the region.
This is Paolina. She's a Polish volunteer who's pursuing a PhD in archaeology and is lots of fun. At Shikhin she's in charge of pottery registration.
The running joke is that she doesn't like to wear her hat and is constantly being chided by the director.
Atop Mount Precipice. I don't recall coming here with the BYU study abroad and am not surprised; I don't think I would take undergraduates here for fear that someone would get a little too close to a ledge!
It was so windy to frankly be a little unnerving. Poor Paolina was afraid of heights and only too glad to head down again.
Looking East.
Looking West towards Nazareth.
Looking South.
The man who runs the little refreshment stand was impressed that we had come on foot, as practically all visitors arrive by tour bus or taxi. And then when Paolina told him she had feared for her life up there he really felt sorry for us and offered us both free lemonade.
I only accepted it to be polite, but then we both agreed that it was delicious!
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