Wednesday, April 16, 2014

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"Mount Tabor "
Lower Galilee, Israel


Wednesday, ‎December ‎25, ‎2013

Fifth Day of my Holy Land Trip, Mount Zion, Jerusalem

My Holy Land Trip


"Mount Tabor "
Lower Galilee, Israel

Mount Tabor, view from the way:
Mount Tabor is located in Lower Galilee, Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Sea of Galilee. It was the site of the Mount Tabor battle between Barak under the leadership of the Israelite judge Deborah, and the army of Jabin commanded by Sisera, in the mid 12th century BC. It is believed by many Christians to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. It is also known as Har Tavor, Itabyrium, Jebel et-Tur, and the Mount of Transfiguration.

On the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
The mountain is a monad nock: an isolated hill or small mountain rising abruptly from gently sloping or level surrounding land, and is not volcanic. In spite of its proximity to the Nazareth Mountains, it constitutes a separate geological form.

On the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
At the bottom of the mountain was an important roads junction: Via Maris passed there from the Jezreel Valley northward towards Damascus. Its location on the road junction and its bulgy formation above its environment gave mount Tabor a strategic value and wars were conducted in its area in different periods in history.

On the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Hebrew Bible, in Joshua 19:22, as border of three tribes: Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali. The mountain's importance stems from its strategic control of the junction of the Galilee's north-south route with the east-west highway of the Jezreel Valley. 

Church Street, Cana, on the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa:
Deborah the Jewish prophetess summoned Barak of the tribe of Naphtali and gave him God's command; "Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun" (Judges 4:6). Descending from the mountain, the Israelites attacked and vanquished Sisera and the Canaanites.

(Le nozze di cana- Wedding at Cana restautant), Cana, on the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa:
In the days of Second Temple, Mount Tabor was one of the mountain peaks on which it was the custom to light beacons in order to inform the northern villages of Jewish holy days and of beginnings of new months.

On the way to Mt Tabor, Israel:
During a Hasmonean rebellion against the Roman Aulus Gabinius, Alexander of Judaea and his army of 31,000 Judeans, was defeated in battle near Mount Tabor. As many as 10,000 Jewish fighters were killed in the battle; Alexander himself was captured and executed.

On the way to Mt Tabor, Israel:
In 66 AD during the First Jewish-Roman War, the Galilean Jews retrenched on the mountain under the command of Josephus Flavius, whence they defended against the Roman assault.

On the way to Mt Tabor, Israel:
Mount Tabor was one of the 19 cities which the rebels in Galilee fortified, under the command of Yosef Ben Matityahu. According to what is written in the book "The Wars of the Jews", Vespasian sent an army of 600 riders, under the command of Platsidus, who fought the rebels. Platsidus understood that he could not reach the top of the steep mountain with his forces, and therefore called the fortified rebels to walk down the mountain.

Israeli settlement on the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
A group of Jewish rebels descended from the mountain, supposedly, in order to negotiate with Platsidus, but they attacked him. The Roman forces initially retreated, but while they were in the valley, they returned towards the mountain, attacked the Jewish rebels, killed many of them, and blocked the road for the remaining rebels who tried to flee back to the top of the mountain.

On the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
Many of the Jewish rebels left Mount Tabor and returned to Jerusalem. The rest of the fortified rebels in the fortress on the mountain surrendered after their water ran out. They then handed over the mountain to Platsidus.

On the way to Mt Tabor from Haifa, Israel:
Matthew 17 tells us that Jesus brought Peter, James, and John his brother into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them as his face shone as the sun, and his raiment was white as snow. There also appeared to the disciples Moses and Elijah talking with him, when a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice out of the cloud said "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."

Israeli houses on the way to Mt Tabor, Israel:
Matthew 17:1-13, This event is also recounted in 2 Peter 1:16-18, Mark 9:2-9 and Luke 9:28-37. However, none of these accounts identifies the "high mountain" of the scene by name. The earliest identification of the Mount of Transfiguration as Tabor is by Origen in the 3rd century. It is also mentioned by St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Jerome in the 4th century. It is later mentioned in the 5th century Transitus Beatae Mariae Virginis. Mount Hermon is an alternative site according to tradition.

Israeli houses on the way to Mt Tabor, Israel:
 Matthew 17:1-13

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Vehicle parking in the valley of Mount Tabor, Israel:
 4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

A team of Nigerian pilgrims waiting for their taxi van to Mount Tabor in the vehicle parking, valley of Mount Tabor:

The high range road to Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor:
 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

The high range road to Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor:
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

The high range road to Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor:
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

The high range road to Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor:
Between 1919 until 1924 an impressive Roman Catholic church of the Franciscan order named "Church of the Transfiguration" was built on the peak of Mount Tabor. The architect, who designed the church, as well as other churches in Israel, was Antonio Barluzzi. 

Near to the Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor:
  

The church was built upon the ruins of a Byzantine church from the fifth or sixth century and a Crusader church from the 12th century, which was built in honor of Tancred, Prince of Galilee. The friars of the church live next to the church in a monastery established in 1873.

The crest of Mt. Tabor with the tower of the Church of the Transfiguration appearing at the top:



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