In Haifa

Saturday, March 26, was our last day in the Holy Land, but it was packed with more sights and information! We left the beautiful Mountain of Beatitudes and the hostel around 8:30 AM and went to Haifa in the Mt. Carmel range. The Prophet Elijhah was said to live in this area, and his cave is inside the Carmelite Stella Maris Church on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest Carmelite Monastery of the order. Stella Maris means "Star of the Sea." A lighthouse is nearby watching over the busy harbor. Haifa is a modern city with high-tech industries, many museums and two universities. It includes a main refinery built by the British after World War I.


From the monastery, it is 20 km to the top of Mt. Carmel. Another peak of the mount is called 'the place of burning,' venerated where Elijah challenged the false prophets of Baal. Jezebel and Ahab had caused the Jews to worship idols, so Elijah called down fire from heaven to light a holocaust when the 450 other prophets couldn't. He then slit their throats (Kings 1:18)!


Elijah is the forerunner of John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of Jesus. He is mentioned three times in the New Testament. He is also the one who raised someone from the dead. He didn't die, but was raised into Heaven. He walked forty days in the desert and heard God's voice in the small whispering sound in the mountain! He was the most important prophet in the Old Testament,and bears an unique relationship with Jesus. However, Jesus didn't kill anyone!


From the sea and from the highway, we saw the Bahai Temple set in cascading terraces of formal gardens. This is an Arabic monument with 180 steps to the temple!
We walked to St. Joseph's Church for Mass, and then went back to the monastery for lunch. We were served by Carmelite nuns!