Chorazin is north of Capernaum on a trade route from Akko to Bethsaida. Jesus visited here and condemned hypocrites who taught the commandments from the seat of Moses but didn't live them. The seat of Moses was a chair where distinguished members of the congregation sat while they taught sermons.
Linda is in the seat of Moses. Through the doorway are the hills where Jesus probably walked.
Sepphoris is near Nazareth. It was the Roman capital of Galilee between 63 BC and 17 AD, before Herod Antipas built a new capital at Tiberias. Many mosaic floors have been uncovered. One is called the Mona Lisa of Galilee because of its similarity to da Vinci's Mona Lisa. One is in the Nile House, which celebrates scenes from Egypt, including a Nilometer. The Nilometer measured the height of the Nile River and it became the basis to assess taxes. Presumably, the higher the river, the better the crops, the higher the taxes.
After the second revolt in 132-135 AD, Jews were evicted from Judea and moved to Galilee. The Sanhedrin moved to Sipphoris and the Mishnah was completed here in 200 AD. The Crusaders later occupied Sipphoris. The Crusaders left from Sipphoris in 1187 to meet Saladin at the Horns of Hattin, where the Crusaders were defeated, leading to their loss of power in the Holy Land.
A mosaic floor in a synagogue in Sipphoris.
A mosaic floor in a home on a Sipphoris hilltop, where a wealthy person most likely lived.
The Mona Lisa of Galilee is at the bottom, in the center.
The Roman Cardo or main road in Sipphoris
Chariot metal wheels wore the stone as they entered and left Sipphoris over many years.
Akko - Ptolemais was an important port during Canaanite, Old Testament, Roman, New Testament, and Crusader eras. Paul visited here, and Napolean was defeated here.
The Roman Arch was a valuable invention. It supported large structures like those behind Linda.
The rounded arch requires huge columns to help support the roof. Very little wall space can be dedicated to windows because massive walls are needed for support. Pressure from the roof mass pushes the walls outward. Buttresses are used to counter the outward pressure on the walls.
Architects began to experiment with a pointed arch. The pointed arch led to Gothic architecture. Pressure from the roof is transferred vertically rather than horizontally, allowing smaller columns and more windows.
Bathroom in the fortress. Each of the openings is a toilet seat, which drops to a cavity about 15 feet below, where the waste is washed away. Our society prizes privacy, but this society made it a public affair where you could discuss current affairs while, as the boy scouts say, waiting for the rest to come.
Akko was an important port city on the Mediterranean Ocean for battles, ocean commerce, and ...
... romance.
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