Galilee
The Galilee literally means a circuit and is a large region in Northern Israel. The region is traditionally divided in the Upper Galilee, Lower Galilee and Western Galilee, it makes up one third Israel extending from Dan in the north at the base of Mount Hermon along the ridges of Mount Lebanon to Mount Carmel and Mount Gilboa to the south, and from the Jordan Valley to the east across the plains of the Jezreel Valley and Akko to the shores of the Mediterranean Ocean and Israel’s coastal plain in the west.
Most of the Galilee consists of rocky terrain, at heights of between 500 and 700 meters. There are several high mountains including Mount Tabor and Mount Meron in the region which relatively low temperatures and high rainfall in comparison to elsewhere in Israel. As a result of this climate, flora and wildlife thrive in the region, whilst many birds annually migrate from colder climates to Africa and back through the Hulah-Jordan corridor.
The streams and waterfalls, the latter mainly in the Upper Galilee,
along with vast fields of greenery and colorful wildflowers, as well as numerous towns of biblical importance, make the region a popular tourist destination in Israel. Solomon rewarded Hiram for certain services by giving him the gift of an upland plain among the mountains of Naphtali. Hiram was dissatisfied with the gift, calling it "the land of Cabul. In Isaiah (8:23), the region is referred to as "the District of the Nations" with much of this name being retained in its present name of Galil or HaGalil. In Roman times, the Country was divided into Judea, Samaria, and the Galilee, which comprised the whole northern section of the country, and was the largest of the three
regions.
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, ruled Galilee as tetrarch.
The Galilee region was the home of Jesus during at least thirty years of his life. The first three Gospels of the New Testament are 
mainly an account of Jesus' public ministry in this province, particularly in the villages of Nazareth and Capernaum. Galilee is also cited as the place where Jesus cured a blind man. After the Arab caliphate took control of the region in 638, it became part of the military district of Urdunn (Jordan).
Dan
Dan is the name of a town mentioned 27 times in the Old Testament. It was located on the northern boundary of Israel and appears in the well–known phrase "from Dan to Beersheva" It is located near one of the powerful springs that feed the Jordan River. In the far northern region, just before the Chermon mountains, there is a beautiful nature reserve with trails leading through dense forest, streams and the Chatzbani river. In the 18th century BC the city was a 
Canaanite village with ramparts and gates that provided adequate defense for the city. During this period, the patriarch Abraham came to the city, after defeating the kings of the north who took his nephew Lot prisoner (Genesis14:14). The tribe of Dan took possession during the 12th century BC. They had previously occupied a small area in the western foothills of the Judean Mountains. The Bible relates how 600 members of the tribe migrated northward and 
after conquering the Canaanite town of Laish and making it there own they renamed the town after their father Dan (Judges 18:29). But instead of worshipping Jehovah they took the idols and built alters and worshipped them. After the Jewish kingdom was divided and Jeroboam ruled over the northern kingdom it was here that he also setup alters for the golden calf and turned it into a place of Baal worship in order to prevent people from going to Jerusalem (1 Kings). Excavations have found the podium that Jeroboam constructed to house thegolden calf at Dan. There is a place for the king or an idol to be set up next to the gate. In 2 Samuel 18:4 it says "So the king stood beside the gate while all the men marched out in units of hundreds and of thousands."
Hazor
Hazor was a large Canaanite city that was conquered by Joshua and allotted to the tribe of Naphtali (Joshua 11; 19:36). Its forces fought against Deborah and Barak (Judges 4:2, 17). Solomon fortified the city (1 Kings 9:15) and it was conquered by the Assyrian king Tiglath–pileser III in 732 B.C. (2 Kings 15:29). The name Hazor may mean "enclosure" or "settlement" and was not a unique place name in ancient Canaan, however, it was the fortified site in Naphtali (Joshua 19:36), which is located about 10 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. Hazor was known in Joshua's day as "the head of all those kingdoms," (Joshua 11:1-5, 11:10). A century after Solomon's time the Israelites built a massive shaft 40 meters deep into the tell, reaching the water table below. This system is similar to those at Megiddo and Gibeon
. The importance of Hazor is reflected in the Bible when Joshua fought against the alliance of northern Canaanite kings at Merom.
Later, when the northern Israelite tribes were subjected to oppression by their Canaanite neighbors, it was Hazor's military commander Sisera who commanded the coalition of the "kings of Canaan" in their battle at the "waters of Megiddo" (Judges 5:19-20).
The Solomonic city of Hazor, inherited by the northern kingdom of Israel following the division of Solomon's kingdom, came to a fiery end in the early 9th century BC, when Ben-Hadad I of Damascus invaded Israel at the request of King Asa of Judah. When, later in the same century, it was rebuilt by either Omri or Ahab (doubling the size of Solomon's city) in a manner which rivaled the quality of Solomon's construction, a magnificent water system was built to assure the city an adequate water supply in time of siege. In terms of security, it was a distinct improvement on the design used at Megiddo.
Despite its strong fortifications and secure water supply, the city of Hazor fell, for the last time, to the armies of Assyria during Tiglath-pileser's first campaign against Israel in 733 BC ( 2 Kings 15:29). In succeeding centuries, the vital trade routes were only controlled by "police forts" established by the Persian and Hellenistic rulers of Palestine. Joshua 11:1-13 tells us that when news of the many Israelite conquests reached Hazor's king (called "Jabin" in the Bible; a time-honored name for kings of this region), he joined together with the other Canaanite city-states in northern Galilee. This army, with its horse-drawn chariots, 
marched out to the "Waters of Merom" or Lake Hulah, to deal with the invaders. Joshua describes the Canaanite forces as "a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore" (Joshua 11:4). But, with divine guidance, Joshua devised a scheme that eliminated the enemy's advantage. In the dead of night the Israelites stormed the sleeping camp, and the Canaanites fled in confusion. While most of the Israelites pursued the enemy, Joshua and a handful of soldiers hamstrung the Canaanite horses and burned their chariots. Then the Israelites headed toward the now defenseless Hazor which alone, as "head of all the kingdoms," was singled out for destruction.
Mount of Beatitudes
The Mount of Beatitudes overlooks the four-mile long Plain of Gennesaret, an area famed for its fertility. Josephus said this plain was the location of "nature's crowning achievement." Several times the New Testament records that Jesus was in this area including when he healed the multitudes here and faced Pharisaic condemnation for ritual impurity (Mark 6-7). The "Sermon on the Mount" is recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The alleged discrepancy between Matthew's version being on a hill and Luke's being on a level place is easily reconciled with observation of many level places on the Galilean hillsides. Scripture gives no indication of the exact location of this event.
The Synoptic Gospels of Mark (1:14-20), Matthew (4:18-22), and Luke (5:1-11) describes how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. One of Jesus' famous teachings, the Sermon on the Mount, was given on a hill overlooking the lake whilst many of his miracles were also recorded to occur here including his walking on water, calming a storm, and his feeding five thousand in Taghba.
Taghba
Taghba is two miles west of Capernaum is what Josephus referred to as the "well of Capernaum."
Undoubtedly a popular fishing spot of the locals because of its famous "seven springs," Heptapegon, today the name is Tabgha. Tabgha is the traditional location for the calling of the disciples. It is believed that here Jesus walked along the shore and called out to Simon Peter and Andrew who were casting their nets into the lake. Walking along, Jesus saw two other brothers, James and John who were preparing their nets with their father Zebedee. Jesus called all of these men to follow him. In John 21, Jesus met again with the disciples for the "last breakfast." Here he restored Peter to himself after he denied Chrsit three times.
Capernaum
Capernaum was a settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The site is a ruin today, but was inhabited from 150 BC to about AD 750. The town is mentioned in the New Testament in Luke is was reported to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. In Matthew 4:13 the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus himself. According to Luke, Jesus taught in the 
synagogue in Capernaum, and a building which may have been a synagogue of that period has been found beneath the remains of a later synagogue. Capernaum is one of the three cities cursed by Jesus for its lack of faith. The Synoptic Gospels of Mark (1:14-20), Matthew (4:18-22), and Luke (5:1-11) describes how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen 
Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. Jesus walked along the shore and called out to them as they were casting their nets into the lake. Walking along, Jesus saw two other brothers, James and John who were preparing their nets with their father Zebedee. Jesus called all of these men to follow him.
One of Jesus' famous teachings occurred here, the Sermon on the Mount, was given on a hill overlooking the lake whilst many of his miracles were also recorded from here including his walking on water, calming a storm, and his feeding five thousand in Taghba. Taghba lies just two miles west of Capernaum, Josephus referred to it as the "well of Capernaum." It was a popular fishing spot of the locals because of its famous "seven springs," today the name is Tabgha. The Mount of Beatitudes overlooks the four-mile long Plain of Gennesaret, an area famed for its fertility.
Josephus said this plain was the location of "nature's crowning achievement." Several times the New Testament records that Jesus was in this area including when he healed the multitudes here and faced Pharisaic condemnation for ritual impurity (Mark 6-7).
The "Sermon on the Mount" is recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The alleged discrepancy between Matthew's version being on a hill and Luke's being on a level place is easily reconciled with observation of many level places on the Galilean hillsides.
Scripture gives no indication of the exact location of this event. After Jesus’ resurrection he met again with the disciples for the "last breakfast." Here he restored Peter to himself after he denied Jesus three times. This Byzantine Mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes is preserved under a modern church today, but it was once part of a church which commemorated Jesus' feeding of the 5000. There are several towns that surround the shores of the Sea of Galilee, some of them Jesus never stepped foot in while others like Taghba and Capernaum where he spent a great deal of time. Tiberias, Bethsaida, Kursi, Migdal and Korizin.
Korazin
Korazin is best known as one of the three cities condemned by Jesus for not accepting his teachings: "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." (Matthew 11:21-24). Excavations at Korazin have found a Moses Seat: "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.'"
Bethsaida
Bethsaida is located just east of Capernaum, its name means house of the fisherman. It was already an ancient place when Jesus visited it. During the time of King David, the thriving city served as the capitol of the kingdom of Geshur, but it was destroyed in 732 BC by the Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser III. One of David’s wives, Absalom’s mother was from (2 Sam 3:3; 13–20-38). Apparently Bethsaida was an important city in the Galilee-Golan area at this time for, according to Josephus, Philip died in the city after a reign of 37 years and was buried there
with great ceremony. He had lived out his life quietly with his own domain, enjoying his final years with his wife, Salome—the same Salome who had danced for Antipas and requested the head of John the Baptist. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus heals ablind man at Bethsaida: Mark also writes of Jesus most famous miracles—his walk on the water near Bethsaida: "Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' (Mark 6:45-51). Jesus healed the blind man and he fed the 5,000. However, the most significant archaeological remains are from the Old Testament Period and date to the Iron II Period. The Old Testament city was evidently destroyed by the Assyrian king Tiglath–Pileser III during his campaign in the area in 732 B.C. The site probably was the capital of the kingdom of Geshur,
Kursi
Kursi is on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and has been identified as the "region
of the Gadarenes" where Jesus cast a legion of demons out of the demoniac, the "Miracle of the Swine". The Gadarenes which means "a stranger drawing near" were the residents of Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis and the capital of the Roman province of Perea, controlled by Herod Antipas. Gadara (also called Gergasa or Gerasa in various manuscripts) 
was located on the summit of a mountain about 6 miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The miracle could not have taken place at Gadara itself, for between the lake and the town there is the deep, almost impassable ravine of the Jarmuk River. Gadara, which is mentioned in the Gospels only in connection with the healing of the demon-possessed man, was dominant enough to give its name to the entire area (Mark 5:1-20).
Magdala
Magdala is two miles north of Tiberias, along the lakeshore, and was the home of Mary Magdalene. In the same manner as Jesus was identified as a Nazarene from the town of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene came from Magdala. As described in the New Testament, Jesus met Mary and healed her of evil spirits: "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary called Magdalene from whom seven demons had come out" (Luke 8:1-2). Mary became one of the inner circle of Jesus' followers, a witness to his crucifixion, and the first witness to his resurrection. Magdala was an important agricultural, fishing and trade center at the junction of the road coming north from Tiberias and the Via Maris coming from the Lower Galilee into the fertile plain of Gennesaret. The town's name is derived from the Hebrew migdal , meaning "tower," suggesting it was the site of a guard tower or fortress overlooking the important route. The Bible (NIV, RSV) uses the alternate names "Magadan" (as in Matthew 15:39). After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan and "Dalmanutha. (Mark 8:10), "He got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha."
In 1986, the so-called "Jesus Boat" was discovered in the muddy lake bottom near Magdala's ancient harbor. Constructed in about 40 BC, it was in use during the time of Jesus. Now, it is on display in the Yigal Allon Museum at nearby Kibbutz Ginnosar. It was probably sunk in a naval battle off the coast of Magdala when the Romans conquered the city in about 67 AD. Historian Josephus recounts that the city was taken with much bloodshed. Since Magdala was a center of boat building, many of the residents fled in their vessels. A great battle ensued in which some 6,500 Jews were slaughtered. Josephus describes how the sea became bloody and filled with dead bodies. The Roman general Vespasian then decreed that the remaining citizens would not be spared. The old and infirm were slaughtered and six thousand of the city's strongest were given as slaves to Nero; thousands more were sold in slave markets.
Tiberias
During the time of Joshua, the area where modern Tiberias is now located was allocated to the tribe of Naphtali and contained the fortified cities of Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth (Joshua 19:32-35). In 18 AD Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, built a new city on these ruins. Desiring to emulate his famous father, he created a showplace of his very own to replace Sepphoris, near Nazareth, as the capital of Galilee. He named it in honor of the reigning emperor Tiberius and it remained the capital until the reign of Herod Agrippa II, who changed the seat of power back again to Sepphoris. For the site of his new city, Antipas chose a natural acropolis overlooking the activity around the Sea of Galilee. It had a magnificent panorama. Magdala was two miles to the north and Capernaum was a few miles farther north across the arc of the lake. Some six or seven miles across the lake were Bethsaida, the "region of the Gadarenes" and Sussita (Hippos). Jesus was about 23-24 years old when construction began on Tiberias, and it would have provided employment for many people in the region, possibly for some of his future disciples. However, devout Jews stayed away as ancient graves were uncovered while foundations were being laid and Anitpas had to settle it by force with foreigners and landless poor, inducing them with free land and housing. There is no mention in the Gospels that Jesus ever visited or stayed in Tiberias. At the time there were no Jewish residents to whom he might have preached; it was wholly a Gentile city with Greek (Hellenistic) architecture, customs and religion. Tiberias has an interesting history apart from its biblical associations.
In 67 AD, during the first Jewish revolt, Tiberias surrendered to the future emperor Vespasian. The city remained under the rule of Antipas and Agrippa I until 44 AD, when the Romans placed a procurator over the Galilee. But, in 59 AD Nero gave Tiberias and several other Galilean towns to Agrippa II, his puppet king ruling the area east of the Jordan River.
Cana
The name Cana means reed, and appears in the Gospel of John on three separate occasions, and each time it is followed by "of Galilee," to distinguish it from another Cana (NIV Kanah) on the border of Phoenicia, now Lebanon (see Joshua 19:28). It was at Cana of Galilee that Jesus performed his first recorded public miracle by changing water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). During a later visit, he cured the son of an official from Capernaum (John 4:46-53). John also tells us that Nathanael, who according to tradition is the apostle Bartholomew, came from Cana. It was he who inquired of Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to meet him, he said: "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (John 1:47).
Soon after his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, Jesus came to Cana in Galilee with his mother and his disciples to attend a wedding. According to the prevailing custom, the festivities began on the third day of the week and lasted seven days. The reclining guests ate on floor mats and, in the course of the week-long celebration, consumed large quantities of food and wine. There was rhythmic music and lively dancing. But, in the course of the festivities, the hosts ran out of wine, causing them great embarrassment.
"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, 'They have no more wine.' 'Dear woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My time has not yet come.' His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.' (John 2:1-10).
John explicitly adds: "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." The emphasis here should not to be placed on the actual miracle, which helped the wedding hosts to overcome a temporary embarrassment, but on the profound meaning of the story. The effect of this first manifestation of Jesus' powers is that of a demonstration that he was not an ascetic who lead a retired life in the desert like John the Baptist or the Essenes. He went among common people to care for their needs.
Nazareth
Situated inside a bowl atop the Nazareth ridge north of the Jezreel valley, Nazareth was a relatively isolated village in the time of Jesus with a population less than two hundred (John 1:46). Gabriel appeared to Mary there, and later, Mary and Joseph returned there to live (Matt 2:23; Luke 2:4, 39, 51). The village is mentioned 17 times in the New Testament. Jesus eventually left the village for a wider ministry although he was known to some as a “prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matt 21:11).
A Byzantine church was built over the place where it is believed that the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary. In 1966 the Roman Catholic Church began constructing a new basilica over these remains and today this church is the largest church building in the Middle East. The Greek Orthodox Church nearby is built over the town's
water source. Jesus spent his boyhood years in Nazareth before beginning his ministry when he was about 30. After moving his home to Capernaum, Jesus returned to teach in the synagogue of Nazareth twice more, but was rejected both times. On one occasion the townspeople were so outraged at Jesus that they tried to throw him off a cliff to his death.
Mount Gilboa
Mount Gilboa means "swollen heap") is not a single mountain, but a barren ridge rising to a high point of 1,700 feet, separating the Harod Valley from the plain of Jezreel or the Plain of Esdraelon, about 7 miles west of the Jordan River. In Old Testament times, Gilboa was the site of an Israelite encampment where Saul, first king of Israel, prepared to do battle against the Philistines: "The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa." (1 Samuel 28:4). As thousands of enemy soldiers streamed across the plain before him, Saul was struck with fear for the first time in his military career. Throughout his reign, he had successfully challeged the Philistines. Absorbed by his pursuit of David, he had placed himself in an indefensible position. In the past, the Philistines' superior numbers and heavier equipment were rendered impotent by Saul's lightening attacks and guerrilla-style warfare. But now he could see the chariots alone would crush his relatively small force. Moreover, the Philistines could easily call up reinforcements from their nearby strongholds of Megiddo and Beth Shan. Saul's confidence was shattered. He prayed to God for help, but received no answer. He grew so desperate that he consulted a medium at nearby En Dor. However, this "witch" conjured up
the ghost of the prophet Samuel, who angrily foretold Saul's death. With a heavy heart Saul engaged his enemies the following day, overpowered by enourmous odds, he retreated from the plain to the heights of Mount Gilboa for one last stand. Although there was little room to maneuver, it was preferable to confronting the Philistines on the plain where their chariots were more effective. But the troops that stormed up the slopes were more then Saul's forces could cope with. The Philistine archers decimated the Israelite ranks. In the fierce fighting, Saul's three sons, Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua, were killed and Saul was critically wounded. The next day the Philistines came to strip the dead and they found Saul fallen on Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 20:9-13).
Mount Tabor
Mt. Tabor sits at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, 17 kms. west of the Sea of
Galilee. Its elevation at the summit is 575 meters. It is used in Scripture as a symbol of majesty. Jeremiah 46:18. The Israelite tribes gathered on Mount Tabor in the days of Deborah. The Canaanites were assembled at Harosheth Haggoyim (likely on the opposite side of the Jezreel Valley) and Barak led the Israelite charge of 10,000 men against Sisera's army. It seems that the Lord's intervention on behalf of the Israelites was in the form of a rainstorm, such that the Kishon River flooded and made chariot travel for the Canaanites impossible (Judges 4-5).
Early Church fathers believed that the Transfiguration took place on Mt. Tabor, including
Cyril of Jerusalem (in 348), Epiphanius, and Jerome. Eusebius was uncertain if it took place on Mt. Tabor or on Mt. Hermon. One reason for this identification was a misunderstanding of Matthew 17:1. This verse was taken to mean that Jesus took the disciples up a mountain "by itself," rather than that he took the disciples up a mountain "by themselves." Mt. Tabor is probably not the location for the Transfiguration: 1) Jesus and his disciples are in the region of Caesarea Philippi just prior to the Transfiguration. 2) The general location of the mountain is not isolated. Much traffic passed by through the Jezreel Valley below. 3) A military fort was located on top of the mountain and was clearly in use during the Hasmonean period and the time of the Jewish Revolt, and likely would have been in Jesus' day as well.
Beit She'an
The Bible mentions Beit She'an as one of the Canaanite cities which was not conquered by the Israelites under Joshua (Joshua 17:1-12; Judges1:27). The city is again mentioned after the defeat of the Israelite army of King Saul by the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa (south of the city), when they impaled the bodies of King Saul and his sons on the walls of Beit She'an (Samuel 31:10-12). This Canaanite city was burned to the ground at the beginning of the 10th century BC, probably when conquered by King David. Beit She'an is mentioned as an important city in the fifth administrative district of King Solomon (1Kings 4:12). From this period, administrative buildings, one of them a large structure with numerous rooms that undoubtedly served as the regional administrative center, were uncovered. This city was destroyed to its foundations by Tiglath Pileser III of Assyria, when he conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 732 BC.
Nain
Nain (probably of Hebrew origin, meaning "beauty") is nestled on a plateau on the lowe
r northwestern slopes of Har (mount) Moreh, southeast of Nazareth. Also known as "Little Hermon," Mount Moreh rises 1815 feet above sea level and is parallel to Mount Gilboa to the south. It was here in Old Testament times that Gideon and his army of 300, armed with trumpets, torches and swords, attacked and routed a superior force of Midainites (see Judges 7). Nain is mentioned specifically only once in the Bible, however it involved a major event. It was at Nain that the first-recorded miracle of Jesus Christ raising the dead occurred, the awakening of a widow's only son while he was being carried to his grave, a very fortuitously-timed funeral procession that ended with the cancellation of the funeral (Luke 7:11-17).
Valley of Jezreel
The spacious Jezreel Valley spreads out to the north and east from Mount Carmel, providing convenient passage for international travelers in ancient times. The fertile alluvial soil makes this the country's breadbasket as well. The Bible speaks of the gathering of armies in this valley at the place of Armageddon. Jezreel is often used generally to refer to the entire flat and fertile plain stretching southeast from the coast north of Mount Carmel to the Jordan River at Beth-shan. This area is the boundary between Samaria to the south and Galilee to the north. Even today, as in ancient times, this area is the most fertile agricultural land in Palestine, which is reflected in the name Jezreel, which means "God sows."
In ancient times, this area had great strategic value as well, since the Jezreel/Esdraelon plain was the only east-west access between the coast and the Jordan Valley. The main north and south trade routes between Egypt to the South and Mesopotamia to the North lay through this area. With the desert to the east, the areas on both sides of the Jordan blocked by highlands, and difficult access to the Jordan Valley from the south because of the Dead Sea, most north-south travel led through the Valley of Jezreel. The main route from Egypt, know as the Via Maris ("way of the sea"), ran northward along the coastal plains to the spur of mountains running to the sea at Mount Carmel just north of Caesarea. It then turned eastward toward the Plain of Esdraelon past the fortress of Megiddo, through the Jezreel Valley to Beth-Shan, then northward through the Yarmuk River valley toward Damascus (route marked in blue). A more difficult secondary route ran north from Jerusalem through Shechem and Samaria to Megiddo, then eastward toward the coast at Acco, then northward along the coast to the Phoenician ports at Tyre and Sidon.Not only traders used these routes. Palestine was located on a narrow strip of land between Egypt to the
South and the great civilizations to the North. As a result, through history it became a corridor for invading armies bent on conquest, all of which had to funnel through Jezreel. Since this was also the most level land in the area, Jezreel/Esdraelon became a favorite site for battles. Although the area was controlled in the early biblical era by the Canaanites equipped with chariots, Gideon managed to defeat the Midianites and Amalikites here (Jud 6:33-7:23). The area was in Israelite hands by the time of Solomon, who fortified the ancient fortress of Megiddo to guard the pass (1 Kings 9:15). In was on the plains of Jezreel that Jehu's army defeated the armies of Jezebel (2 Kings 9), beginning a bloodbath in the Northern Kingdom that would have consequences for years (cf. Hos 1:4-5). And it was at Megiddo that King Josiah was killed in a fateful attempt to block Egyptian armies from using the pass to march north to lend aid to Assyrian armies trapped by the Babylonians (2 Kings 23:29). There was so much bloodshed in these plains that both Jezreel and Megiddo became synonyms for violence and bloodshed, and could even become symbols for the judgement of God (Hos 1:4-5). The Mountain of Megiddo, in Hebrew har megiddo anglicized into Armageddon, became the ultimate symbol for warfare and conflict.
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel was most significant in ancient times as a barrier to traffic along the coastal plain. The 1500-foot high limestone mountain impeded armies and merchants traveling to the Jezreel Valley. Biblically, Mt. Carmel is referenced most often as a symbol of beauty and fertility. To be given the "splendor of Carmel" was to be blessed indeed (Isa 35:2). Solomon praised his beloved: "your head crowns you like Mount Carmel" (Song 7:5). But for Carmel to wither was a sign of devastating judgment (Nahum 1:4). This is probably the best view of the area of Elijah's contest, assuming tradition is correct. The monastery of Muhraqa is at the top of the hill, but tradition places the contest slightly lower near a spring.
The crowds of Israelites would have filled the spacious territory around to see whose God would win.The statue at the Carmelite monastery reflects the Lord's victory over the prophets of Baal Shortly after fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice, altar and even the water, Elijah had the prophets of Baal slaughtered at the Brook Kishon something which should have happened long before! Because Mt. Carmel sits astride the International Highway (sometimes called the Via Maris), three passes through the mountain became significant routes of travel in the ancient world.