Mount Carmel

“A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints” ~Wilfred Peterson

There is so much to learn about every place you visit in the Holy Land.  And just when you think you know there's nothing else to learn you learn something else.  Mount Carmel was that way for me.  I thought it was only a holy site because it was where the Carmelite order was begun in the twelfth century.  Well there is so much more.  More that I can write here.  So I challenge you to learn what you can on your own.

In Hebrew Mount Carmel means God's vineyard and in Arabic Mount Saint Elijah.  In the book of Joshua Asher's land allotment reaches to Carmel on the West.  During the reign of Ahab Elijah challenges the prophets off Baal and calls down fire to consume the sacrifice. . .Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and prayed seven times this clouds appeared bringing rain.

Elijah's Cave

Church of Stella Maris

Shortly after the creation of the Carmelite Order in the twelfth century a monastery was built on the mount with a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star of the Sea.  It is a beautiful church.  We were privileged to celebrate Mass in the chapel there.

Chapel of Stella Maris

Finally, in twentieth century the Bah'is Faith built a Shrine to the Bab (mausoleum).  It was begun in 1901 and was completed in 1953,  It is beautiful to see and was called The Hanging Gardens by our guide.

I think that's enough for today.  There is so much more to share and I'm excited to do so, but I'm still trying to assimilate all the information I was given.  It will be easier to share if I do.  

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Cathy

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