Page 36 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

A TRANSFORMA

From the summit of Mount Tabor, you can gaze in any direction and visualize history at its peak.

Itamar Grinberg

On a drive to the Galilee, travelers cannot Resembling a symmetrical inverted bowl, The battle was fierce and as Deborah
Mt. Tabor is clearly distinct from all other promised “I will lure Sisera, the commander
traverse the countryside without passing mountains in the north. As early as the 4th of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his
through the Jezreel Valley along the ancient century, it was identified as the “high troops to the Kishon River and give him
route connecting the Roman cities of mountain” mentioned in Matthew 17:1, into your hands” (Judges 4:6-7). The
Caesarea Maritima on the coast to Caesarea where it is written: “After six days Jesus account of this victory is rendered beautifully
Philippi in the northeast, at the foot of Mt. took with him Peter, James and John the in the poetic description by Deborah of the
Hermon. Located along this strategic route brother of James, and led them up a high heroine Yael, a member of the nomadic
and towering some 1,350 feet above the mountain by themselves.” Kenite tribe who killed Sisera by driving a
valley floor, Mt. Tabor has served as a stake into his head.
stronghold and lookout since biblical times. With its panoramic view of the valley, it
These two mountains high above their was chosen by Deborah more than 1,000 A hike up the steep slopes of Mt. Tabor is
surrounding terrain were called upon to years earlier as a vantage point from which not easy, and today you can bypass the old
witness the glory of the Lord: “You created to watch the Israelite commander, Barak pilgrim’s path and take a cab along the
the north and the south, Tabor and Hermon of Abinoam, gathering his army at the serpentine road to the top since buses are
shall rejoice in thy name” (Psalms 89:12). staging area to face off against the assembly no longer allowed to drive up.
of Canaanites and their chariots below on
the plain to the west (Judges 4:6, 12, 14). The summit is where Jesus “was transfigured”
(Mark 9:2-8). “His face shone like the sun,
“Now she sent and summoned Barak… and and his clothes became as white as the light.”
said to him, ‘Behold, the LORD, the God of The account of the Transfiguration appearing
Israel, has commanded, Go and march to in Matthew, Mark and Luke had a great
Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand impact on early Christians and by the 4th
men from the sons of Naphtali and from the century, the first church had been built on
sons of Zebulun.’” the summit.

36 “As surely as I live,” declares the King, whose name is the LORD Almighty, “one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains, like