Israel to Arbel cliffs

In ancient warfare, it wasn’t unusual for an army to practice genocide. One way to do that quickly was to throw prisoners, enemy combatants, or even children over the edge of a great cliff. This is referenced only a few times in the Bible. In 2 Chronicles 25:10-12, the army of Judah killed 10,000 Edomites by dashing them to pieces off an unnamed cliff in the Judean Desert. In Psalm 137, a heart-broken person pours out a lament referencing the destruction of children by the Babylonian army. Isaiah and Hosea also seem to reference this act of ancient terrorism. The cliffs of Arbel were witness to such an event that is not recorded in the Bible. As Herod the Great took Judea in the years before Jesus was born, he ordered his soldiers to throw the families of rebel soldiers off the Arbel cliffs. This would have included women and children, and was a troubling omen for the day coming when Herod would order the slaughter of infants in Bethlehem. Imagine how difficult it must have been for the people of Arbel to consider forgiving their enemies! Herod’s family was still in charge, and Roman soldiers roamed the land. They were not yet a century removed from Herod’s slaughter at Arbel, and they lived near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus did most of his preaching.

In contrast to the violent practice of warfare, the Gospel writers tell us repeatedly that Jesus often escaped to the hills for quiet times of prayer. On one occasion, he prayed all night before choosing his 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-15). So where did Jesus pray? We don’t know. That was, after all, the point. Jesus needed to get away from the crowds. His options for solitude were nearly unlimited. Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee are surrounded by hills and “lonely places.” One of the most dramatic places that fits the description is Mt. Arbel, on the northeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee. As the highest peak around the lake, it offered solitude and a beautiful view of the communities where Jesus would invest most of his teaching ministry. Mt. Arbel is 594 feet (181 m) above sea level. The lake is 704 feet (214 m) below sea level, an elevation difference of some 1,300 feet (400 m). It would have taken Jesus about three hours to hike from Capernaum to the peak of Arbel.