The road down from the remains of the crusader castle Belvoir situated above the northern end of the Jordan River Valley. The Sea of Galilee was in the upper left corner of the picture  As this was late February; there was much grass in this place, not the same in August. The crusaders occupied the area after there were complaints that Christians going to the Holy Land were being murdered by the Moslems.  During the Fatimid reign of Hakim the Mad, a Shiite ruler of Egypt, churches were destroyed, Christians were persecuted, and pilgrims from Europe were unable to visit Jerusalem.  In 1099 Jerusalem was conquered by the Crusaders. They occupied Israel until 1291 when Acco (Acre) fell to Moslems opposed to the Europeans.  Some of the Crusader efforts were unjust and persecuted people who were not attacking the Crusaders.  It got worse; during one crusade the Christian capitol of Constantinople was attacked by the European Crusaders in their quest for power and plunder.

     The Jordan Valley is the location of numerous vegetable fields covered with clear plastic covering the plants. Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians had agricultural ventures in the valley.

A view from the castle towards the Jordan Valley (Sept. 2003).  The meandering river hardly visible in the left portion of the window opening.

A dry moat at Belvoir looking east into Jordan (Sept 2003).