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| The Sea of Galilee |
I’m sitting on a balcony overlooking the Sea of Galilee on a perfectly calm evening with the sun just beginning to set on the other side of the hills.
Our journey today took us along the Jordan River to the Sea of Galilee. The day was blessed with such a brilliantly blue sky, bright sunshine and the gentlest of breezes. We came on our pilgrimage to visit the sites of several of Jesus’ miracles.
The first stop was Capernaum, known as Jesus’ town.
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| The Church at Capernaum |
It was here that Jesus called the first disciples. He called Matthew, the tax collector. He healed the Centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10; also Matthew and John). It was here right along the sea that Jesus healed the paralytic (John 2). The foundation of the house is still there with the foundations of an octagonal church that had been built around it. Over it has been built a contemporary church with a glass viewing platform in the middle so one can look right down on the house. The glass around the church is all clear so the sea can be viewed as well as the ruins of the synagogue next door.
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| Synagogue, the black stones are the original foundation |
The synagogue is the place where Jesus taught about the bread of life (John 6). The foundation stones of this synagogue are still right there with a more contemporary building constructed on those foundations.
It is a beautiful place and it was so mind-boggling to be there where we are certain this miracles took place. I’ll never forget it.
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| The Church of the Multiplications |
We went on to visit the Church of the Multiplications, a Benedictine Church that commemorates the feeding of the multitudes found in all the gospels. The church is starkly simple and has been constructed over the ruins of a Byzantine Church thus preserving several priceless mosaic floor tiles.
Lunch was taken in Tiberias right next to the sea where I dined on “St. Peter’s Fish,” tilapia caught from the very Sea of Galilee. It was delicious.
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| The Byzantine Chapel at Kursi |
We then journeyed to Kursi to view the remains of the church that commemorates the healing of the Gerasene Demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). Climbing up the hill one can enjoy a spectacular view of the sea as well as the ruins of a small chapel. This place is where the swine were driven off the cliff after having been possessed.
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| Where the pigs took off! |
Our final stop of the day was at the lovely and very quiet Bethsaida, the home of Philip,
Peter and Andrew. It was there that Jesus healed a blind man (Mark 8:22-26), feed five thousand according to Luke 9:10-17, and pronounced woes (Matthew 11:21, Luke 10:13). We were the only pilgrims there since it is not a usual tour stop. That
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| Ruins of the winemaker's house at Bethsaida |
was especially pleasant.
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| Genuine Israeli sheep |
Our driver then took us to the Pilgerhaus Guest House run by German Benedictines which is a world class hotel in my opinion.
Now the lights of the cities around the sea are beginning to twinkle in the gentle twilight.
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