Israel Day #2

Our entire day was spent around the Sea of Galilee. I can't get over how much history this small place holds! It was part of a major pathway in the time of Jesus; in fact, it was the only way to get from Nazareth (see Mt Precipice circled on map below) to Magdala (Migdil on the map), which was the next closest Jewish town, and onto Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry.
We saw the Valley of the Doves and saw Mount Arbel, where Jews tried to hide in caves from King Herod and his troops. We went on a boat ride in the Sea of Gailee, the site of quite a few of Jesus' miracles - calming of the seas, walking on water, etc. In fact, we got to see the wreckage of a 1st century boat that was recovered only 15 years ago. Fascinating. While we can't know if Jesus or Peter or their crew sailed on this particular boat, it's not impossible as they existed in the same place at the same time.
Capernaum was quite a bustling place in its time! It's an archaeologists' dream - most of the places we've seen are, in fact. Peter lived in Capernaum, and Jesus lived with Peter there. It's believed that Peter's house and Jesus' room within it have been identified under the remains of a large, wealthy Byzantine church. The remains of that church have been removed, and the remains of Peter's home have been protected under a modern church that has been built above it. Very cool. Just next to that are the remains of a fancy synagogue. According to our excellent tour guide, Jews during the Byzantine era understood that they were losing some of their own to Christianity and felt a need to compete with the fancy church next door. Remains of other people's homes and the Villa Mar itself can all be seen in Capernaum.
The most powerful stop of the day for me was our very first: The Mount of Beatitudes. It was here that Jesus taught his disciples that which is recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7. Most well-known are hte series of "Blessed are the ____, for they will ______" lines. I encourage y'all to check out the rest, too. What I hadn't known before is that Jesus both echoes the 10 Commandments God gave to Moses in the Old Testament and reinterprets them. Jesus puts a finer point on each. It's a great example of the wicked high bar Jesus set out for all who might be so moved as to strive to reach it. The place itself is just gorgeous. The somewhat humble Church of the Beatitudes is octagonal in shape as many Byzantine and neo-Byzantine ones are. The number 8 on its side is the infinity sign, and so the 8-sided sanctuary was often used when the intention was to commemorate something (like the Sermon on the Mount) forever. There is a convent there overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and there are beautiful gardens and paths in between the buildings. It truly felt like a holy place, and the trees and the air told me the same.

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