We have the privilege of exploring the Sea of Galilee today, the area where Jesus spent most of his adult life. We quickly realized that using public transportation would be very difficult so we arranged to pick our rental car up one day early in Tiberias. Tiberias is the largest city on the Sea of Galilee and has all the amenities, including McDonald's (a kosher one of course).
Actually Tiberias was not good to us. We thought we could get a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee but were flatly told not only did they not sail from Tiberias, you also had to be a part of a group to get on a boat. We wandered around but Peter's church was closed, we couldn't find a souvenir shop, and there was not much to do or see. I did find a Presbyterian church, the only one we saw the entire trip.
Finally we got the rental car and were free of Tiberias. Next stop was Ginosar where we tried to get on board a boat sailing on the Sea of Galilee. We went to the boat dock but they could not help us since they don't let individuals on board. So we hung out in the entrance way and saw a very happy group come through the doors. It was easy to spot the tour guide and we asked him if we could pay our way to join the group. He asked the group of 8 men and women from South Africa who said yes. First stop was to see the ancient boat unearthed after 2,000 years and on display.
This boat was an amazing find in 1986. Buried in mud the wood had been preserved and dated back 2,000 years ago. Maybe it was the boat James and John or Peter used to fish, or even the boat Jesus slept in when the storm was raging outside. Who knows? It was really neat to see this ancient relic from so long ago.
Then we got on a boat ourselves and headed off on the Sea. It was a beautiful sunny day and the water was calm.
The group from South Africa sang and danced as we listened to praise songs like "Here I Am to Worship" and "Blessed be the Name of The Lord" as well as "When the Saints go Marching In" and "Amen." It was a blast! I was once again impressed by how big the Sea of Galilee really was. We also laughed when we were told that Jesus wasn't a fan of Tiberias and never went to Tiberias since it was the seat of the Roman government in this area. No wonder we didn't like it there!
We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting four holy sites in Tabgha and Capernaum. We started with the Mount of Beatitudes. A beautiful Franciscan Church with manicured grounds built on this mountain providing a great view and space for reflection.
Looking out onto the countryside, it was easy to see how Jesus used these gently sloping hills to talk to thousands of people and share his wisdom and teachings as recorded in Matthew 5-6.
Next we headed to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish where Jesus is said to have performed the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21). Under the altar is a rock where some believe Jesus set the loaves and fish before breaking and distributing them. Next to the rock is the famous mosaic made in 480 and still perfectly intact. This is now the symbol of the church and the city of Tabgha.
Then we went to Peter's House with a UFO built over it.
Seriously, this was a really neat place where practically a whole city was excavated, the city where Jesus grew up in Capernaum. There was the synagogue where he likely taught.
And there was a house that didn't have the normal house furniture and instead had lots of oil lamps. It is believed this was a place many of the early Christians worshipped and is thought to be St. Peter's house.
A UFO looking church was built over the exact place of ancient worship. It was one of the most beautiful churches I had ever seen. The glass sides let lots of the light in and the seating was in a circle. The middle had a plexiglass opening where you could see the ancient worship site. Truly a beautiful blend of honoring tradition while creating a modern place of worship.
The back of the property had benches over looking the Sea of Galilee. In my opinion, this was the most spiritual place of the entire Sea of Galilee. I could have stayed for hours.
Our last stop was the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. "Upon this rock I will build my church," Jesus says to Peter in Matthew 16:18. Well, here is the rock (or at least the traditional site of that rock). This is also believed to be the place where Jesus ate fish with his disciples after his resurrection.
The back of the property also is on the shore of the sea so we took advantage of it and put our toes in the water.
We love the Sea of Galilee area and could see why Jesus made it his home.
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