The Sea of Galilee

Religious Jews and the Ministry of Jesus

(North Shore Sea of Galilee from Mount Arbel)

We greeted this morning in a special way, reading the Sermon on the Mount on the Mount of Beatitudes. Seeing the sights smelling the smells, and hearing the sounds (party boat excluded) that many experienced during Jesus’s teaching was a special way to begin a special day. Our day continued at Mount Arbel where we gained the best vantage point of the villages of the Sea of Galilee in the world. We opened our Bibles to Matthew 14-17 and allowed the geography before our eyes to help unpack a challenging bit of text!

(Mosaic floor 1st Century Synagogue in Magdala (A floor Jesus likely walked on))

Our day continued at the fairly recently excavated city of Magdala. Home of Jesus’s disciple Mary, Magdala was a fishing village on the busiest trade route in the land of Israel. It is home to many stories and one of the oldest synagogues in the region—a true 1st-century find. Considering Jesus and his disciples taught in the synagogues around Galilee, it stands to reason this was one of those synagogues. We finished our time in Magdala wish a special time of singing in the Church dedicated to the women of the Bible.

Our trip carried us to Chorazin. Where we saw an ancient insula—a courtyard and house complex where extended families would live. It gave us a great space to discuss Luke 15 and the parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Sons. After a delightful lunch, we toured the synagogue before heading down to Capernaum to see the city of Jesus.

(Synagogue stonework at Chorazin)

(Synagogue at Capernaum)

At Capernaum, we saw the magnificent synagogue and expertly crafted city. We saw the stone factory and, most famously, the likely location of the house of Peter. While the heat kept us from staying there too terribly long, it was still a marvelous place to get to walk around.

Our touring day wrapped up with visiting the 2000-year-old boat found in the Sea of Galilee. An amazing discovery and a wonderful piece of history, allowing us to imagine the stories of the gospel all the better. We took a boat ride ourselves (on a bit newer boat) and made our way back to the hotel, where we shared communion and sang together on the shore of the Sea.

Tomorrow we head North where we know God has something special in store for us!