Israel, July 10, 2013

What a day we have had! We have seen six major sites, and in spite of immense heat and a near fiasco have come out unscathed. Now that I have your attention, let me explain. We had breakfast rather early and then were off for an early morning boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, which is not strictly a sea but a freshwater lake. It goes by three names in the Bible: the sea of Chinnereth, the lake of Gennesaret, and the sea of Tiberius. But no matter what it is called, it will always be associated with the life and ministry of Christ. The Sea of Galilee is small, being only 13 miles long by 7 miles wide at its widest point. However, it has several unique geographical features. It sits about 700 feet below the level of the Mediterranean, and it is surrounded on three sides by mountains as high as 1500 feet. The sea was smooth as we prepared to launch, and the water was intensely blue. This water comes from the Jordan River, the main source of water for the nation of Israel. Anyway, as we set sail, the placid nature of the lake and the intense blue made me think, as I sat in the front of the boat, about how difficult it would be for me mentally and physically to walk out onto the water as Peter had done, without losing faith in my ability to do so through Christ's strength. The thought had me in a reflective mood, and, as the sun's rays were slicing through the clouds I felt, at the same time, very blessed. All of a sudden the boat stopped and the men running it were pulling out bailing buckets, which I did not really notice. Then, a few minutes later, the motor sputtered and came to life again, but we were definitely taking on water! Additionally, we were heading towards the pier at a town called Magdala (home of St. Mary Magdalene) when the boat veered off to the right and plowed into some tall reeds and finally crunched into some large boulders. Luckily, the men built a kind of makeshift bridge and we all crossed over and clambered up the side onto some large boulders and to safety. The boat was still taking on water and now was silently moored in the reeds--very Moses-like! But no one had been overly concerned or panicked, and simply retained an equilibrium that was admirable. Rounding the corner, we sat down and had a little service welcoming the day and giving thanks for safe deliverance. And around the corner, we encountered a museum containing not only art but also a boat preserved intact for about 2000 years and labeled the "Jesus Boat." We did not go into the museum, as we had other appointments, but I did walk by and took some pictures before getting back on the bus. Our next stop was Caesarea Philippi, a quiet and secluded place and far from the crowds that followed Christ. He withdrew here, and it was here that He asked His disciples who they thought he was. Peter responded that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Jesus stated that it would be Peter, the rock, upon whom He would build His church. Peter's confession really has a special meaning, as Caesarea Philippi in Old Testament times was the place where the god Baal was worshipped. When the Greeks came, and occupied the territory, it had a shrine devoted to Pan, the nature god. The city was then named Panias, and now is alternatively known as Banias, its Arabic name. We visited the remains of the Pan complex and the large spring that flows to the south, eventually joining other springs to form the headwaters of the Jordan River. And it was here where Christ and His disciples visited for the last time before He began His final trip to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and, finally, to be executed. The spring was exceptionally restful and verdant. From Caesarea Philippi we were off to Tabgha, about 2 miles SW of Capernaum, the site where tradition has it that Jesus miraculously multiplied loaves of bread and fishes to feed a crowd. A church on the site, known as the Church of the Multiplication, commemorates this event. Before leaving for lunch, I bought a new pair of sunglasses, as the frames of mine were broken. Without a pair of sunglasses, the bright light of the sun here in the Holy Land is almost unbearable. We stopped in Magdala for a quick lunch of tabouleh, hummus, pita bread, and tilapia caught in the Sea of Galilee and called St. Peter's fish. Then we were off to a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is reputed to have delivered His Sermon on the Mount to His followers. The site is known as the Mount of Beatitudes, named for the nine blessings or beatitudes with which this famous sermon begins in Matthew. A beautiful little chapel known as the Church of the Beatitudes, a perfect place for prayer and meditation on those teachings of Jesus, marks the spot and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. From there we went back about 100 feet away from the Church of the Multiplication to see the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, where Jesus met His disciples near Lake Galilee after His resurrection. Here He restored Peter to his leadership position among the disciples after Peter's earlier denial of Jesus. And finally Capernaum capped the day. After the rejection of Jesus in Nazareth, He moved to Capernaum and made it the center of His Galilean ministry. He lived there for about two years. Five of His disciples lived there. Peter had a house in Capernaum, and it was in this town that Jesus lived in the house of Peter's mother-law and healed her of a fever soon after He got there. A church is built over that site, and a glass approach to the altar allows worshippers to see the place. Here, also, a man was healed when his friends lowered him to Christ through the roof of the place. However, in spite of His efforts, Capernaum did not receive His message, and neither did Korazin and Bethsaida, also in the neighborhood. We did get to see the remains of a Jewish synagogue that was built during the 300s. This is obviously not the synagogue where Jesus taught and healed, but underneath this building they discovered the ruins of another synagogue from the New Testament era. These could be the foundation stones of the synagogue from Christ's time. Here in this one town was more archaeological evidence of His presence than anywhere I had been all day, and it all was profondly moving! Back at the hotel in Tiberias tonight, and am about to have dinner and then take a little walk around the town for gelato afterwards. On to Jordan tomorrow! Great day!