Sea of Galilee Area

 September 27, 2023

We got breakfast at the Ron Beach Hotel about 6:30 AM.   The sun was just coming up over the eastern hills (Syria/Golan Heights) of Lake Galilee.  We drive to the north end of the Sea of Galilee to the   Tabgha area to visit the Chapel of St Peter's Primacy.

Grounds of the Primacy Chapel

 This area around the lake is very green with different   types of agriculture: bananas, avocado trees, mango,   and of course olive trees.

 The Chruch of the Primacy is in a lovely garden estate   along the Galilee shore line. The Church itself is small,   really a chapel.  It contains the rock where it is   believed   Jesus made breakfast after His Resurrection.  Thus, this rock is called the Mensa Christi, or Table of Christ.

Church of the Primacy

Table of Christ

Lake of Galilee

"You know I love you"  x3

It was here that Christ asked St Peter if he loved him three times.  Peter said yes, yes, yes; and Christ said "Feed my lambs, and feed my sheep.  On this rock I will build my church."

Capharnaum

This next site is considered the "home town" of Jesus.  It was a vital crossroads on the main highway through the area.  It was also a vital fishing village.  Jesus preached here in the synagogue, he healed many of the sick, and called many of his apostles here.  He is thought to have stayed in the house of St Peter.  Capharnaum is only an excavation of ruins from the time of Christ.  It no longer is an inhabited place.  

The Synagogue in Capharnaum

    

Synagogue in Capharnaum

Church over St Peter's House

The excavations at Capharnaum show the outline of houses.  The site of St Peter's house has a modern styled church built over it.  The church has a large opening in its floor looking down into a central room where it is thought Jesus stayed.

Central Guest room for Jesus

Statue of the "Homeless Jesus"

Our Catholic Palestinian guide made a comment that "Jesus wasn't really "homeless" as we think of homeless people today."    I think he missed the point of the statue, namely, that we are to see Christ in the homeless person today. 

Mount of the Beatitudes

Our bus took us from the lake shore of the Sea of Galilee to a nearby hillside.   Here the crowds followed Jesus as he was preaching along the sea shore.  The Church of the Beatitudes is built on a hillside that fits this general description near Capharnaum.  It is an octagonal church to match the number of beatitudes (8).  Each of the Beatitudes has a stain glass text window in the cupula dome of the church.  The surrounding grounds are extensive.  Our group has the opportunity to have a Mass in one of the adjoining gardens.   

Church of the Beatitudes

Octagonal Church of Beatitudes

Sanctuary of Church of the Beatitudes

Stain Glass Beatitude Windows

Blessed are the Peacemakers !!

Church of the Multiplication of Loaves 

Next we went to a near by town called Tabgha.   This was in the vicinity of the hillside of the Beatitudes.  Continuing the Scripture story of the crowds following Christ along the countryside while he preached and healed, we come to the multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.   In Tabgha (in Arabic a name that means "seven springs") there is a church that from the accounts of Etheria of 300 AD was the site of the feeding of the 5,000 by the Christ.   Within the church there is a mosaic from the Fifth Century AD that is the depiction of the two fish and basket of loaves.  

Inside the Church of Loaves and Fishes

Mosiac and Stone under the altar

Chruch of the Loaves and Fishes

Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee 

On board our Galilee ship

singing and dancing!!

This was a fun half hour ride on Lake Galilee.  It involved some group singing and dancing.  We all joined in the singing of the United States National Anthem as the captain raiseded our Stars and Stripes over the stern of our boat.  At one point, we all joined hands and danced the hora to Hava Nagila.

After this fun outing, we drove to the nearby town of Magdala.   Yes, the home town of the friend of Jesus, Mary of Magdala.  The menu for lunch was St Peter's fish.  That's a deep-fried Tilapia served with head, eyes, and tail intact.  It was good fish, just a little boney. 

Jordan River, Town of Kana, City of Nazareth

 September 27, 2023

The Jordan River

After our lunch in the town of Magdala, we bused to the head waters of the Jordan River.  Here the Bible speaks of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist.  This is a favorite spot for new Christians to make their baptism and for tourists to at least stick their toe into the Jordan River.

And the heavens opened and the Spirit descended upon Him.

The Place of Baptism

Town of Kana

Next we stop in the Town of Kana  (Cana) where Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast.  He turned jars of water into wine at the request of his mother Mary.  The church here is known at the Wedding Church.  Many tourists make it a point to celebrate their own marriage vows while visiting.

Sylvia and I did just that in a smaller side chapel along with five other couples of our touring group.

The Wedding Church in Kana

   

Side Chapel for Wedding Vows

Main altar of Wedding Church

Wedding Church in Kana

Of course we needed to sample some of the locally made wine

while in Kana.  It was a very sweet tasing red wine.

City of Nazareth

Here in Nazareth there is a Church of St Joseph that is built over a site of his carpenter shop.  It was erected in 1914 over the ancient ruins of the Church of the Franks.   It is very close to the Church of the Annunciation.  

Church of St Joseph

Jesus learns at St Joseph's knee

The Basilica of the Annunciation took 10 years to build.

It is built over the cave that is believed to be the home 

of the Holy Family.  The outside of the Basilica has

bronze metal doors that show scenes from the Bible.

The main church has an opening in its floor to look

 down into the crypt below.                                                

Tower of Annunciation Church

Front of the Annunciation Church

Bronze Doors of Annunciation Church

The lower crypt has a gated area that is believed to be home of the Holy Family.

Crypt of the Annunciation Church

Home of the Holy Family

After this visit to Nazareth, we returned to our hotel in Tiberius.  After we returned we had supper and packed for our early departure the next morning.  We had to leave at two in the morning to catch our seven AM flight from Tel Aviv to Athens.

This ended our Visit to the Holy Land.

The End of the Holy Land Visit.

Jerusalem to Jericho

 September 26, 2023

Today we board the tour bus in Jerusalem and leave for a small village 7 kilometers away toward the south west.  The name of the village is "Ein Karim" , it's the birth place of St John the Baptist.  There are two churches to visit here.  One is the Sanctuary of the Visitation.  It is situated on a rocky plateau just south of town.  It is a long 100 steps to climb to the top.  Here is where the Bible tells us of Mary the pregnant wife of Joseph visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who is "also with child".   Mary's famous response of the Magnificat is memorialized here.  Our group had the opportunity to have another outdoor Mass in a garden along side the church.  

Plaza in Ein Karim

Church of the Visitation

Green Hillsides of Ein Karim

My Soul Magnifies the Lord

Zachary the High Priest

Mary greets Elizabeth

A well in Ein Karim

Hiding Stone for St John

In the Church of St John the Baptist in the Village of Ein Karim....this rock is said to be the hiding place where the infant St John was saved from the sword of King Herod's slaughter of the innocents.

Slaughter of the Innocents


Our Pilgrimage group has Mass in the garden.

Now we take the tour bus back to the Old City of Jerusalem to visit the Upper Room on Mount Zion.  While we visit the Upper Room which is the site of the Last Supper of Christ, it is also the place of the Pentecost for the Apostles.  For some centuries of the Turkish rule of the Holy Land, this place was used as a mosque.  Below this room is a place that many believe is the tomb of King David.

The Upper Room

The Upper Room

Now we leave the Old City again visit the nearby Church of St Peter de Galli Cantu (rooster crow).  Here is where Christ was taken (the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest) after his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemani.  And it is also the place Peter denied knowing Christ three times as the rooster crowed.  

We saw the pit or cistern that Christ was jailed in overnight. We all go into the pit.  We began singing the hymn "Were You There" as we exit the crypt and found that other pilgrims waiting to enter are singing along with us in great spirit.  A most moving moment.

The Church of St Peter Galli Cantu

Mural of Christ in Chains

St Peter's Denials

Now we board the bus to go east to Jericho.