Around the Sea of Galilee

There’s a wealth of religious sites surrounding the Sea of Galilee. And the historical importance of this body of water is matched by its importance to Israel today as a source of fresh water. When we descended from the hill on which Kibbutz Kfar Haruv is located to the eastern shore of the sea, we passed fields of banana trees and Kibbutz Ein Gev. Prior to the 1973 war, the border between Israel and Syria was just east of the kibbutz, and Ein Gev was regularly shelled by Syrian forces perched on the cliffs above. 

The day we spent visiting sites around the Sea of Galilee turned out to be a fickle day, weather-wise. Some sun struggled through the early morning mist, but by the time we reached Capernaum on the northern shore of the sea, rain was splattering the windows of the bus. This pattern continued throughout the day. It was typical Israeli weather and we knew to pack our umbrellas and raingear everyday, even if the sun was shining. 

Capernaum was originally a fishing village, Kfar Nahum, established during the time of Hasmonean rule (1^st-2^ndcentury BCE). It is cited several times in the New Testament and is the possible home of St. Peter. Capernaum was abandoned before the arrival of the Crusaders in the Holy Land. We saw the remains of a 4^thcentury synagogue, built on the site of an earlier synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus, as well as the remains of a Byzantine church. Placed prominently nearby was a statue of St. Peter standing on a rock with a fish at his feet.

A very short bus ride brought us to the Mount of Beatitudes, the site of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. A modern church marks the religious site, which is maintained by the brown-robed Franciscan order of monks. Alon told us that the three knots in their rope belts, representing their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, are related to the tsitsit, the knots in the traditional Jewish prayer shawl. Christian pilgrims from around the world were already milling around the gardens and the church when we arrived. Quotations from the famous sermon were posted throughout the grounds.

  

Our next stop was the Yigal Allon Center, named for the late Israeli military and political leader, in the town of Ginosar, on the western shore of the sea. In the center’s museum, we saw the “Jesus Boat,” a 2000-year old wooden fishing boat extracted in the 1980s from the Sea of Galilee. The nearly intact boat was uncovered during a period of drought. A short film explained the discovery of the boat, the challenging task of removing the fragile vessel from the sediment, and finally conserving it on land. No one knows exactly who used the boat, but it has been dated back to the time when Jesus preached in the area. 

Then it was time for a half-hour boat ride on the sea. As we boarded, I couldn’t help noticing the threatening look of the sky. The captain didn’t seem concerned, however. He gave us a hearty welcome and raised the American and Canadian flags in our honor. While we cruised along, the crew played Israeli folk dance music and we all danced the hora. And despite the eerie-looking sky, we made it back to shore without encountering a storm. 

Then it was time to drive a few miles south to the city of Tiberias, also on the western shore of the sea, for lunch at a restaurant on the seaside promenade. The waiter informed us that the St. Peter’s fish listed on the menu was actually tilapia. Tiberias is one of Judaism’s four holiest cities. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore any of the religious sites in the Old City. We had just enough time for a quick walk through the city’s outdoor sculpture park. Note the sculpture entitled Mother Ship by Israeli artist Ilana Goor. You may recall that we visited the Ilana Goor Museum in Old Jaffa earlier in our trip.  

Raindrops were falling as we boarded our bus. At least we’d enjoyed sunny weather the previous day, when we visited the Yardenit baptism site. This tranquil spot is known as the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Located on the Jordan River, where it meets the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, Yardenit attracts pilgrims from around the world, many of whom choose to be baptized or re-baptized in the river. Two members of our group participated in this deeply meaningful ritual. 

My goodness – so much to see and do in two days such a small area! We needed to catch up on some rest so we'd be ready for our next destination: Jerusalem.