Israel Study tour
March 20-30, 2017
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Walking on water, the Sermon on the Mount, and thirty other miracles of Jesus
Boating on the Sea of Galilee
Today we went boating on the Sea of Galilee. It was, well, pretty incredible.
Before we jumped on the boat we visited the museum that housed a 2000-year-old boat. The same one that Jesus may have been on. This boat was discovered in 1986 and removed from the mud along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This amazing find gives us valuable information regarding the sort of boats used during the time of Jesus. It is truly astonishing at how well preserved the boat is today.
We then jumped on (a different) boat and proceeded to ride around the Sea of Galilee. We sat in amazement thinking about the many miracles that happened in and around this sea. Walking on water, the Sermon on the Mount, and thirty other miracles of Jesus.
Josh then gave us a sermon about faith which was followed by worship music from our guide, Daniel.
We sang songs in English and Hebrew. Pretty breathtaking to be out on the water with such a sweet, sweet, spirit.
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee is fed by the Jordan River, rainfall and springs on the northern side. More properly designated a lake, the Kinneret (the OT and modern name) is 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. At its deepest point the lake is only 150 feet deep. The rabbis said of it, “Although God has created seven seas, yet He has chosen this one as His special delight.”
Tel Dan
We then headed north to the area of Tel Dan.
This area is the start of the Jordan River. It’s surrounded by gorgeous mountains … and we even saw snow! … and yes there IS skiing in Israel, on Mount Hermon.
One of the highlights of Tel Dan is the Abrahamic Gate. This gate may be the place that Abraham came to when he went to get his son Lot. This gate is ~2,700 years old.
Tel Dan
On the northern frontier of the kingdom, Dan was particularly well fortified. This gatehouse was built in the ninth century BCE, probably by Ahab, and is part of a series of gateways discovered.
Mount of Beatitudes
Our final stop was at the Mount of Beatitudes which is along the Sea of Galilee. It is believed that this is the place that Jesus delivered the sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5.
Till tomorrow!
- Mike Ruman
Mount of Beatitudes
The so-called “Sermon on the Mount” is recorded in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6. The alleged discrepancy between Matthew’s version being on a hill and Luke’s being on a level place is easily reconciled with observation of many level places on the Galilean hillsides. Scripture gives no indication of the exact location of this event, but the Byzantines built a church to commemorate it at the bottom of the hill. Some of Napoleon’s men placed it on the nearby Arbel mountain.
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