Day 06 - Galilee: Mt. Arbel, Tabgha, Capernaum, Chorazin, Mt. of Beatitudes, Magdala, Ancient Boat, Galilee Boat Ride

Today was the first day of our trip where we started to narrow our view to follow the life (and footsteps) of Jesus. Our day was all about His life here at the Sea of Galilee and tracing His ministry as it grew.

Mount Arbel

We started our journey today, coffee in hand, driving around the Sea of Galilee to Mt. Arbel. This location is quite special as it is the only true mountain in the Gailee area. From the top, it gives a 360 degree view of the entire region. Looking from the cliffs into the valley below, we were able to see the world of Jesus at a glance. It really is one of the things that surprised us the most, how close everything is to each other.

Tabgha

Our second stop was to Tabgha, a church located at the north end of Galilee. This church is the location of 7 springs that feed into the Sea of Galilee. The springs are much warmer than the waters in the Sea, so this makes the best fishing grounds. Tabgha is the most likely place where Jesus called His disciples from fishing to come and follow.

Capernaum

Capernaum is a town mentioned quite often in Jesus’ narrative; He spent a lot of time here and chose to begin His ministry here. At this location are the remains of Peter’s mother-in-law’s house. Amazingly, archeologists are 99% sure this is the actual location! Early Christians started arriving to the site shortly after Jesus’s death and left symbols, like the fish (ichthys) behind in the rooms of the house.

Chorazin

Chorazin was next on our stop for a lunch picnic and a tour of the remains of a 5th century A.D. synagogue to learn more about Jewish culture. Did you know that the steps to these synagogues are uneven and different sizes on purpose? Yehuda, our guide told us that this was intentional so that people approaching to go into temple would have to watch their footing and be purposeful in how they went inside.

Mount of Beatitudes

No trip to the Galilee would be complete without visiting the hills where Jesus would have preached the Sermon on the Mount. Each of us took turns reading a part of the sermon out loud. Hearing the sermon in the same place that it was first spoken over 2,000 years ago was like hearing it for the first time.

Magdala

In an unlikely place, nestled up tight next to a hotel, were the remains of the town of Magdala. This is another location where a synagogue was found that dates to the period of Jesus. This location is the home of the Magdala stone (impressive sounding, right?) This stone (discovered in 2009) is a sort of ceremonial bench, on which the Torah was placed. The stone also features the oldest known carving of the 7 branched menorah, symbolic of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.

Ginosar Kibbutz/Boat Ride

Our last stop of the evening was a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee! It was a bit rainy at first, which reminded us of when Jesus calms a storm as the disciples were sailing. Thankfully, we never experienced those kinds of waves! As night fell, our captain turned out the lights and even played some gospel music. As we started listening to the music and even singing along, all of us really leaned into the words. Our night of worship in the middle of the Sea of Galilee is a moment none of us will ever forget.

It was a perfect way to end our stay here in the Galilee area. Our hearts are happy and eyes are sleepy. Tomorrow, we say goodbye to the Sea and hello to Jerusalem!