Day 5 – Wednesday, May 11: Arbel, Yardenit, Magdala, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Upper Galilee Overlook
Today was another sunny day, with warmer temps in the low 80s. There were many biblical connections today, specifically with the life and ministry of Jesus. We left our hotel at 7:30, reading the first part of Matthew 13 on the way to our first site.
Arbel
We began the day by visiting Mt. Arbel, a mountain on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee. Eight in the group choose to hike the trail to the top, while the others drove around the back side and walked to the top from the visitor center. The view of the lake was spectacular. Even Mt. Hermon was visible far to the north 35-40 miles! It could have been the top of this cliff where Jesus met His disciples after His resurrection (Matthew 28).
Yardenit/Baptism
We drove to the southern end of the lake where the Lower Jordan begins. Here about 20 in the group reaffirmed their faith in baptism in the Jordan River at a place called Yardenit. Jesus Himself was baptized at Bethany Beyond the Jordan further south across from Jericho (John 1). The experience was special for all of us!
Kinneret Cemetery
Near by is the Kinneret Cemetery. Many Jews who were pioneers to the land in the late 19th and early 20th century are buried here. This includes Rachel Bluwstone, an Ukrainian who wrote many poems. Shlomo read, sang, and played some of her poems now put to tunes. She died in 1931. Her picture appears on Israel’s 20 shekel bill today!
Magdala
We drove back through Tiberias to the northwest side of the lake where we visited Magdala. Here, we saw an impressive but simple 1st century synagogue. There are only seven synagogues that date to the time of Jesus in the country. Magdala is only mentioned once in the Gospels (Matthew 16). We also saw a few ritual baths (mikveh or mikvot, plural).
Capernaum
After a great St. Peter’s Fish lunch in Magdala, we visited Capernaum. This Jewish town served as Jesus’ “home base” for His Galilean ministry. In the 5th century synagogue, we read from Mark 1, 2; Luke 7, 8; and John 4, 6. We also saw the Byzantine church, octagonal in shape, that dates to about the same time period. This ancient church surrounds a 1st century house structure suggested, by tradition and archaeology, to be Peter’s house. Down on the lakeshore, we read from Mark 9. Serving in Christ’s kingdom requires a heart of humility and servanthood.
“Our focus today was the life and ministry of Jesus. It was an incredible day of seeing where Jesus walked, taught, and served. The views from Arbel and the Upper Galilee Overlook were incredible!”
Mt. of Beatitudes
Further up the hill from Capernaum is the traditional location of the Mt. of Beatitudes. We gathered on the hillside where we heard Matthew 5:1-9 read in both Hebrew and English. The kingdom proclamation of Jesus was His “go-to” message throughout His ministry!
Upper Galilean Outlook
We completed our day by driving to the Upper Galilee (specifically to “Hill 713” according to Dr. John’s old professor Jim Monson). The hike to the overlook took about 30 minutes. What a incredible view from here! We literally could see the entire width of Israel, from the the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee to the east, to the Carmel Range and the Med Sea to the west. The view from here could very well be the very best view in all of Israel!
We returned to our hotel about 6:45 for dinner! It’s been a great time up here in the north! Tomorrow we head south to the Dead Sea!
Day 6 – Thursday, May 12: Beth Shean, Shiloh, Jericho, Judean Desert, Ein Bokek, Dead Sea
