Day 5 – Wednesday, September 14: Arbel, Yardinet, Kinneret Cemetery, Magdala, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Sea of Galilee Boat Ride
We spent the entire day around the Sea of Galilee, connecting with the life and ministry of Jesus. After some cloud cover in the morning, the sun was bright, with temps around 90. 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. Six 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 amazing. It could have been the lower slopes of this mountain where Jesus shared His “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Additionally, it also 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, six 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 (or maybe eight now) 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.
“We followed in the footsteps of Jesus today! The entire day was going from one place to another visiting sites where He was and reading the Bible what He did. From the top of Arbel to Capernaum, and then ending the day with a boat ride was inspiring.”
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! He preached the same kingdom message down on the plain (Luke 6).
Ancient Boat/Sea of Galilee Boat Ride
Our last stop of the day was at Nof Ginnosar. First we saw a 1st century wooden boat discovered in 1986. It was found on the shoreline of Sea of Galilee). Lastly, we enjoyed a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. This included a brief time of worship and reflection. We read from Matthew 14 about one of the storm narratives. We were inspired to trust in Jesus!
We returned to our hotel about 5:45! Some enjoyed swimming in the Sea of Galilee. Dinner was once again abundant, with many selections! Tomorrow we leave the Galilee and head south to the Dead Sea!
Day 6 – Thursday, September 15: Beth Shean, Shiloh, Judean Desert/Desert of Parath, Jericho, Dead Sea
