Day 12 – Tuesday, March 19: Arbel, Jordan River/Yardenit, Magdala, Capernaum, Boat Ride/Ancient Boat
Our plans changed this morning when we received the first rains of the entire trip. But we still visited all our intended sites and area throughout the day. Weather wise, it rained most of the day off and on and at varying intensities. God did bless us with a few breaks of sun at timely moments.The temps were in the 60s.
Yardenit/Jordan River
Because of the rain, we drove directly to the southern end of the lake to Yardenit. While the place was not opened, we adjusted with changing into our bathing suits in the restroom of a cafe before heading to the waters of the Jordan. Four in the group reaffirmed their faith. The water was refreshing but not overly cold (as it is in the winter months). It was a special time for everyone, setting ourselves apart for service in God’s kingdom.
Kinneret Cemetery
From the southern end of the lake we now drove north along the southwestern shoreline of the lake. We included an extra stop at the Kinneret Cemetery. This is where an early Jewish pioneer woman named “Rachel” is buried. Shlomo shared about her life. She was an Ukrainian Jew who wrote poems, some of which were put to songs. She died in 1931.
Magdala
From here we drove north of Tiberias to the Plain of Genesseret and to the ancient city of Magdala. This was a large Jewish city in the days of Jesus. We saw a modest 1st century synagogue here. Although the city is only mentioned once (Matthew 15), Jesus must have taught here. We saw a few more ritual baths as well. Archaeologists suggest that a second 1st century synagogue was discovered a few years ago on the other side of the road.
Capernaum
Located on the NW corner of the lake is Capernaum. This Jewish town served as Jesus’ “home base” for His Galilean ministry. In the late 4th/early 5th century synagogue, we read from Mark 1, 2; Luke 7, 8; and John 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.
“Today was our ‘Sea of Galilee’ day. While it rained off and on, we felt blessed to visit sites and experiences connected with Jesus. It was an incredible day to opening the Gospel narratives and seeing Jesus anew at these places.”
Mt. Arbel
Following a great fish lunch, we drove to the top of Mt. Arbel. We had a 30 minute “open window” of partly sunny skies while we hiked to the top. The view from there was stunning. While we cannot be sure (since Arbel is not mentioned in the Gospels, although Josephus mentions Arbela in Antiquities 14.415), maybe this was where the Jesus’ Transfiguration took place (Mt. 17), or where he taught (perhaps on the lower northern slopes) the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). It is also very possible that on top of Arbel was where Jesus met His disciples following His resurrection and shared the Great Commission (Mt. 28).
Ancient Boat / Boat Ride
We ended the day by driving through Tiberias to Nof Ginnosar on the western side of the lake. In the museum here we saw an ancient 1st century wooden boat that was discovered in 1986. We then walked out to the dock for our own boat ride. The heavy rain started now, making our boat ride the perfect setting for the reading of Mark 4 and Matthew 14 (the two storm narratives). Incidentally, it literally stopped raining after we read both of these passages! 🙂 The time of worship was special as well. We were inspired to keep our eyes on Jesus! He is the One who brings peace to our lives!
We drove back to our hotel in Tiberias at 5:20. We enjoyed dinner together at 6:30 followed by a free evening. What a great day re-tracing Jesus’ footsteps!
Day 13 – Wednesday, March 20: Precipice of Nazareth, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea, Jerusalem, Western Wall
