Israel - Holy Cultures Day 8

Day 08 - Friday, October 22, 2010 - Visit Churches at Capernaum & Church of the Multiplication/Sail on Sea of Galilee/Enjoy Panoramic View of Jerusalem

Both of us were awake before the alarm went off. Gennie got up early to work on some of her university mail and I caught up on a few notes.

Our breakfast basket arrived at 7:30 and then two young women came to collect our bags at 8:00.

Our new bus is much smaller than our original one so the big question last night was how the driver was going to pack all of our luggage and the 16 of us on this small vehicle. We should never have worried.

Miracle of Galilee! Ran had asked for a bigger bus and a new driver. We met Firas who would be our new driver and with us for the remainder of the trip.

Ran explained our morning would be spent visiting holy sites around the Sea of Galilee now known as Lake Kinneret. Ran pointed out the Jordan River as we crossed a tiny stream, and then we spent about an hour visiting Capernaum.

We had very special visitors as Ran’s brother Nir and his nephew Yuval spent the morning with us. It was wonderful to be able to speak to them and have them join us for our adventures.

The temperature in the valley was 84º with 70% humidity. This was once an ancient Roman fishing village and the importance of the city was because it was the documented site of St. Peter’s home and Jesus’ preaching in this area.

Peter’s original home was preserved by an octagonal Byzantine church and today a very large modern church spans the archeological site of the home of Jesus’ apostle.

We also visited the Church of the Multiplication in the village of Tabgha where Jesus spoke to a throng of people and is reported to have turned 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread into enough food for 5,000 believers.

A Benedictine church has been built over the rock where he placed the loaves and fish to bless them. According to our GPS, this area is 612 feet below sea level and was very humid!

Because of lack of rain, the level of the lake is going down and in 1986 the remains of a 2000 year old fishing boat was discovered. Because of the delicate work to recover and restore the boat, many volunteers and Biblical scholars worked to complete this endeavor.

The boat is now displayed at the Kibbutz Genosar at the Yigal Allon Museum. As soon as we had viewed the “Jesus Boat” we went to the dock and had a ride on the Sea of Galilee in our own boat, one of the Galilee Worship Fleet. The name of our boat was Faith.

As soon as we boarded the boat the deck hand hoisted the American flag next to the Israeli flag and they played the National Anthem and then played the national anthem of Israel.

Our 30 minute boat ride on the Sea included a demonstration of the toss net used here by fishermen for centuries. Our captain did not catch any fish, a testament to the fact that the Sea has been over fished for centuries.

There is now a two year moratorium on fishing. The fishermen are being compensated for not fishing and hopefully after restocking the Sea, the fish will again have the opportunity to multiply.

Before we docked we had an opportunity for a group photo. We arrived back at the museum at 12:00 and had a few minutes to shop and get a cold drink.

We traveled to the town of Tiberias and Ran reminded us it was one of the four holy cities of Israel. Firas drove through the old city so we could see more of the traditional areas.

Following the banks of the Jordan River we had lunch at Yardenit along the river where Jesus was baptized. After lunch we all were able to go down to the river to cool our feet in the stream. Many Christians come here to be baptized or to renew their faith.

We left the Sea of Galilee Holy Sites and continued to south and east to Jerusalem. Passing through the West Bank check points Ran gave us an overview of the conflicts between the Israelis, the PLO, and Hamas.

Firas stopped for an afternoon break at an oasis near Jericho and the Palestinian area. There were several vendors offering camel rides and Mary and Joe elected to provide photo opportunities for the rest of us.

Continuing toward the setting sun we saw many Bedouin camps. It is almost impossible to believe that people would be fighting over these dry desolate hills.

Ran wished us Shabbath Shalom – Peaceful Sabbath as we reached Jerusalem just as the sun was going down. We were amazed at the expanse of this holy city.

We arrived at our hotel and found our rooms. While Gennie did a little laundry, I worked on photos and updated the GPS.

Dinner was on our own tonight, but because of the Sabbath, many establishments were closed. Ran volunteered to take us to an Italian restaurant. Eleven of us opted to join the group for a lively dinner at Spaghettium.

We returned to our room at 8:30 and finished the journal and the photos so we could share our delightful day on the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee.

Accommodations: Harmony Hotel, Jerusalem, IL- - - Meal: B

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