A Note from the Holy Land Band…

Wow. That is the best way to start off an entry about our first real day experiencing this holy land. Today our time was mostly spent in and around the Sea of Galilee. But that’s not quite where we began, so let’s start at the beginning…

Mount of the Beatitudes
Our first stop was the lovely, quiet Mount of the Beatitudes. A sacred space which recalls Jesus’s words –

“Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… the meek… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful…

the pure in heart… the peacemakers… those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” –Matthew 5:1-16

This verse took on new depth when our tour guide, Wisam, explained that the word we now translate as “blessed” is: toba (pronounced tu-ba). In aramaic this word speaks of action. As Wisam said, it is more “get up; go; get involved; get your hands dirty… then you will be blessed.”
Tabgha
And so we went – on to Tabgha, where Jesus fed the five thousand. Although it was on the poor side of the Sea of Galilee and was essentially a fishing village, it was located on a prime watering hole for caravans traveling the Via Maris (“road of the sea”) where groups of thousands traveled from one end of the Roman empire and back again. Jesus started his ministry here because so many travelers passed through. He was targeting travelers, not locals; perhaps he was planting the seeds that would become the roots of Christianity.
Sea of Galilee
The sea is 780 ft below sea level, surrounded by a collection of mountains, so storms can come in quickly, but we were blessed with a calm morning upon our boat the “Magdala”. The Sea of Galilee was first named Kinor which means “heart” because the sea itself is shaped like a heart. It has also been called the Sea of Life, because its freshwater supports many fish (20 different types, including the native Saint Peter’s Fish or Galilean Bass), an opposite of the Dead Sea, which can’t support life.
Ninety percent of Jesus’ ministry was on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. And we can now confirm that his ministry was still happening today, as our whole group joined in worship, singng together in the midst of this important place.
Note: In a museum near the dock, there is housed an ancient boat – over 2000 years old! Local fishermen discovered it in 1986 during a drought year. Did Jesus calm a storm from this boat? Did the disciples pull in a catch from this boat? We may never know…

Primacy of Saint Peter (aka Mensa Christi)
This location is the place of Jesus & the disciples’ final – not the last supper, but the last breakfast. The resurrected Christ appeared to Peter and the other fishermen; he told them to throw their as-yet-empty nets to the side of the boat. Suddenly they caught 153 fish. Two stories explain the specific number recorded in the bible. In its original system, letters could represent numbers and the phrase “I AM ELOHIM” (or I am God) equals 153. Another explanation tells us that the Romans had studied and discovered 153 species of fish in the world so far; by pulling in that number, this story reminds that there is a place for all nations in the net of Christ.
Capernaum
Our last stop before lunch was at the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry, Capernaum. It was essentially a refuge for Jesus after he escaped near execution in his hometown of Nazareth. What remains of the original homes, including Peter’s home, gave new understanding to the parable of the lost coin and the story of Jesus healing the paralytic.

We saw crudely-made stone floors, which could easily hide a lost coin, and learned of the thatched rooftops made of palm leaves. A ladder would have been on the outside of the house and the leaves removed at night; this provided access to a passerby who might want to get closer to Jesus teaching in a home.

We also saw the impressive remains of a 5th century synagogue, which was built above an ancient synagogue, where Jesus would likely have spoken or attended.

Jordan River
After a relaxing sea-side lunch at a Kibbutz, we headed to the Jordan River, to the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism. Again, our tour bus groups joined together for a time of worship and of celebrating our baptisms. It was an unforgettable experience for all and one we hope you will all consider having for yourself!

Of course we also had great food again today and even a bonus side-trip for a few to a diamond factory, museum and showroom.

Can’t wait for our time tomorrow, but it is definitely time for bed!