Today our intrepid travelers find themselves in the northern region of Israel called Galilee. This area is fertile and lush with many orchards and vegetable farms, all of them irrigated with water from the Sea of Galilee. This sea is actually a large lake called Kinneret. This area is known as the location of many healing miracles performed by Jesus, this is also the location where Jesus walked on water.
On the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee is The Capernaum National Park. Capernaum is the town Jesus selected as the center of his ministry after he left Nazareth. This town is cited in all four gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. In the park, we saw the ruins of a Roman city.
The black basalt rocks are local and were used to build homes for the common people. The white limestone was quarried further away and was brought to this area to build the church and homes for the wealthier people.
On the advice of our guide, we took a short cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Although we're not boat people, we did and enjoyed it. What made it different from being on a boat on any other lake was being the only Americans with the other passengers, except our guide, being Polish.
They were a large group that were having so much fun that it was fun to watch them. Elizabeth was sitting next to a woman who spoke English and had visited the US twice. They seemed to enjoy their interactions.
While in the same area, we visited Primacy of St. Peter Church, located on the shore and that we had seen from our cruise. The church was built around a large limestone rock that is in front of the altar. This rock is believed to be where Jesus stood when he commanded Peter to "feed my sheep", meaning to tend to Jesus' followers.
The church was quite crowded and Elizabeth was never able to see the rock, but I could raise the camera high enough to get a picture of it.
Not far away, in Tabgha, is the Shrine of the Multiplication of Loaves. The earliest record of a church at this site is from 380 AD. As we learned at many locations, churches were built, destroyed, rebuilt upon the same site, often using the same stones, destroyed and rebuilt again.
This site is notable because it is believed to be where Jesus performed the miracle of the fishes and loaves. In some areas, remains have been found of mosaic floors that were part of the 5th century church. Of course these floors have been roped off to protect them and allow future generations to still be able to enjoy them.
In the Beit She'an National Park we saw the remains of Scythopolis a once great Roman city. Scythopolis was a very large Roman city and the center of the Roman Empire in this area.
It appears to have been a very finely built city with marble structures, public steam baths and toilets, as well as well as a well preserved theater, a hippodrome and a cardo. A friend of ours saw one of our pictures and noted that this site was included as part of the movie Jesus Christ Superstar.
This was one city that was not destroyed by conquerors. First it was destroyed by fire, after which it was abandoned, then it was rebuilt to the city that became ruins due to an earthquake in 749 AD.
Tommy & Elizabeth
in Galilee
On the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee is The Capernaum National Park. Capernaum is the town Jesus selected as the center of his ministry after he left Nazareth. This town is cited in all four gospels, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. In the park, we saw the ruins of a Roman city.
The black basalt rocks are local and were used to build homes for the common people. The white limestone was quarried further away and was brought to this area to build the church and homes for the wealthier people.
On the advice of our guide, we took a short cruise on the Sea of Galilee. Although we're not boat people, we did and enjoyed it. What made it different from being on a boat on any other lake was being the only Americans with the other passengers, except our guide, being Polish.
They were a large group that were having so much fun that it was fun to watch them. Elizabeth was sitting next to a woman who spoke English and had visited the US twice. They seemed to enjoy their interactions.
While in the same area, we visited Primacy of St. Peter Church, located on the shore and that we had seen from our cruise. The church was built around a large limestone rock that is in front of the altar. This rock is believed to be where Jesus stood when he commanded Peter to "feed my sheep", meaning to tend to Jesus' followers.
The church was quite crowded and Elizabeth was never able to see the rock, but I could raise the camera high enough to get a picture of it.
Not far away, in Tabgha, is the Shrine of the Multiplication of Loaves. The earliest record of a church at this site is from 380 AD. As we learned at many locations, churches were built, destroyed, rebuilt upon the same site, often using the same stones, destroyed and rebuilt again.
This site is notable because it is believed to be where Jesus performed the miracle of the fishes and loaves. In some areas, remains have been found of mosaic floors that were part of the 5th century church. Of course these floors have been roped off to protect them and allow future generations to still be able to enjoy them.
In the Beit She'an National Park we saw the remains of Scythopolis a once great Roman city. Scythopolis was a very large Roman city and the center of the Roman Empire in this area.
It appears to have been a very finely built city with marble structures, public steam baths and toilets, as well as well as a well preserved theater, a hippodrome and a cardo. A friend of ours saw one of our pictures and noted that this site was included as part of the movie Jesus Christ Superstar.
This was one city that was not destroyed by conquerors. First it was destroyed by fire, after which it was abandoned, then it was rebuilt to the city that became ruins due to an earthquake in 749 AD.
Tommy & Elizabeth
in Galilee
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