Israel - 2

The Sea of Galilee. We stayed in the town of Tiberias for two nights with this gorgeous view from our balcony!

One morning we drove to the northern border of Israel where Lebanon and Syria meet. All along the Syrian border we saw warning signs about old land mines. This area is also the start of one of the feeder streams to the Jordan River. This stream was so clear and cold!

The stream is fed from snow melt, rain water runoff, and a natural spring from a mountain called Mt. Hermon. At 7,000', it's the tallest peak in the country. This place is also where you'll find an ancient village called Cesarea Phillipi - named after King Herod's son, Philip. A significant event that happen here is that Jesus gave Peter his primacy (Matt 16:13) "On this rock I will build my church". 

These excavations expose the original village of Cesarea Phillipi from 2,000 years ago. The story in the Bible about a woman who was bleeding from a hemorage and touched Jesus' cloak lived in this town. Once she was healed, she returned to her home praising and glorifying Jesus to all her neighbors.

After Mount Hermon, we headed back south toward the Sea of Galilee and stopped at the site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This church was built in 1939 and it's gardens are amazing! There is a special plaque and garden for each of the Beatitudes.

This was my favorite view from the Church of the Beatitutes. You can see the Sea of Galilee in the distance. 

Inside the church, a large group came in and started singing. It made the moment so intimate and peaceful. I captured what I could on video:

Not far from this church is the site where Jesus fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children, with only two fish and five loaves of bread. This is the only miracle mentioned in all four gospels. It's also where he gave Peter his primacy for the 2nd time when he appeared to his disciples after the resurection and told Peter "Feed my sheep" (John 21).

Inside this church is the rock where Jesus prepared breakfast for his disciples.

Just half a mile later we arrived at the town of Capernaum. This is where Jesus started his ministry after being rejected from his home town of Nazareth

Capernaum was established in 2BC as a fishing village near Jordan River. Peter's house, where Jesus stayed, is under the structure where you see the people lined up. It didn't look much different from these other walls below, but the picture turned out really dark and you can't see much.

This was one of the rare days that a lunch was included in our itinerary, and it was tilapia, or Saint Peter's fish.

Our afternoon was one of my favorites! We sailed on a wooden boat across the Sea of Galilee.

With all the nonstop sight seeing so far, this was the perfect way to reflect on everything. Enjoy the video!

The next morning, we said good-bye to the Sea of Galilee and followed the river south along the Jordanian border. Much of this area is considered Palestenian territory, so there were several security check points. As we neared the Judean Desert, we stopped at a high mountain just two miles away from the spot where Jesus was baptized. This Mount of Temptation is the supposed location where the Devil took Jesus and offered him rule over all the kingdoms of the world (Luke 4:5). From that mountain peak, you have a commanding view of the River Jordan and the Dead Sea.

We then drove into Jericho. It's known as the oldest city in the world and is an oasis in the middle of the desert because of a fresh spring. In this city, Jesus healed a blind man who washed in the pool of Siloam.

Also in Jericho, the Bible tells us there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector, and of short stature. When Jesus came into the town, Zacchaeus climbed up a sycamore (aka fig) tree to see him. (Luke 19). This is one of the oldest fig trees in the city that is 2,000 years old. No one knows for sure whether this was the exact tree Jesus walked under, but it was neat to imagine it could be!