Around the Lake

Day five has us in the northern part of the Sea of Galilee, the heart of Jesus' earthly ministry. We hopscotched around to several important sites.

First we were treated to an hour long, early morning boat ride on the lake.

 We arrived at the location where a boat from the first century had been taken and preserved after it was found in the lakeside mud.

We next went to the newly opened excavations at Migdal, the town Mary Magdalene was from. They have uncovered a 1st century synagogue and it is likely that Jesus would have visited this place on a Sabbath day - very exciting find.

Next, we went to one of Pastor Al's least favorite spots, the Mount of Beatitudes:A place filled with tourist and buses where we're unsure that anything ever happened. Other that that, it's a great spot.

Next along the part was Chorizim, a town above the lake that Jesus mentions he visited and did miracles in. Most of the ruins here are from a later period, but are still interesting.

After lunch, we went to Kursi, a spot where Jesus may have met a demon possessed man and sent the demons in him into pigs the ran into the lake and drowned. A large church and monastery was built there in Byzantine times.

At last, we got to a highlight of the day: Capernaum, the center of Jesus' ministry for his first two years. He would have spoken in the synagogue here, lived here, and done miracles here.

For our last two stops, we visited a church where the feeding of the 5000 was remembered and a church very near to the place where we think Jesus met his disciples on a post Resurrection appearance by the lake shore. Another great (but hot) day.