The Sea of Galilee

bunker on the Golan

The Galilee – the land where King Saul lost his life fighting the Philistines, where the Romans built cities, where Jesus grew up and carried out his ministry and where the Crusaders built and lost a kingdom.  Our guide drove us around the Sea of Galilee in a jeep for two days regaling us with stories on the hills looking out at the views of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan on the eastern side and the following day (following the footsteps of Jesus) – the spiritual and more religious and Christian stories on the west side.  (This is the location where Jesus walked on water and recruited four of his apostles.  Interesting, there is an article in today’s Jerusalem Post saying the Sea of Galilee may have frozen over on those few days.)

Cliffs and steep hills ring the Sea of Galilee.  It is about 1-1/2 miles long, 7 miles wide and 700 ft. below sea level.  It is the largest freshwater lake in Israel and the lowest freshwater lake in the world.  It is Israel’s Natural Water Carrier transporting fresh water to all the major population centers.  The natural beauties of these hills have considerable biblical history.  Our pictures can’t begin to capture their splendor and we aren’t going to try to retell all of the stories.

Our first day was all contrasts.  We drove off-road in a jeep along the cliffs, stopping at a myriad of national parks all through the Golan Heights along the eastern edge of the Galilee.  At the same time, it is disconcerting to see the roads to the parks lined with yellow signs warning of landmines.

The further north we drove, there are literally minefields facing the sides of the road.  They are Syrian landmines dating back to the 1960’s and 1970’s.  They have not been cleared; reportedly, because they may at some time, work for Israel’s advantage in the event of another war.  There are barbed-wire fences surrounding them, so no need to feel unsafe.

We stopped and walked around the Hayarden Park Nature Reserve.  We didn’t hike to Bethsaida, but this is where three of the apostles were born and Jesus is said to have performed several miracles.  Many believers stop at a sanctuary here where the Blessed Sacrament is dedicated to Mary’s birth.

The Gamla Nature Reserve is a fortified city (The Masada of the Galilee), where during a Roman Siege in 67 BCE, several thousand Jews were slaughtered.  Flauvius Josephus, a first century historian, also recorded that several thousand more Jews committed a mass suicide on this city high on a rocky plateau rather than surrender to Roman general Vespasian.

We continued to drive through pastoral scenery arriving at the UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) or disengagement zone.  This is a neutral, unoccupied area overseen by UN troops. 

At Mt. Bental, there is an old Syrian bunker, from which we could see Syria, Lebanon and the Hula Valley.  It has a sign showing the distance to Damascus, Amman, Baghdad and Washington DC. 

The second day in the Galilee, we visited three synagogues before winding through the ministry of Christ. 

Gamla fortified Jewish city

The Tiberius area is the resting place of Moses Maimonides, a philosopher, physician and Jewish scholar.  He is remembered as the greatest spiritual authority of the Middle Ages.  Nearby is the tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba’al Ha-Ness, who supposedly took a vow that he would not lie down until the Messiah came.  Therefore, he is buried in an upright position.

There were three separate synagogues built, through time, on top of each other at the Synagogues of Severus.  Now it is a display of a mosaic floor. Jaye likes these mosaics for their detail, sometimes for their beauty and their reflection of the art of the time.  They also relate a story of the period when they were designed.

From there we visited two back-to-back synagogues.  One was Ashkenazi and the other was Sephardic.  The more orthodox Sephardic temple had separate entrances for men and women (still honored in orthodox synagogues today).  Mike viewed the large main hall and decorated ark above.  Jaye went down a number of stairs to the concrete tomb to view the single electric candle.

There are several stories and churches dedicated to Jesus along the Sea of Galilee.  It hardly matters whether a particular event actually took place or if it happened on the site dedicated to the event.  Many people find solace in their personal beliefs.

We passed by the Jordan River where we watched dozens of people being baptized.

The Mt. of Beatitudes sits within hilltop gardens.  The church is the traditional site of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  Blessed are the poor in spirit…

Two events in the life of Jesus are recalled in two churches in Tabgha.  The Multiplication is recorded in a 5^th century mosaic in one church.  We have only the loaves here and two fish…  The primacy of Peter is honored in a small, simple church recalling the appearance of Jesus on the shore.  Have you any fish?  No.  Cast your net… it is the Lord…

The Basilica of the Transfiguration is on Mt. Tabor.  Jesus took three of his disciples up a high mountain apart…  This is where they had a vision of him radiating with Moses and Elijah on either side.  We entered through a 13^th century Muslim gate with 12 towers within the defensive wall.  There is a small chapel commemorating the conversation between Jesus and his disciples.  A beautiful basilica, built in 1924, has a mosaic of the nativity.

We ended the day at Zippori, a Roman era city with extensive ruins and spas.  The ancient city is on a high ridge, again with those great views.

It was a prosperous Jewish town in the 1^st century BCE and, again reportedly, the birthplace of the Virgin Mary.  It is also, reportedly, the home of the rabbis who wrote down the Talmud, the primary guide for Orthodox Jewish practices.

It has a wonderfully restored mosaic floor in the governor’s mansion.  The details were astounding.  There is another mosaic of the zodiac on the synagogue floor. Hammat Tiberias, a national park, includes a mosaic floor in the synagogue near ancient therapeutic baths.  The 4^th century mosaics of human figures represent the

four seasons and the signs of the zodiac are also detailed in this well-preserved floor.

There are colonnaded roadways, an amphitheatre and a Crusader citadel.

Best of all is the ancient aqueduct and reservoir.  It is a natural cavern, occasionally open to the sky with plaster on the sides throughout.  Remember, this is the 1^st century BCE.  It reminds me (Mike) of the Arizona slot canyons.  It was fed by the springs in the adjacent mountains and transported to the cistern by aqueducts.