Day 6 around the Sea of Galilee

We spent last night here in Tiberious, the city on the shore of Galilee named after the Roman Emporer. We awoke Sunday morning greeted by a sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. Our first stop of the morning was Mt. Arbel which acted as part of the gateway entry to this region. Most likely Jesus spent time on this mountain in prayer and the road you see below is how Jesus would have come to the Sea of Galilee from Nazareth.

From here we continued around the Sea of Galilee to the site of the first century fishing boat, unearthed several years ago, that gives us an idea of the size and scope of boats during the day of Jesus. The boat had been preserved in the mud and water of the Sea of Galilee until an extreme flood revealed it to archeologists.

The Church of the Beatitudes was next and here we remember that the Sermon on the Mount was shared by Jesus in a place like this overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We had worship together in the courtyard of the church, singing songs and reading Matthew 5, 6 and 7 together. You see the interior of the  church, the courtyard and the view of the Lake in these photos.

Our next stop was the church that remembers the miracle of the feedinng of the 5000 and where Peter was asked to feed God's sheep. You see us by the shore in these photos, as well as the interior of the church and a beautiful statue of Jesus and Peter.

The ruins of Capernaum, pictured below, are next along the shores of Galilee. This was Jesus' homebase for his active ministry. He did many miracles here, taught in the temple, called the disciples and healed many. Below you can see my mom and I as we enter the city, the ruins of the city and temple. The temple is white (and was built in the 400s on top of the orginal) because those stones were imported from another part of the region as everything else is made from volcanic rock.  

Also in Capernaum you find the ruins of Peter's mother's house, believed to be where Jesus lived while in this city. A church is built on top of the ruins. You see the ruins under the church and the interior of the church below.

Our final event for the day was a powerful  boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We killed the engines in the middle of the lake and spent some time in the dead quiet in prayer. We sang a few hymns and then read the story of Jesus calming the storm and Peter walking on water. We talked about letting go of fear and keeping our eyes on Jesus. It was a powerful way to end our day.