1) The document describes a trip around the Sea of Galilee in Israel, including observing Jews celebrating Passover and taking a boat ride on the lake despite strong winds. 2) Key details are provided about the Sea of Galilee, including that it is Israel's largest freshwater lake located 209 meters below sea level, making it the lowest freshwater lake on earth. 3) Several religious sites are visited around the lake, including the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, Tabgha where Jesus multiplied loaves and fish, and Capernaum which was Jesus' home base and the home of his first disciples Peter and Andrew. Architectural features and historical aspects of each site

1. AROUND THE SEA OF GALILEE
Israel
November 2008

2. We stayed at the Kibbutz Maagan which is by the southern shore of the
Sea of Galilee

3. On the night that we arrived, we
saw some Jews celebrating the
Passover meal

4. On the morning that we took a boat ride the winds were pretty strong
The Sea of Galilee is also the Lake of It is 53 km in circumference, 21 km
Gennesaret, Sea of Kinnereth, or Sea long, & 13 km wide
of Tiberias Its deepest depth is only 43 m
It is Israel’s largest freshwater lake At 209 m below sea level, it is the
lowest freshwater lake on earth

5. The strong winds prevented us from going over to Tiberias which is
across the sea

6. After we boarded the boat, the At our request, he hoisted the
seaman hoisted the flag of Israeli flag & sang the anthem
Singapore as we sang the with the other crew members
anthem

7. Surprising, the boat was quite spacious

8. With such unpredictable sea conditions, it is no wonder swimming is
forbidden

9. We had the famous St Peter’s fish (a tilapia) from the Sea of Galilee for
lunch

10. These were some of the sights we saw as we drove to the Mount of Beatitudes, the
place where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1-8)

11. The Catholic chapel was built in 1939 & designed by the noted architect Antonio
Barluzzi who dedicated his life to build churches in the Holy Land

12. The chapel is on a hill about 175 m above the north western shore of the
Sea of Galilee

13. To bring out the significance of
this sacred place, Antonio
Barluzzi made the ceiling walls
octagonal in shape, representing
the 8 beatitudes
Each window on the ceiling wall
displays one of these beatitudes
Its dome has gold mosaic

14. Inside the chapel Outside the chapel

15. Soft music greeted us at Tabgha, the traditional site of the miracle of the
multiplication of the fish & loaves (Mark 6:30-44)

16. The mosaic of the fish & loaves is laid next to a large rock which is
believed to be where Jesus stood when he blessed the fish & loaves

17. Other floor mosaics
The beautiful 5th-century mosaic A tower marked with bands
floor depicting birds & plants bearing Greek letters, probably
for measuring the water level of
the Sea of Galilee (i.e., a
“nilometer”)

19. The olive tree in the church
courtyard

20. Also in the courtyard is a black basalt & a black basalt stone olive oil
stone olive press to squeeze oil out separator—the oil will float on water &
from the olives, flow out of the grooves

21. A 5th-century baptismal fount in the shape of a cross
Apparently, they practised baptism by immersion

22. Our next stop was Capernaum—Jesus’ own city (Matt 9:1; Mark 2:1) &
the place where he lived (Matt 4:13)

23. It was also the home of Jesus’
first converts—Peter & Andrew
(Mark 1:21, 29)
The plague before this statue of
Peter reads, “Thou art Peter and
upon this rock I will build my
church” (Matt 16:18)

24. A modern Franciscan church lies above the stone house where Peter
lived

25. Capernaum (“Nahum’s
village”), situated on the north-
west shore of the Sea of
Galilee, was a fishing village that
existed only from150 BCE
onwards (i.e., during the
Hasmonean Dynasty)
Black basalt stone seemed to be
the main material used in
construction during that time
Here, you can see a black basalt
stone olive press within an olive
mill

26. In later times, white limestone was used

27. A Roman milestone on the Via A column with Aramaic
Maris (“Way of the Sea”) bearing inscription that
reads, “Alpheus, the son of
an inscription from the period of
the Emperor Hadrian (117-138 Zebidah, the son of John, made
CE) this column. May he be
blessed.”

28. The 4th- or 5th-century
(Byzzntine-era) white limestone
synagogue
Its southern façade faces
Jerusalem

29. This synagogue was built over a
layer of black basalt
foundation, very possibly the
synagogue of Jesus’ days that
was built by a Gentile centurion
(Luke 7:5)

30. The columns in the prayer hall were placed on high pedestals &
supported Corinthian capitals while stone benches were placed along
the western & eastern walls

31. On a column in the prayer hall is
a Greek inscription: “Herod, son
of Mo[ni]mos, and Justus his
son, together with (his)
children, erected this column.”

32. The north-south main street

33. Houses lined both sides the north-south main street & the side streets

34. The walls of these houses were constructed with coarse basalt blocks &
reinforced with stone & mud

35. Here, grinding mills for wheat
Capernaum was devastated by
an earthquake that took place in
746 CE
It was abandoned in the 11th
century (Crusader Period) & its
ruins were left untouched until it
was discovered in the 19th
century
Think about this as you think
about the authenticity of Peter’s
house & the synagogue