Jarom in Jerusalem: Galilee- Day two and three!!

Day 2- While one class went on a field trip we stayed at the Kibbutz and had three hours of New Testament class, did a little homework, but mostly hung out at the beach. I was so tired and feeling anti-social so I watched the rest of the Harry Potter 7: Part one. I hear everyone in the states is excited for Harry Potter 7 part 2, and we might go see it here even, we’ll see. At night we had a bon fire and that was cool.

Day 3- Today was our turn to take a field trip. We first took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, then stopped in the middle and talked about Christ calming the storm as well as him walking on water. (Matt 14:24). We sung “Master the Tempest is Raging” as well as “Jesus Savior Pilot Me.” While we were in Galilee the wind always blew West to East; the “contrary wind” in the KJV of Matt 14:24 means the wind was going East to West, which caused them problems. Anyway, after a short devotional we went to the other side of the Sea to a place where they had this old boat they found on the beach which was from the 1rst century. We then headed off to the Mount of Beatitudes.

So they never explained to us why they were so sure this place was the Mount where Christ taught in Matt 5. Probably because it is near Capernaum, and there are natural amphitheaters in the hillsides there. There is a neat modern church (made of Basalt) that is there with lots of nuns there taking care of it. There were stain glass windows with the beatitudes in Latin written in them, as well as very nice gardens surrounding the place. A nun there gave us a little talk in what I have to say was the most insightful teaching about the Sermon on the Mount I’d heard from someone non-LDS. We walked the grounds, and then did a little drive over to Capernaum.

Capernaum was cool! Our teacher gave us a list of the many miracles Christ did there and there are a ton! This town was probably “church headquarters” in Christ’s day because Peter’s house was there and so many miracles happened and are recorded from there. We first went to a 3^rd century white synagogue which was built on the foundation of a black basalt synagogue that was there is Christ’s day. The new synagogue basically has the same dimensions as the old one and it was really neat to visit. This is probably where Christ heals a man’s withered hand in Mark 3:1-6 or Luke 6:6-11. The synagogue was surrounded by the ruins of Capernaum. The streets were narrow and the buildings all made of black basalt stone. Rabbi’s always lived near the synagogue, and so one of those ruined houses near the synagogue would have been where Jairus and his daughter lived. (Matt 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-42). Also we know a centurion built that synagogue we were standing on (Luke 7:1-10)! About a hundred meters away there was a huge church built on columns so it stood above the ground. Below it lied the remains of three octagonal churches, the original having been built around a place where early Christians believed was Peter’s house. An early church would have met in a member’s house, and there is good evidence it was used as a church very early on, and was also venerated early on as a place where Peter lived, so there is a good chance that was actually where Peter lived! That also would have been where Christ stayed for much of his ministry! If it was his house we would have walked just as Christ did in Mark 1:29. Later on in Mark it appears people know that they kind find Christ at Peter’s House so that’s probably where Christ spent his time and where would have been the “church.” Cool cool things.

We visited a few more places. One was Topka, where after his resurrection Christ cooked some fish for his disciples. (A church was built to commemorate the place.) Also a “Church of St. Peter’s Primacy” was built there to also commemorate where Christ told the disciples to cast nets on the other side of the boat also in John 21. A rock was there where supposedly Christ ate with them there. Oh hey, we also visited a bay that makes a natural theatre and apparently if you are right in the middle your voice can carry 8 times over. Probable spot for Mark 13:1-2. We also went to an ancient Bethsaida, although one of our teachers doesn’t believe it is actually. Anyway, whatever it is there was a large fishing house found in it. James of John were from Bethsaida, so maybe they knew the people there is it was. Also it was an Old Testament town that fell I believe to the Assyrians. After that we went home.

I want to take a moment and again remind whoever is reading this how neat it was to go to these places where teachings were given that really have had an effect on my life, especially the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount and the miracles and teachings in Capernaum. Love your enemies, consider the lilies, by their fruits ye shall know them, there are tons of teachings from here! Read Matt 5-7. Super cool. By the way, we know it would have been the rainy season because there were lilies in the field! We were there in the dry season, but it still looked green, kind of like how most of Yakima is brown but there are still green trees and green agriculture in the summer. There are just so many neat things that I love that happened near or on the shores of Galilee, not very far apart!