view of the Sea of Galilee from the Church of the Beatitudes, Israel, photo by Itamar Grinberg, courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism
The Church of the Beatitudes sits on a gentle rise overlooking the Sea of Galilee on the spot traditionally believed to be where Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount, which opens with the eight Beatitudes. This was one of the earliest sermons of Jesus and is generally believed to present the core values of Christian faith. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount happened just after Jesus began his ministry, traveling around the Galilee region preaching and healing. He was developing a reputation as a wise teacher and miracle worker and people began to seek him out.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
His disciples came to Him, 2and He began to teach them, saying:
3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
waters of the Banias Spring (one source of the Jordan River), with Pan’s Cave, aka the Gates of Hades, in the background – For Greco-Roman pilgrims to the sanctuary, the gaping cave, with its seemingly bottomless pool and flowing stream, marked an entrance to the underworld or “Gates of Hades.” The spring no longer flows out of the cave but rises from the ground below.
In or around the last decade before the Common Era, the city of Caesarea Philippi was commissioned by Philip the Tetrarch, a son of Herod the Great. The site already had a long history as a religious sanctuary. For over two centuries it had been known as Paneas, a major sanctuary for the Greek god Pan. The modern Arabic name Banias derives from the Greek Paneas. Before the Hellenistic period, the area was sacred to the Canaanite god Baal. Sheltered in the foothills of Mt. Hermon, the region’s highest mountain, with abundant water and a lush, garden setting, it does feel like hallowed ground. Continue reading →
the incomparable Jacob, one of our guides in Israel, at Capernaum
After leaving his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus made Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the center of his ministry. The Gospels tell many stories of Jesus teaching and healing there.
the synagogue at Capernaum
Today, you can see the remains of a 4th-century synagogue, which stands on top of an earlier synagogue that is likely the one where Jesus preached. The remains of Peter’s House and the 5th-century church built around it can be viewed through the glass floor of the modern church built over the site. The tradition that the house belonged to Peter (the disciple of Jesus also known as Simon) goes back to the middle of the 1st century.
the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, where Jesus prayed before being arrested, photo by Derek Winterburn, courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism
the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow) in the Old City of Jerusalem, traditionally held to be the route Jesus walked to his crucifixion
the 9th Station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa, where, according to tradition, Jesus stumbled for the 3rd time as he carried the cross to his crucifixion
inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which some traditions hold stands on the ground where Jesus was crucified and buried
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, photo by Noam Chen, courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism
Nazareth, Israel with the Church of the Annunciation on the right, photo by Dafna Tal, courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism
In the first century, Nazareth was an out-of-the-way farming village of fewer than 500 residents. Today it is a metropolitan area of over 200,000, of which about 60% are Israeli Arab (both Christian and Muslim) and about 40% are Israeli Jews. It’s located in the heart of the Galilee region in northern Israel.
Nazareth was Mary’s hometown and it was there the angel Gabriel appeared to her and announced that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-38).
She was instructed to name the child Jesus, which means “God saves” in Hebrew.
Jesus spent most of his life in Nazareth, until he began his ministry at age 30 and moved to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee.
Things to see in Nazareth:
Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth, Israel, photo by Mordagan, courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism
In the Byzantine era, the Roman Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation was built on the site believed to be the home of Mary and Joseph. The modern church, completed in 1969, stands upon and incorporates remains of Byzantine and Crusader era churches, and is the largest church in the Middle East. A cave in the lower level is tradionally believed to be the spot where Gabriel appeared to Mary. This church can be seen from miles away. Beautiful mosaics of Mary from many countries are displayed throughout the building.
The International Mary of Nazareth Center is a short walk from the Basilica of the Annunciation.
Also in the same area is St. Joseph’s Church, built over the traditional site of Joseph’s carpentry workshop, sometimes called Joseph’s Grotto.
St. Gabriel Church, Nazareth, Israel, photo by Mordagan, courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism
According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Annunciation took place at a spring frequented by Mary. Another church has stood on that site, right over the spring, since Byzantine times – the Church of St. Gabriel. Mary’s Well is nearby.
A little way out of town, about 1 1/2 miles, is Mt. Precipice. According to Luke 4:29-30, this is where the people of Nazareth attempted to throw Jesus off the mountain after a sermon in which he suggested that he was the fulfillment of a prophecy of Isaiah.
In the undeveloped fields outside of the city, Nazareth Village is a restored 1st-century farm and re-created village, where visitors can observe and participate in the local way of life of 2,000 years ago.
After the Annunciation came the Visitation (Luke 1:39–56). Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Surely she (Mary), the unmarried, pregnant virgin, probably no more than 13 years old, was in need of some sisterly support. When Mary approached, Elizabeth’s baby leapt in her womb and she knew Mary was blessed and that this was no ordinary visit. Mary then expressed her own wonder and surrender in words that came to be known as the Magnificat, one of the oldest Christian hymns. Crank it!
Magnificat text, Luke 1:46-55:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Do the placid (and therapeutic!) waters of the Dead Sea harbor a distant memory of rampant brutality and fiery retribution? Maybe. According to the Bible, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the area known as the Plain of Jordan, which scholars place around the southern end of the Dead Sea, between Israel and Jordan.
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