Israel - Day Four - Galilee

"Would we really go out in a boat on the lake in weather like this, while it's raining?" I thought to myself.  When I saw the size of the boat, I was reassured.
These were built for a boatload of tourists. We huddled together on the wet benches and tried to be cheerful

The crew members put on lively music, and this is one of the guys singing.
A little later, he had us all standing in a circle doing the hora.  Well, some of us anyway; I noticed Terry avoided this activity, although he had danced this type of dance in his phys ed classes back at university. Yes, there was enough room to do a dance. Well, that warmed us up quickly! Sorry, I couldn't take a picture; I was too busy.






The Sea of Galilee, or the Lake of Tiberias (it has several names) took at least half an hour to cross.  On the other side the Yigal Alon Museum houses the remains of a 2000 year old fishing boat,  the "Jesus Boat".  In 1986, when the drought drastically lowered the level of the lake it was discovered buried in the mud near the lakeshore.  Facinating how they preserved it by encasing it in foam to move it, soaking it in a chemical solution for years, letting it dry out, and then applying a special coating.  It's supposed to be an example of the type of fishing boat used by Jesus and his disciples, verified by a description by Josephus Flavius, a historian of the day.

 











The Mount of the Beatitudes was a gentle slope to the northwest.  Today, it is cluttered with buildings and churches, but it was interesting to note that the hill is shaped like a natural amphitheatre, amplifying the speaker's voice.  It was easy to imagine Jesus preaching to a crowd of 5,000. 

This Greek orthodox church, the Church of the twelve Apostles, in the nearby village of Capernaum, was a Byzantine addition, but we admired it for its lovely pink domes.

Here is the foundation of what is alleged to be the house of the apostle Peter.  Over the top of it a modern church of St. Peter, in an octagonal shape, was built in 1990, complete with glass floor to view the ruins underneath.

  The alabaster window of  the Byzantine church, the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes in nearby Tabgha.  The original church was built in the 5th century, but this later addition was built on the same floor plan.  An exposed rock under the altar is said to be the rock on which Jesus sat to expound to the people. 

Wonderful restored mosaics from the 5th century, depicting the basket of bread and the two fishes lay in front of the rock.










The highlight of the day was the baptism in the Jordan River, held at Yardenit, a prepared baptismal site.

Some of the group decided to be re-baptized for the experience and because of the special location. One had to rent a white cotton gown and a tiny towel to go with it. I jokingly told Terry and Bruce to put the towels on their heads, because they almost looked like the shawls devout Jewish men wore when they prayed.  Then I felt as though I was making light of the situation, but Terry told me he saw some other men with towels on their heads.

Terry was baptised as a child or an infant; he doesn't remember.  Today he chose to be baptised by immersion (the word baptised comes from the Greek word for "waterlogged") as was practised in the Bible.  I knew Terry was serious about it when he actually went through with his intent, despite the cold water.  There is almost nothing he hates more than being cold, not to mention being in cold water!  I can't even get him to go swimming any more in a normal lake.  Notice the pastor is wearing his wet suit.  Granted, he stood in the water longer than everyone else.

To Terry, this water must've seemed colder than the glacial Slocan Lake in the spring! To his credit, I didn't hear a word of complaint from him.









Terry's favourite place was Capernaum, where the ruins of an
ancient synagogue stood next to the octagonal St. Peter's church.
He shared how he had a feeling of incredible peace there, imagining
how it was in Jesus' day.