Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

23^rdAugust 2018

Today’s program is not quite as intense as yesterday, with a planned duration of 9.5 hours, still a long day. We are heading off to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee.

Without the need to clear immigration this time, everything goes smoothly and we depart from the ship on time, and drive directly to Nazareth.

Our first visit is to the Basilica of Annunciation , built on the site where Catholic Tradition believes was the house of Mary. Here it is believed the Angel Gabriel told young Mary that she would give birth to the son of God.

Walking the Streets of Nazareth toward the Church of Annunciation

It is a massive, modern Catholic Church built in 1969. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Countries from around the World were asked to send a mosaic depicting Mary and Jesus to be displayed in the church and compound. So large is the building, that it is the biggest Christian Church in the Middle East.

Australia's contribution to the mosaic artwork that lines the Church

The remains of the old church remain under the structure and can be seen through an octagonal opening on the first floor.

Inside the Church is a mix of New and Old

Next, we are back in the bus and on our way to the Sea of Galilee. The streets of Nazareth are also strewn with garbage , which seems to be the norm where ever we go.

High above the Sea of Galilee

We drive along the edge of the Sea of Galilee at an altitude of 207m below sea level, to our next stop, the Baptismal Site on the Jordan River. It appears to be a tourist attraction rather than a site of any religious significance, but nevertheless is nicely presented and gives us a chance to see the slow moving Jordan River which connects the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea (400 m below sea level).

It is lunch time, and once again we will be eating at a local Kibbutz, at Ginosar, which now runs a substantial hotel complex.

A much better lunch than yesterday

After a bit of free time to look around and take photos, we were back on the bus and destined for Tabgha, where the miracle of loaves and fishes feeding the multitudes took place.

Old mosaic floor depicting the Nile

A little further on we stopped at Caphernaum, “The Town of Jesus”. Caphernaum was a small fishing village on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus is said to have preached in the Synagogue there. It is also the location of the house of St Peter. The synagogue was not originally sighted here but was taken apart piece by piece and relocated here in 4AD.

Remains of the Synagogue

Remains of the simple fisherman's village that surrounded the Synagogue (New Church in the Background)

There is a modern Franciscan Church now built over the site of St Peters house, protecting the site. Australian eucalyptus trees, and date trees, were planted around the site by The Franciscans.

The New Church built over St Peters House

Inside the Church we appear to have been joined by a pilgrimage from an African nation.

The centre piece of the Church is a glass floor which looks directly down to the ruins of St Peters House

Statue of St Peter by the Sea of Galilee

A Shady spot by the Sea of Galilee

Finally, our last visit is to the Mount of Beatitudes, where there is a nice modern Church located high up overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It is a Catholic Church, still overseen by Italian Nuns. It was by far the cleanest site we have visited in Israel.

The Church is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens looking over the Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee

This is the last stop on todays tour and we go back to the bus to head back to the ship in Haifa. It has been a long, but interesting day, and a lot shorter than yesterday. We arrive back at the ship at around 5pm, and the ship plans to leave port in the next hour or so.

Our visit to Israel has been fascinating. It has helped put all of the geography in place, we have heard the Jewish version of the history, and have visited many very significant historical sites. There were no outward signs of it being an unsafe place for tourists, and it was a very packed program, with so much to see in such a short time. The only real surprise was how unclean the cities and tourist sites are. Would we come back ? Probably not, but are glad we have been here.

Tonight we set sail for Port Said in Egypt.