March 17, 2012

St. Patrick's Day in Israel!


A beautiful blue sky with a few clouds, a cool spring day. At the Sea of Galilee and nearby areas today. Sea of Galilee is a freshwater lake, but very big.


- Drove around the Sea of Galilee area, through the most beautiful countryside I've seen anywhere (so far). Though I haven't been to Ireland, this unusually wet spring/late winter here sort of reminds me a little bit of what I think Ireland looks like. Perhaps that is because it is St. Patty's day. Green grass covered hills with white rocks poking out of the grass everywhere (it is very rocky here). Animals grazing. Spring wildflowers. Fruit orchards in spring bloom. The Sea of Galilee at one low extreme (720 feet below sea level) and 9,000 ft snow covered Mount Herman at the other high extreme - we could see both at the same time, and rolling green and flower covered hills in between, with springs and streams rushing because of the spring thaw. The natural beauty was stunning.
- First stop Caesarea Philippi, ruins of a Roman City. Temple to Pan. Close to Lebanon border. Ruins of palace of Herod the Great's son Philip. A natural spring there (see gorgeous photos posted of this area). Biblical significance of the cave there.
- Golan Heights, by Syrian border - see more that I wrote with photo
- Lunch on local fish from the Sea of Galilee called "St. Peter's fish", because of the Bible story about Peter finding the money to pay the tax in a fish's mouth upon Jesus' instruction.
- Tabgha at the Sea of Galilee. Loaves and Fishes Church, near the site of the miracle mentioned in all 4 Gospels. See more at photo post.
- Church of St Peter's Primacy, just a few feet from the Sea. See more at the photo of me on the shore. Father Parham taught us here.
- Capernaum, an excavated Roman community. Large community for its time. Mass in a beautiful modern church which was built over the archeological site of St. Peter's actual house in Capernaum. The floor of the church is glass so you could see into the archeol. site below. And the walls were glass so the sun came in as we had a late afternoon service, and it was just lovely. Jesus also lived and taught here (though he traveled quite a bit) for approx 3 years. Ancient Jewish synagogue (see photo). We had some teaching in the synagogue from Father David.


A beautiful day!