Day four (June 13th) saw us on the bus bright and early, leaving our Tiberias hotel to experience the Sea of Galilee.
We started our day with a visit to the ancient boat, found preserved some years ago, in the mud of Galilee and now, carefully bolted together, kept in a climate-controlled space at the Kibbutz Ginossar Museum.
Then our entire group went out to the lake.
It was a beautiful, calm day—hard to imagine the storms described in the gospels disturbing this sparkling surface.
We also gathered on the boat’s prow for a group photo.
Returning to land, I spotted this little Galilee lizard from the dock!
Back on the bus, we enjoyed the beautiful roadside colour of the Galilee region as we drove to the Mount of Beatitudes.
A walkway to the church area was lined with quotes of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). I took photos of each one with the little puppets our children’s pastor sent with me. (These photos of “Flat Theo” and “Flat Phyllis” will be used by our church’s children’s ministry staff to help the kids relate to the Bible places we visited.)
The church had a beautiful mosaic floor, striking marble panels and a painting of Jesus teaching.
Then it was on to Tabgha, where we walked on the beach of Galilee.
We also spent a few minutes in the beautiful Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, enjoying the stained-glass windows (along with hundreds of others; it was a very bus-busy day around the Sea of Galilee).
Being here in person sure brings to life the Bible stories of Jesus and His disciples and their the Sea of Galilee experiences!
Inside views of the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. (Photos © 2019 by V. Nesdoly)
Violet Nesdoly 