We started with a museum visit where we saw the boat discovered by our friend Yuvi Lufan. It is stunning and really puts things in perspective.
Then we walked to the dock, where we boarded “Matthew” to travel across the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Gennesaret, Lake Tiberias, or Kinneret). This was an emotional voyage as we read about the calling of the disciples and the resurrected Jesus sharing a meal with the disciples along these shores (Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14). It was an honor to be together for such a holy journey.
Following this incredible voyage, we visited two small towns, Capernaum and Tabgha. Capernaum is the town in which Jesus spent much of his ministry. Peter’s mother in-law’s house is there, as are the streets Jesus walked and the ruins of a synagogue built on the foundation of the synagogue in which Jesus taught and prayed. Tabgha is the town that is the traditional site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-44).
On our way out of Tabgha, we picked up Emad Aljowlany, our Druze tour guide for the afternoon. He took us to several Druze villages the were bombed out and the people displaced in 1967. There were 150 Druze communities before 1967 and only 5 remain. We ate lunch at a local restaurant in someone’s home in Majdal Shams. The food and the conversation were incredible. Emad then accompanied us on our bus to the border with Syria (We were never close to any danger. It’s a long border). There we saw the shouting hill where families who were separated following the war, some in Syria, others in Palestine, would shout news to one another across the valley. This brought up a lot of good conversation and difficult things to consider. We capped off our visit with locally made Knafeh and a quick visit to Caesarea Philippi where Peter made the proclamation, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew16:13-20).
What and amazing day! We are tired and full in so many ways.
Thank you for your prayers. Another adventure awaits us tomorrow.
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