Foto Friday - Israel day 2

Day two...

The morning began with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The entire group was out on the water in separate boats and we all met in the middle, tied the boats together, and listened to Bishop Carter preach a powerful message about following Jesus. His message brought to mind the lyrics from "Jesus You Have Come to the Lakeshore":

O Lord, with your eyes you have searched me,
and while smiling have spoken my name;
now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
by your side I will seek other seas.

The Sea of Galilee.

We traveled across the Sea of Galilee to the town of Capernaum. This is the partially reconstructed synagogue where I read aloud Luke 4:31-41 for our group, which tells of Jesus teaching there on the Sabbath and freeing a man from the spirit of an unclean demon. After leaving the synagogue, Jesus went home with Simon (Peter).

These ruins are immediately adjacent to the synagogue in Capernaum, which lie beneath a modern day church. The top "layer" is from a 5th century Byzantine church that was built over the layer underneath...believed to be Peter's house mentioned above.

From Capernaum we traveled to the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

The Jordan River.

From the Jordan River, we traveled to Tabgha to visit two churches. The first, pictured here, was the Church of the Multiplication, built on the site where Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes.

The altar in the Church of the Multiplication, erected over the rock where Jesus stood.

Tabgha, the Church of the Primacy of St Peter, built on the site where Jesus met the disciples in Galilee after His resurrection.

The altar inside the Church of the Primacy of St Peter and the rock believed to be where Jesus served the disciples breakfast (John 21:12). The church gets its name from the exchange between Jesus and Peter after breakfast (John 21:15-19).

From Tabgha, we traveled to the Mount of Beatitudes. This is the Church of Beatitudes, built on the site where Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount.

The view of the Sea of Galilee from the Mount of Beatitudes.

Next up, day three...