Servas Israel Tour – Part III – Places of Spirit: Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, and the Jordan River

Day 4 – Thursday,  25 December 2014 – our wonderful Servas Israel Tour continued.

We traveled to the Sea of Galilee on Christmas Day guided by Iris Salomon- Har Even, host in Oranit.

At 10:00 a.m., we met up at the National Park of Capernaum (Kfar Nahum)

Patiently waiting: Standing- Manda, Lola, Servas host Debbie, great Servas leader Claudia. Sitting: Vladimir, Sudeshna, Imelda,  Kashi Lal, an Israeli Servas member, Brigitte, and Marilyn.

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues” (Matthew 4:23).

We started at Capernaum (Kfar Nahum), where Jesus lived and began preaching.

The magnificent Sea of Galilee – cormorants  soaring above.

On a pier on the Sea of Galilee: Svetlana P, Olga, Svetlana A, and Stepan

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew, his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And He saith unto them. ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men'” (Matthew 4:18).

And Jesus met brothers.

Looking for shells at the Sea of Galilee – Brigitte and Angelica

Entrance to the National Park of Capernaum

At Capernaum

The Church of the Twelve Apostles has pink domes, shown in this  painting  within the church.

Church of the Twelve Apostles

I felt as though I should sit down and confess to something 🙂

The Last Supper

Here by the Sea of Galilee and at Tabgha, I did feel spirituality everywhere: in the air, in the water, in the light – in the religious sites.

On the shore of the Sea of Galilee is a Greek Orthodox monastery:

“The Church of the Twelve Apostles  takes its name from the Gospel  account of Jesus choosing the Twelve in this area of Galilee.

But it is also known as the Church of the Seven Apostles — a reference to Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance by the Sea of Galilee to seven of his disciples — Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John and two other disciples” (John 21). . . .

After the Six Day War in 1969, when Israel pushed its border back to the Golan Heights, restoration of the church began first with the removal of a thick layer of cow manure covering the floor –   since the church had been used for many years as a barn.

Between 1995 and 2000 the church was redecorated  by a Greek iconographer with an eclectic array of Byzantine-style frescoes inspired by works in Orthodox churches and monasteries in various parts of the world, in particular the Balkans.  The church glows in the light.

The Church of the Twelve Apostles occupies a site to the east of ancient Capernaum, where survivors of a devastating earthquake in 749 relocated their village.

The Greek Orthodox monastery – Church of the Twelve Apostles

A small, cross-shaped building with white walls, the Church of the Twelve Apostles has two central domes surrounded by six smaller ones, each topped by a cross.  As you can see, brightly-colored frescoes and icons cover most of the ceilings and walls of the church.

Beautiful frescos radiate from the walls of the church

Inside one dome, Christ the Pantocrator (All-powerful) is surrounded by a chorus of 12 prophets who foretold his coming.”

From: <ww.seetheholyland.net/church-of-the-twelve-apostles/>

Monk Irinarchos in the 1990s – against great odds — was able to renovate this church to the beauty and serenity we see today.

Ulrike, Gerlinde, Israeli Servas member, Maria Rauch, Maria, and at the far end, Barry

Rebuilt wall of the White Synagogue – Brigitte coming through the small opening

Tabgha (ancient Heptapegon) on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee is the accepted site of Jesus’ miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-46) and also of the fourth resurrection appearance (John 21:1-24).   Until 1948, it was the site of a Palestinian Arab village.

The site’s name is derived from the Greek name Heptapegon (“seven springs”).

Church of Heptapegon

Its pronunciation gradually changed to “Tabego”, and was eventually changed to “Tabha” by the Arabic speakers. St. Jerome referred to Heptapegon as “the solitude.” From: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabgha&gt;.

Our guide Iris recommending a great book for the Holy Land

The Chronicle of Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: The Adventures, The Events, The Holy Sites  Go to: <http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Pilgrimage-The-Holy-Land/dp/965724000X&gt;.

Angelica and our terrific photographer, Sasha from Belarus

At the Church of the Heptapegon – Seven Springs

The Church of the Heptapegon – Seven Springs is built over where Jesus laid the fish and the five loafs of bread on a big rock before distributing the food that would feed five thousand (Mark 6:30-44).

Church of the Heptapegon; don’t tell anyone, but when I first saw this church, I thought it fortress-like!

However, I loved the views from inside!

Inside the Church of the Heptapegon, the Christmas manger  set over ruins of Capernaum

Inside the hexagonal church,  Imelda and Ulrike in the left foreground; Barry in center

View from inside the Church of the Heptapegon

Another view from the Church of the Heptapegon –  ruins of Capernaum and in the distance, the domes of the Church of the Twelve Apostles

Ruins of Capernaum – protected under the church

Stepan, Irena, Vladimir  outside the church

Ruins of Capernaum – and a wall of the White Synagogue

“The White Synagogue,” built in the  late 4th Century A.D.,  is on the ruins of the “Synagogue of Jesus” – Iris and Debbie

Irena from the Czech Republic in the White Synagogue

Rebuilt wall of the White Synagogue –  Gerlinde at the small doorway.

Doors to the Church of the Heptapegon.

Then we saw the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha – also so named because of Jesus’ miracle.  The church is modern but stands on the site of 4th and 5th-century churches. It too preserves splendid early Christian mosaics as well as the traditional stone on which the miraculous meal was laid.

Inside the church – Icon of Christ inside the Church of the Multiplication

Mosaics in the church at Tabgha

Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha

Manda from Sweden, Igor from Russia, and Tomas from Poland.

One of the wonderful aspects of this Servas Israel Tour was getting to meet others from around the world.

In the Capernaum National Park

Church of the Multiplication

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Gift of the Bishop of Krakov.

The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter is  north of the Church of the Multiplication and was built on rocks at the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  It’s considered the place where Jesus appeared the fourth time after his resurrection (John 21:1-24), during which, according to Catholic teaching, Jesus again conferred primacy of Simon Peter.

Door into the church

Pope John Paul II was a pilgrim to Tabgha in March, 2000.

Stepan  & Irena from Czech Republic climbing on the rocks outside The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter

After a delightful time at these holy places, we next traveled to the Jordan River, the baptism site of Jesus:

Baptism in the Jordan River

My brother Alan said he would’ve done the immersion, but it was December, already getting dark,  and I’m a wimp, so I didn’t! However, many Christians braved the cold and were re-baptized in the Jordan River.  Many collected water from the river to take home.

In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

This happy Nigerian Christian had just gotten baptized.

Behind schedule on this wonderful day and way after sunset,  we said our goodbyes and headed back with our hosts to their homes.  On our way to Barry and my Servas home, we got to stop at a fantastic Japanese restaurant: Osaka –  Asian Kitchen and Sushi Bar  in Ra’anana – wonderful. <https://www.facebook.com/osakarestaurant/posts/552482348116139&gt;.

This day – Christmas Day 2014 – was personally the most spiritual of our Servas Israel Tour.  I hope you will get such an experience too.

Shalom and Aloha, Renée