Christian Sites
Sea of Galilee
A view of the Sea of Galilee looking west, from the Golan Heights.
Sea of Galilee Boat Rides (from Ginossar, Capernum, Tiberias & Ein Gev)
Just a five minute walk from the Yigal Alon Museum at Ginosar as well as on the waterfront at Tiberias, Ein Gev and Capernum National Park, we have the chance to experience the Sea of Galilee on a Sea of Galilee Boad Ride. This will typically take 45 minutes to an hour and carry us up the shore along the so-called Christian corner of the lake where we can easily spot sites such as Tabgha, Mt. of Beatitudes and Capernum. The relaxing ride allows for contemplation of the miracles which Jesus performed here including Walking on water (John 6:19-21), and a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-5, John 21:1-6). But if you take the ride in the Winter occasionally the winds blow hard and the lake rises up in fury and it’s not hard conjure up the vision of Jesus calming a storm (Mark 8:23-26).
Mary’s Well (Nazareth)
The current site of Mary’s Well is a reconstruction created to celebrate Nazareth in the year 2,000. Nevertheless as it is partially located under a large shady tree it is a good spot to gather ones thoughts before heading off to either the Greek Orthodox or Catholic Church of the Annunciation.
Synagogue Church of Nazareth
Hidden amongst the covered streets of Nazareth’s Old City, you can discover a church built on the spot where the Jews in the time of Jesus were said to have gathered in their synagogue. In the time of Jesus, the first century, synagogues were places of learning and community decision-making. Three of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke mention the story of Jesus preaching in his village synagogue here.
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciaton (St. Gabriel)
The Greek Church of St. Gabriel has been built and rebuilt three times over the course of two millennia. It contains the spring of Nazareth, where the women folk of the ancient village, including Mary, mother or Jesus, came to gather water for their families. Today the spring can still be seen to issue forth water. Greek Orthodox hold that this is the true site of the Angel Gabriel’s message to Mary of her impending pregnancy and birth of Jesus. The water from the spring fed Mary’s Well, located just 140 meters from the spring.
Church of the Annunciation (Nazareth)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:26-38
So begins the Gospel of Luke’s description of the Angel Gabriel’s message to Mary, mother of Jesus. Today the largest church in the Middle East sits atop part of the cave complex where Catholics believe the message was delivered. The Franciscan compound which includes The Church of the Annunciation also includes a school, the Church of St. Joseph, and a museum filled with exquisite Crusader-era relics, only open at special hours.
Haifa, Megiddo, and Lower Galilee (Tzippori, Nazareth and Cana), Druze Carmel.
Throughout the Galilee biblical scenes such as this one will greet you.
Tour Duration: 8-10 hours
Using Haifa hotels or the port as our departure point and driving a total of only two hours over the course of the day we have the opportunity to see picturesque Galilean sites important to our understanding of both Old and New Testament history, as well as an appreciation of modern day Israel’s religious minority’s (Moslems, Christians, Druze and Bahai).
Itinerary
Haifa
Megiddo
Tzippori
Nazareth
Cana
Druze Carmel
Although it was last inhabited in the time of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC, Megiddo still held a powerful grip on the imaginations of people several hundred years later to whom the book of Revelations assertions about a final battle at Armageddon rang true.
The amphitheatre at Ziporri, a remnant from Roman times.
Initially opposed, Jesus acquiesces to his mother’s requests to save the wedding hosts in Cana from embarrassment when they run out of wine. Thus Jesus’ reputation as a miracle worker begins to spread across the Galilee.
A mid-19th century view of Nazareth reveals a tiny village surrounding the Church of the Ascension, not much larger than what existed 2,000 years ago in the time of Christ. Today’s Nazareth contains the largest concentration of Christians in the Holy Land.
Druze Carmel
Israelis flock to Druze eateries in the Carmel montains just outside of Haifa on weekends.
Emmaus
Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
Luke 24:13-16
On the road to Emmaus, two of the disciples met a mysterious man who accompanied them on their journey to Emmaus. They discussed the passing and resurrection of Jesus with this stranger who then expounded to them all of the proofs in the Bible about the coming of Christ, until, at the end of their journey they invited him to eat with them and spend the night in Emmaus. As they broke bread with him they were able to see that the man was Jesus.He then disappeared and they hastened back to Jerusalem to inform the other disciples of their encounter with the risen Jesus.
Megiddo
Megiddo is the preeminent archaeological site in Israel by virtue of the sheer quantity of civilizations unearthed bere by excavators. Although the site was last inhabited during the period of Alexander the Great in the 4th century before the commone era it still bears witness to pivotal battles in ancient history due to its strategic location along the Via Maris, the ancient highway connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia, and running through the Land of Israel.
Megiddo is the original name, in Hebrew, for the Greek Armageddon, the place, according to Revelations 16;16 where the final battle between g0od and evil will occur, ushering in a thousand years of peace and the Messhiah. Highlights here include the Israelite gate, a cultic site used for thousands of years by successive civilizations and the outstanding water tunnel, a source of life for the town’s inhabitants during times of enemy siege.
Bet Shean/Scythopolis
Human habitation dates back more than 7,000 years at Bet Shean! Not surprisingly it features significantly in at least one biblical story (Old Testament) and tangentially in another (New Testament). If you poke around and are willing to climb the ancient tel which dominates the town you can find evidence of ancient Israelite and Egyptian temples. But the central features of the site which we visit today, uncovered by archeologists, date from the Roman and Byzantine period. That’s because the Romans turned this into one of their ten Polis’s in the region, a designation which insured a higher standard of living than in the surrounding communities because of safety, running water and other up-to-date amenities.
Unseen from the park’s entry way is a 7,000 seat ampitheatre. But be prepared, as you enter it via the vomitoriums (?!), for an amazing surprise. Then descend down to the stage and prepare to perform for your friends stationed above you amongst the theater seats.
Walk into the Roman era bath-house and imagine yourself relaxing there. Stroll down the main road amongst ancient pillars, but be careful. Scythopolis (ancient Greek name of Bet Shean) was suddenly devastated by an earthquake in the year 749 and never regained its glory. Don’t get too close to those pillars.