June 24
We had another big breakfast at the hotel at 7am. Since we are staying at the same hotel tonight we didn’t have to pack up.
We left at 8am to go to the Mount of Beatitudes. A beautiful place where it is believed that Jesus gave His sermon of the Beatitudes. Today, the Catholic Church runs the place. There was a beautiful chapel there.
We went from there to Tel Dan. When Dan (one of the tribes of Israel) couldn’t beat his enemies and tired of fighting, he moved to this location. Afterward Jeroboam built a pagan altar there. It was built on the same principle and plans of the Temple that Solomon built, except he sacrificed animals. It was a fantastic opportunity to have truth win.
At Dan there was also a famous gate of the city called Gate of Abram or the Canaanite Gate. It was fascinating.
We left Dan to eat lunch. Most of us got Tilapia from the Sea of Galilee. It was the whole fish. Tilapia is known as Peter’s Fish. The fish Jesus told him to catch that had a coin in its mouth so they could pay taxes.
After lunch we went to The Church of the Multiplication. The place where Jesus fed over 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
Mosaic of 5 loaves and 2 fish. And rock of blessing where Jesus blessed the bread.
Then we went to Capernaum, known as the Town of Jesus. Peter’s mother-in-law’s house is found in the ruins. There is a Catholic sanctuary built over the ruins of her house. There is a glass floor over the ruins of the house. In Capernaum there are several ruins of other houses and structures. There is a synagogue built in the 4th century, but it is built on the foundation of the synagogue of Jesus’s time. There’s a statue of St. Peter there as well.
Statue of Homeless Jesus at Capernaum
Peter’s Mother in Law’s House
Catholic Church over Peter’s Mother in Law’s House
Ruin’s with synagogue in back.
Synagogue
Earliest depiction of Ark of the Covenant.
Peter
We then went on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We sent the church a video saying hello from the boat.
Raising the US flag and playing the National Anthem
We went swimming in the hotel pool before eating dinner at 7pm.
Goodnight.