After a two-hour drive in our rented Kia Picanto (which in Hebrew means cramped, I think), we passed a sign indicating we were at sea level which I thought was curious until we rounded a curve and beheld the misty blue expanse of the Sea of Galilee 215 meters below sea level in a bowl of rust colored hills. We passed another sign indicating the Tiberias city limit, and we spent the next hour locating the house belonging to the niece of our host, who had the key to our apartment and the apartment itself a few kilometers away. By the time we got settled in our third floor flat, it was 3:00 PM, Shabbat was fast approaching, and the clock was ticking.
Our last full day in Tel Aviv was spent indoors as gusty thunderstorms pushed through the northern coastal regions of Israel, and periods of intense downpours prevented any sightseeing activities. During the brief breaks between storms, we took turns scampering to the nearby market for necessary supplies like hummus and Coca Cola, and we managed to get some schoolwork and research done before naptime - retirement is rough, you have no idea. At 4:00 pm, the clouds broke long enough for Deena and me to escape the confines of the apartment and run down to the corner treat stands and reward ourselves with a double espresso and a big cup of blended grapefruit, orange, and pomegranate juice. We discovered in Izmir that pomegranate juice is too intense to drink straight, but it’s sublime when properly cut with the juices of complimentary fruits by an enthusiastic barista, an occupation not limited by the sole function of coffee preparation. Satisfied with our treats, we returned home to start packing for northern Israel.
The storms continued noisily through the night, and heavy rain was still blowing through the streets in our neighborhood as we prepared to leave Tel Aviv the next morning. By the time we finished breakfast, the rain had subsided enough for Deena and me to tackle the ten block walk to the car rental place and secure our modest mode of transport. We drove back to the apartment and managed to load our gear before the rains started up again, and I managed to make it out of Tel Aviv without getting honked at a single time. We enjoyed our time in this busy modern city, and while English is spoken here in minority after Hebrew and Arabic, it was still refreshing to have more ease of communication.
We drove out of the storm clouds into blue sky as we headed north, and the terrain turned into long, rocky and dusty stretches with the occasional sight of small villages built into the hills. There were also industrial areas with nearby housing blocks designed with glass and steel architecture, and they had an appearance like martian outposts perched on sandy outcrops. I was amused by the green road signs that indicated the proximity in kilometers of approaching cities like Nazareth and landmarks like Mount Carmel, and I wondered if there was some type of signage in Biblical times indicating the number of paras’ot left to journey’s end. I could imagine the conversation between the disciples, “Hey Peter, it’s twenty more paras’ot to the next Shabbat area, I could use a Slurpee and a Snickers bar.”
We’re staying in Tiberias for the next ten days for the purpose of exploring the area of Galilee where Jesus spent seventy percent of his ministry. As we settled into our apartment, we knew we only had a couple of hours before sundown, the beginning of Shabbat, the day of rest for the Jewish people. Once Shabbat commences, all work ceases, stores close, and families converge during this sacred time, and we had to get supplies before they were unavailable for two days. As we were picking up the key to our place, our host’s niece mentioned that she doesn’t use the phone during Shabbat, so we needed to call with any questions before 5:00 pm. Jewish law prohibits any form of deliberate activity on Shabbat, and there are thirty-nine categories of activities to avoid during the twenty-four hour period. Many categories refer to activities associated with an antiquated, agrarian lifestyle, but there are modern interpretations that provide for properly keeping Shabbat. One example using two categories is the act of turning a light on and off which would involve the prohibited activities of kindling and extinguishing a fire. While I find all the elements surrounding Shabbat fascinating and overwhelming, I certainly have appreciation for the intended result of following the guidelines: resting, studying scripture, spending time with family and friends, attending synagogue, eating special meals, and focusing on marriage relationships. Shabbat shalom!!
Sunset over Tiberias
The next morning we cooked our favorite breakfast of eggs-in-a-basket made from supplies thankfully purchased before the commencement of Shabbat the day before and packed a lunch of turkey and hummus pitas to take on the road. We loaded up the Picanto and struck out for the ancient village of Capernaum, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus chose this town as his ministry headquarters in Galilee, and it was near the hometown of many of his disciples. It’s important to note that Capernaum was situated at a major point of the Via Maris, an ancient trade route that linked Africa, Europe, and Asia, and as Jesus taught and performed miracles, news of his words and deeds traveled far and wide as a result.
Sea of Galilee
Greek Orthodox Church at Capernaum
After a quick twenty-minute drive, we arrived in the first of two sections of Capernaum National Park, which is east of the antiquities site. The skies were cloudy with slashes of blue beginning to appear as we wandered the site for a while eventually ending up at the Greek Orthodox Church built on the site where tradition says that Jesus chose his disciples. I’m beginning to learn that one can state any claim as fact as long as the word “tradition” is included in the text. For example: “Elvis performed a concert in Charlotte in 1969, and tradition says he sat on this very bench outside the coliseum and ate a peanut butter and banana sammich before the show.” That statement with no firm, factual backup would guarantee a steady stream of tour buses loaded with pilgrims stopping at the bench to leave inscribed jars of peanut butter. My point is not to equate Elvis with Jesus but to draw attention to the fact that humans like historical facts, and they like to ascribe them to a physical place in order to have some sort of anchor to the past for whatever reason. For the next few weeks, we’ll be visiting many sites where tradition says something occurred, and while many of them may actually be the right place, we’re hoping to focus on the lasting words and lessons described in the Bible while using the approximate locations as inspiration. So, from there we went on to the ice cream stand where tradition says that the disciples ate popsicles after fishing all day.
The grounds around the Orthodox Church were interesting, and Deveny particularly enjoyed walking around beside the colorful peacocks as they strutted and showed off their luminescent blue plumage. The loud braying of a nearby donkey signaled that it was time to move on to the archaeological site of old Capernaum next door. There was an admission fee to enter the site, but it only cost three dollars for our family to gain access, and we walked directly to the site of the Apostle Peter’s house, which has a large modern church built over the ruins. We went inside the church and viewed the ruins through the plexiglass floor then walked outside for another vantage point. From there we walked to the synagogue, which was built in the fourth or fifth century, and while the ruins are impressive to behold, it’s the exposed ruins of the ancient synagogue beneath the newer one that captivated me. The older synagogue was built early in the first century and was most likely the one mentioned in the Gospels where Jesus taught.
There were a few tour groups milling around the synagogue, but I managed to find a quiet corner near the ancient ruins and gathered my family around as we opened up the Gospel of John. I read from the sixth chapter where Jesus says that he is the bread of life and tells those listening that whoever comes to him shall not hunger and whoever believes in him shall never thirst. It’s a long passage, and I read it all stopping occasionally so we could discuss the things Jesus said. The passage ends in verse 59 as John records, “Jesus said these things in the synagogue as he taught at Capernaum.” He was there. He said those words in the place we were standing and John heard them and wrote them down many years later. Now, as the buildings have crumbled and the village is empty, the words of Jesus live on, full of power, hope, peace, and love, never withering, never fading. As we prepared to leave the synagogue, I closed my eyes briefly and thanked God for allowing me to live long enough to experience that moment with my little family.
Capernaum Synagogue
On the shore
A quiet place to read
We walked down the length of the village along the shore of the sea until we came to a quiet corner with a place to sit looking out over the water. We stayed for a while, and the children took turns reading passages from the Bible that dealt specifically with events that happened in Capernaum and the immediate area, and we discussed many things about our faith and how we live our lives. It was a peaceful relaxing time, and I wondered if Jesus and his disciples sat in this place two-thousand years ago, laughing and talking quietly as pairs of ducks skimmed the surface of the shimmering water. By the time we were ready to leave, the tour groups were gone, and the only sounds were the gentle lapping of the small waves on the shore and the dry rustle of the breeze in the palm trees overhead.
From Capernaum, we drove a few kilometers more to Korazim National Park, which features the ruins of the ancient town with another synagogue in which Jesus likely taught. The city is called Chorazin in Luke’s Gospel and mentioned in a disparaging way as Jesus curses the city along with Bethsaida and Capernaum for their unbelief. The ruins of the houses were impressive here as well as the elements inside the synagogue, such as the Moses seat where the Torah was read and the closet area where the scriptures were stored. The dominant trees in the complex were Christ's Thorn Jujube of which many historians believe Jesus’ crown of thorns was made. The site was interesting, but the highlight of our visit was the sight of the group of hyrax living in the rocks around the area. Also called rock rabbits, these animals looked like a cross between a squirrel and a beaver, and they scampered among the boulders with surprising speed and agility. Watching these varmints was a whimsical way to end a full day on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, and we have a lot more to explore.
Synagogue with Moses seat on the left
Korazim synagogue
Korazim house
Hyrax
The next day was our anniversary, and Deena and I do our best every year to celebrate somehow and spend time talking about the many facets of our marriage. Last year, we made plans for an anniversary trip that fell through, then life got in the way, and we were never able to properly celebrate. This year we spent our anniversary with our kids on a worship boat sailing around the northern section of the Sea of Galilee on a bright sunny day—I think we made up for last year. We had planned to spend the morning attending a worship service in Nazareth, but early Sunday morning, I received a response to an email inquiry from a captain informing me that he had room for us on his boat, which would depart from the Ginosar pier at 10:00 AM.
We got ready early and drove to the nearby pier with plenty of time to spare, and we set sail with a Romanian couple and a tour group of Filipinos. It was a beautiful, cool morning with clear skies and a soft breeze, and we sailed out to the middle of the sea and cruised along the perimeter near Capernaum with the green Mount of Beatitudes sweeping up behind. As we relaxed and listened to praise music, the Filipinos broke out a big meal of vegetables and noodles, and they shared this delicious food with everyone on the boat. Halfway through our journey, one of the crew members named Simon led us all in a spirited circular dance on the deck to the rousing Hava Nagila folk song. After the boat ride, we walked around the shoreline and found another quiet place to read the passage from the fourth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel about Jesus settling in Galilee so that the prophecy spoken by Isaiah would be fulfilled. What an incredible morning. We stopped for lunch and grocery shopping on the way home, took long naps in the afternoon, and cooked an anniversary dinner of chicken enchiladas to finish a memorable Lord’s day in Galilee.
Awwwww...I remember it well.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,today as you trod the soil of the savior.