The past few days have been amazing! I went with a group of nine others to the
Sea of Galilee for a three day camping trip. Drove through the
ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are now a barren wasteland full of sulfuric rock. We went across the Sea to
Tiberias, and bought fresh fish caught that morning to cook over the fire. It was such a surreal moment.
During the day we went to the ruins of Capernaum. According to Matthew (4:12-14), Jesus moved to Capernaum, from Nazareth, which fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah (9:1-2). John 6:42 implies that Jesus was already well known in Capernaum, as were his parents. Here, all the Gospels agree, Jesus encountered first Simon and Andrew, then James and John, all of them fishermen working on the nearby Sea of Galilee. He then began preaching "in the synagogues throughout all Galilee" but mostly around Capernaum, where He performed numerous miracles.
One of the most memorable moments this weekend was visiting
The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave His famous Sermon on the Mount, marking the start of Christianity's separation from Judaism. This is where Jesus spent all night in prayer and named the 12 disciples. The location is absolutely breathtaking and to walk into the cathedral and see each of the beatitudes surrounding the dome is incredibly powerful.
Stopped in at the
Church of the Twelve Disciples. This is the location Jesus is said to have healed the man lowered through the roof by his four friends.
Spent the last day closing up camp and then went to the Syrian border for some relaxation at the
Hamat Gader Hot Springs. According to Byzantine empress Eudocia, these were the finest spa baths in the whole Roman world. Even the ruins are considered among the most impressive anywhere. It is located in the Yarmuk Valley at the meeting point of Israel, Jordan, and Syria, which means it bristles with army patrols. As my friend Jesura said, "this experience was better than any man-made jacuzzi". There was also an interesting
Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo located at the spa.
Lastly, I wanted to share a picture of the stars, as they rose over the Golan Heights.
I spent quite some time laying by the Sea of Galilee just watching the night sky.
