Day 5 - Sea of Galilee Circle

Friday, October 16
Jesus probably spent more time around the Sea of Galilee than anywhere else in his three years of ministry. Today, Jews call this lake the Kinneret. We'll literally walk in Jesus' steps today.

As we head north from our lodging, our first stop will be at Migdal, the home of "Mary of Migdal", or Mary Magdalene. In Jesus' day, this was a prosperous fishing village. Today, the town has finally been excavated and we will stop to see the site of synagogue that Jesus almost certainly visited.

Next, we will stop at Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, see the “Jesus Boat,” a first century fishing boat found buried in mud and exposed in the lake bed during a drought in 1986. It is now displayed in a museum. Some time today, we will take a boat ride across the lake in a larger replica of this boat.

Next, one of the great highlights of the area: The town of Capernaum. Matthew tells us:
"Leaving Nazareth Jesus went and lived in Capernaum" (Matt 4:13). Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen living in the village. Matthew the tax collector also dwelt here.

Here we will see a 4th century Synagogue, built on the foundation of the first century synagogue that Jesus preached in. We'll also see ruins of a house that may have been the home of Peter and the place Jesus lived when in Capernaum.

Near Capernaum, we'll visit two sites that remember events in Jesus life: The Mount of Beatitudes church, where we remember the Sermon on the Mount. Then, we walk down the hill to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy by the shore.

 We'll round out this busy day with visit to Chorazin (a town cursed by Jesus for not responding to the miracles he did there). 

We'll visit Kursi, the possible place where Jesus healed a man plagued by a legion of demons.