Day 2: Exploring

Greetings to all of you back at home! It's hard to believe that you are starting your day while I am ending mine. :)

 I went to several places today, and each of them was amazing. I started out at the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the famous Sermon on the Mount. It was more like a natural bowl in the landscape, and it was easy to see how His voice would have carried to the thousands of people who came to listen to Him. I was amazed at the extensive walk it would have taken to get places-- all of us here have determined that people in Jesus' time were in MUCH better shape than we are today!  

We then headed over to Tabgha--the fishing area on the Sea of Galilee. This was where Christ first talked with Peter and one of the places He appeared to His apostles after His crucifixion. I was able to touch the water in the Sea of Galilee, which I thought was pretty awesome. :)  

About a mile up the road was Capernaum, where I got to see the house of Peter as well as the synagogue where Jesus taught (I still can't quite wrap my mind around that one!)   I then took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee to where we had lunch. Being out on the lake was beautiful--I was able to see the Golan Heights from the boat as well as the rest of the amazing view around the lake. We had a lunch of fresh talapia and hummus, then headed over to Mount Tabor.

  Now let me tell you, going UP Mount Tabor was an experience in and of itself. The roads are very curvy and the cab drivers take the corners like you would on a video game. They also have to slam on their brakes whenever another cab is coming around the corner at top speed, so it makes for quite the ride... But the top of the mountain offered an absolutely amazing view. From the top, I was able to see the place where King Saul was killed, and see the church that is dedicated to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Mount Tabor is mentioned in the Bible as the place where the army of Barak gathered for battle against Sisera, as well as where Jesus went through his Transfiguration.  

The last stop of the day was Nazareth. I went to the spot where they believe the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, and they have built a church in remembrance. It is the largest church in the Middle East, and has very ornate carvings.  

All in all, it was a wonderful day. I was able to see so much and learn so much more about the Bible. God has already spoken to me so on this trip, I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Love to you all!

Note: In my picture, the top show shows me taking the boat on the Sea of Galilee (left) and at the Mount of Beatitudes (right). On the bottom I am at Capernaum (left), the view on the way up Mount Tabor (middle), and in Nazareth at the church (right).