On our last day in Israel we visited some familiar sites as well as places I’d never heard of. There is a lot to see in the Galilee region, some historical, some contemporary. We were shown where the pump is buried at Kinneret (Galilee), which pumps water from the lake up to Zippori, then down to Jerusalem.
Tabha is a traditional Catholic “loaves and fishes” site. It is a beautiful sanctuary and nursery fed by seven streams on the northeast corner of Lake Kinneret (Galilee). Here there are two churches which were built on top of the ruins of old cities.
We walked down to the lakeshore where we were able to see heart-shaped stones on the ground which served as anchors for the fishermens’ marker poles. Here lies the significance of the word “Ebenezer”, which means “my field”. The fishermen marked the boundaries of their personal fishing zones by placing stones in a circle out into the water. They then tied their boats to a pole stuck into these anchor stones. They put their nets in front of the boat and smacked the water with a paddle to drive the fish into them. No worm on a hook here. This explains the reason why it seemed absurd to Peter when Jesus told him to throw the nets on the other side of the boat.
Normally we wouldn’t see these stones on dry land, but the Galilee is lower now, as water is being pumped to Jerusalem. According to our guide, this isn’t the actual place where this miracle happened; there is a similar setup over in Bethsaida, where the loaves and fish were multiplied, and where Simon Peter made his home.
As we moved on to Capernaum we saw the traditional (Queen Helena’s) Church of St. Peter. There is also one of her familiar octagonal structures which is labeled St. Peter’s home. We had already seen his home in Bethsaida. Here in Capernaum are walls and pillars with the Star of David on them, as well as the oldest carving of the Ark of the Covenant being transported on a cart with wheels. A synagogue from the 4th century was discovered, which was built on top of the old village. This has date palms on it, these being a symbol of Christ. There are many ruins and edifices here, but it is said to be “contaminated” by the building of concrete upon the ruins. Again, instead of what I had imagined of dry, barren desert landscape, this area is lush with Mediterranean vegetation growing around and through the ruins.
As I was pondering the miracles of the fish and of Peter’s walking on the water, I heard in my spirit, “Even if it seems absurd or impossible, if the Lord calls you, do it anyway!”
We traveled from 700 feet below sea level at the Galilee to 700 feet above sea level, to Safed (ancient Zefat) on Mt. Meron. This is a fascinating 500 year old Jewish town that was moved here from Spain. It is terraced high up on the mountain, where it snows every winter. This is a place where most tours do not come. It was a real adventure to experience our excellent bus driver’s maneuvering of the big tour bus around the narrow, one-way hairpin turns in the road. It was well worth the effort, since the beauty of the view, as well as the town, is breathtaking.
This is part of Mt. Canaan, the land God showed Abraham that he would inherit. It is the place where Shimon bar Jochaim wrote the Kabbala. At one point, after the destruction of the Temple, Safed was an alternate Jerusalem, with even another Bethlehem here. There is a Zenati family still living on Meron by the cave of the Kabbala, who have lived here for 3000 years from the time and family of David. This became a center for Messianic Jews who think Christ will come first to Mt. Meron to pick up the dead. They perform a ceremony after Passover, in which they progress up the mountain carrying lights. We looked out over the valley where they line up to celebrate the rabbi who is buried there, whom they believe the Messiah will resurrect first of all.
Safed used to hold 30 percent of the population of Israel, but now there are barely enough to fill one synagogue. We visited a beautiful synagogue which was full of the blue color which symbolizes the heavenlies. There is a pomegranate tree in the courtyard, and inside is the high Bema throne, and a closet with a collection of ancient Torahs. It is a very mystical and peaceful place, where I would have liked to linger without the pressure of the tour.
Safed is also quite an art center. As we walked on winding narrow stone pathways we came to an art gallery with a courtyard built around a fig tree. I wanted to stay there, as it was so peaceful and cool with soft music and a fountain. As far as some of us were concerned, this whole market outdid any of the others we saw. This may have been because it seemed more intimate, being an art center with beautiful paintings, sculpture, and jewelry.
As we left Safed, we passed out of the Cedars of Lebanon into cypress, carob, and pine trees. We saw where homes and settlements are being rapidly built all over this area to keep an Israeli presence here. The terrain becomes more verdant as one travels west toward the Mediterranean Sea. At the coastline we stopped to view the aqueducts overhead, which were built by Herod, and later by the Byzantines. Although they had been excavated, a lot of these ruins were covered by the sea with the building of the Aswan Dam. A humorous note appears in my journal here: “Sorry, I stopped taking so many pictures and making such copious notes. I’m weary of stones and it’s hot.”
I revived by the time we reached Caesarea Maritima, a rather famous port built by Herod, who wanted to please the Romans, and who also wanted a place that was free of Jews. This was a place where the Christians were made to dig out the sand dunes, and were also thrown to the lions. I never expected to see Rome in Israel, but then again, I never expected to see Israel…
We saw the hippodrome where they had the chariot races, and the theatre. This theatre is only half as tall as it once was. It was a thriving business with operas and huge staging, and is still used for events like summer festivals. There would have been even more to see, but most of the palace is under the sea now.
Our final stop was Tel Aviv, at a hotel close to the beach. Yes, I did get in the water so I could say that I was in the Mediterranean. It looked and felt as if each person there had his own personal space of a cubic yard or less.
Our final meal was a feast in a parking lot behind a restaurant. It was dark, and with the lighting and palm and banana trees, I felt as though we were in an oasis. It was a bittersweet time as we reminisced and said goodbyes before we returned to the hotel for a couple of hours of sleep. We had a very early flight to catch.
This is not the end of an experience, but a promise of the germination of seeds planted in my heart. There is a similarity to the book of Acts, in that even after the recorded events, the work goes on. I have experienced a few out-of-the ordinary things in my life, but I believe that, up to now, this is my greatest adventure. There have been treasures deposited in my soul and my life will never be the same.
Posts
