#7 … Saturday – May 3rd
[An outlook over Galilee and a boat ride across]
Yesterday in
Capernaum the group thoroughly enjoyed listening to the biblical connections of
the city and synagogue to the life of Christ.
The synagogue was built around the 4th or 5th century but
beneath the foundation of this synagogue lays the foundation of a synagogue
from the 1st century, the one that Jesus would have ministered in. It was here that He …
· Confronted
by a demoniac while teaching here (Mark 1:21-27).
· Healed the
servant of the centurion. This Roman official was later credited with
building the synagogue (Luke 7:3).
· Delivered
the sermon on the bread of life (John 6:35-59).
Today the
group headed to the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee where we’ll see some
impressive sights that will deepen and enrich our understanding of Jesus’
ministry.
First – Mount Arbel.
Nothing quite prepares you for the dramatic view you will encounter as
you ascend the slope of the field to its northwest corner. As you pause at the edge of the sheer
limestone cliff, the Sea of Galilee spreads out below you. At the foot of Arbel is the fishing village
of Magdala which is the home town of Mary Magdalene, out of whom Jesus cast
seven demons.
It truly is
a breath taking view as a person can see the entire Sea of Galilee, the
mountains of Upper Galilee, the Golan Heights, and up the valley toward
Nazareth --- a route that Jesus would often have walked.
The guy in
me thinks that Jesus had to have come up here to spend time with his Father and
reflect upon ministry decisions. And if
so, I wonder if He ever smiled while thinking …. “Hey Dad, we sure created a
really beautiful place!”
The plains of Gennesaret are easily
visible as well as Capernaum, the center of Jesus ministry. On the far shore would be Bethsaida, Kursi,
Hippos, and the land of the Deacoplis or modern day Syria.
Over the centuries, the wrath of various kingdoms would break in full
fury upon the people of Galilee.
Aramaeans, several campaigns of Assyrians, Babylonians, Seleucids, Parthians,
Romans, Herod, Syria, and others have tramped across this region.
The ridge below
Mount Arbel is riddled with caves which have been used in numerous
revolts. In 160 B.C., Judas Maccabee and
his forces fortified and hid out in the caves until the onslaught by the
Seleucid general Bacchides. It is
recorded that Bacchides besieged and captured these Jews – there was nowhere
for them to go.
When Herod
the Great conquered Palestine, Jewish zealots again used the caves to hide in. The result was the same; the zealots were captured. In
A.D. 66 during the First Revolt against Rome, rebels once again hid out in the
caves but again were eventually captured.
The Romans would lower themselves down with ropes and use grappling
hooks to toss into the caves and pull the people out, or would stack brush in
the cave and torch …. Thus either cooking the people within or driving them out
with the smoke. COME ON GUYS, THE GIG IS
UP. THE JEWS IN THIS REGION WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN GOOD AT THE GAME OF HIDE-N-SEEK!!
To the back
side of Mount Arbel is the mountain top known as the Horns of Hittim. This is a steep hill that dominates the area around it. It is an extinct volcano, and due to its twin
peaks ("horns") on each
side of the crater it has the form of a bull. A Canaanite and Israelite city were located at
each side, perhaps the site of the Biblical city of "Adamah" (Joshua 19:36).
The decisive battle
of the Crusaders and Saladin was held in the valley below it in 1187, signaling
the beginning of the end for the Crusaders Kingdom in the Holy Land. A couple of years ago both our Costa Rican missionary, Mark
Edwards, and I hiked both Mount Arbel and Hittim --- that was the bomb! J
Second – Nof
Ginnosar – Jesus Boat. The
"Jesus Boat" was an ancient fishing boat from the 1st century A.D.
discovered in 1986 on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee.
The remains of the boat, 27 feet long, 7.5 feet wide and
with a maximum preserved height of 4.3 feet, first appeared during a drought,
when the waters of the Sea receded. A
very informative website is:
Third – Boat
ride on the Galilee.
The Sea of
Galilee is a beautiful blue freshwater lake.
Because it is shaped like a harp, it is called Yam Kinneret (Numbers 34:11) in Hebrew, from the word kinnor
which means “harp.” It was also known s the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1) after the large capital city, built by
Herod Antipas, which is located on its Western shores.
“Galilee,” (Matthew
4:18) the name by which the lake is known in the Gospels, means “ring” in Hebrew, a reminder that the
lake if ringed in by mountains on all sides except the north. It is also called the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke5:1), drawing that name from the large plain in
the northwest corner.
The Sea of
Galilee is fed by the Jordan River, which brings water from the melting snow of
Mount Hermon to the north. Additional
water comes from the numerous springs around the lake, many of which are hot
springs. The hot water form these
springs allows even tropical fish to thrive.
The very high rate of evaporation from the lake raises the humidity to
an average of 65% in the area over and around the lake; such an environment
also enables tropical plants and fruit to grow – making this region incredibly
fertile.
The Sea of
Galilee is now 12.5 miles long and 7 miles wide but it was more than likely longer
in the time of Jesus. But the constant
emptying of the Jordan and the run off from near-by mountains would have
brought much silt to its shores. The
surface of the lake is about 700 feet below sea level and the deepest spot is
about 200 feet.
·
- To compare, Houghton Lake is the biggest lake in Michigan at 7.456 miles long and 4.35 miles wide.
- More can be learned about the Sea of Galilee by looking at this website:
Fourth – Kursi
or the Land of the Gadarenes. This site is where
Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee with His Apostles, asleep in the boat. They were swept up into a storm and the Lord
awoke and calmed it, teaching His followers that He is Lord even over nature
and worthy of our complete trust.
After this,
Jesus arrived on the Eastern side of the lake at the fishing village of Gergesa
or as it is known today, Kursi. It is
the traditional site where Jesus healed two men possessed by demons (see Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20,
and Luke 8:26-39).
The ruins of
a monastery built in the 5th century A.D. to commemorate this event. The site was damaged by an 8th
century earthquake and abandoned until it was unearthed by road construction
crews following the war of 1967. It is
a beautiful archeological site and the monastery is the largest that has been
uncovered in Israel.
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