Compass reads North

Waking up our last morning in an Israeli oasis was a beautiful send-off.  We’ve been so fortunate with weather so far and today was no exception.    The Dead Sea did not disappoint either – it was stunning!

We didn’t get away from it before our first stop – Qumran.  This is the site where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls.  There are several caves here.  At the base of the mountain there is an Essene dwelling’s remnants.  When the Romans were perceived as a threat, it’s thought that the Essenes rushed to preserve the scrolls by stowing them away in these caves.

The Essenes were a sect of Judaism.  (Also, I should note that “Judaism” did not exist in Jesus day.  I learned this yesterday).  This sect shared the main Jewish beliefs, but what set them apart was that they were apocalyptic in nature. They believed the world was living in a time of separation from God and that the second coming would be soon.  They were considered “sons of light” and they thought the world had been taken over by “sons of darkness”.  They had separated from the rest of the people in an effort to preserve the divine teachings and practices of their religion because everyone else had fallen from the ways of Truth.

When we left there we had an exciting stop that we were not able to make.  Recently, they found the spot where Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.  The plan was to have a reaffirmation of faith at this very site.  However, when we got to the entrance a festival of sorts was going on that would have prolonged us, forcing our entire day’s plans to change.  Reluctantly, we kept driving to a site farther north along the Jordan (to another kibbutz.)

The ride north surprised me.  The farther north we traveled the greener the land.  Eventually the land was covered with crops, banana trees, and palms.

It was really private and serene where we got into the Jordan River.  There were all kinds of muskrats swimming along.  We reaffirmed our faiths and then got in the water.  These little guys were very curious about us.  They would swim right up to us, smell us, and swim away.  Very cute!  Made me miss my dogs.

Next we took a boat around the Sea of Galilee.  We had mail-ordered weather for this ride!  From the boat we could see Golan Heights (formerly Syria until the Six Day War in 1967), Tabgha, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the Primacy of Peter.  Half of the lake used to be considered the Gentile side.  The story where the demon jumps into the swine and they run into the lake happened on the Gentile side since having pigs would have been against Jewish law.

When we docked we were able to try St. Peter’s fish for our lunch.  For the record it tastes like a tilapia or flounder.

Our afternoon started with a visit to the Primacy of Peter.  There is a beautiful church here that is traditional, yet modern.  This is where John 21:1-19 takes place when Jesus teaches Simon Peter and 6 others to “feed My sheep”.  This is sometimes discussed as a reversal or redemption scripture for Peter since Peter is asked (by Jesus) three times “do you love me?”  (This takes place after the resurrection of Christ.)

Next we visited Capernaum, Peter’s home and church, which is referred to in scripture as Jesus’ home as well.  This site is unique because instead of being traditional it is also historical.   It is safe to say archeologists are sure of this site and it’s purpose.  It’s a large site.  Part of it is made of volcanic rock and the rest is of limestone.  There’s a 4^th century (Byzantine) limestone synagogue over the 1^st century black stone (volcanic) Synagogue of Jesus next to the site of Peter’s home.  We stopped to read Mark 1-3 in the modern church.  This church is beautiful with a panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee and a glass floor that reveals the ancient site of Peter’s home beneath.

Our last stop was Tabgha, where Jesus fed the crowd with only 2 loaves and 5 fish.  There are coy fish in the courtyard pond before the modern day church that is there.  (One of my favorite gift shops was here.)

We are now at our hotel – our final nights will be here.  It is the nicest accommodations yet.  We turned the TV on for the first time since arriving.  We have gone from a spa and resort that felt like a retreat, to a hotel that feels like a resort.  We even have a couch!  It will be nice to walk into the bathroom without getting wet.

Love to you all!