Traveling in Israel 1

It’s great to be in Israel, the journey went well, great considering one can board a plane and 48 hours (3 take offs and landings, and two countries later) end up on the other side of the world.

Here are some observations in no particular order.

I knew it was small but I’m continually adjusting my sense of scale. The Sea of Galilee is a lake. I could have told you the dimensions (13 miles long by 8 miles wide) before I got here but when I’ve envisioned it, I’ve thought ‘sea’. You can see the whole shore line from many points on the shore (when the weather’s clear which it has only rarely been for us). From many points on the mountains which encircle it, you can survey the the whole. On a road map of the country you cover large portions in 15 minutes driving. Although, if I were walking around here, or even riding a horse (or a donkey) it would seem a lot bigger.

The Arbel is a ridge which provides a good view of the whole area. As I was wandering around up there I saw a pair of coneys (rock badgers). This was a special treat for me. Psalm 104 is a great creation psalm. Verse 18 says “The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys.” The treat was that last summer we went to Yellowstone. Early one morning Ari and I climbed up to a viewpoint overlooking Old Faithful and the upper geyser basin. I’d hoped to catch a few eruptions, we didn’t but the view was magnificent. The only wildlife we saw was a coney who popped his head up as if to say “What are you doing in my territory?” I sort of think of it as a way God ‘winks’ at me.

Regarding the sites: We’ve been to Tabga (traditional site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes) and the Mt. of the Beatitudes (traditional site of the sermon on the mount). Big churches at both places. They didn’t do much for me. Traditional sites are just that – traditions. Most were identified in the 4th or 5th century so there’s little likelihood of their being the actual sites. Still, if it wasn’t that place it was a place just like that and near there. I’m sure it’s a very personal thing. Those sites/churches might be the highlight of somebody else’s journey. Just not for me.

Here’s the three most moving things I’ve experienced. First, as we were headed ‘home’ down the west side of the lake (henceforth I’ll think of it as the lake of Galilee rather than the sea of Galilee) we pulled over to the side of the road. Dennis informed us that this was the only spot on the shore that met the criteria for the story of the Gaderene demoniac (Luke 8:26-38). The lake was calm, clouds reflecting in the water, the sun was setting shining a pillar of orange on the water. The story is special for me because it was the first gospel account I read and ‘got’ as I was becoming a Christian in the summer of ‘75. Light and darkness were warring within me, and I remember laughing out loud when I read it because it showed how ugly satan and demons were – even pigs couldn’t stand them!

Second was a boat ride across the lake. It took about a hour and a half one morning. There was some thunder and lightning in the north and we thought we might be in for one of those famous storms (Marika, our Israeli guide was seriously concerned). But it cleared and we even got a little rainbow. Anyway, being on that water, thinking about the water that was fished in and walked on, the sermons preached and the storms stilled. Wow!

Third was the site of Capernaum. It’s a little ways above the lake (most villages were). There’s a relatively intact 4th century synagogue there which is certainly built on the foundation of the 1st century synagogue. There’s also a special place, probably a house. It’s identified as the house of Peter’s mother-in-law. Now there’s a Catholic church built right over it with a glass floor so you can look down on the site (I couldn’t get in because they were having a service when we were there). But you can go right up to the site under the church. What’s special about it is you can see the successive foundations of churches which have been built on that site from the 1st century. That’s important because ‘traditional’ sites date from the 4th century. This place has had a church structure from the first century onwards. This means that from the beginning it was recognized as a sacred place. Jesus spent a lot of time in Capernaum. He probably lived right there! And as far as the synagogue goes, I was reading a passage which has always been important to me, the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. It’s where Peter says “Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life (v68).” Anyway v59 says “He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.” So that’s the very spot. Wow!

That’s it for now, I’ll aim to post another blog in a few days from the Dead Sea.