Baptized in the Jordan River

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This morning we began with a visit to the Igal Alon Museum which houses the "Ancient Boat', a 36 foot craft found in the mud of the Sea of Galilee. It has been dated to Jesus's day and is the very same kind of boat Jesus and the Disciples used on the night of the great storm when Jesus calmed the waves. We then walked over to the Ginosar dock where our wooden replica boat awaited us for a sail on the Sea of Galilee. It was a very windy day. The boat rocked and pitched in 3 foot waves. One of the group broke out in praise songs and believe it or not the wind calmed down. It was an mystical experience and made the Biblical story very real.



Boarding the bus we went to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. What an awesome place. The hill slopes down to the sea forming a natural amphitheater. One can speak high on the hill and be heard for hundreds of yards. Easy to see why Jesus chose this place for his greatest homily. Then we moved on the ancient ruins of the city of Chorazim, one of three cities condemned by Jesus for rejecting him. None of those three cities have existed for over 1000 years, thus the fulfillment of the curse. In Chorazim we visited the ruins of a synagogue, the only one that still has seat where the Priest sat who read the Torah. Then we moved on down the road to the ruins of the second cursed city, Bethsaida, where we saw among other things the ruins of an ancient ritual bath.



Proceeding to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' Ministry in the Galilee, we saw the remains of the large synagogue where Jesus frequently preached. Only a block or so away was the house of Peter where Jesus said while in Capernaum. Here he healed Peter's mother. Today a church is built over the site with glass in the floor to look down upon Peter's house. At noon enjoyed a St. Peter fish meal followed by a visit to Tabgha, site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish, which now also has a Catholic Church to mark the feeding of the 5,000. In mid-afternoon we went to Yardenit, the site of the baptism at the river Jordan. Many of us including me, renewed our baptism by immersion in the Jordon. Before returning to the hotel we stopped in Tiberias to visit the biggest diamond market in the world. No, I didn't buy Linda a new diamond. Most were $8,000 and up. Dinner and overnight inTiberias, Israel.



What a fascinating day! If I can remember only a small amount I have learned so far, I will have a treasure of new biblical information to share. Blessings to all of you and please continue to pray for me and this spiritual adventure.

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