Week 6…Continuing to explore the Galilee

At the rate we are going, we will not be out of the Galilee by summer's end! This week we will bring together some of the important places one must visit. Our direction is west of our temporary home at Ein Gev on the eastern shore of the Lake of Galilee. We will circle back here but for now, we set off in the direction of west.

In order of importance we will first visit Nazareth. There is never enough time to spend here! Dominating the mostly Arab city of Nazareth is the beautiful Basilica of the Annunciation. As with nearly every holy site we visit, the new is built over the previous buildings…the layers become predictable: Crusader, Byzantine, early-Christian. People living during these times built or rebuilt structures to memorialize persons or the events the Church commemorates. As much as possible, the earlier remains are incorporated into the new building. Here at Nazareth, the Grotto of the Annunciation invites the reflective pilgrim to let the mystery of the Incarnation seep into their heart. The grotto became a place of pilgrimage going back to the 2nd and 3rd C as "documented" by the simple graffiti carved into the plaster walls by those pilgrims. There are also accounts of early pilgrims themselves! Tradition holds that the cave, just beyond a gate that is mostly closed to the public, is where the angelic messenger came to Mary to announce to her that she was to bear a son. With full hearts, we celebrate Eucharist in this place that humbly remembers that the Word became flesh.

Above the Grotto of the Annunciation, the cupola of the new church rises high into the sky and opens into a beautiful lily-shape, letting in the bright light of the sun over the sacred place just below. The new church was built in the 20th C, incorporating the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Behind the main altar is a most striking mosaic depicting Church as defined in the document "Lumen Gentium" from Vatican II. The church interior itself is adorned with gifts given by many nations in honor of Mary. It is sometimes hard to maintain the silence and reflective spirit one needs to ponder the mystery of this place because there is so much to try to take in visually.

There are many other places to visit here in Nazareth, (the Church of St Joseph, the crusader remains, the evidence of the earliest town, the old synagogue) but we best keep going. On this "day" we also stop to visit Mt Tabor. Situated not too far from Nazareth, this mountain seems to be visible anywhere you are in the lower Galilee. The mountain is most familiar to us as the place where the Transfiguration is commemorated: "Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain". Remember how often "high mountains" are places of revelation in the Bible! This is as good as any other mountain! The beautiful church of the Transfiguration sits atop this high mountain and is a peaceful place wherein to ponder again, what the Evangelist is trying to say to us about who Jesus is. Remember that Mt Tabor is also the place made famous by Deborah as she and Barack fight to secure the Jezreel Valley against the Canaanite general, Sisera. From here, we have a wonderful view of the Jezreel Valley and again, one understands what the Bible says and why this was such a desirable location and why the nation that has control of this in fact possesses enormous power and influence. The church itself is very beautiful. The windows of the lower level are adorned with the peacock, an early Christian symbol of the resurrected Christ and the façade of the church is designed with 3 tent like openings (the three tents Peter suggests should be built).

From here we stop at a place called Sepphoris. A place not mentioned in the Bible, but quite likely a place where Joseph the craftsman would have found employment. It is about 1 mile (as the crow flies) from Nazareth. This city was to be the "Jewel of the Galilee". And at the time the Holy Family would have been settling into Nazareth, it was being built. Visiting the remains of this Greco-Roman city one is astounded by the beautiful mosaics that adorn the houses and the public buildings.

Beth Shean is another place to see. Archeologists have done extensive work to restore the Greco-Roman city. Beth Shean was one of the cities of the Decapolis.. It was the only one of these 10 cities west of the Jordan River. The city has earlier roots. Again, because it guards the western gate of the Jezreel Valley, it has been prominent for centuries. Recall the battle between Saul and the Philistines where Saul and Jonathan are killed. We read that their bodies were hung on the walls of the city of Beth Shean. In response to the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan, David sings an elegy and says in grief:

"Mountains of Gilboa,

may there be neither dew nor rain upon you,

nor upsurgings of the deeps!

Upon you lie begrimed the warrior's shields,

the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil." (2 Sam 1:21).

And from Beth Shean, one looks out to see the mountains of Gilboa, chief among them is barren as if without rain or dew! And again, the words of the Bible live.

A stop at the Cliffs of Arbel on the western shore of the Lake of Galilee recalls various battles described in the Bible. It offered a strategic location, good hiding places in the natural caves and the view from here is spectacular. Looking out over the Sea of Galilee, one can take it all in…not so much with a camera, but in the mind's eye. Looking down from these ancient cliffs, one looks over the Valley of Ginnosaur. One can see below a well traveled road that would be the route taken by one traveling from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee, arriving at the town of Magdala and then making their way along the shore of the Lake to Capernaum, perhaps attracting followers as they went.

"When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali…" (Matt 4:12-13). Nazareth was a small town. Luke has told us early on in his Gospel that Jesus was rejected by his townsfolk at Nazareth. Matthew saves this story for a later time in his Gospel where he points out the mounting division between those who recognize who Jesus is and those who do not know him. Seems the townspeople of Nazareth just know him too well and Jesus holds no surprises for them! How much people miss when they know everything!

This day will end with our taking a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The "Sea" is about 7 miles wide at its widest and about 13 miles long. In the Gospel, the "Sea" represents the dividing line between the Gentile territory of the Decapolis and Israel. How often does Jesus "cross this divide"? Then the sea is the classic OT image of chaos and who is it who calms the sea and the winds of chaos? These things we will ponder on our way across the sea along with some of our own favorite sea stories from the Gospel…maybe the one of Peter jumping out to walk on the water and sinking! Why does he sink? And don't we all when we loose sight of the one who calls us to do such risky things.