A New Look at The Galilee.

Day five  began early and lasted until late.  The intent was to explore sites in The Galilee where there were reports of post resurrection appearances.  It was a new take for me, even though I had visited nearly every site in the past, for some reason, I had associated them entirely with Jesus' ministry and never considered them as post resurrection sites.

Going up the Jordan road the arrival in the Galilee is always a pleasure, after the barrenness of Judea and the rocky hills of Samaria, the Galilee spreads out as a lush, green invitation to an alternative experience of the Holy Land.  Our first stop was at the site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes which contains some Byzantine mosaics which have miraculously survived the centuries.

While there is no record of a post resurrection sighting at this particular spot, only a few yards away to the north, is the site commemorating the breakfast on the shore story from the Gosple of John.  This site is particularly celebrated by the Roman Catholics as the moment that the resurrected Jesus handed over the responsibility of the Church to St. Peter.

As I said, this site is particularly important to Roman Catholics.  Pope Paul VI, I think, visited it during his reign and I saw this Mosaic which commorates that visit.  Regardless of its intension, when I looked at it, I saw two confused fisherman from the 1st century, puzzled by what the old man in the strange clothes was up to.  I blame it on my innate impiety.  You can form your own opinion.

The prevailing tradition records another post resurrection appearance on the Mount of the Beatitudes, when Jesus issues the Great Commission, "Go out into the world, baptizing" etc.  I have to admit that it is difficult seeing these sites as isolated spots with a small gathering of people.  First of all, the stories themselves usually involve crowds, and the crowds we are encountering during this Holy Week adventure argue against anything small, quiet or intimate, which, I think, is more representative of the final appearances of the risen Lord.  Ultimately we always end up relying on faith and imagination.

Since we were so close, there was a stop at Capernaum, which required a change in focus back to the active ministry of Jesus.  However, there is a post resurrection link in that Caperaum remained a center for earliest Christianity in continuity with Jesus' life.  A site venerated for centuries as Peter's house, still draws much attention.  The ruins show clearly that the original house constructed on basalt fieldstone, was fortified by an external wall, then surrounded in the third or fourth century by at hexagonal church, and later by an even larger hexagonal church building.  Today, it rests under a modern Franciscan church that has a glass floor through which one can look directly down into the pile of stones that is Peter's house.

There was one new experience for me.  We were given access to the Orthodox Caperaum which is adjacent to the Franciscan one, but requires a different entry point.  I have seen the top of this church before, but this was the first opportunity to visit the site itself.  It is a very nice typically Orthodox chapel covered in Icons, in this case of a recent application.  While we were there, one of the peacocks which seem to have free run of the place, decided to fly up to one of the towers, giving me a photo that I happily pass on to you.