Page 30 - Holyland Magazine - 2010 Edition

Inspiration awaits you at the beloved
The pilgrims of old invented a special
term for the walk they made from one holy
site to another around the Sea of Galilee.
They called it “sacred geography.” In a
world where the places we love change all
too quickly, it is wonderful to know that
many of the sites around the lake that
witnessed the ministry of Jesus still impart and dating back some 1,500 years, is the
a sense of peace and tranquility, providing
the perfect setting in which to pray and
read Scripture.
On the northwest shore of the lake lies
Tabgha. Holy Land visitors sometimes have
a bit of trouble pronouncing the guttural
name (a mispronunciation of the Greek
name for the site – Heptapegon, which
means “seven springs”), but they do love
to spend time here – where tradition says
Jesus multiplied two fishes and five loaves
and fed a crowd of 5,000 (Mark 6:35-44).
The Church of the Multiplication of Loaves
and Fishes now stands at the spot where
Jesus fed the 5,000. A quiet courtyard with
a gently flowing fountain leads into the
sanctuary of this church, built about 25
years ago. The church is minimally adorned,
which heightens the dramatic effect of the
ancient mosaics it shelters.
MIRACLE-MARKED SHORES
The domes of the Greek
Orthodox church near the
ruins of Capernaum.
Photos: Itamar Grinberg
30 “…land of Zebulon, land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan” (Matt. 4:15)
sites around the Sea of Galilee
where Jesus preached, taught and
healed some 2,000 years ago.
The most famous of these remarkable
mosaics, depicting aquatic flora and fauna
one depicting two fish and a basket of
bread. Beneath the altar here is a rock,
first mentioned in Christian writings in the
fourth century. According to tradition, it is
here that Jesus recited the blessing over
the food, broke the bread and distributed
it to the crowd.
The intricacies of church history have
brought about multi-denominational
administration of these miracle-marked
shores. Beyond the fence of the
Benedictine-run Church of the Multiplication
(and its adjacent guest house), the
Franciscans care for the church known as
the Primacy of Peter, which they built in
the area believed to be the site of the events graced the colonnade of a large building
of John 21. Modern life has hardly touched
the stretch of beach here; visitors can
imagine Jesus calling out from the very
spot where they now stand: “Friends,
haven't you any fish?” (John 21:5), at which
Peter jumps into the water and swims
ashore to reach Jesus.
The site is known as Mensa Christi, which
means Table of Christ, in honor of the fish
breakfast the Gospel of John says Jesus
prepared here. It was on this spot that
Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John,
do you love me more than these” (John
21:15) – words that take on new meaning
as they are pondered in the quietude of
this place.
A flight of ancient steps cut into the rock
here indicates that this was once an
anchorage, perhaps the very place where
Peter moored his boats, or where James
and John cast their nets into the sea. In
the shallows, people can see pieces of
heart-shaped pillars. They must have once
in the vicinity, perhaps even a synagogue
like the one at Chorazim up the mountain,
or Capernaum down the road. Many people