A Visit to the Holy Land

In April 2018 I had the privilege of traveling to Israel. I celebrated my 60th birthday during the trip, and going on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with a group of folks from my church, is the best birthday present I’ve ever given myself. I literally spent part of my birthday floating on the Sea of Galilee, a memory I will treasure forever.

Our travel route took us from Detroit to Boston to Istanbul, Turkey, before finally landing in Tel Aviv. And then we rode a bus for almost two hours to the northern town of Tiberias, the location that would be our home base for the first half of the trip. Tiberias is west of the Sea of Galilee.

We visited many wonderful sights over the next several days in Israel, and I’d like to share some of them with you now.

Kafr Kanna—This is the Wedding Church at Cana, circa 1881. It is recognized by the Christian faith as the site of the first miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine.

Nazareth—The Basilica of Annunciation is a modern Catholic church today, marking the location where Christians believe the miracle of the Annunciation took place. They believe Mary was drawing water from a spring in Nazareth when the news came from the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus.

Mount Tabor—The Church of the Transfiguration marks the spot where Christians believe the Transfiguration of Jesus took place; that is, where He began to radiate light and conversed with Moses and Elijah.

Below is the view from the top of Mount Tabor to the Jezreel Valley below.

Mount of Beatitudes—While the exact spot is not known, the Church of the Beatitudes commemorates where Christians believe Jesus gave his most important talk, the Sermon on the Mount.

Sea of Galilee—What can I say, but I took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee on my 60th birthday! This was the highlight of a truly wonderful trip.

Tabgha—The Church of Heptapegon is also known as the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, commemorating another of the miracles believed by Christians to have been performed by Jesus.

Lunch—This was a delicious lunch, with fish fresh from the Sea of Galilee. Be careful of the bones! Before and after.

Tabgha—This is the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. Christians believe it commemorates, and allegedly marks the spot, of Jesus' reinstatement of Peter as chief among the Apostles. I wish I could have sat much longer, soaking my feet in the Sea of Galilee.

Capernaum—Built in 1990, St. Peter’s Church is found in the archaeological site of Capernaum. Jesus lived in the village of Capernaum on the north shore of the sea.

Birthday Dinner—Our tour guide, Jacob, arranged a birthday cake surprise for me after dinner. This was a great cap to a very memorable day.

Haifa—Today we hit the road and headed south, stopping at a few sites along the way. First up, the Bahá’í Gardens; they comprise a staircase of nineteen terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. As we drove into Haifa, we stopped at the bottom for a photo-op looking up. Then we drove to the top where we got out and walked around the beautiful gardens for a short while. The Mediterranean Sea can be seen in the background.

Haifa—The Stella Maris Monastery and Church was our last stop of the day. The monastery is the world headquarters of a Catholic religious order of friars and nuns, the Carmelites. Stella Maris is Latin for Star of the Sea.

Well, we've been on quite a journey today. I think it's time to take a break now. Look for part two of my travels to the Holy Land in my next post, when we’ll head down to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea.

Till then, stay home and stay safe.