Day 4, Part 6...this is a long day, isn't it? This is especially true because I combined things like the lunch into another site, rather than making it a separate part/post, just as I will for something at the beginning and end of this post. I write this post on a Sunday, and the daily readings for the prior Friday, which was the first Friday of Easter came from John 21, which is set in this location. It refers to the Sea of Tiberias. That is another name for the Sea of Galilee.
I like to start each post with either the most beautiful, most representative, or most interesting image from each site, since I know Facebook will grab the first photo by default when posts are shared there. This one is just outside of the church, and if stepping out of the church, it's ahead and to the left. I'll describe it more later in this post.
We walked from the Church of the Multiplication to the Church of the Primacy of Peter. This "primacy" does not put Peter above Jesus. It's identifying Peter as having primacy over the other Apostles, and later the Bishops would have the Bishop of Rome as the one in the seat of primacy. There are many reasons to see Peter in this role, especially with some of the things Jesus said, how the Bible records him in a way that suggests primacy, but also in the way the Old Testament structures the followers of God. The Pope is a successor of Peter and serves in the ancient role of the Prime Minister (Pope) to the King (Jesus).
I know the Orthodox Churches (Greek, and many others that tend to form by nation) split from the Catholic Church about 1,000 years ago over certain matters, but that list of differences seem to have grown over the years. Many of the holiest sites in the Holy Land have combined control that is shared across a few Churches. Others just have the Orthodox site and the Catholic sites as different sites. I was happy to know a college friend of mine who used to be Protestant converted to the Orthodox faith. I have other friends who are Orthodox. The many teachings in the Bible that point to a Pope would be nice to share, and perhaps someday I might. But I know that's not the only point of division. I've just been grateful that they have received valid sacraments. I wish someday the Church would reunite. At times, Orthodox Churches have restored communion with the Catholic Church. But each time that happens, there tends to be a remnant of people who don't follow that reuniting and two Churches remain.
Anyway, back to the trip...
Along the way, there were rocks similar to what I saw on our first day of venturing out. It has a more coral appearance to it, which makes me wonder just how high the Sea of Galilee might have been at times in the past. I took this photo very quickly, since we had to watch our steps to avoid tripping and falling. Or perhaps as the little bit of my red coat that I just now realize made it into the photo might suggest, "The redcoats are coming!", and in this case, that's me!
This next photo is out of order. This photo was taken only after we LEFT the site. We headed east toward Capharnaum, to find a cave that we would just see as we drove by. But they went way too far. It was within the same block as the church site. We ended up going a bit to the east of Capharnaum, which allowed me to get a nice photo of an Orthodox site that I admired from the church at Capharnaum. But we turned around before we would have otherwise reached another town some people have said was the site of the multiplication. I would have liked to see that town of Bethsaida. People claim Tabgha is that town; but so many maps suggest otherwise. That eventually bugged me.
Anyway, after we turned around, realizing the cave HAD to be behind us, we passed a point where I looked up the hill and saw the Church of Beatitudes, which rested on the hillside facing the Sea of Galilee that was on the other side of the road from where this photo was taken. This really made it clear just how nearby each site was to one another.
And if you wonder what the things are that are covered, those are bananas. The coverings keep the moisture in and they use much less water. That's a big deal in a nation that has so much desert land.
But we were on foot...
As we approached, we saw the common signs telling us not to smoke, bring pets, bring weapons, swim, eat, or bike here. And of course, clothing should be modest. So they depict people wearing clothes that are okay or reveal too much to help us understand what's considered acceptable. If you wish to walk on water, I don't see a prohibition for that. But if you fall in and need to swim back, then you're in trouble. You better have some sort of savior that can lift you back out of the water.
The entry gate and the walk to the church...
The grounds were so full of vegetation. Again, this area is very full of life compared to many other parts of Israel.
As we drew near to the church, there were other signs listing the Popes and providing other information.
This is what we saw of the church initially. The main entrance is on the right side of it from this angle.
This is the front of the church.
And if you walk past that, you'll get this view of a church built upon a rock.
While one of the priests that was on this trip with us talked about the site, I continued to notice what was in the area. I saw more of the rocks that we saw along our walk here. I saw the Holy Ground sign. I saw the sign saying we aren't supposed to climb on the rocks. But I also saw a cat that disregarded that sign. I admit, I took very few notes in my trip journal about this site, but of the 3 lines that mostly mentioned that we walked there, what the name of it was, and a thought of focus while there, I dedicated an entire line for "(cat on wall)". Perhaps at times I think I could be a good tour guide, but then there are moments like this. But since I will share this on Facebook, that site is meant for sharing cat photos, right?
I like the first photo, since it shows the group all together. But I intentionally included the Holy Ground sign, the cat that's on the wall 2/3rds of the way between that sign and the left edge of the photo, and the sign telling us not to climb on the rocks that's the bit of red on the wall between some people on the right half of the photo (look below the tip of the sandy peninsula sticking out into the sea). This provides conclusive evidence that this cat disobeys, doesn't seem to care, and later on I saw it sleeping.
Enough of the cat. We went back to the front of the church and here are the doors as we were about to enter.
The altar is in the distance. Between the altar and me, you see a rock. This is thought to be the site where some of the Apostles first saw Jesus after his resurrection. When they were told to go to Galilee and they would see him there, this is that spot. While they were out fishing, he told them to cast the net out in a similar way as when he first encountered them. They caught 153 fish, which is as many species of fish as were known at the time. This made them realize it was Jesus. This rock was thought to be the place where he cooked the fish breakfast for the Apostles after his resurrection. We often think of fish fries or fish dinners (or for people who insist the final meal of the day is supper, a fish supper...yes, I know it was the Last Supper and not the Last Dinner). How many people think of fish for breakfast? I would love to see a Biblical cookbook with the combinations we might consider unusual.
This church had colorful windows.
This is the view of the door as I was about to head out. It was a bit crowded inside when I was in there. You can see the garden outside.
After stepping out and looking to the left, we see the open area we had been when I saw the cat...I mean where the priest told us about everything that took place here. The right half of this has the garden area where there is a statue of the Lord and Peter. And in the middle of the photo, we see the Sea of Galilee. (lots of words ending with the EE sound)
The Sea of Galilee...I know some of the people in some photos, and none of the people in others.
The statue of Jesus standing above Peter is in the garden area. Peter had already heard the, "upon this rock I shall build my Church" line by this point. But that rock inside the church is where the charcoal fire would have been to cook the fish. In the midst of the Lord's Passion, we know Peter denied Jesus three times while he was at the charcoal fire at Gallicantu. It is here that Jesus reaffirms Peter three times around this charcoal fire. Peter, do you love me? This is the English translation that is asked three times. Peter responds, affirming his love. But the English translation misses the differences in the form of love. Jesus asks for a higher form of love that Peter, in his humility knows he cannot claim to give fully. Jesus accepts the best that Peter is able to love. Jesus commands Peter to feed his sheep/flock. This is yet another of the things unique to Peter's role.
I wish people hadn't carved into the tree that arches over the statue from this perspective. But I chose to include it. I considered cropping out the arm of someone else taking a photo, but I preferred this layout. The sea is to the south, so it was bright. This area was under a canopy of trees, so it was dark. So I had to adjust the lighting afterward to get a good balance of light in the shadows. I generally like how it turned out.
It was time to head out. So I started back on the path that was now nearly empty. Some of the photos of the grounds shown earlier on the approach were taken along this peaceful walk back. But it made more sense to show what I saw as I approached.
After we boarded the bus, we headed to look for that cave I mentioned earlier. I don't recall if anything significant happened there. I just remember we overshot it by at least a mile or two before turning back around. This was just around a bend in the road from where we boarded the bus. We could have walked there and back in less time than the drive out and back took. It looked like a nice cave. A reflection in the window caused that lighter haze above and to the left of the cave. It was just around the prior bend in the road just east of this that I took the photo of the Church of Beatitudes. So again, these sites are very close together, geographically speaking.
I like to start each post with either the most beautiful, most representative, or most interesting image from each site, since I know Facebook will grab the first photo by default when posts are shared there. This one is just outside of the church, and if stepping out of the church, it's ahead and to the left. I'll describe it more later in this post.
We walked from the Church of the Multiplication to the Church of the Primacy of Peter. This "primacy" does not put Peter above Jesus. It's identifying Peter as having primacy over the other Apostles, and later the Bishops would have the Bishop of Rome as the one in the seat of primacy. There are many reasons to see Peter in this role, especially with some of the things Jesus said, how the Bible records him in a way that suggests primacy, but also in the way the Old Testament structures the followers of God. The Pope is a successor of Peter and serves in the ancient role of the Prime Minister (Pope) to the King (Jesus).
I know the Orthodox Churches (Greek, and many others that tend to form by nation) split from the Catholic Church about 1,000 years ago over certain matters, but that list of differences seem to have grown over the years. Many of the holiest sites in the Holy Land have combined control that is shared across a few Churches. Others just have the Orthodox site and the Catholic sites as different sites. I was happy to know a college friend of mine who used to be Protestant converted to the Orthodox faith. I have other friends who are Orthodox. The many teachings in the Bible that point to a Pope would be nice to share, and perhaps someday I might. But I know that's not the only point of division. I've just been grateful that they have received valid sacraments. I wish someday the Church would reunite. At times, Orthodox Churches have restored communion with the Catholic Church. But each time that happens, there tends to be a remnant of people who don't follow that reuniting and two Churches remain.
Anyway, back to the trip...
Along the way, there were rocks similar to what I saw on our first day of venturing out. It has a more coral appearance to it, which makes me wonder just how high the Sea of Galilee might have been at times in the past. I took this photo very quickly, since we had to watch our steps to avoid tripping and falling. Or perhaps as the little bit of my red coat that I just now realize made it into the photo might suggest, "The redcoats are coming!", and in this case, that's me!
 |
| Walking Path to the Church of the Primacy of Peter |
This next photo is out of order. This photo was taken only after we LEFT the site. We headed east toward Capharnaum, to find a cave that we would just see as we drove by. But they went way too far. It was within the same block as the church site. We ended up going a bit to the east of Capharnaum, which allowed me to get a nice photo of an Orthodox site that I admired from the church at Capharnaum. But we turned around before we would have otherwise reached another town some people have said was the site of the multiplication. I would have liked to see that town of Bethsaida. People claim Tabgha is that town; but so many maps suggest otherwise. That eventually bugged me.
Anyway, after we turned around, realizing the cave HAD to be behind us, we passed a point where I looked up the hill and saw the Church of Beatitudes, which rested on the hillside facing the Sea of Galilee that was on the other side of the road from where this photo was taken. This really made it clear just how nearby each site was to one another.
And if you wonder what the things are that are covered, those are bananas. The coverings keep the moisture in and they use much less water. That's a big deal in a nation that has so much desert land.
 |
| Nearby Church of Beatitudes |
But we were on foot...
As we approached, we saw the common signs telling us not to smoke, bring pets, bring weapons, swim, eat, or bike here. And of course, clothing should be modest. So they depict people wearing clothes that are okay or reveal too much to help us understand what's considered acceptable. If you wish to walk on water, I don't see a prohibition for that. But if you fall in and need to swim back, then you're in trouble. You better have some sort of savior that can lift you back out of the water.
The entry gate and the walk to the church...
The grounds were so full of vegetation. Again, this area is very full of life compared to many other parts of Israel.
A sign informed us of animals in this area that are identified in the Bible.
 |
| Do these animals rock, or is that just part of their name? |
The grounds had water channels all over the place.
As we drew near to the church, there were other signs listing the Popes and providing other information.
This is what we saw of the church initially. The main entrance is on the right side of it from this angle.
This is the front of the church.
And if you walk past that, you'll get this view of a church built upon a rock.
While one of the priests that was on this trip with us talked about the site, I continued to notice what was in the area. I saw more of the rocks that we saw along our walk here. I saw the Holy Ground sign. I saw the sign saying we aren't supposed to climb on the rocks. But I also saw a cat that disregarded that sign. I admit, I took very few notes in my trip journal about this site, but of the 3 lines that mostly mentioned that we walked there, what the name of it was, and a thought of focus while there, I dedicated an entire line for "(cat on wall)". Perhaps at times I think I could be a good tour guide, but then there are moments like this. But since I will share this on Facebook, that site is meant for sharing cat photos, right?
I like the first photo, since it shows the group all together. But I intentionally included the Holy Ground sign, the cat that's on the wall 2/3rds of the way between that sign and the left edge of the photo, and the sign telling us not to climb on the rocks that's the bit of red on the wall between some people on the right half of the photo (look below the tip of the sandy peninsula sticking out into the sea). This provides conclusive evidence that this cat disobeys, doesn't seem to care, and later on I saw it sleeping.
Enough of the cat. We went back to the front of the church and here are the doors as we were about to enter.
The altar is in the distance. Between the altar and me, you see a rock. This is thought to be the site where some of the Apostles first saw Jesus after his resurrection. When they were told to go to Galilee and they would see him there, this is that spot. While they were out fishing, he told them to cast the net out in a similar way as when he first encountered them. They caught 153 fish, which is as many species of fish as were known at the time. This made them realize it was Jesus. This rock was thought to be the place where he cooked the fish breakfast for the Apostles after his resurrection. We often think of fish fries or fish dinners (or for people who insist the final meal of the day is supper, a fish supper...yes, I know it was the Last Supper and not the Last Dinner). How many people think of fish for breakfast? I would love to see a Biblical cookbook with the combinations we might consider unusual.
This church had colorful windows.
This is the view of the door as I was about to head out. It was a bit crowded inside when I was in there. You can see the garden outside.
After stepping out and looking to the left, we see the open area we had been when I saw the cat...I mean where the priest told us about everything that took place here. The right half of this has the garden area where there is a statue of the Lord and Peter. And in the middle of the photo, we see the Sea of Galilee. (lots of words ending with the EE sound)
The Sea of Galilee...I know some of the people in some photos, and none of the people in others.
The statue of Jesus standing above Peter is in the garden area. Peter had already heard the, "upon this rock I shall build my Church" line by this point. But that rock inside the church is where the charcoal fire would have been to cook the fish. In the midst of the Lord's Passion, we know Peter denied Jesus three times while he was at the charcoal fire at Gallicantu. It is here that Jesus reaffirms Peter three times around this charcoal fire. Peter, do you love me? This is the English translation that is asked three times. Peter responds, affirming his love. But the English translation misses the differences in the form of love. Jesus asks for a higher form of love that Peter, in his humility knows he cannot claim to give fully. Jesus accepts the best that Peter is able to love. Jesus commands Peter to feed his sheep/flock. This is yet another of the things unique to Peter's role.
I wish people hadn't carved into the tree that arches over the statue from this perspective. But I chose to include it. I considered cropping out the arm of someone else taking a photo, but I preferred this layout. The sea is to the south, so it was bright. This area was under a canopy of trees, so it was dark. So I had to adjust the lighting afterward to get a good balance of light in the shadows. I generally like how it turned out.
It was time to head out. So I started back on the path that was now nearly empty. Some of the photos of the grounds shown earlier on the approach were taken along this peaceful walk back. But it made more sense to show what I saw as I approached.
After we boarded the bus, we headed to look for that cave I mentioned earlier. I don't recall if anything significant happened there. I just remember we overshot it by at least a mile or two before turning back around. This was just around a bend in the road from where we boarded the bus. We could have walked there and back in less time than the drive out and back took. It looked like a nice cave. A reflection in the window caused that lighter haze above and to the left of the cave. It was just around the prior bend in the road just east of this that I took the photo of the Church of Beatitudes. So again, these sites are very close together, geographically speaking.
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