Around the Sea of Galilee

Today was a very full day.  We didn't go very far, but there was a lot to see, and all of them were lakefront on Galilee.  We started the day by leaving Nazareth and traveling about an hour away to the church of the Beatitudes.  On our way, we passed the ruins of Magdala (as in Mary Magdalene) which is an active archaeological site.  There isn't a strong tradition with this site, but it has gorgeous grounds (I would avoiding looking at the pictures while the cold snap in the US is ongoing).

The church through orange tree groves

Our mass site on the sea.  Note to the wise: Fr. Klockeman if given
the opportunity will preach on all the beatitudes, their connection
 to the spiritual life, and how he sees them in practice.

Blooming hibiscus

After spending the morning there, we spent the afternoon at three sites: the church of the Multiplication, the church of Peter's Primacy, and Capernaum.  The Church of the multiplication is run by my beloved Benedictines, and they have painstakingly restored the Byzantine ruin to as close to its original state as possible, including using the original mosaic floors and alabaster windows.  It was awesome.

Church of the Multiplication

We know about the church of Peter's Primacy because Egeria wrote about it.  The church is more of a chapel, but it has a rock beach, and is the traditional site of John 21.

Us at the church

Capernaum was only recently found and excavated, but they have built a very strange chapel over one of the dig sites.  There, in the ruins of a larger complex, they found a building that exactly matches the place Egeria describes as house of Peter, complete with graffiti.  It is archaeologically one of the most intact sites that directly correlate to the Bible.

The ruins of the house of Peter

The church.  It was built over the site in such a way to preserve it, and the interior is nice,
but it hovers over the site.

We have to get up really early tomorrow, and will be spending most of the day at Meggido.