A Bus called Hope: Jesus' Lakeside Ministry at Capernaum

This is Day 5 of our Pilgrimage. Breakfast has to be seen to be believed. There is the best of spreads imaginable, including rows of artistically arranged pastries of all descriptions and a honeycomb, simply dripping honey into the tray beneath - soon all devoured by 150 hungry pilgrims! These amazing hotel breakfast spreads are usually the highlight of my daily culinary experiences.
We arrived at our hotel last night after a day full of experiences, not least being the renewal of our Baptism vows in the River Jordan, a very special occasion for all of us. Our hotel is on the outskirts of Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, which was extremely rough when we arrived. Two swans clearly couldn't read the warning signs against swimming in these conditions. The waves were lashing against the concrete pier with some force. Some brave ones among us (or foolish?) planned to swim but we managed to dissuade them. Today we begin the second stage of our pilgrimage, in the footsteps of Jesus as he went about his Lakeside ministry around the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee.

approaching the Capernaum ruins

So soon after breakfast we are on our way, continuing northwards in our coach along the Western shore of the Sea. The water is as calm today as it was rough last night, and looking a distinctly more attractive colour. Those keen swimmers who forewent their pleasure last night were up early Some were even up early for a swim, but they said it was very cold! I was happy to snatch a last few moments of sleep!

Our first stop is at the ruins of Capernaum, the centre of Jesus' Galilee ministry, which was a small fishing and farming village in his day. Jesus came here after being driven out of Nazareth. "When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea" (Matthew 4: 12-13). He needed somewhere else to live and here he would have found political shelter under the wing of the centurian who could protect him as he carried out his ministry. Here he lived for a considerable time, preaching in the synagogue, healing the sick and performing his miracles. It became his home.
Why did Jesus choose to settle here? Probably, it is said, because his first converts, Peter and Andrew, lived here. It was here where he called not only Peter and Andrew, but also James, John and Matthew to follow him. There are more gospel references to Capernaum than to any other place in the Holy Land. Capernaum means Place of Rest. The ancient city was built near to the Via Maris, the Way of the Sea, which was the main trading route of the time from this busy fishing port to Damascus.

St Peter

There is so much to see and take in among the extensive ruins. We stand in the white limestone fourth century ruins of what is said to be the best preserved synagogue of its kind in Israel. These ruins stand on an earlier black basalt synagogue where Jesus preached. Also at the site we see the ruins of shops and houses almost certainly known to Jesus and his disciples and where he would have walked daily. All of this brings me out in the same goose bumps as I felt several years ago walking down the main street of Ephesus where Paul would have walked. The houses here in Capernaum were of a very simple cheap construction, all sizes of stone piled together to make the walls with no mortar, a little like the idea of our dry stone walls but perhaps not as neat. Such walls could not support an upper story, only a simple wood and mud roof, through which it would have been easy to lower a sick man on a stretcher into the room below (Healing of the Paralytic Mark 2: 1-12).
The late twentieth century Roman Catholic Church of St Peter's House here is built over the ruins of the house where Peter almost certainly lived, and which would have been visited by Jesus. Peter came from Bethsaida to Capernaum, perhaps to be near to his mother in law who Jesus later cured (Matt. 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-31). There is a joke the guides love to tell that this is why Peter later denied Jesus three times! Peter's house dates from before the birth of Christ and in the late first century AD there is evidence that the courtyard was used as a house church (Domus Ecclesia) by the early Judeo Christians. Late in the fifth century an octagonal church was built over this area, with the centre exactly over the foundations of this courtyard. The modern church has been designed by the Italian architect Ildo Avetta both to protect the excavated remains of St Peter's house and the fifth century church as well as to offer a place for worship at what is such an important gospel site. Inside the church pilgrims can view the remains of these below a central glass window.

inside the Church of St Peter's House

Some of us find this modern church ugly and out of place. I simply love it. I think it has been very sensitively designed and the striking contrast of the ultra modern building above an important site of such antiquity adds something to the whole experience for me. I think the inside of the church is stunning. There are beautiful wooden reliefs all around the walls surrounding the auditorium style seating, depicting scenes from the life of St Peter and the church is full of motifs recalling the Sea, waves, fish, fishing nets and so on. Some say the appearance of the church itself from outside is reminiscent of the shape of a fishing boat. Altogether I find the church a very spiritual place full of atmosphere and meaning, not always found, it has to be said, in many modern churches back home. Many of us are moved to stay and pray here for quite a while before reluctantly having to leave and travel onward.

Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee, sometimes referred to as the Sea of Tiberias, (by St John), Lake Gennesaret (by St Luke), Lake Kinnereth (on road signs - derived from the Hebrew for Harp), even the Syrian Sea (as in "In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea, in that wonderful hymn Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by J. G. Whittier), is the biggest water reservoir in Israel. It is 200 metres below Mediterranean Sea level, and c. 21 km long by 12 km. wide. Its maximum depth is 50 metres. Since 1954 there have been dams at the southern end built to restrain the water flow, presumably the reason why the River Jordan which we saw yesterday is much narrower now than it would have been in Jesus' day. Three tributaries feed this freshwater lake from the Golan Heights, and it has been an important source of life since biblical times. The low lying river plain is best known for growing mangoes and bananas and we see fields of them as we travel on the coach. The bunches of bananas are wrapped in blue plastic - protection against something pests no doubt. It is sobering to reflect that in this peaceful part of the Holy Land we are nearer here to Damascus in Syria, over the Golan Heights that we can see on the other side of the Lake, than we are to Jerusalem that we left just yesterday. Some later say that they heard blasts from that direction, and we certainly saw and heard air force activity during our stay up here in the northernmost part of the Holy Land.

Pilgrimage on our bus called Hope - Jericho, monasteries and baptismal vows

We have had three action packed days around Jerusalem and are excited about heading for the Sea of Galilee and following in the footsteps of Jesus on his lakeside ministry. Our bus is the first to set off, and early. We have another busy day ahead.


We leave Jerusalem in a north easterly direction into the Judean Desert and towards Jericho and the River Jordan marking the eastern boundary of the occupied West Bank. Our first stop is in the desert and we get out of the bus for a steep walk up hill towards a cross on the summit. At first glance, the desert looks totally barren and unable to sustain any kind of life. But that is an illusion. The curiosity of the dormant botanist in me is aroused as I spot a tiny but brilliantly colored flower among the stones and fissured rocks. Soon I see another, and another, and before long I have spotted and photographed something like 15 different species, of flowering plant for later identification. And the cross? I have absolutely no idea what this commemorates. Perhaps someone could let me know?

St George of Koziba monastery

The purpose of our stop was not for me to go on a plant foray though. From the top of the hill we look far across to the other side of the valley and there clinging it seems to the sheer rock face we see a monastery. It is incredibly well camouflaged, built as it is from the rocks which surround it. This is the monastery of St George of Koziba, renowned for its hospitality which has been extended to women since the sixth century. The monastery dates from about 480 AD when it was developed by one John of Thebes out of a small oratory built by five hermit monks. There were numerous cave dwelling hermits who came there for divine liturgy on Saturdays and Sundays but it was the monk George of Koziba, originally from Cyprus, who developed the monastery in the second half of the sixth century, hence its name. Destroyed by the Persians in 614, it was restored in 1179 but fell into disuse again. The monastery we now see was reconstructed in the late nineteenth century and completed in 1901. Sadly we only viewed this place from across the valley. It is clearly of interest to visit. The prophet Elijah stayed here on his way to Sinai, and here St Joachim wept when he realized his wife Anne was unable to conceive, and he heard from an angel that they would bear a child, the future Virgin Mary.

But we must hurry on. We have a rendezvous to keep at the River Jordan, where we are to celebrate the Eucharist with the other groups and renew our baptismal vows…
We have a pre-booked slot at the original baptismal site of Kasr al- Yahud on the banks of the River Jordan just north of where it flows into the Dead Sea. There are four other sites, mostly in forbidden military zones. The other main one used by pilgrims is the Yardenit Baptismal site at the southern most end of the Sea of Galilee.

Baptisms in the river Jordan, Jordan side

the River Jordan

It is sobering to see the fence to our right as we make our way in the coach to the baptismal site adorned at frequent intervals with bright yellow warning signs about land mines in the area. And we also notice plenty of soldiers around, presumably for our protection.

In spite of the almost inevitable tourist razzmatazz at the main building, at least there are clean loos and refreshments and the opportunity to hire a white one-size robe to do the ceremony properly and go for total immersion for those who wish to. I'm sorry now that I didn't do this. Only two from our party did! Any way the current was extremely strong, and weak swimmer as I am, it was probably wise that I simply paddled.
No one knows where in the River Jordan Jesus was actually baptized by John. But in the end that doesn't really matter. The significance of the Eucharist ceremony and the formal renewal of our baptismal vows is still very meaningful and indeed moving.
On the opposite bank of the river, on the Jordan side, there are renewals taking place where pretty much everyone is going for total immersion. We noticed that they clearly appreciated our extremely gutsy rendering of our hymns.

A  rough Sea of Galilee

Our next stop is again to view a monastery from afar across a valley. This time it is the monastery on the Mt of Temptation, and it really does cling perilously, it seems, to the vertical rock face. We really have no idea where Jesus was tempted by the devil, but this situation seems as good a place as any to reflect on the story. The legend dates back to the early twelfth century, that here at the summit Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would only worship him. (Matt. 4: 1-11).

Monastery of Temptation

We have stopped by the cable car station, from where little gondolas take you up to a restaurant and from thence to the monastery. But we did not do this. Instead we forgot for a short while that we were pilgrims not tourists, as from the wayside stall we bought jewellry, refreshed ourselves with freshly pressed orange and pomegranate juice, and were hugely entertained by our bishop taking a camel ride!
Tired after a long day, we make our way to Tiberias for our stay on the shores of the Sea of Galilee...