Day 2:

The day begins as any other would, get ready, breakfast and then grab your stuff for the day ahead.

I decide that after breakfast and before we head out, I want to make time to quickly walk to the Sea of Galilee. The previous day done, and things ready for the day ahead – I have a moment to stand on the shore, and not go through the motions. It’s quiet and the view is lovely, although there is a slight fog and haze so you can’t see completely across the water. “Huh, I’m in Israel” I chuckle to myself.

Our first stop for the day is one that isn’t scheduled on our itinerary, but an important one while we are in the Holy Land. A few members of the group would like to be baptised, and some others want to take the opportunity to reaffirm their baptisms – so we arrive at the Jordan River Baptismal site. 

The car park is a considerable one, with room for buses and the like. We enter and there’s an lovely entry, a large souvenir shop and a space to “book in” for your baptism and rent your white baptismal gowns ($10 USD). You’re then given a voucher in case you’d like to buy the gowns afterwards as well as a video. I’m trying to keep an open mind, but before entering I’m worried about the site being commercialised.

My worries were soon put to rest, as we entered the site – it’s well set up, with separate areas and space to do the baptisms. The river is well taken care of, and its remarkably still, quiet and peaceful. Fish from the river swim right up to the edge.

We have a short service, and proceed with the baptisms and reaffirmations. For some, it was an emotional experience, others very much a “wow” moment, and for others it was a celebration. The most interesting moment however, I found out later, was that our lovely guide Sam was emotional and crying during the baptisms. For a guide who does this seemingly every other day – to still be affected witnessing the baptism process in the Jordan River says a lot about that place and his character.

Next on the agenda is the Mount of Beatitudes – a site famous for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. There isn’t a lot to say about the Mount of Beatitudes, except that it is stunning. Sam gives us a quick tour of the church, and explains that below  the alter in every church needs a relic underneath it. This is more difficult for European churches, as they need to bring in a relic – but not so hard in Israel, as the just build a church on the spot in which an event occurred. In the case of the Mount of Beatitudes, the church is built on the site it is believed Jesus preached – with a rock as the relic under the alter.

We’re only given a short time to wander and see the site as there is still so much to do in the day. It’s a bit disappointing, but there are other places to see. I walk parts of the ground and try to take it in and also the compulsory photos. It was surprising to see visitors from all religions and creeds as I am quite sure I saw some Indian Hindus.

Next we head to Tabgha to the Church of Heptapegon, the site of the feeding of the multitudes with five loaves and two fish.

Then onto the Church of Saint Peter, also in Tabgha. This is the site of where Jesus fed the disciples after his resurrection and asked Peter if he loves him 3 times – it’s said by some that this is to counter the 3 times Peter denied him.

The Church of Saint Peter is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee so we take a moment outside to stand on the shore, enjoy the view and reflect on what it would have been like for the disciples. The leaders offer to take a moment to pray for each of us, and anoint us with oil.

Then it’s back on the bus – Capernaum awaits! The site of Capernaum is a lot larger than I anticipated, not that I had an image in my mind prior. Once again, the views are fantastic and it’s set out well with lovely gardens. Capernaum is an important site for Christians for a couple of reasons – firstly, Jesus did a significant amount of his ministry in the Capernaum area, before going to Jerusalem. Secondly, it is believed Peter’s mothers house is at the site and Jesus spent time there. We were able to see the Church, the relic and the remains of an old synagogue and typical houses.

Seeing as we had spent time at the site of the 2 fishes and 5 loaves, as well as two sites significant to Peter – what better thing to have for lunch than St Peter fish? Sam takes us to quite a nice restaurant to sample the local dish. It was disconcerting to begin with, because it’s right next door and shares a very small car park with a petrol station. My suspicions were quickly put at ease because the restaurant was nice, the service was quick and prompt and the food very fresh and tasty. And I got to try my very first fresh date. I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer my dates in a pudding.

Heading back to our accommodation site – the day is still not done, so it’s a little bit of a tease. We head to the ancient boat museum next door that displays a true 1st century boat which was discovered in the mid 80s and had been perfectly preserved in the mud. 

Outside the back of the museum is a small dock, and there we board a boat where the crew raise an Australian flag to fly next to an Israeli one and then we set sail on the Sea of Galilee. It’s a peaceful and easy going ride, we head north towards the areas we have visited that day and then set anchor. We have a simple service, partake in communion and a short worship. Just before we head back, Sam teaches us a song in Hebrew (to which me, writing this the day after – can’t remember at all). And then a member of the crew shows us the traditional Hebrew dance (you all know the one). Communion, and dancing like we’re at a bar-mitzvah on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee was not something I had ever expected to be able to say I’d done.

And then back to the bus, for one last time – Sam has given us an optional extra of visiting a fishing museum. The smart ones politely decline, and head into their accommodation to relax and unwind. Us not so smart, or perhaps a bit too tired to really understand what’s going on, are back in the bus and driving to the opposite side of the sea to visit this museum.

The museum is at another kibbutz and near a port. It took a while to make our way to it, and during this time we realised our bus driver was an absolute boss – reversing the bus and turning corners down small kibbutz streets that are not built for buses. When we arrive it’s a very small two room building filled with books, hooks and rocks that were used as boat and net anchors. We’re met by a delightful older man who takes us in and sits us down and goes through the history, biblical references, types of fish, types of equipment and anything you could think of relating to fishing today or 2,000 years ago. He spoke softly, but with a passion. We all appreciated it, though we faded fast so said our farewells as soon as we could.