Excursion number 22

Journey to Galilee: the sacred river Jordan (Yardenit), Lake Galilee, Magdala, a place with radon springs, Tabha, Capernaum

Galilee (Hebrew הַגָּלִיל, һа-Galil, "region, district, district", Arab al-Jalil) is the name of the geographical and historical region in the north of the State of Israel. The territory of Galilee is limited to the west by the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by the Jezreel Valley and to the east by the Jordan Valley. Repeatedly mentioned in the Bible and includes many holy places, as well as archaeological parks and cultural attractions. 20 cities of Galilee, King Solomon gave the Tyrian (Lebanese) Prince Hiram (3 Kings 9:11).

Pagan Galilee (Latin Galileae gentium, Greek Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν) is mentioned in the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 9: 2).

By the time of Jesus Christ, the Galileans had an adverb from the inhabitants of Judea (Mark 14:70). Most of the apostles were Galileans (Acts 1:11). The main Galilean cities were Bethsaida (the birthplace of the Apostle Andrew, Peter and Philip - John 1:44), Canal of Galilee (Nathanael's birthplace - John 21: 2), and Nazareth (the birthplace of Jesus Christ - Matthew 2:23; :eleven). The Jews of Jesus Christ worshiped the Galilean (Matthew 26:69, John 7:41). According to Matthew, after the resurrection, both the angel and Jesus, sent the apostles to Galilee (Matthew 28: 7-16). In the era of the apostle Paul, there were churches in Galilee (Acts 9:31).

Yardenit (Hebrew ירדנית, comes from the diminutive Jordan) is the place of the exit of the Jordan River from Lake Tiberias, as well as the center of baptism, where a symbolic rite of baptism of believers of the Greek Orthodox Church and Catholics takes place. The modern complex was built in 1981, annually it is visited by more than 400 thousand people. In rivers you can see floating catfish, carp, tilapia (fish of Peter the Great), including nutria, which appeared here in the XXI century.

The Gospel of Luke describes the Baptism of the Lord on the Jordan River.

When all the people were baptized, and Jesus, being baptized, prayed: the sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove, and there was a voice from heaven, saying: "You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased! (Luke 3: 21-2)

The Sea of ​​Galilee, known in ancient and modern Israel as the Sea of ​​Galilee (Hebrew ים כנרת, "Yam Kinneret", Arabic "Bukharat Tabaria", also the Sea of ​​Kinnerere or the Hinnerere, Sea of ​​Galilee, Genisareth Lake, Gennesaret Lake ) Is a freshwater lake in the northeast of Israel. The name Tiberias Lake received from the name of the city of Tiberias (modern Tver), founded in the 1st century AD. in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberius. The lake is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible in the books of the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament it is referred to as the "Sea of ​​Kinnerere" (Numbers 34:11 and others) or "the Sea of ​​Hinnereth" (Josh 12: 3, etc.) as the area through which the boundary of the land of Israel passes, and as "Hinnaroth" (Rev. 11: 2). The fortified city of Hinneret (Kinneret) is mentioned as being on the lands of the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:35).

In the Gospel the lake is referred to as the "Sea of ​​Galilee" (Mark 1:16, etc.), "The Sea of ​​Tiberias" (John 21: 1), "Gennesaret Lake" (Luke 5: 1), simply "lake" (Lk 8: 22-23, Luke 8:33, etc.), or "the sea" (Mark 4: 35-41, Matthew 8:24, Matthew 4:18, and others).

In the New Testament, Gennesaret Lake is associated with many tales of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. On the shores of the lake and in the coastal cities (especially in Capernaum) Jesus spent most of his earthly ministry. It was on the Gennesaret Lake that the apostles Peter and Andrew fished when they were called by Christ to the apostolic ministry.

The length of the lake is up to 23 kilometers in length and 11 kilometers in width. The area of ​​the lake is 165 square meters. kilometers, and the maximum depth reaches 45 meters. The lake is filled with the waters of the Jordan River and the Amud stream, as well as natural precipitation.

Magdala (Hebrew מגדל, Arabic, also Migdal) is an ancient Galilean city in the territory of modern Israel, mentioned in the Bible as the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. The word magdala in Aramaic means "beautiful", "great" or "tower", in Hebrew migdal - "tower", in Arabic - "castle". In the Talmud this city is called "Magdal Nunaya", which means "fish tower", and in the Gospel of Mark - "Dalmanufa". Under the name "Magdala" in the New Testament, the city is mentioned in the

 

Gospel of Matthew:

And when he sent the people away, He went into the boat and came to the Magdalene. (Matthew 15:39)

The city is located on the shores of Genisareth Lake at the southern end of the fertile Genisareth plain, in the former region of the tribe of Neferalim, not far from Capernaum.

 

Currently, next to the location of the historical Magdala is the Arab village of Al-Majdal and the Jewish settlement of Migdal. Near the Magdalene on the shore of the lake there is a courtyard of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem with warm radon springs. On the territory of the farmstead there are 3 available radon sources, one of which is associated with the Gospel of Luke.
After this, He passed through the towns and villages, preaching and preaching the Kingdom of God, and with him twelve, and some women whom He healed from evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called Magdalene, from which seven demons came out, 3 and John, the wife Chuzy, the steward of Herod, and Susanna, and many others who served Him as their own. (Luke 8: 1-2)
Tabha - the Arabic name of the Greek word - heptapicon - means the semicluster; several radon sources in these places flow into the lake. This place is located on the north-west shore of Lake Galilee. Here the German order of the Benedictines in place of the ancient Byzantine church built the Catholic temple of the miracle of the Multiplication of bread and fish (Mark 6: 1-56). Nearby on the Franciscan site is the church of the primacy of St. Peter or "Mensa Christie" - a meal of Christ, built in the 50s of the XX century by the Order of Franciscans (John 21: 15-23).

Capernaum, Kafarnaum (Hebrew כפר נחום, Kfar Nahum, the letter "Naum village") is an ancient city on the north-west coast of the Sea of ​​Galilee, founded in the 5th century BC. In Capernaum, according to the Gospels, the basic preaching work of Jesus Christ took place. Then the city was a fishing village and customs on the way from Caesarea to Damascus. In Capernaum, Jesus found his apostles - Peter, Andrew, the Zebedee brothers John the Theologian, and James and Levi Matthew. In the II century in Capernaum, a community of Jews converted to Christianity was formed. In the next century a church was built in the city, and it became the mainstay of Christianity in the region.

In the ruins of the ancient city today there are: the Greek Orthodox monastery of the 12 apostles and the Catholic monastery of the Franciscans.
 
The excursion begins at the place of accommodation of the tourists in Jerusalem (the address and time of the excursion beginning is indicated in advance by the guide). On the tour you need to have comfortable shoes, drinking water and a hat from the sun. Clothes should be like when visiting temples (men should not visit temples in shorts, women should have clothes with closed shoulders, do not have a neckline, short skirts and shorts, you can wear trousers). To cross the border post between Jerusalem and Beit Shean, tourists need to have a passport with them.
 
The price for all participants of the excursion on our car with departure from Jerusalem is $ 700 (with the number of up to 6 people in the car), and $ 1000 (with the number of participants from 7 to 15 people).
 
When you leave for a tour from Tel Aviv and its environs on our car, the price for up to 6 people is $ 900, and from 7 to 15 people - $ 1100. 

 

If the tourists have a rented car, the price is $ 450 for all participants of the excursion, provided that the excursion begins in Jerusalem. The tour is accompanied by Tour guide Paul
 
(License of a certified guide in English from the Ministry of Tourism of the State of Israel No. 10103)
 
You can order the tour by e-mail paul@vizitisrael.com
 
And also by calling: + 972-545-336-297 (Wats up / Viber / Telegram), (in Israel: 054-5336-297)
 
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