Day 3: Around the Sea of Galilee – Daily Life and Religion in the Time of Jesus - Parish of St. Mark - Ocean Park

Our day was spent visiting various sites around the Sea of Galilee as we tried to picture daily life and religion in the First Century, and sought to better understand the miracles and teachings of Jesus in His original Jewish context. We started the day at Chorazin, the well-preserved ruins of a typical Galilean village, where we studied village life, Jewish religion, and the Pharisees. Our next stop was the Mount of Beatitudes, traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount, where we considered the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ teachings. Down the hill we arrived at Capernaum, the town where Jesus lived during the majority of His ministry. At lovely Tabgha, which commemorates the multiplication of loaves and fish, and where Jesus met the disciples after the resurrection, we enjoyed a contemplative time on the shore of the Lake. Later in the afternoon we visited Kibbutz Ginosar to see the “Jesus Boat”, a Galilean fishing boat from the First Century. From here we set sail for a boat ride on the Lake to enjoy the views and some worship, prayer and reflective time.