CHRISTIAN GEMS AROUND THE SEA OF GALILEE
Departure Days: Tuesdays only
Duration: 1 day

A brief overview of the tour

On this tour you can visit significant Christian sites on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and in the Lower Galilee. Visit Magdala, see remains of a Biblical fishing village and Second Temple era synagogue. In Ginosar see an ancient fishing boat from Jesus’ lifetime which was discovered in the Sea of Galilee; stand on the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus made the Sermon on the Mount and visit the Wedding Church at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine.

Important and useful notes

• 05:50 am transfer from Jerusalem to join the tour in Tel Aviv.
• Airport drop off is available for additional 60$ per person.
• Please be at your pick up point on time. There might be some delay (up to 20 minutes) due to traffic or other operational issues
• Change of vehicle required for transfers of pick up / drop off destinations to save time, avoid traffic and delay!
• Modest dress required for holy sites.
• Business class - small groups in luxury van / minibus.

A detailed description of the tour

Take this tour either as a one day tour from Tel Aviv/Jerusalem or as the second day of a two day tour that includes Nazareth. On this exciting tour you will be visiting many of the sites where Jesus preached during his ministry. The tour takes you to northern Israel and the region around the Sea of Galilee. The first stop is Magdala, the birth place of Mary Magdalene. In Magdala you can see what remains of an ancient Biblical era fishing village plus the ruins of a Second Temple period synagogue and the ongoing excavations.

The tour continues through the beautiful countryside of the Galilee to Ginosar on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee. During Jesus’ life time Ginosar was a flourishing town and today it is the site of a kibbutz. During a drought in 1986 the level of the Sea of Galilee dropped revealing the frame of an ancient fishing boat. Scientific carbon dating showed that the boat dates back to 100BC-70AD. This means that this boat would have been used by fishermen during Jesus’ life time. The Jesus Boat, as it came to be known is now on display in the Beit Yigal Allon Museum on Kibbutz Ginosar.

The tour continues along the shore of the Sea of Galilee where you can look up at the Mount of Beatitudes. This hill is believed to have been where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. In the 4th century a Byzantine church was constructed on the hill to mark this Biblical site and today the hill is crowned by a Roman Catholic Franciscan chapel built in 1938 and designed by Antonio Barluzzi.

From here the tour takes you to Kafr Kanna, the site of Biblical Cana. Cana is mentioned several times in the Bible in the Gospel of John. It was here that Jesus performed the first of his miracles and turned water into wine at a wedding feast. The tour takes you to the Wedding Church of Cana. The Franciscan church has two levels, twin bell towers and a domed roof. In the nave you can see the remains of a Byzantine mosaic which dates back to the 5th-6th century. In the church museum there are several artifacts found during excavations including one of six jars which were used for wine (and perhaps the wine Jesus used for the miracle). At the end of the tour you will be returned to your hotel.