My Pilgrimage: June 7

As we continue to tour the area of Galilee, we started this morning at Korizim.  This town is mentioned in the Bible as one of the three condemned by Jesus as not receiving His message.  Hence, it is assumed that He spent much time there.  There are some fairly interesting remains there, including a 4^th Century Synagogue, including the Chair of Moses and a niche for the Torah.  Today, it is notable for its rather large housing of hyrax, small mammals that look like rodents but are actually related to elephants.

We then went to our main site for the day: Bethsaida.  This is where our group would usually be excavating, but cannot this summer due to technical difficulties.  We spent a lengthy time here, touring both what is open to the public and some areas still being excavated (largely overgrown due to no activity this season).  Some of the area reaches back to 1000 BC, and it was even used as recently as 1967 by the Syrian army.  Bethsaida is of course important because we believe Peter, Andrew, and other apostles were from there.  Today it is a good jog to the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River, but it is believed to have been adjacent to a march and easy access to both in the past.  They have excavated buildings and roads from the 1^st Century, so we could walk the same stones and be in the same rooms as Jesus would have.  After the tour, we had Mass in the “shaded meditation area” used for daily Mass by the group in past years.  We also had a nice and simple PB&J picnic lunch there.

In the early afternoon, we drove north to Tal Hazor, an ancient Canaanite city overlooking the Hulah Valley (the Jordan River north of the Sea of Galilee).  It was interesting because they have found a sizeable temple attached to an even larger palace.  By this time, most of us were too tired to really explore, so we headed back to the hotel from some rest.  As we were driving back, I realized that I have a new comparison for driving.  In the past, I have always said, “after all I’ve driven through a hurricane.”  Now, I can say, “after all, I’ve driven in Israel.”