Capernaum
Capernaum is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the Church of the Beatitudes and the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter. At the entrance to Capernaum there is a sign which reads ‘Capharnaum the town of Jesus’. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth. After being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, Jesus returned to Nazareth. The people of Nazareth rejected him and so he moved to Capernaum. Jesus visited Jerusalem many times and that is where he was crucified, buried and resurrected, but the time Jesus spent in Jerusalem was short. Capernaum is where Jesus lived as he carried out his mission. Most of the chapters in the New Testament describe the time he lived in Capernaum – from his baptism to the last week of his life. Jesus chose his twelve disciples in this area on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Five of them – Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew – came directly from Capernaum and all the other disciples came from the Galilee area. The only one who didn’t come from the Galilee was Judas Iscariot, who would later betray Jesus.
The Golan Heights
The Golan Heights rises up to the east of the Sea of Galilee in the far north east of Israel, home to some of Israel’s most spectacular landscapes. Golan Heights are a land of beauty, eagles nest at Gamla, deear roam at Odem, while man gazes at the spectacular landscape from Mount Bental in Hamat Gader, natural hot springs have been used by man for thousands of years. Now it is a disputed region of Israel and Syria.
Lake Tiberias
The Sea of Galilee, Lake Tiberias is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth, at levels between 215 metres and 209 metres below sea level. It is approximately 53 km in circumference, about 21 km long, and 13 km wide. Its area is 166.7 km² at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 43 m. The lake is fed partly by underground springs but its main source is the Jordan River.
