Jerusalem - the Galilee trip

We had decided that in order to get to Nazareth and Capernaum (Nazareth! Capernaum!) we would have to hire a car and then stay a night. It all went quite well, although finding the hire car office was a bit of a challenge. There were masses of police around the King David Hotel, and more at motorway junctions as we set off, so maybe there was an important visitor (maybe Tony Bliar on his mission to bring peace to the Middle East, as if, and make a lot of money while he’s about it.)

We had quite a simple drive to Nazareth; as I said, the driving is illmannered (tailgating, middle lane hogging and such) rather than scary. We passed signs to Ashkelon and Ashdod, and Armageddon and Beersheba, and passed the Horns of Hattin where Saladin defeated the Crusaders.  It was all terrifically exciting. 

Nazareth itself was very busy. Our first stop was the Church of the Annunciation. It’s Greek Orthodox, and their tradition is that Mary was fetching water from the well when the angel appeared to her. There’s a seventeenth century church with high quality icons, in front of a fourth century crypt in which is the only year round spring in Nazareth. So whether or not it’s the site of the Annunciation, Mary must have used that spring, on that spot. The crypt is filled with the sound of running water, and genuinely felt peaceful and holy. Some Russian pilgrims were filling bottles to take away, but they were quiet and devout, and didn’t detract from the atmosphere.

The Church of Mary's Well

Then we went into the Old City – smaller but just as confusing as Jerusalem – and found the synagogue church, a very plain Crusader church built on the ruins of Nazareth’s ancient synagogue.  It seemed to be off the pilgrim run and so we were alone, and it was another experience to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

The basilica

The chapel over the Nazareth synagogue

The main pilgrim site is the Basilica of the Annunciation, built in the 1960s, a most striking and beautiful building, over the ruins of Byzantine and Crusader churches, which are in turn over the remains of ancient houses, one of which is supposed to be Mary’s. Apparently there are ancient graffiti, dating from the second century. But something about the church, perhaps the Marianism offending my Protestant upbringing, made me resistant.

The guesthouse was also in the Old City and we had problems finding it. I was reminded of the old joke – Why did Moses lead the Israelites through the desert for thirty years? Because he was a man and wouldn’t stop to ask the way – but we found it, and it was very pleasant and the breakfast the next morning was superb. There was a chopped avocado dish, with a little very finely chopped spring onion and, I think, za’atar, and I was all set to make it here in England, but then I remembered that it’s impossible to get decent avocados here. I think they’re irradiated to stop them going off on the journey. You certainly can’t get avocado stones to grow any more. 

Nazareth feels more relaxed than either Bethlehem or Jerusalem, although there are, we’re told, tensions between Muslims and Christians. It’s apparently a foodie centre, and we had an excellent meal, served by young women with loose hair and trendy clothes. The Muslim girls coming out of school usually wear headscarves, but not always, and some wear one of those raincoat over everything outfits. But I don’t see what’s modest about covering your hair while wearing loads of heavy makeup.

The next day we set off for Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee. The first stop

Garden and vineyard at Cana in Galilee

was Cana in Galilee. Two churches claim to have jars from which Jesus turned water into wine. I can’t say we were convinced, but to be in Cana was exciting in itself. Of course the tourist shops sell wine, specially labelled.

Next, we stopped in Tabgha, where there is a church said to be on the site of the feeding of the five thousand. I wasn’t expecting to be impressed, but we were. In the fourth century a pilgrim described the place and the oral history of Christians in Capernaum, who venerated this as the “lonely place” on the shores of the lake. A church has existed here since, at latest 350 A.D., with the rock said to be the one on which Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes underneath the altar. 

The Altar at Tabgha, with the rock of the miracle under it.

So whether or not it’s the actual rock, it has been venerated as such since soon after Jesus’ death. A lot of the original Byzantine mosaic floor has been preserved, it’s lovely. It was quite a spot. It had power. There’s also a Church of the Beatitudes, said to be on the site of the Sermon on the Mount.

The beautiful mosaic floor at Tabgha.

We reached the Sea of Galilee. It’s more than 200 metres below sea level, so it was warm but still misty and rainy, so we didn’t get the views. 

Me, at the Sea of Galilee!

Tiberias was the Roman H.Q. and is now a holiday resort, but I have to say it made Scarborough on a wet weekend in December look good, and we’ve seen enough Roman stuff not to bother stopping, so we went straight on to Capernaum. That was terrific. There are the excavated remains of the ancient town and a rather lovely modern church built over the remains of two previous churches, which in turn enclose the remains of the house said to be Peter’s. 

Modern church

The remains of Peter's house underneath

Again, the first and second century graffiti, the sense of place, made us believe that this is the place. It’s the strangest feeling, that here you are on this spot, which is not a hypothetical or fairytale place, but solid and real.

There’s also the remains of a very posh fourth century synagogue, interesting in itself, but built on the foundations of an earlier one, where Jesus preached.

The black basalt foundations of the early synagogue at Capernaum

Not as shivery an experience as Tabgha and Peter’s House, but still mind boggling.

On the drive back to Jerusalem, which wasn’t direct, because we aren’t allowed to take the hire car into the occupied territories, we passed a Crusader castle, Belvoir. We turned up a mountain road and climbed and climbed. The castle is half a kilometre above the Jordan Valley, but it was too misty for what should have been spectacular views. The castle belonged to the Knights Hospitallers, and had a huge moat carved of of the basalt, which had then been used to build the fortress. 

                                                           

It had withstood an eighteen month siege by Saladin after Hattin, but fell when the Muslim army sapped and collapsed the barbican. It used to be the site of an Arab village, but in 1948, the village was dismantled and the area around the park was turned into a national park. We didn’t know that, and it was one of those deeply depressing facts we kept finding out as we researched the trip and travelled.

It was a bit of a relief to return the car no more bumped and scraped than when we’d picked it up, and to the right slot in the underground car park. As we came back to Jerusalem, we realised that the car park had two entirely different entrances and we had omitted to take note of which one we wanted, which gave us a nasty moment or two, until Phil cleverly spotted a small sign.