Day 5
Today started with a boat  ride on the Sea of Galilee  after yet another yummy breakfast.  Today I  had a poached  egg in tomato sauce, that almond thing again and a cheese blitz with Espresso!!
We traveled  on The King David and Abraham (aka Peter) demonstrated  how to  fish using a  circular  net.  It was fun!  At Nof Ginosar, two brothers  found a 1st  century  fishing boat named the  "Jesus  Boat" and we watched a video of how it was  removed  from  the  water  and  moved into the museum.  Bob, a member  of  our  group  showed us how to walk on water Ala Michael.
Onto the bus to see "blue bananas" (the way growers keep the critters  out of the fruit as well as enable it to ripen.
The Church  of  the  Beatitudes was next.  Absolutely  stunning architecture  and surroundings  where Jesus  began  his  public ministry.  Octagonal in shape, one wall for each beatitude. The Church was constructed  of basalt rock (local stone to signify Jesus' beginning  of  his ministry) and limestone  from Jerusalem  (to signify the end of his earthly  ministry).  I could have stayed there for days just praying and walking through  the  grounds.
From there we went to Korazim, and admired the ruins of the black  basalt  synagogue  built in the 4th  century - facing Jerusalem.  It has an in tact Moses Seat, the place for the High Priest to sit and teach/preach.
On to Bethsaida (house of fisherman) where a team  of  archaeologists  was working.  It's  still pretty  rough but had a neat statue of a pagan god and a pile of clay by the city gate that I think  it was the mud brick (clay) tablets used to show you paid your taxes upon entering  the  city.  Bethsaida  is the place where Jesus  called Peter, Andrew, James, John, and maybe  Philip.
Lunch  was at St. Peter's restaurant  where we had St. Peter's  fish  (or Talapia).  And we encountered  the local rodent, the Haika  sunning themselves  on the rocks.
After lunch we went to Capernaum, the traditional  site  of  Peter's home.  This church  completes the Holy trinity of cities where Jesus  did most of  his teaching  and  miracles.  The Church here is built on ruins of what  tradition  says is Peter's  home.  Again a 4th century  ruin wad there built on top of  the  1st century  synagogue.  Sadly, this site also  shows  that  God's people  don't  play  well together  as just down the street is the Orthodox  church at Capernaum!  I took pictures  of the Star of David  carved onto a stone here.
Last of all today  was Mount Tabor, and it was cold up there!  At least the sun was  shining.  The Church  of  the  Transfiguration  is on top of this horst (geological  term  for a pimple in the crust).  As Jesus  took Peter, James  and  John  with him, Moses and Elijah joined  him as his clothes  turned  dazzling  white.  Today's  church has 3 chapels, just like Peter asked to happen all those  years  ago.
Back to Nof  Ginosar  for dinner  of soup (minestrone  and split pea) and salads with desserts.  There was plenty  of  other  options, believe  me!