Sunday, 26 October

We had another huge breakfast brought to the cottage and left most of it.  I’m guessing that the kibbutz people won’t let it go to waste.  We came down from the Golan Heights across the top of the Sea of Galilee and stopped to see the Jordan River right before it enters the lake.

The Jordan River

Our next stop was Safed which a center of “Kabala” which is a form of Jewish ‘mysticism’.  It’s also located at the highest point in Israel, which is about 3,000 feet above sea level.  The Sea of Galilee is 600 feet ‘below’ sea level.  We toured an ultra conservative synagogue, and spent time strolling through the streets specializing in Jewish art.

We came down the mountain and went to Kibbutz Genosar to view the “Jesus Boat”.  Just 20 years ago, it was discovered buried in mud, which preserved it.  It dates back to the period when Jesus was preaching there.  We also took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.

After viewing the boat we continued down the coast and lunch on the waterfront at Tiberius.

The Jordan also flows ‘out’ of the Sea of Galilee at the south end.  We stopped there where people were being baptized in the Jordan River.  Our guide believes that the actual historical site was much further south, just east of Jerusalem, which was where John was living, however, the river is very small and muddy at that point.

wading in the Jordan

Full submersion baptism

We entered into the West Bank and drove down past Jericho and then over to Jerusalem.  We’ll be in the same hotel for 5 nights which will be nice for a change.