Itinerary

Church of Annunciation

The Annunciation Church in Nazareth stands on the site believed to have been the Virgin Mary’s childhood home. It is also where the Angel Gabriel appeared before her and told her of her future son, the Messiah. The appearance of Gabriel, his announcement and Mary’s consent to be the mother of God is known as the Annunciation. There have been four earlier churches built here to mark this Biblical site, the earliest being a 4th century Byzantine church followed by a Crusader church; a 14th century Franciscan church and the present church completed in 1969. You can still see parts of the previous churches incorporated in the present structure and the remains of Mary’s grotto home. Today the beautiful church is the city’s top attraction and attracts Christians from around the world that come to see the remains of Mary’s home and the magnificent church.

Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth

The Church of St. Joseph is located in northern Israel in the city of Nazareth where Jesus grew up, the church is believed to be situated where Christ’s earthly father, Joseph once had his home and carpentry workshop. This would then have become the home of Mary as well following their marriage. The church is also known as the Church of Nutrition and the Church of Joseph’s Carpentry. The location first became recognized as the home of the holy family in the 17th century when texts referred to it as “the house and workshop of Joseph.” The Church of Saint Joseph’s Carpentry is within the same complex as the Basilica of the Annunciation together with the Franciscan convent Terra-Santa. In the courtyard you can see architectural artifacts which were uncovered during excavation. Within the church which now stands at this location are several interesting stained glass windows and paintings depicting scenes involving Joseph. There is the scene of Joseph and Mary’s wedding, Joseph dying in the arms of Jesus and Mary, a scene of Joseph showing Jesus how to work in the carpentry as Mary looks on and The Dream of Joseph. The present-day church was constructed in 1914 on what remained of a Crusader Church and this in turn was built on a series of caves. The caves were probably used for food storage in Biblical times and may have been where the workshop was situated. From the present-day church, there is a stairway going down to a crypt and through a grille in the floor where you can see the caves.

Capernaum

During Jesus’ lifetime, Capernaum was a fishing village and home to the disciples, Andrew, John, James and Peter who were all fishermen as well as the tax collector, Matthew. The Bible tells us that Jesus left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum where he based himself while traveling to villages in Galilee to preach during a period of his life referred to as his ministry. Here in Capernaum, he saw the future disciples casting their nets into the sea and he called out to them to join him. In Mark 1:21 we head of how Jesus taught in the Capernaum synagogue. We also read of Jesus performing miracles in Capernaum. Jesus cured a man who was possessed; he cures Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever; cured a Roman centurion’s servant in Capernaum and cured a paralyzed man. Jesus must have spent a considerable amount of time in Capernaum as the Bible refers to it as “his own city.”  Later Jesus cursed Capernaum and its people because of their lack of faith (Matthew 11:23). 

Church of the Primacy of St. Peter

This modern Franciscan chapel built in 1933 marks the site where Jesus ate with his disciples following his resurrection and also where Jesus reinstated St. Peter who had denied knowing Jesus three times at Jesus’ crucifixion. It is the signature event of Jesus appointing Peter to look over his church that led to the Pope (a successor of Peter) being the leader of the Christian world (John 21:15-19). Earlier churches that stood on this site have been incorporated into the more recent structure. Remains of the walls of a 4th-century church are visible in the grey stone structure. After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to his disciples at Tabgha where they sat down together to eat. It was at this time that Jesus chose Peter to lead the Christian church. The Church of the Primacy of St Peter is a small structure built in 1934 of black basalt rock. In the surrounding gardens, you can see a bronze sculpture depicting Jesus giving Peter his blessing.  This is a quaint and peaceful church with idyllic gardens and ample shade all around. The church is located on the water’s edge of the Sea of Galilee, there are even stone steps going down to the water. The steps were carved out of the rock c. 2nd century. On the water’s edge at the base of the steps are 12 heart-shaped blocks called the Twelve Thrones dedicated to the 12 Apostles.

The Mount of Beatitudes

The Mount of Beatitudes (also known as Mount Eremos) is a small mountain in northern Israel in Galilee near the town of Tabgha on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The mount is between Capernaum and Tabgha and overlooks the fields of Gennesaret. Not far from the mount is Sower’s Cove where it is believed that Christ told the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9). The Mount is believed to be the site where Jesus delivered the Sermon on Mount. Matthew 5:3-11 and Luke 6 relate how Jesus spoke to the gathered followers and began his sermon with the eight beatitudes (from the Latin word for blessings) “Blessed are the poor/they who morn/meek/they who hunger and thirst for justice/merciful/pure of heart/peacemakers/ they who suffer persecution for justice sake. The mount would have provided enough space to accommodate the followers and the gradual incline forms a perfect natural amphitheater where Jesus could have delivered his sermon. The Mount of Beatitudes is the traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount, one of the New Testament Bible’s most significant addresses. Although the mountain was not specifically named in the Bible the site has been revered as the sermon location since early Christian pilgrims began visiting the mount and writing about it in the 4th century AD. The remains of a 4th-century church and its cistern can still be seen as well as what is left of an early monastery on the mount. The Mount of Beatitudes also meets the geographical specifications from the Bible as at the time Jesus was based in Galilee during his ministry years. The mount is also conveniently located in close proximity to the place where Jesus is believed to have performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish where he fed 5,000 followers with only 5 loaves and 2 fish. The Mount of Beatitudes is a popular Christian pilgrimage site. In 1964 Pope Paul VI visited the site and his cloak still hangs in the church while in 2000 Pope John Paul II held mass on the site. The Jesus Trail, which retraces the steps of Jesus and goes through the villages and sites he would have visited during his ministry in Galilee, includes the Mount of Beatitudes.

Mount Precipice

Luke 4:15-30 tells of Jesus’ visit to Nazareth and how he attended synagogue where he read from the Book of Isiah: ”The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; Because he has anointed Me.” Jesus then sat down and said, “Today the scripture is fulfilled.” In this, he was declaring himself to be the son of G-d, the Messiah. The worshippers in the synagogue were outraged by Jesus’ audacity and a mob of angry town’s people gathered. They chased Jesus out of Nazareth intending to throw him off the cliffs of Mount Precipice. There Jesus passed through the crowd of people and disappeared. His disappearance is left unexplained – a miracle. He may have leaped off the mount, disappeared miraculously, or jumped into a hidden cave. The Bible does not explain further. Excavations at the Mount of Precipitation uncovered the Qafzeh Cave which held prehistoric remains including 13 Neanderthal-era skeletons dating back 100,000 years. The cave could have been the same one that opened up giving Jesus a place to hide from the mob as he seemed to disappear. On a visit to Mt Precipice, you can enjoy panoramic views of Mount Tabor and the Jezreel Valley. The lookout point on the top of Mt. Precipice is the start of the Gospel Trail, a hiking trail that connects several Biblical locations. On the north side of the mount is a 40,000-seat auditorium which was used for the most famous Masses ever held in the Holy Land. In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI held his biggest ever Holy Land Mass here and in 2013 the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem led 7,000 Catholics in prayer on the International Day of Faith. 

Church of Multiplication - Tabgha

The Church of the Multiplication is in the area of Tabgha on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. The church marks the site where Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fish. This was also the site where Jesus appeared for the fourth time after his resurrection. In Mark 6:30-46 we read how Jesus and his disciples went out on the water to a remote site in search of some peace and quiet. Crowds of Jesus’ followers came after them and as night fell there was nowhere around to find food for the multitudes. To feed the crowd of five thousand people Jesus performed a miracle sharing the meager two fish and five loaves between all the people. Shortly after performing this miracle Jesus performed an additional miracle by walking on the water. The Biblical reference does not mention Tabgha by name but calls it a remote place on the shores of Galilee. Today the Church of the Multiplication is a modern structure built on the remains of the 4th-century church. The highlight of the church is the Byzantine floor mosaic which survived after the original church’s destruction in 685. The mosaic near the altar shows two fish on either side of a basket of loaves. Other features of the mosaic are vines, lotus flowers, oleanders and animals including ducks, geese, doves, peacocks, cranes, herons, a swan and flamingo. In the church’s 5th century floor mosaic there seems to be a reference to the three original Byzantine water towers that once stood here. Beneath the altar of the Church of the Multiplication is a large rock where it is thought that Jesus placed the fish and loaves as he blessed them. There is a glass panel in the floor through which you can see the foundations of the original church. In the church courtyard you can see an excavated basalt stone font and oil presses.

Yardenit Baptism Site

Yardenit is one of the traditional sites where Jesus could have been baptized. At Yardenit, where the Sea of Galilee flows into the southern Jordan River, steps and handrails have been provided so that Christian pilgrims can be baptized in the Jordan River safely. Christian pilgrims clad in white robes enter the river to the sound of prayers and hymns. The site has showers, restrooms, a restaurant and a gift shop.

Wedding Church, Cana

The Wedding Church stands in the Lower Galilee town of Kfar Kana. 2,000 years ago Kfar Kana would have been the town of Cana. Jesus attended a wedding in Cana and performed his first miracle, turning water into wine. As the site of such an important Biblical wedding Cana has become a popular place to wed or renew marital vows and it is home to the famous Wedding Church. In the 4th century Empress Helena, mother of the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine traveled to the Holy Land to identify Biblical sites. Helena had a church erected in Kfar Kana to mark the site of Jesus’ first miracle. In 1883 the Franciscans completed the construction of a new church over the remains of the 4th-century church. This Franciscan church is the church we know today as the Wedding Church.