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“HE LEFT NAZARETH
AND MADE HIS HOME IN CAPERNAUM BY THE SEA
IN THE LAND OF ZEBULON AND NAPHTALI, SO THAT WHAT HAD BEEN
SPOKEN THROUGH THE PROPHET ISAIAH MIGHT BE FULFILLED"
MATTHEW 4:13-14
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There is no better
place to get the “big picture” of Jesus’ public
ministry in the Galilee than from the cliffs of
Mount Arbel, overlooking the Sea of Galilee from the
west. First century historian Josephus Flavius
tells us that there were 204 prosperous Galilean
towns and villages in his day. Most of the
people earned their livelihood by either farming or
fishing.
From the Arbel, we see it all! With only a little
imagination, we see the lush fields of wheat and
barley; the luxuriant olive, almond and fig groves;
and the fishermen docking with their catch after an
all-night outing. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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From the Arbel cliff, a view of
the western and northern shore of the Sea of Galilee |
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We can trace the
road leading up northeast to Damascus, called the
Via Maris or “the Way of the Sea.” The Via
Maris was the main thoroughfare of international
trade for 1500 years. We imagine Levi, renamed
Matthew, sitting at his toll-booth along the road
opposite Capernaum, the headquarters of Jesus public
ministry.
Many Galileans in Jesus’ day were hot-headed
radicals, preaching rebellion against their Roman
overlords. On Mount Arbel, when I look over to
the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus said, “Blessed
are the peacemakers,” I hear in my mind, “clank,
clank, clank,” for the zealots at Arbel and across
from us, at Gamle, were diligently making weapons. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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In the horizon on the left, we can
make out snow-covered Mount Hermon |
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Can you imagine –
Jesus was teaching on a ten-mile stretch, between
these two centers of zealotry. What were the
Galilean farmers and fishermen thinking when Jesus
was teaching about the kingdom of God? I wish I
could have eavesdropped on the dialogue between
Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13) and Matthew
the tax-collector.
As Jesus traveled between the towns and villages,
teaching in all the synagogues (Matthew 4:23) and
proclaiming the good news, he must have met many
merchants and traders. He may have heard a story
about a younger son who gathered all he had and
traveled to a distant country, only to squander all
his worldly goods (Luke 15). Or he may have met a
merchant searching for fine pearls, upon which he
based the parable recorded in Matthew 13:45. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Mount Arbel as seen from the Sea
of Galilee |
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Because there’s so
much to look at from Mount Arbel, possibilities of
what you may want to share with your group are
unlimited. One of my favorite tour leaders
traces the geography of Jesus’ Galilean ministry
stretching out right below us. Another reads
the parables of the soil, the weeds, and the mustard
seed from Matthew 13 and
Mark 4.
The Arbel is a great place to delve deeper into the
Sermon on the Mount, as we discuss, “You are the
light of the world; a city on a hill cannot be hid.”
(Matthew 5:14) On a clear winter’s day in the late
afternoon, Psalm 89 comes to mind, for both Mount Hermon and Mount Tabor are distinctly visible. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Climbing to the summit of the
Arbel now takes only ten minutes |
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| The way to the summit of Mount Arbel used to be a
45-minute trek, sometimes through ankle-deep mud
along donkey and cow paths (and manure!). The Israel
Parks Authority has simplified access to the summit
by constructing a parking lot so that the walk today
is only ten minutes uphill. There are now even
restrooms and an entrance fee! |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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The Arbel lookout is by the green
tree up at the right! |
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| The bottom line is this: the Arbel view of Jesus’
Galilean ministry is now accessible to nearly
everyone in your group. Come with me, to the Land of
Zebulon and the Land of Naphtali and let’s give the
Biblical text color, contour and context. |
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Gila
Yudkin, a Connecticut Yankee
guiding in King David’s court, has been
sharing biblical insights on site in the
Holy Land for over 25 years. She loves
to share her passion for adventure in the
Holy Land with like-minded pastors, teachers
and students of the Bible. Be sure to
contact her in the beginning
stages of planning your tour to check her
availability.
If you are contemplating leading a tour to
the Holy Land or know someone who is, don’t
miss Gila’s tips about do's and don'ts guaranteed to make your Holy Land
pilgrimage a rave success. Read
Tips from A to Z for Holy
Land Tour Leaders. |
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Copyright 2008, 2010 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
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More on
the Life of Jesus |
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Wedding at Cana |
Did Jesus visit Sepphoris? |
Scroll of Isaiah |
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Bethsaida |
Epiphany / River Jordan |
Model of Jesus' Jerusalem |
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GILA
YUDKIN
•
TCHERNIKOVSKI
64A
•
JERUSALEM
•
ISRAEL
gila@itsgila.com
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