4: Galilean boatride

by Gunther Simmermacher · August 17, 2005

Tabgha, at the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes, is one of those sites that reminds us that Jesus� concerns were rooted not only in the eternal life, but also in the here and now: it is at Tabgha that he fed the multitudes by way of multiplying five loaves of bread and two paltry fish.

This miracle � which Jesus must have known would gain him the unwelcome attention of Herod Antipas, the murderer of John the Baptist � sustains the Church�s charisms of social justice and charity. The people had nothing to eat, and something had to be done about it. Jesus had the means to solve the problem, and did something, selflessly. Today, we have the means to feed everybody in the world, but for greed and politics. If there is one miracle of Jesus� ministry that remains acutely relevant today, it is that commemorated at Tabgha.

Tabgha�s Benedictine church is a marvel, a faithful recreation of the 4th century basilica that stood there. It contains original mosaics of the original church, and under the altar is the rock on which Jesus reputedly performed the gastronomic miracle. There is little left of the rock now. In the 4th century the pilgrim Egeria noted that the rock had been turned into an altar. “People who go there take away small pieces of the stone to bring them prosperity,” she observed.

This must have been a perpetually bad habit, for almost 1,500 years later, Mark Twain would complain about the “incorrigible tourists” with “their pockets full of bits of stone they have chopped off ruins”. In an uncharacteristic bout of prayer, Twain exclaimed: “May Heaven protect the Holy Sepulchre when these hordes hit Jerusalem.”

A highlight on any pilgrimage is a boatride on the Sea of Galilee, sailing in the jetstream of Jesus, to turn a great clich�.

The lake and its surrounds are agreeable and peaceful, a marked contrast to the emotional and physical exertion demanded by Jerusalem.

The region has not always been so pastoral. The diarist Corneille Le Bruyn in 1679 noted “an abundance of fish everywhere along the shore”, a result of the Ottoman rulers� exile of the region�s Christian and Jewish fishermen. Indeed, Le Bruyn complained that there were no boats at all in which to cross the lake.

There are few places where one can locate Jesus� actual presence beyond any doubt. One such place is in Capernaum, the Galilean coastal town Our Lord chose as his HQ during the Galilean ministry. In Capernaum are the ruins of an ancient synagogue, believed to date back to about the 4th century. The synagogue was built above a predecessor that stood there in Jesus� time. The foundation walls of that synagogue can still be seen. It is recorded that Jesus prayed in the synagogue of Capernaum�and even if there was no such record, it is certain that Rabbi Yeshua would have visited the parish synagogue frequently while in Capernaum.

Not far from the synagogue is Simon Peter�s reputed house, where Jesus cured the disciple�s mother-in-law wife (insert your own stand-up comedy routine here). Archaelogists have identified these ruins as incorporating an early Christian house church. This site was venerated by the early Christians. Our friend Egeria in 380 noted that “in Capernaum, the house of the Prince of Apostles was converted to a church whose walls still stand.” Today, an unattractive Franciscan church hovers above Peter�s house, as the Starship Enterprise might above a hitherto unknown planet.

Finally, on to Cana, site of perhaps the most publicised wedding of all time. Famous it may be, but we know absolutely nothing about the happy couple. We do know that the caterers underestimated the wedding guests� dipsomania, thus inducing Jesus to do perform his first public miracle, albeit under duress.

Self-evidently Cana is a suitable place for the renewal of wedding vows, which is what 11 pairs in our group did. Among them were septegenarians Des and Eva Wood of Warmbaths, who married only a few weeks earlier, having met during the preparations for this pilgrimage through the kind offices of tour operator Val Tangney.

While the renewal ceremony warmed our hearts, a new acquaintance touched us deeply. On the way from the church, we met a local man and his little daughter who were selling postcards, which many in our group bought, a good deal at $1 for ten.

Later our guide, Iyad Qumri, told us about the man, whom he knew. A Christian, he had been employed in a Nazareth hotel which closed when the tourists stopped coming. Because of an unspecified disability, he has been unable to obtain employment elsewhere, and his state benefits have expired. Occasionally he manages to sell postcards to passing visitors, such as ourselves. Our patronage made him very happy, for he could feed his family with what little profit he made.

Sitting in our airconditioned tourbus, clutching our bags of purchases, some in our group said a private prayer for this man and his family, and all those who face financial hardship.