Road Trip Through Israel-Part Four: Following in the Steps of Christ-Church of the Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee, and Nazareth

by Teri E. Popp, Tastemaker in Residence

We finished our road trip through Israel by tracing some of Jesus’ steps along what is referred to as the Jesus Trail (in Hebrew known as שביל ישו). While the actual Trail is a 40-mile long hiking path and includes many stops, we focused our attention on the Church of the Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee, and the City of Nazareth.

We made our first stop at the Mount of the Beatitudes, the location where it is believed Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. A lovely Roman Catholic Chapel, designed by Antonio Barluzzi and built in 1937, commemorates this historic occurrence.

This lovely chapel overlooks the Sea of Galilee (in Hebrew, known as Kinneret, Kinnereth, or יָם כִּנֶּרֶת), the lowest freshwater lake on Earth, reaching a depth of 683 feet below sea level. Partially fed by underground springs, the River Jordan and other tributaries add to its freshwater supply. The Sea is also known as the Lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Ginosar, Sea of Tiberias, Lake Tiberias, and Sea of Minya.

Our final stop of the day, Nazareth (referred to in Arabic as النَّاصِرَة, and in Hebrew as נָצְרַת), is known as the home of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus according to Christians (see the Gospel of Matthew). Certain Christian sects believe this city to be the location of Mary’s Annunciation, and, to commemorate that tradition, the Roman Catholic Church built the Basilica of the Annunciation in 1969. When visiting this chapel, a Christian can almost envision the Virgin Mary being visited by the Angel Gabriel as she received word that she was to bear the Son of God.

Beautiful mosaics from around the world—in honor of Mary—fill the walls of the church, and lovely leaded glass windows throw rainbow-colored light through this airy chapel. We felt privileged to participate in a religious service during our visit!