The third day of our trip in the Galilee was centered around the Sea of Galilee (which is more of a big lake - it's fresh water) and concentrated on the ministry of Jesus. It was fun to be studying some from the New Testament since most of our time is spent working through the geography of the Old Testament. We started the day with a boat ride out on the sea and discussed the life of a fisherman. It was very hard work, quite risky, and could potentially bring in lots of money. However, so much was given to the Roman government in taxes that it became rather difficult for some. Some of the disciples were fisherman and Jesus looked for men with "fisherman" like personalities for His ministry. He needed those who were hard workers and were willing to risk aspects of their lives for the sake of the ministry.
The next stop was a trip to a Talmudic (ancient Jewish culture) village where remains of a community had been found and restored to what it would have been like in the first century. We walked through the homes of those living in the first century and got a better idea of life back then. As we talked about Jesus' ministry we learned about how as a carpenter He was much more than a wood-worker. He would have been the town specialist in working with all kinds of building materials; wood, leather, metal, etc. He would also have been called upon quite frequently. Being in the home we got a good look at the roof, telling us something more about the storie of the man who was lowered through the roof on his mat to be healed. It may have even been expected that Jesus, as a master builder, would have helped put the roof back together again. This may even suggest that He was a bit of a "tent-maker" during His ministry. One more very significant aspect of being in this community was learning about how the rooms and homes were put together. A family would live all in one small room and there would be space for the guests down below. The only other room in the house was for the animals at night, which provided heat for the whole house in the cold months. The interesting thing is, when a man would go and get married and start his family, another room would be added onto his father's house until their family expanded and a house other house could be attached. A series of houses combined together would be for a large family that continued to grow and expand until they needed to break off because of size. This is important when talking about how Jesus says that there is a room prepared for us in His father's house. Jesus is not implying that God has a big mansion for us in heaven, but He is saying that there is a very important space for us in the family. We have a room attached to the core of the family, we are a part of the family, and are taken care of in such a way.
Next, we went to Capernaum and taked about the nature of this international place that people were coming in a out of. It was the last stop before going into new territory calling for a Roman garrison to be on the border patrol. Also, tons of industrial manufacturing would have been happening there as a town right on the water. There were lots of fisherman in and out of this city. We then went over to the Mt. of Beatitudes and hiked down toward the sea. To finish the day we hiked down the cliffs of Arbel which had caves that were used for rebels during the time of Herod. From this viewpoint you could see to Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, and Mary Magdelene's town of Migdal. It was a great hike and a great day! The Pics:
The next stop was a trip to a Talmudic (ancient Jewish culture) village where remains of a community had been found and restored to what it would have been like in the first century. We walked through the homes of those living in the first century and got a better idea of life back then. As we talked about Jesus' ministry we learned about how as a carpenter He was much more than a wood-worker. He would have been the town specialist in working with all kinds of building materials; wood, leather, metal, etc. He would also have been called upon quite frequently. Being in the home we got a good look at the roof, telling us something more about the storie of the man who was lowered through the roof on his mat to be healed. It may have even been expected that Jesus, as a master builder, would have helped put the roof back together again. This may even suggest that He was a bit of a "tent-maker" during His ministry. One more very significant aspect of being in this community was learning about how the rooms and homes were put together. A family would live all in one small room and there would be space for the guests down below. The only other room in the house was for the animals at night, which provided heat for the whole house in the cold months. The interesting thing is, when a man would go and get married and start his family, another room would be added onto his father's house until their family expanded and a house other house could be attached. A series of houses combined together would be for a large family that continued to grow and expand until they needed to break off because of size. This is important when talking about how Jesus says that there is a room prepared for us in His father's house. Jesus is not implying that God has a big mansion for us in heaven, but He is saying that there is a very important space for us in the family. We have a room attached to the core of the family, we are a part of the family, and are taken care of in such a way.
Next, we went to Capernaum and taked about the nature of this international place that people were coming in a out of. It was the last stop before going into new territory calling for a Roman garrison to be on the border patrol. Also, tons of industrial manufacturing would have been happening there as a town right on the water. There were lots of fisherman in and out of this city. We then went over to the Mt. of Beatitudes and hiked down toward the sea. To finish the day we hiked down the cliffs of Arbel which had caves that were used for rebels during the time of Herod. From this viewpoint you could see to Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, and Mary Magdelene's town of Migdal. It was a great hike and a great day! The Pics:
Me, Jenna, and Natalie on the boat
Me and Danielle
Inside the home at the Talmudic Village
The roof inside the home
The synagogue at the Talmudic Village
Gates into Capernaum
The synagogue at Capernaum
Hiking down the Mt. of Beatitudes
Cliffs of Arbel
Climbing down the rock face...so fun!
Cliffs at Sunset
1 comment:
Wowwie Zowie! That is so cool!!
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