Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Meditating on Bible lessons where they actually took place helps a Christian better con-
nect with the word of God.
The biggest share of the tourist industry in the Holy Land is religious tourism. While
Jesus was born in Bethlehem (in the south, near Jerusalem), he grew up and spent much of
his three-year ministry in Nazareth, near the Sea of Galilee—where the Bible says Jesus
walked on water, calmed the storm, and talked fishermen into changing careers. For Chris-
tians, making a pilgrimage to the places they've imagined since their childhood Sunday
school classes can be a transforming experience. Experiencing “the fifth gospel,” as pil-
grims call the Holy Land, helps them better understand the other four gospels. While I
rarely saw a tour group elsewhere, I was stuck in traffic jams of tour buses at the great
Bible sights.
The Sea of Galilee—700 feet below sea level, 13 miles long by 8 miles wide, and fed
and drained by the Jordan River—is Israel's top source of water. The Jordan River dumps
into the north end of the lake, oxygenating the water and attracting a high concentration
of fish—and fishermen. In the Bible, Matthew writes, “As [Jesus] walked by the Sea of
Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting
a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will
make you fish for people.'”
