Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Capernaum
0
Road map
C2. Route 87, 12 km (7.5
miles) N of Tiberias.
@
from Tiberias.
Tel
(04) 672 1059.
Nearby to the east, on the
lakeside, is the
Church of the
Primacy of Peter
. A black
A
basalt Franciscan chapel, it is
built on the site where Jesus
Christ is said to have appeared
to the Apostles after his
Resurrection. The area has
various other ruins, including
a 4th-century chapel.
On top of the hill
behind, known as
the Mount of the
Beatitudes, is the
modern
Church of
the Beatitudes
.
The hill is so called,
because it is thought
that here, over
looking the lake,
Christ gave his
Sermon on the Mount. This
famously began with his
blessings or “beatitudes”.
atmosphere, especially along
the busy lakeside promenade.
Just behind here is
St Peter's
Church
, built originally by the
Crusaders. The current church
has a boat-shaped nave,
reflecting St Peter's life as a
fisherman.
Tiberias is also known for
its curative hot springs, of
which there are several to
visit in the town. There are
also some public beaches to
the north of town, and the
popular
Gai Beach Water Park
is 1 km (half a mile) to the
south of Tiberias.
S
Gai Beach Water Par
k
Sederot Eliezer Kaplan.
Tel
(0
l
#
daily.
&
Capernaum, on the northern
shoreline of the Sea of
Galilee, was an important
Roman town and one
of the focal points of
Christ's teachings in
Galilee. It was also
home to a number
of his Disciples,
including Simon
Peter. In Capernaum's
fascinating archaeo-
logical precinct
there are surviving
houses from the
period, as well as a church,
built over the ruins of what
is said to have been
Simon
Peter's house
. There are also
the remains of a synagogue
that has been dated to the
4th century AD.
Carved relief, Church
of the Multiplication
4) 670
0
0700.
#
daily.
¢
Nov-Mar.
&
Tiberias
w
Road map
C2.
*
29,000.
@
n
Archaeological Garden, Rehov
ha-Banim, (04) 672 5666.
Tabkha
q
Road map
C2. Route 87, 10 km (6
miles) N of Tiberias.
@
from Tiberias
to junction of routes 90 and 87.
The busy town of Tiberias
(Tverya) is the largest
on the shores of the Sea
of Galilee. It was founded
during Roman times by Herod
Antipas, who dedicated it to
the Emperor Tiberius and
moved the regional capital
here from Tsipori. The town
has been home to many
notable scholars and rabbis,
and became one of Israel's
holy cities, along with
Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed.
The
Tomb of Maimonides
, the
great medieval Jewish
philosopher, can be found
on Ben Zakai Street.
Just to the southwest of
Capernaum, Tabkha (Ein
Sheva) is one of the most
important sites of Christ's
ministry in Galilee, where he
did much of his preaching.
Heading from the bus-stop, a
short way along Route 87 you
will come to the
Church of
the Multiplication of the
Loaves and the Fishes
.
Built in the 1980s, it boasts
the remains of a 5th-century
Byzantine basilica and
fragments of splendid
mosaics. This original
church was built over
the supposed spot
from which Christ
fed 5,000 followers
with five loaves
and two fish.
Ruined arches at Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle
e
Road map
C2. Off Route 90, 27 km
(17 miles) S of Tiberias.
@
to Beth
Shean, then taxi.
Tel
(04) 658 1766.
l
#
8am-4pm (winter: 3pm) daily.
&
The ruined Crusader fortress
of Belvoir, in the Kokhav ha-
Yarden nature reserve, offers
Y
incomparable views of the
Jordan Valley. The impressive
fortress is surrounded by two
huge walls, the outer one
pentagonal and the inner one
square. Built by the Knights
Hospitallers in 1168, Belvoir
was besieged many times by
Saladin. It capitulated only in
1189 after a siege of more
than a year, with the Muslim
leader sparing both the
fortress and its defenders'
lives, in recognition of their
great courage. Belvoir was
finally destroyed by troops
from Damascus in the 13th
century. The area around
the fortress is dotted
with modern sculpture.
Today, Tiberias is a
popular tourist centre,
with an attractive
lakeside setting and
in an ideal location
for exploring
Galilee. The town
has a lively
The modern Church of the Beatitudes near Tabkha
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp258-60 and pp275-6
