Nothing makes the Bible come alive like sitting on the shores of the Sea of Galilee or atop the hill where it is believed Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. Unlike Jerusalem and other areas, where centuries of destruction and rebuilding have covered over the first-century stones, the Sea of Galilee looks just like it did 2,000 years ago.
The city of Capernaum was never rebuilt, so visitors can easily see the first-century street and what is most probably the home of Simon Peter, where Jesus healed his mother-in-law. The first-century synagogue that Jesus taught in has been built over but only once, and the original foundation stones are clearly visible.
In Mary Magdalene’s hometown of Magdala, just a few miles down the shoreline, the first-century synagogue was never built over. Since Jesus was said to have taught in the synagogues throughout the area, we can be rather certain He stood on the actual first-century floor that has been uncovered.
I hope that one day you can go to Israel with me and see all of these places for yourself. But in this week’s podcast, I describe these physical settings of Jesus’ miracles that bring the stories to life. Learn how Jesus could have preached the Sermon on the Mount and been heard by thousands. The stones had been formed to literally carry His voice!
Join me this week on the Out of Zion podcast episode titled Jesus’ Galilean Ministry, and we will talk about the many proofs of the Gospel stories found in the area. This study is part four of our 3D Jesus series. {eoa}
Dr. Susan Michael is USA director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and host of the Out of Zion podcast.
