Among the many different attractions and places to visit in Northern Israel, are some of the most important sites for Christianity worldwide. Most of those incredible sites, which attract thousands of visitors every day from all around the world, are located in a small area, right on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee. Here, you can find everything you should know about visiting the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount and chose his first 12 Apostles.
The Story of the Mount of Beatitudes
In the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew describes the sermon that Jesus gave to his believers on the mountain of Beatitudes. The sermon itself contains many core Christian principles, such as modesty, the pursuit of peace, and justice.
The Sermon is the longest continuous discourse of Jesus found in the New Testament and is one of the most important of them all. In addition, it is believed that here on this mountain, Jesus had chosen his first 12 Apostles. Therefore, the events on the Mount of Beatitudes are considered to be one of the most important parts of the early days of Christianity.
The beatitudes given during the Sermon on the Mount
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs, is the Kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
- Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Places to visit on the Mount of Beatitudes
Church of the Beatitudes
On the mountain, right In the supposed place where the sermon was delivered, the church of the Beatitudes was built in 1936-38. The current church of the Beatitudes was built on top of the ruins of a Byzantine church, which was built here originally. The Church was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Berluzzi, and Similar to other churches designed by him, it expresses the story of the place in its appearance. Since it was intended to mark a holy place, the Church of the Beatitudes was also built as an octagon, but here another meaning was added to the shape: each side symbolizes one of the eight beatitudes given here. The apse, the niche of the altar, does not face east, as is customary, but southeast, towards the Sea of Galilee, and has an observation window. The dome of the church is painted inside with gold, a symbol of the kingdom of heaven, while the floor is decorated with waves, another emphasis on the geographical location. Mosaics are embedded with symbols of the seven virtues of man.
Next to the church, there is also a monastery, a beautiful garden, and a farm belonging to the Italian mission. The place is managed and maintained by Franciscan nuns, most of whom are natives of Christian towns in Galilee.
Tabgha
In Tabgha, which lies at the foot of the mountain, and is connected to the Mount of Beatitudes by a short, marked trail, Jesus had performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. Here, you can see 2 remarkable churches: the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, and the Church of the Primacy of St Peter. The latter is believed to be the place where Jesus appeared after his third appearance after his resurrection. The church is built on ancient Byzantine remains. Inside it is a large rock known as “Mensa Christi”, the table of Messiah – here, according to tradition, Jesus dined with his disciples. On the left is a large mosaic of Jesus and Peter, in which Pope Paul VI (who visited Israel in 1964) is seen kissing their feet.
The Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish was built To commemorate the great miracle (described in the four gospels), in which Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed 5,000 people with them to satiety (Matthew 14:15-20). In the church, you can see the well-known mosaic of the basket with the loaves and the two fishes.
