Our next stop was the traditional site of the Mount of Beatitudes and the church there. I don’t remember visiting this place before, but I’ve seen plenty of pictures of it. I’m remembering that my Israel professors tended away from the “traditional” sites where all the tourists go. Instead of visiting this church and the gardens around it, they took us to a hillside nearby and we sat in the weeds and grass and rocks in a real place, not one made into a tourist garden with a church adorning it.

We had about an hour at this site and after the lessons and explanations from our guides, we got to wander. There was a recent terrorist attack here, where some Israeli extremists burned trees and parts of the garden. Sallah, our Arab guide, says they’ve been attacking Christian sites.

Many of these “traditional sites” have places for busloads of people to congregate while their tour guides talk to them about what happened there.  This is one of many pavilions on this property where we reviewed the teachings of Jesus.

The church was beautiful and peaceful.

This hillsides surrounding the church and gardens are now fields with crops.

It was sad to see the fire damage around the property.

This pic was taken from the bus window as we drove away.  These rolling hills are more like where Jesus probably taught.

For lunch today we stopped at a Galilean restaurant where we were served  a “Peter’s Fish” meal (Tilapia).