Israel Trip -Mount of Beatitudes

On the way to Capernaum, we stopped at the Mount of the Beatitudes. This is a reported to be the place where Yeshua, our Messiah, preached His Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5 - 7.  This sermon includes many familiar teachings, such as the Beatitudes and the beloved L-rd's Prayer.

As you walk toward the church, you can see the Sea of Galilee in the distance - on the right of the photo.

Unfortunately,  because of the gate pictured above, we could not get to a point where we had a clear view of the place where Yeshua probably stood to speak to the large crowd.   This made me sad, since I remember standing beyond that gate on my last trip to Israel.  

Because standing on that hill was one of my favorite memories, I dug out my photos from my trip in 1996, and scanned some of them to share with you, dear Gail-Friends.   

This is me, on that very hill, with the Sea of Galilee behind me.  I can't tell you what a thrill it was to stand in that spot.  It made the Bible passage come alive, as I pictured Yeshua standing there, speaking to the crowd.   I could easily see how His voice would carry down the hill because it is quite steep.  I could also see how thousands could have been in this place to hear Him. Here's another shot to show the drop of the land behind the church.

On my first trip, we read the Sermon on the Mount together and took time to meditate on the words of our Messiah.  It was a special, holy time I will never forget.

Shelby, taking time to smell the roses.

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The grounds of the church on the property are beautiful with gardens and many gorgeous flowers, even in December. 

Many of the flowers we saw in Israel grow in central Florida, too.

The picture below is of a rock garden on the site, which depicts the story of the five loves and two fishes.  This Bible story is recorded in Matthew 14. This site is not, however, supposed to be where the miracle happened.  We visited that place later, and I will post photos.

Below is a shot of our tour guide, Natalie, and some of our fellow travelers.

Shelby and me on the porch of the church:

A couple of shots inside the church:

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This church is Catholic, as were all of the churches we visited in Israel.  I am so grateful to those wise souls who preserved these holy sites for His honor and glory.  Their faithfulness has blessed countless visitors to Israel.

One of my many bird photos while in Israel

I also took many photos of cats. 

Since this was a long post, I'll post next week about our trip to Capernaum.  I love your comments, and hope you'll stop by next week.

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I'm sharing this post with:
 Spiritual Sunday
The Gathering Place Link-Up

Modest Mom Monday Link-up 

Growing Homemakers Link-Up

Titus 2 Tuesday 

Tuesdays with a Twist

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Wordless Wednesdays 

Winsome Wednesday

A Wise Woman Builds
Whole Hearted Wednesday 
Wake Up Wednesday
Whimsical Wednesday

Hearts for Home
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Fab Creative Friday
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