Genghis Khan in the Golan – highlights locations in the area

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Sara Zafrir +972-52-3715687

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3

The Mongolian village and Zafrir Family .............................................................................................. 3

The Golan Heights ................................................................................................................................ 4

Sea of Galilee (The Kineret Lake) .......................................................................................................... 5

Archeology and Holy sites ....................................................................................................................... 7

East Sea of Galilee - Golan ................................................................................................................... 7

Kursi ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Em-Hakshatot-Rehavam(Um el kantir) ............................................................................................ 9

Gamla ............................................................................................................................................. 10

Mt. Hermon Reserve ...................................................................................................................... 11

Katsrin ............................................................................................................................................ 11

North Sea of Galilee ........................................................................................................................... 12

Kfar Yehudiye (Sogana) .................................................................................................................. 12

Jordan Park – Bethsaida ................................................................................................................. 14

Tabcha............................................................................................................................................ 16

Orthodox Church, Capernaum ....................................................................................................... 18

Capernaum .................................................................................................................................... 19

Korazim .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Mount of Beatitudes ...................................................................................................................... 22

Domus Galilaeae ............................................................................................................................ 23

Job's spring & cave ......................................................................................................................... 24

Safed (Tsfat , Zefat) ........................................................................................................................ 25

West Sea of Galilee ............................................................................................................................ 26

Arbel .............................................................................................................................................. 26

Jesus Boat - Genosar ...................................................................................................................... 27

St. Peter’s Church – Tiberias .......................................................................................................... 28

Mount Tabor .................................................................................................................................. 28

South Sea of Galilee ........................................................................................................................... 29

Yardenit ......................................................................................................................................... 29

Hammat Gader .............................................................................................................................. 30

Beit Shean ...................................................................................................................................... 32

Attractions offers in Golan and Sea of Galilee area .............................................................................. 33

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Introduction

The Mongolian village and Zafrir Family

Benzy & Sara Zafrir would like to welcome you to the Mongolian village "Genghis khan1 in the Golan" in Moshav2 Givat Yoav in the Golan Heights.

The village with the 5 tents opened in April 2008, after we had a pilot tent in our yard and we find it very pleasing occupation.

Benzy Zafrir born in Tzfat and arrive to Givat Yoav after his military service in 1968, with group of parachutists to establish the Moshav that named after their lieutenant colonel Yoav Shacham who killed in Samuaa action.

Sara Zafrir born in Natanya and arrive to the Golan in 1974 to celebrate the Passover Seder with her high school friends in the Golan and meet Benzy in the communal Seder.

Sara and Benzy got married in summer 1975 in Givat Yoav, and had their 4 children in the Moshav.

During the years the Zafrirs work in field crops, and since 1983 they have cowshed for milk as their main occupation. Sara had a vision, as known friends and family hosting, to have a place to host the Golan travelers.

The entire building procedure of the Mongolian village made by Sara and Benzy from infrastructure, billing the tent walls, sewing the tent caver, gardening and more with the help of their children.

We hope you will enjoy your staying with us, to help you with some information of what our area is offering we arrange this highlights locations list.

Any updates, comment, recommended places that are not in this list, or question, are more than welcome, it will assist us to assist you and those who will come in the future to enjoy this magnificent piece of land.

1 Khan - Hostel in Arabic. In Hebrew the root word, "Khana", means stayed over, and so both

languages share common roots 2 Moshav (in Hebrew: "settlement") - an agriculture village, where the property is privately held (as

opposed to the Kibbutz where the property is shared by the community) but some of the resources

and labor is shared, including collective investments. There are about 450 Moshavim (a plural form) in

Israel.

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The Golan Heights

The Golan Heights, Israel’s mountainous northern region, is one of the most

beautiful and most traveled parts of the country. There are wonderful scenic

treasures alongside lovely nature reserves, historic and archeological sites and

attractions for the whole family. Some people call this area the Israeli Texas, because

of its size, while others see it as a land of plentiful water sources. The beauty of the

Golan is so captivating that some visitors return here again and again to enjoy the

sights.

The view from the Golan Heights becomes more and more magnificent as you

gradually climb from the plains, at 300 meters above sea level in the south to 1,200

meters in the north. The eastern edge of this region is dotted with a chain of volcanic

hills, while the south and west border on basalt cliffs that descend to the Jordan

Valley Rift, Lake Kineret and the Yarmuk River.

Scattered throughout the Golan Heights are a wide variety of sites that offer a broad

spectrum of activities for tourists and hikers throughout the year. In the winter both

amateur and professional skiers flock to the top of the snow-covered Hermon

Mountain to enjoy its excellent ski conditions, the snow that piles up on the ground

and the pure white landscape. In the summer hikers can enjoy a swim in the many

streams, in spring the plains are carpeted with multi-colored flowers and in autumn

the pleasant weather attracts hikers to the many wooded trails.

The Golan Heights also offers tourists an authentic cowboy experience at a ranch

with horses and cattle. Visitors can go out to the orchards and pick ripe cherries,

raspberries and other seasonal fruits.

Bird lovers can watch the eagles nesting in Gamla and on the cliffs of the nature

reserve, and see the remains of a Chalcolithic Era settlement (from about 5,500

years ago). There are also burial grounds from 4,000 years ago, a 2,000-year-old

Jewish city a monastery with a Byzantine church (from 1,500 years ago) and much

more.

The summit of Mount Bental offers a panoramic view of the whole area, while the

Sa'ar, Zavitan and Meshushim streams gurgle and froth from the waterfalls along

their routes through breathtaking canyons.

Odem Forest, in the northern Golan, is the home of a deer reserve, with many

different species. Near here you can also see Rujum al-Hiri (Circle of Ghosts), a

Megalithic structure about 5,000 years old that researchers believe was used for

ritual purposes, burial or as an astronomy observatory.

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The Golan Heights is the only part of Israel with basalt stones, originating from long

ago volcanic eruptions. Here in the mountains the nights are chilly all year long.

Visitors to the Golan Heights can tour the archeological sites (Banias, Gamla, Beit

Tsida, ancient Katsrin) and the unique nature reserves, enjoy the boutique wineries,

taste the delicacies at the wide variety of restaurants and much more.

Sea of Galilee (The Kineret Lake)

All winter long, the most important part of the news report for Israelis is not the

dollar-shekel exchange rate or the level of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange index, but

rather the water level in Lake Kineret, which often reflects the national spirit. The

Kineret is Israel’s largest fresh water reservoir, and is also the country’s largest and

most important source and reservoir of drinking water. For this and other reasons,

the Kineret has become an important national symbol and is also a first class tourism

center.

The beaches that surround the entire lake are similar but different. The width of the

beaches varies in keeping with the local geography, creating different landscapes in

every location. Above the eastern and western shores, for example, rise the Galilee

mountains and the foothills of the Golan, while to the north there is the Beit Tsida

valley, a wide area with plentiful water that drains from the Jordan River and the

Golan streams, and to the south is the Jordan estuary, which flows south toward the

desert regions.

For this reason, some of the Kineret’s beaches have soft sand, while others are

rocky; some beaches are narrow while others are very wide. Either way, the beaches

are fun and offer many tourist attractions for every age group.

Most of the beaches also offer various types of water sports and water activities,

such as boating in inflatable rubber dinghies, canoes, etc

The beaches surrounding the Kineret are also a perfect starting point for wonderful

nature tours of the area. Some of the most popular and beautiful nature sites are the

Jordan Park, the Beit Tsida Nature Reserve, Khamat Gader, Naharayim. There is also

the lower Golan Heights region, which borders on the Kineret and is full of swift

flowing streams, historic sites and nature reserves.

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The Kineret played an important role in the early years of Christianity and has now

become a pilgrimage site for many Christians. According to Christian tradition, Jesus

lived, preached and performed miracles in the Kineret and the surrounding region. It

was here that he walked on the water and the miracle of the loaves and the fishes

happened in nearby Kfar Nakhum (Capernaum). There are many Christian holy sites

around the Kineret, including the Mount of Beatitudes, the Church of the Loaves and

the Fishes, Kfar Nakhum, Kursi, and the wooden boat discovered in the lake and now

on display at Kibbutz Ginosar. Other nearby historic sites include Migdal, Tel Hadar,

Ubeidiya (Israel’s most important prehistoric site), Beit Tsida, Kibbutz Dganya Alef,

Moshavat Kineret and the city of Tiberias.

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Archeology and Holy sites

East Sea of Galilee - Golan

Kursi

11 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 10 minutes drive).

The Gospels tells how Jesus heals the madman, after sailing across the Sea of Galilee

and landing in the Country of Gadarenes (Gader, south east corner of the lake). He

drives out the devils into a herd of swine, who "ran violently down a steep place into

the sea and were choked in the sea".

At Kursi, excavations restored the ruins of a 5-6Th C AD church and monastery, the

largest Byzantine monastery in Israel, which was established on basis of the

traditional site of the miracle.

History:

The site was established in the middle of the 5thC AD. The monastery was built on a

large area (145 x 123M) and was protected by walls. According to some text (Cyrillus

Scythopolis; "Vita Saae") the "father" of Israeli monks, Mar Saba, prayed here in

491AD with his fellow monks, on a tour of the Sea of Galilee.

The baptistery near the chapel was added in the 6th C.

During the Persian invasion (614AD) the site was severely damaged, but later

restored. In the 8th C AD the monastery was damaged again by a fire, never to be

used again as a place of worship. During the 9th C the place was reused for

residential and storage by local Arabs, and the mosaics may have been damaged at

that time (erasing the figures on the magnificent floor).

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In 1970 the road works accidentally revealed the walls of the monastery, which

started an archaeological expedition. It was headed by V. Tsaferis and D. Urman, on

behalf of the Department of Antiquities. The excavations restored the ruins, and

unearthed the chapel on the hill. The site was opened to the public in 1982 as a

National park. In recent years the excavations continue.

http://www.parks.org.il/ParksENG/company_card.php3?NewNameMade=43&from=116&C

Number=336752

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Em-Hakshatot-Rehavam(Um el kantir)

20 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 20 minutes drive).

Ruins of a Roman village located in the southern Golan heights. The site has a

double-arches wall where a spring is located (hence its name), ruins of an ancient

synagogue (now under reconstruction), and ancient houses.

There are no known inscriptions that

can reveal the name of the village.

According to scholars, the site may

have been the village of Kamattirya.

It is referred to in the Talmud - the

5th CAD books of religious practices,

an extension and interpretation of

the earlier texts of the Mishna - 3rd C

AD.

A person - by the name of Simon - is

from a village called Kamattirya, and is mentioned in several places (for example:

Talmud Yerushalmi, Brachot, chapter 9 page 2).

The spring at the Arches:

The spring's water are clean and refreshing - and even some dive in. The water is

covered in some sections by a fine mesh of water plants.

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Gamla

26 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 28 minutes drive).

The ancient city of Gamla is located in the lower Golan, on a steep ridge that rises to

a height of 330 meters above the surrounding terrain. It is sometimes called "the

Masada of the north", though it is most remembered for the catastrofic defeat

during the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans.

When in our times archaeologists started to search for the legendary Gamla, it took

them almost a century to find the place. For a long time it was believed that a Gamla

is a place near Syrian village of Jamileh, fifteen kilometers to the south of the correct

place.

In 1968, Itzhak Gal -- a participant in a Sites and Landscapes Survey in the Golan --

first suggested that an isolated cliff near Nahal Dalyot is a site of Gamla.In 1976, the

archaeologist Shemaryahu Gutmann, together with Gal, began to excavate here. His

excavations not only verified that this was Gamla, they also uncovered many

amazing finds. Gutmann discovered the remains of the wall from the time of the

Great Revolt, the place where the Romans breached the wall, the city's exquisite

synagogue, several houses from one of Gamla's residential neighborhoods, and

evidence of the fierce battle that took place here -- hundred of ballista stones and

thousands of arrow heads and nails.

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Mt. Hermon Reserve

81 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1:15 hours drive).

Israel's highest mountain at 2,814 meters offers Israel's only skiing site. One can ski,

ride a cable car up the mountain, race down in extreme sleds or just play in the

snow. In early summer, when the snow disappears, there is an abundance of flowers

and birds not visible anywhere else in Israel appears.

Katsrin

35 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 38 minutes drive).

A pleasant north wind greets visitors to Katsrin - the capital of the Golan Heights.

Founded in 1977, it has become an urban, commercial and tourism center. Katsrin is

built in the heart of the Golan Heights and is a young city known for its landscapes

and its quality of life. Its special location affords easy access to many nature

reserves, historic and archeological sites, river beds and attractive visitor centers.

The city is named after the ancient town of Katsrin, whose ruins are located in the

nearby Katsrin antiquities park. The ancient town was inhabited on and off from the

Middle Bronze Age (about 4,000 years ago) and archeological digs found evidence of

a Jewish village from the Talmudic period, which existed until the Moslem conquest

just over 1,300 years ago. The remains of the ancient village are fascinating with

reconstructed homes, complete with their interiors and the farming implements

used by the inhabitants. The central site is a magnificent synagogue from the 6th

century, evidence of a prosperous community. The park is full of beautiful rest spots,

surrounded by fig trees and grape vines, and there is also a museum of modern

basalt sculptures.

The Katsrin industrial zone houses a mineral water bottling plant and a large winery,

among the most famous in Israel, and both have visitors’ centers that offer a glimpse

of the water-bottling and wine-making processes. The Golan Antiquities Museum is

located in the commercial center in Katsrin, with exhibits of archeological findings

from the region as well as an impressive audiovisual presentation of the heroic

defense of the town of Gamla against Roman forces in the 1st century. Also at the

center is a doll museum depicting the history of the Jewish people up until the

renewal of Jewish settlement of Israel and the Golan Heights in the late 19th

century. Between the two museums are stores, pubs and restaurants.

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North Sea of Galilee

Kfar Yehudiye (Sogana)

22 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).

Ruins of a Roman village located in the central Golan heights. The village was

fortified by Josephus Flavius during the Jewish revolt against the Romans (67AD).

The 5000 forested acres of the reserve are called the Yehudiya Forest. The most

common tree in the forest is the Mount Tabor oak, a large evergreen. The Mount

Tabors create a formation known as a "park forest," a forest in which the trees grow

relatively far apart from one another. A wealth of small plants and a savanna of

jujubes and pistachios grow between the oaks.

The ground at the reserve is populated by wild boar, northern jackal, red fox, Syrian

hyrax, Indian crested porcupine, and the Cairo spiny mouse

The Rivers:

The five most important rivers that flow through the reserve and down into Beit

Zaida Valley are Meshoshim, Zavitan, Yehudiya, Gamla, and Daliyot. The rivers are

fed by scores of springs, which drain into a network of rivulets. The rivers get deeper

and carve out extraordinary canyons in the basalt rocks, with waterfalls toppling

from above. In the flat plains of the Beit Zaida Valley, the streams form lagoons and

marshes, waterscapes which cannot be seen elsewhere in Israel.

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Color-coded hiking trails run along most of the rivers. Trails span the gamut from

easy paths for the entire family to challenging routes which involve going down

ladders or rappelling. Those intending to rappel should engage the services of a

professional guide, certified for this type of activity.

Please stop by the information center to receive a list of guidelines for visitors and

an update on trail conditions.

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Jordan Park – Bethsaida

24 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 20 minutes drive).

The Jordan River, fed by the Dan, the Hermon(Banias) and The Snir(Hatzbani),

crosses the hula valley to course through a narrow basalt from which it continues to

flow southward to the Sea of Galilee. Within the bounds of Jordan Park, in the

Bethsaida basin, the main channel splits into numerous streams that merge just

north of Arik bridge before emptying into the sea of Galilee.

The area of Bethsaida was referred in the New Testament in conjunction with two of

Jesus miracles: healing the blind man and the first feeding of the Multitude. It is also

known as the birthplace of some of the Apostles (Andrew, Peter, Philip). The city was

renamed to Julias by Herod Philip - son of Herod the Great - who was also buried

there.

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In later centuries, when travel became difficult, this location was actually forgotten!

Now, thanks to archaeology, Bethsaida has reopened its gates to visitors. Following

the rediscovery of Capernaum, and more recently Korazim, Bethsaida is the last of

the three towns of the “Evangelical Triangle” of Jesus’ Galilee ministry to rejoin

Christian itineraries.

There are many scattered ruined villages at the area, and it was not clear which one

of them is the village that Jesus has visited and performed miracles. According to

recent excavations, Khirbet et-Tel ("the Tell") is such candidate for that village.

A view from the east towards the plains of Bethsaida, at dusk.

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Tabcha

?? K"M, from Givat Yoav (About ?? minutes drive).

Tabcha, or Ein Sheva, is a site on the north-west shore of the Sea of Galilee. In this

site there is the Church of the first feeding of the Multitude, with beautiful mosaics

of an old church, including the two fish and basket - the symbols of the miracle.

In this site there is a church which was built over two earlier churches:

the earlier one (from 350AD) -its remnants can be seen on the right side of the altar

below the glass cover.

the later church (450 AD) was built towards the exact east, unlike the earlier church.

Over many years the mosaic floor was laid out (there is an inscription in the floor

dated about 480AD).

The Persian invasion (614AD) destroyed the site, which was in ruins until 1932 when

the site has been excavated.

In 1982 the new Church was built around the old Churches, preserving the beauty

and simplicity of the design, and glorifying the mosaic floor - one of the most

impressive in the Holy Land.

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In the front, under the altar, is a rock. This rock is believed to be the place on which

Jesus laid the loaves. The old church was actually built around this rock.

Before the rock - the beautiful mosaic illustrating the two fish and basket with loaves

(for details of that section - press here). At the right of the altar is a glass protecting

cover; under it lay the remnants of the foundations of the older ancient church (from

3rd C AD). At the left of the altar is an inscription of Patriarch Martyrios of Jerusalem

(479-486) which is mentioned as the founder.

The late Joannes Paulus II visited here in March 24, 2000, as part of his Millennium

visit:

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Orthodox Church, Capernaum

30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).

Capernaum was the center of Jesus activities in the Galilee and his town during that

time. Jesus taught in the local synagogue. It was also the home of the apostles Peter,

James, Andrew and John, and the tax collector Matthew.

The Orthodox church is built in the middle of the ruins of the ancient Roman village

of Kfar-Nahum (Capernaum). Around the church the remains of the village have not

yet been excavated, unlike the synagogue of Capernaum and the buildings around it.

The area under the control of the Orthodox church is 1/3 of the entire ruins, which

covers about 60 dunams (6 Hectares).

The village was established in the Hellenistic period, and was designed according to

that period's urban design of straight lines. The village prospered in the Roman and

Byzantine periods. It was destroyed in the Persian conquest in the 6th C AD.

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Capernaum

30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).

Capernaum was the center of Jesus activities in the Galilee and his town during that

time. Jesus taught in the local synagogue. It was also the home town of the apostles

Peter, James, Andrew and John, and the tax collector Matthew.

The village first started to be inhabited during the 3rd Millennium BC in the early

Bronze period. It was a small village of several houses, which was in the area

controlled by the Biblical city in Tell Kinneret, located 3 KM to the west. It continued

through the 2nd Millenium, as surfaced in the excavations, in the area around the

center of the Roman village. During the Israelite/Iron period (1200-587BC) there was

a break in the population, which was restored in the 5th C BC (the period of the

returns of the exiles to Zion).

The village expanded in the Hellenistic period (4th-3rd C BC), gradually replacing the

focus from Tell Kinneret - as most of the Tells in Israel at that time. It was designed

according to that period's urban design of straight lines, which was built in parallel to

the main Roman imperial highway, which crossed the village on the northern side. It

grew larger at the time of Jesus (early Roman period, 1st C AD), and a synagogue

was built in the center of the village. It reached its peak in the Byzantine period

when the grand white-stone Synagogue was built (4th C AD) over the earlier

synagogue. An octagon church was built in the 5th C AD at the location of St Peter's

house, and serviced the Christian citizens. At that time the village covered about 60

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Dunams (6 Hectares), with a population of about 1,500. Note that the excavated

area that is seen today is only 1/3 of the entire size of the village.

The village prospered in the Roman and Byzantine periods, and its citizens were

mainly fishermen (as most of Jesus apostles), farmers, and people that provided

services to the Roman road and caravans, including tax collection (as was Matthew).

Capernaum was partially destroyed in the Persian conquest in the 6th C AD. The

synagogue and church were destroyed in the Arab period (7th- 12 C AD), but the

village continued to function at that time. It then was totally ruined.

The area was purchased by the Franciscans in 1894, where 2/3 of the entire area of

ruins were purchased (the other third was purchased by the Greek Orthodox). The

excavation were conducted in several seasons (1905-1915, 1968-1984).

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Korazim

33 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 35 minutes drive).

Ruins of a Roman/Byzantine town, located above the north side of sea of Galilee,

and is referred in the new testament as one of the cities condemned by Jesus. The

buildings are made of black basalt stones, and a grand 4th C AD synagogue was

restored in the central quarter.

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Mount of Beatitudes

?? K"M, from Givat Yoav (About ?? minutes drive).

According to the tradition, the Mount of Beatitudes is the place where Jesus gave his

important sermon on the mountain (Mt 5, Lk 6:20) to the multitude that assembled

to see and hear him.

The sermon has 9 verses, each starting with "Blessed the..." or in Latin "Beati ...". The

Latin word gave this hill its name - Beati-tudes. In this place is a Roman Catholic

Franciscan church, monastery, hostel, gardens, farm and a visitors center.

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Domus Galilaeae

35 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 37 minutes drive).

The House of the Galilee (Domus Galilaeae) is a modern 21st C International Center

meeting place, primarily used for Christian seminars and conventions. It has a

number of meeting rooms, praying halls, gardens and library. It is located on the

peak of Mount of Beatitudes, above and north to Capernaum and the sea of Galilee.

Its special architectural design, its arts, and the spirit of the place makes it a unique

site and a recommended stop for travelers in the area.

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Job's spring & cave

30 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 25 minutes drive).

Tabcha (Ein Sheva) is a place in the north-west section of the Sea of Galilee which is

blessed by seven springs. One of them is a spring called "Job's spring" (Ein Ayub), a

warm sulfuric spring named after the Biblical figure that was tested by God.

According to the tradition, Job lived in the nearby cave and treated himself from his

sickness in the waters of the spring.

The entrance to the spring is through a gate on the side of the road, close to the Bus

public parking. Since private cars cannot park here, it is advised to leave your car in

the parking lot Church of the first Feeding of the Multitude.

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Safed (Tsfat , Zefat)

54 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1:06 hours drive).

A visit to the city of Safed (Tsfat) - with its magnificent mountaintop setting and

fresh, clean mountain air, is a heavenly experience.

The ancient Galilean city is the highest city in Israel, and commands a breathtaking

view of the Galilee in the winter with its green mountains and the white snow-

capped peak of Mount Hermon.

Safed is a picturesque city of spiritualists and artists, wrapped in mysticism and

mystery, and steeped in sacred atmosphere. Visitors to Safed sense the city’s warm

embrace as they wander through its alleyways past charming stone houses with their

artists’ studios and workshops.

Safed is one of the four holy cities in Israel. It has been a spiritual center since the

1600s when it was the center of Kabbala (Jewish mysticism). The Kabbalist mystics

lived, studied, taught, and wrote in the city and many of the graves are objects of

veneration.

The ancient picturesque alleyways of the Jewish quarter contain hidden niches and

beautiful synagogues whose rich past emanates from the high ceilings, colorful

decorations, and ancient Torah scrolls.

The artists’ quarter is located in what was previously the Arab quarter of Safed.

Artists reside and work in their studios in the ancient and magnificent houses, and

their paintings and artifacts fill the display windows and can be viewed while walking

through the narrow alleyways.

To visit Safed - with the grapevines growing up the arbors of its stone houses, the

decorated iron gates, the beautiful panorama that is visible from the verandas, and

the winding cobblestone alleyways, is like strolling through a painting. It is a city for

vacationers and tourists, a city of artists and rabbis, history and tradition.

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West Sea of Galilee

Arbel

42 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 34 minutes drive).

The Arbel Cliffs overlook the Sea of Galilee and show a spectacular panorama. The

following photo was taken from the observatory terrace on the top of the cliffs,

overlooking the north side of the sea of Galilee. The first two villages are Migdal

(center left, where the road bends) and Kibbutz Ginosar (center; on the shore). Just

above that, in the background on the beaches of the lake is the ancient village of

Capernaum. Further to the east is where the Jordan river flows into the lake, and in

its background and along the right side of the lake are the Golan heights.

The Arbel Cliffs overlook the Sea of Galilee and show a spectacular panorama. The

following photo was taken from the observatory terrace on the top of the cliffs,

overlooking the north side of the sea of Galilee. The first two villages are Migdal

(center left, where the road bends) and Kibbutz Ginosar (center; on the shore). Just

above that, in the background on the beaches of the lake is the ancient village of

Capernaum. Further to the east is where the Jordan river flows into the lake, and in

its background and along the right side of the lake are the Golan heights.

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Jesus Boat - Genosar

37 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 30 minutes drive).

The boat was discovered by accident in the winter of 1986, after a dry season when

the lake was very low. It was found on the muddy shores of the sea of Galilee

between Ginnosar and Magdala. After 12 days of excavations on site it was

transferred, and now exhibited in a special museum.

The boat was dated to the 1st C AD, the times of Jesus and the Jewish Revolt against

the Romans. To date the boat, Carbon 14 tests were made. Additional dating

information came from the artifacts that were found in the boat: cooking pot, arrow

head, nails, hooks and oil lamp.

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St. Peter’s Church – Tiberias

42 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 45 minutes drive).

Just off Tiberias’ restaurant-lined Sea of Galilee promenade is the little-known

Church of St. Peter, its thick stone walls providing cool respite and tranquility.

The walls of this church, built around the year 1100, widen from the altar to the back

like a boat, reminding visitors that Peter fished in the lake just a few steps away. In

1757, the Franciscans were able to refurbish the church, and in 1945 a memorial to

the Free Polish Army, which fought here in World War II, was erected in the

courtyard. More recent restoration exposed the original medieval masonry.

A beautiful mosaic in the apse depicts Peter in a boat, and the words of Jesus’ charge

that Peter was the rock against which the Gates of Hades would not prevail (Matt.

16:18).

Mount Tabor

56 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 1 hour drive).

Mount Tabor is strategically located on the main north-south ancient road, and for

most Christians it is a Holy mountain - "the mount of Transfiguration". It was an

important fortress during the First and Second Temple, Greek, Roman and Crusaders

times.

This page is an overview of the topography, history and sites on mount Tabor.

Additional web pages detail various sites on the hill.

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South Sea of Galilee

Yardenit

32 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 27 minutes drive).

Yardenit is a popular Baptism site, near Kibbutz Kinneret. Here, the water flows into

the Jordan river, eventually flowing into the Dead Sea located more than 100KM to

the south. This site is believed by some traditions to be the actual site where Jesus

was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 13 : "Then Jesus came from Galilee to

the Jordan to be baptized by John").

Many Christian pilgrims stop at this site and perform baptism ceremonies, normally

in small groups and accompanied by the group's pastor. It is a remarkable and

charming site - and should not be missed.

http://www.yardenit.com/Site/en/pages/homePage.asp

http://www.yardenit.com/data/Images/yardenitweb.wmv

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Hammat Gader

23 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 21 minutes drive).

Hammat Gader is a Roman/Byzantine Thermae complex, and a modern therapeutic

and resort center on the north bank of the Yarmuk River. The site was a resort

suburb of the great Hellenistic and Roman city of Gader (Gadara), a major

Hellenistic/Roman/Byzantine city on the road from the Sea of Galilee towards the

east.

Etymology (behind the name):

Gader - fence in Hebrew.

Ham - warm in Hebrew.

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Photos of the Amphitheater:

Hammat Gader Spa

North to the ancient site is the large, modern Spa complex, which has been

renovated in recent years. Its source of warm water is from the Balsam spring - 42

Degrees Celsius, 4.7% sulfur, and rich of other minerals. It consists of a covered

public pool, seen on the left side, a large open pool seen in the center of the photo, a

closed spa and hotel section (on the right side, but not seen in the photo), and the

source of the hot springs (on the left side, but not seen in the photo). Additional

showers, lockers, and two restaurants (Thai and Middle-eastern) provide service to

the visitors. The visit here is recommended for the winter time, and is a remarkable

therapeutic site which pumps energy and relaxation into the soul and body.

http://www.hamat-gader.com/?curLanguage=eng

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Beit Shean

57 K"M, from Givat Yoav (About 46 minutes drive).

Beit Shean, south of the Sea of Galilee, must have been familiar to the first believers

in Jesus, as it was the capital of the Decapolis cities, through which word of Jesus’

miracles and teachings spread (Matt. 4:25, Mark 5: 20).

It has also been a scene of tragedy: more than a millennium earlier, the Philistines

hung the body of Saul from its ramparts (I Sam. 31:10). Tel Beit Shean, with its 5,000

years of history, towers majestically over the ruins of the Roman and later the

Christian city that took shape below.

Visitors wander the ancient streets, amazed by columns toppled in the earthquake of

749 AD; an impressive theater that has returned to use; a bathhouse, which has

been reconstructed to show visitors the pastimes of bygone days, and later

contained a baptistery; and the churches that graced its suburbs. The fertile

surrounding countryside, from Gilead to Jezreel and Gilboa, is still worthy of the

ancient epithet “gateway to the Garden of Eden.”

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Attractions offers in Golan and Sea of Galilee area

On the high basalt cliffs of the Southern Golan Heights above the untamed gardens

of a beautiful nature reserve with spectacular views of the Sea of Galilee spread out

in its entire length and width, Mt. Hermon, hills of the Galilee, Mt. Tabor and the

fields of the Jordan Valley.