Galilee is a large region that pretty much covers the most northern section of Israel. What Christians call the Sea of Galilee is in the middle and is know as Lake Kinneret by locals. We've now explored Israel from it's most southern to most northern points, as well as from the east (Jordan River) to the west (Mediterranean Sea.) Today we ventured a bit to the west and found ourselves back on the Mediterranean. The city of Akko (also called Acre - it's hard to keep all the names straight when there are multiple titles for each site!) beckoned us. Before we left our apartment early this morning, though, we drove a short distance from the kibbutz to the Mount of the Beatitudes.
Without doubt, my favorite spot by the Sea of Galilee is the Mount of the Beatitudes. It commemorates Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, and specifically his list of affirmations known as the beatitudes ("Blessed are the poor... the meek... the peacemakers," etc.) The location above the lake is spectacular and the grounds are meticulously maintained and filled with flowering bushes and palms and other types of semi-tropical vegetation. The church itself is interesting but not particularly old or noteworthy. We arrived shortly after the site opened at 8 am and already the place was teeming with tourists. We found a quite spot up the hill from the church to read and reflect on portions of Matthew 5-7 (I've downloaded the NRSV version of the Bible on my iPad.)
We drove west from the church toward Akko. Akko is an ancient walled city that looks and feels like Old City Jerusalem but is more laid back with fewer tourists. It's not a particularly biblical site, so fewer tour buses end up there (2/3 of tourism in Israel is from Christian pilgrims.) We climbed the city wall that Napolean's army tried unsuccessfully to breach and looked down into the moat which is now a parking lot. The Turkish bazaar was full of locals buying fish and fruit and cell phones. The city was an important strategy center during the Crusades, and we wandered through a crumbling building constructed by the Knights Templar. In our careful budgeting for the sabbatical journey, we didn't think to include potty breaks. Every public restroom has an attendant who collects 2-3 sheckels (60-90 cents) per person per visit. In Akko they even issue an entry ticket!
Near Akko is the home of the founder of Baha'i. I didn't know much about Baha'i (a smallish international religious group) other than the fact that they maintain a beautiful garden open to the public in Haifa, Israel. Turns out there is also a garden in Akko, which we visited today. I know now that adherents to Baha'i affirm three things: The unity of God (only one God), the unity of religions (all religions contain truth), and the unity of humanity (there is one human family.) We were impressed by the beautiful gardens but were disappointed that we had to stay outside the fence and look in due to visiting Baha'i dignitaries.We managed to get back to our little house on the kibbutz by mid-afternoon and have enjoyed some relaxation since then. We took our beach towels down to the Sea of Galilee shore for an hour or so. Now I'm thinking of trying out the hammock on the porch. Leroy is recording our activities and expenditures for the day. Lots to keep track of! Tomorrow we travel to Jesus' home town of Nazareth.
