Galilee is so different from Jerusalem. Whereas the latter is a bustling metropolis (the largest city in Israel), the former is vastly more rural, perhaps not too different from Biblical times, at least in my imagination. The only exception is Nazareth which during the time of the Lord was a small of city of probably 500 people but is now one of the largest cities in the country. Capernaum is largely deserted except for some archaeological remains (eg a synagogue) where a church building is now located.

It's amazing to see the land where the Lord Jesus spent most of His life and ministry. Places I have been reading in the Bible most of my life come to life-- Nazareth, Cana, Magdala, Mt Tabor (site of the transfiguration) and of course the lake of Galilee (or Tiberius). It was a surprise to see that Nazareth is about 500 meters above sea level and mountainous, much like Jerusalem. During the time of our Lord, people there used to live in caves. We saw the supposed place Jesus family lived. I better understood the humiliation of the Lord because He lived in an obscure rural area where He labored as a carpenter.

The lake is according to our guide is the lowest freshwater lake in the world at 200 meters below sea level. In place of fishing boats, there are tourist boats and jet skis as the place seems to be a favorite recreational area.

While it is an unforgettable experience to see the land of our Lord, there were also jarring experiences that reminded us that not all people worship Jesus. In almost all the places we visited, there were tourist traps where merchants take advantage of one’s interest in the life of Jesus.

On the way back to Jerusalem (where we were staying), we appreciated how far the Lord had to walk to travel from Capernaum to the temple. It's about 200 km over dry and hot desert areas, not a mean feat even for a strong person to walk.