way o F the sea

lIKe MOSt OF OUr GrOUP, I Had never been to the Holy Land before, but being reasonably versed in scriptures and an avid consumer of current events, I assumed I would be well prepared for what lay ahead. also, as an experienced world traveler, mostly for business-related trips around the globe, I was concerned about the length of this trip – two weeks. How would I endure such a long trip? due to the richness and variety of the agenda, the trip turned out to be the fastest 14 days in memory. My 32-year-old son, Chris, accompanied me on this exciting journey.

My story opens in the biblically and historically rich area of Galilee, which lies on the important and ancient trade route known as via Maris, Latin for “way of the sea,” and the Jesus trail. the fish harvested in this area were sold using this ancient and well-traveled trade route, and having a fleet of boats could produce considerable wealth in the first century.

Our pilgrimage was off-the-charts wonderful because of our tour guide and leader, andre Moubarak, co-owner of twins tours. andre grew up in the Old City of Jerusalem on the 7th Station of the via dolorosa—speaks his native aramaic language, plus Hebrew, arabic, French, english and more. andre is a scholar of biblical history (Old testament and new), archaeology, local geology, and the complex, and troubling relationship with Israeli and Palestinian officials and their respective populations.

Back to the trip ... when you first see the Sea of Galilee you notice how strikingly beautiful it is. the other noticeable thing is the size: 13 miles long by 8 miles wide, it is actually a lake, the lowest freshwater lake on earth – approximately 700 ft below sea level.

On the two-hour boat ride on the Sea of Galilee as our group took in the panoramic view, andre opened his arms and said “inside my outstretched arms is the general area where Jesus traveled for about 70% of his 3-year public ministry.” this area that andre was referencing coincides with the Jesus trail, a pilgrimage route through Galilee from nazareth to Mount tabor. d uring the boat ride, our crew demonstrated the method used for fishing in the first century which involved casting a net outward from the rear of the boat. the demonstration resulted in a fish caught and brought to the deck. Our group (many of them avid Wyoming fishermen) were suitably impressed, especially since this was a rare occurrence to actually bring a catch into the boat, we were informed. It was great to see a demonstration of how many of the disciples earned their living before they were recruited by Jesus to become “Fishers of Men.” that evening a group of PCJH Pilgrims renewed their vows of baptism in the Sea of Galilee. My son, Chris, surprised me by joining this group and this became one of the highlights for me of the entire trip. What an amazing experience to look across the water at Chris and the others as they were immersed in this sacred place! another fascinating stop in Galilee was Capernaum, the home of Peter. according to the Gospels, Capernaum became the home base for Jesus' ministry. We could imagine that Jesus and his followers would have been on the very ground that we could see from the first-century digs.

Other highlights of the trip—the first-century town of Magdala, visited by Jesus and the home of Mary Magdalen (discovered and archaeological digs done recently), and the ancient Galilee Boat, a first-century fishing boat discovered during a drought on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. With some 35,000 active archaeological digs in Israel, there is no end to the thrilling and faith-affirming discoveries to be made on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. ✝ maRk l stRuhs was raised in texas, lived 20 years in chicago, traveled the world, but one foot and his heart has always been in Wyoming. october 2022—a group of 26 “pilgrims” from Presbyterian church of Jackson hole embarked on a 14-day journey from the dead Sea to Jerusalem. PhotoS: together in unity! it is like precious oil poured on the head, beard, down on the collar of his robe." u Psalms 133:1-2