Hotel Eden

Yehudiya Nature Reserve (Hexagon Pools)

by jadedmuse

Israelis are born nature lovers, and this is a favorite spot. The hiking around the area is relatively easy and accessible, with good parking and even a pamphlet you can pick up at the entrance.

The trails follow the route of the Zavitan River and are visibly marked. One of the primary reasons to hike this area is to see the little known "Hexagon Pools" (“Brechat HaMeshushim” in Hebrew). These pools feature hexagonal formations caused by cooling of molten rock in the area, long ago.

It was December when we went there so the water was a bit too cold for my taste - but we did see a family splashing around and enjoying the day.

Capernaum,The City of Jesus

by traveloturc

"City of Jesus"

The town is mentioned in the New Testament: in the Gospel of Luke it was reported to have been the home of the apostles Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. In Matthew 4:13 the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus himself.

"Synagogue"

According to Luke 4:31-44, Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum on the sabbath days. In Capernaum also, Jesus allegedly healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil and healed a fever in Simon Peter's mother-in-law. According to Matthew 8:5-13, it is also the place where a Roman Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. A building which may have been a synagogue of that period has been found beneath the remains of a later synagogue.

"Ruins of the old Roman town"

"Olive Mill from Roman times"

An olive mill and an olive press dating from Roman times in Capernaum.

"House Of St Peter"

Located between the synagogue and the lakeshore, it was found near the front of a labyrinth of houses from many different periods. Three principal layers have been identified.A group of private houses built around the first century BC which remained in use until the early fourth century AD.
The great transformation of one of the homes in the fourth century AD.
The octagonal church in the middle of the fifth century AD.
The excavators concluded that one house in the village was venerated as the house of Peter the fisherman as early as the mid-first century AD, with two churches having been constructed over it (Lofreda, 1984).

"the Church"

There is a close relationship between the octagonal church and the house of Saint Peter. The Byzantines, upon constructing the new church, placed the central octagon directly on top of the walls of the house with the aim of preserving its exact location. Although Byzantine worshippers stood on the very site where Jesus was believed to have stood, virtually none of the original house was visible any longer, as the walls had been torn down the floor covered in mosaics.

"Fishing Boat"

In 1986 the water of the lake reached an unusually low point. At that time, an ancient fishing boat was discovered that has been claimed to date from the first century BC. The vessel was 8 meters long and was preserved in the mud of the lake. After a difficult unearthing process that had to be completed before the water rose again, the excavated boat was put on display in its modern-day position near the kibbutz Ginosar.

"Plans of Copernaum"