As we know, Jesus was from Nazareth in the Galilee, but most of his activity took place in the area of Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). Jesus lived in the house of Peter, also known as Shimon bar Yonah, in Kfar Nahum; in the New Testament, this site was known as the City of Jesus. From Kfar Nahum, Jesus goes out, forms a group of students, performs miracles, and teaches. In the Golan, there are a number of sites connected to the New Testament stories:
Bet Tzaida
According to the Christian tradition, it was here that at least three of the apostles were born: Peter, Andrew, and Philip. Additionally, it was in Bet Tzaida that Jesus performed two important miracles:
The miracle of the bread and the fish, and the miracle of helping the blind to see. Jesus cursed Bet Tzaida, along with nearby Korazin, and prophesized about their destruction:
“Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bet Tzaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21).
Banias
It was in Banias that Peter – Shimon bar Yonah, the principal disciple of Jesus – recognized Jesus as the son of God:
“’You are the Messiah, the son of the living God!’ And Jesus replied: ‘Blessed are you, Shimon bar Yonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it’” (Matthew 16). Shimon’s other name – Peter (“Kefa” in Aramaic and “Petros” in Greek) means “rock”, and is taken from this story. Jesus gives Peter the keys to heaven, thereby appointing him his successor as leader.
Mt. Hermon
“After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Just then, there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus” (Matthew 17).
The Transfiguration, when Jesus changed in the presence of his disciples, and his face and clothes were shining, is a basic foundation in Christian faith. Since the Byzantine Period, the mountain of transfiguration has been identified as Mt. Tavor. The church located there is known as the Church of the Transfiguration, in commemoration of the event. The New Testament does not name the location of the mountain. In the previous chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, it is told that Jesus and his disciples arrived in Banias (Caesarea Philippi). Banias is located at the foot of Mt. Hermon, and some have suggested that Jesus and the disciples climbed from Banias to Mt. Hermon, on top of which the Transfiguration took place.
Gamla
The New Testament tells the story of the Sermon on the Mount, which Jesus delivered to a huge crowd. Some have identified Gamla as the site mentioned in the sermon:
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5).
Gamla was a Jewish city in the Golan during the Second Temple Period, 2,000 years ago, and it existed during the time that Jesus was active in the Galilee and around Lake Kinneret. We can assume that Jesus was familiar with Gamla, and it could be that he mentioned it when he looked out towards the Golan during the sermon.
Kursi
According to the Christian tradition, it was in Kursi that the Miracle of the Swine – mentioned in the New Testament – took place. Jesus met tortured men and drove out the demons from them; the demons then entered a herd of wild boars that ran down into Lake Kinneret and drowned.
“When he arrived at the other side of the lake, in the Land of Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men emerging from cave-tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. They began screaming: ‘What do you want with us, son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?’ Some distance away from them there was a large herd of boars grazing. The demons begged Jesus, and said: ‘If you drive us out, send us into the herd of boars.’ He said to them: ‘Go!’ and they came out and entered the boars, and the entire herd rushed down the hill and died in the water” (Matthew 8).
