On the morning of August 6, we left the Mount of the Beatitudes and went to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves in Taghba on the Sea of Galilee. It is a full Benedictine Monastery that was built over the ruins of a Byzantine Church that was destroyed by the Persians. It commemorates the Miracle of Jesus feeding the Five Thousand with five loaves and two fishes in Jn. 6:5-15.
Later in the day, we had the great blessing of celebrating mass for the Solemnity of the Transfiguration at the Basilica of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor. This is the site in Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2–3, and Luke 9:28-36 where Jesus was transfigured in glory before Saints Peter, James, and John and where Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke to Jesus about the suffering in Jerusalem. This basilica is under the custody of the Franciscans of the Holy Land. Father Fabian Lopez was the celebrant of the mass.
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| Main altar of the Church |
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| Mosaics from the original Byzantine Church |
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| Outside the Church of the Multiplication |
Afterwards, we went to the city of Beth-Shean (Scythopolis), which is the only fully preserved Roman city remaining in Israel. It was called Nyssa for a time, and the great Cappadocian Father Saint Gregory of Nyssa resided there. It would be later destroyed by an earthquake in the Seventh Century AD.
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| Fabritzio explaining the history of the city |
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| The Tel of the city and a Tree that was included in the filming of the movie Jesus Christ Superstar |
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| The Ruins of Beth-Shean (Scythopolis) |
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| Ruins of an ancient Roman Amphitheater I |
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| Ruins of the Temple Area of the city |
Later in the day, we had the great blessing of celebrating mass for the Solemnity of the Transfiguration at the Basilica of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor. This is the site in Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2–3, and Luke 9:28-36 where Jesus was transfigured in glory before Saints Peter, James, and John and where Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke to Jesus about the suffering in Jerusalem. This basilica is under the custody of the Franciscans of the Holy Land. Father Fabian Lopez was the celebrant of the mass.
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| Entering the Grounds of the Basilica |
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| Ruins of the original crusader church |
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| The Basilica of the Transfiguration |
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| Mosaic of the Transfiguration |
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| Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament |
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| Crypt of the Basilica |
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| Mosaic and Main Altar of the Basilica |
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| Father Fabian Lopez celebrating mass and Robert Rodriguez assisting as server |
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| The Nativity of Christ |
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| The Institution of the Eucharist |
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| The Passion and Death of Christ |
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| The Resurrection of Christ |
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| Floor of the original Crusader Church |
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| Chapel of Saint Elias (the Prophet Elijah) |
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| Chapel of Saint Moses |
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| The view of the surrounding area from the top of Mount Tabor |
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| Adam Haake hiking down Mount Tabor |
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