Religious Jews

Sea of Galilee, beautiful in the morning

Typical for Galilee is black basalt, found everywhere

 we practiced:

Religious Jews - triangle

Zealots - Gamla

Pagans - Decapolis 

Herodians - Tiberias

Today is the day of the Religious Jews

The cities of the triangle are:

Capernaum, Korazin & Bethsaida

first up ins Capernaum

 ancient city of the mass fabrication of 

Olive Crusher and Olive Press

 we sat under trees

for a faith lesson Rabbi & Disciple

 only Rabbi's with S'mikah or authority had disciples

you could get s'mikah from 2 other Rabbies who had it

When Yeshua had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at the way he taught,  for he was not instructing them like their Torah-teachers but as one who had authority himself.

They entered K’far-Nachum, and on Shabbat Yeshua went into the synagogue and began teaching.  They were amazed at the way he taught, for he did not instruct them like the Torah-teachers but as one who had authority himself.

where did Jesus get his s'mikah?

He went into the Temple area; and as he was teaching, the head cohanim and the elders of the people approached him and demanded, “What s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? And who gave you this s’mikhah?” Yeshua answered, “I too will ask you a question. If you answer it, then I will tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things.  The immersion of Yochanan — where did it come from? From Heaven or from a human source?” They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From a human source,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard Yochanan as a prophet.”  So they answered Yeshua, “We don’t know.” And he replied, “Then I won’t tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things.

 Capernaum was Jesus' home town

the largest synagogue school ever found is in Capernaum

Jesus lived on the bible belt

Jewish education:

4-5 year old boys began to study Torah

12-15 year old study HafTorah

at 15 the best of the best became disciples

it was a great honor like today play in NFL of NHL if they got excepted

most boys did not and started working in the family trade

^{Girls started with learning Deuteronomy and Psalms}

 Biblical evidence of old disciples is not available

much more likely the disciples were teenagers

what was radical was that Jesus went out and called disciples

He did not go for "the best of the best"

but for those who had a passion

and He had a Zealot and a Tax collector as disciples

He likely expected them to get along

this is very encouraging for us, we can be His disciples

we don't have to be super students

but He is looking for a willingness to follow

to be "just like the Rabbi"

 Likely all but Peter were under 20 years old

temple tax was only paid by boys over the age of 20

only Jesus and Peter had to pay

there are many more clues:

When disciples have learned enough and are "like the Rabbi"

He will tell ; "Go and make disciples"

 Capernaum is a town of Insula or households

where people live together in family units

often practicing a family trade

It was in the religious triangle that Jesus taught

expecting the people to know the word inside and out

we often miss a lot of the clues because

 we don't know the bible as good as we should

 We, went on to Bethsaida

where some of the men starting with the oldest

recited or read the "sermon on the mount"

 We had this beautiful view of the sea of Galilee

 while we listened to Jesus' words

 Bethsaida (house of Fisherman)

some of the disciples came from this town

 Philip was from Beit-Tzaidah, the town where Andrew and Kefa (Peter) lived

It is not sure if this is the exact site, but fishing equipment was found

I didn't take many pictures here

It kind of looks messy with piles of black basalt