Church of the Beatitudes - Tabgha, Israel

My wife and I visited the Church of the Beatitudes following a peaceful outing on the Sea of Galilee followed by a short visit to the Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) which is just a few miles down the road from Tabgha.

The Church of the Beatitudes was built in the 1930s to commemorate the location where Jesus delivered his Sermon on the Mount. This site is as historically accurate as any in the Holy Land. It is an imperfect but close guess based on everything known about the historical speech. Although the current church was constructed in less than a century ago, the location has a nearby Byzantine era church that dates to the 4th Century. The location may not be precise, but it is in the general area. More importantly, it shares the view that Jesus and his disciples would have had of Galilee. An amazing view it is.

The interior of the church is built with plenty of windows to let in the natural light. They also provide portals for visitors to absorb the incredible scenery that includes meticulously tended gardens as well as the natural backdrop of the sea. While most churches are built to resemble a ship, this octagonal church has its altar at the center. If you look closely at the photo below, you will see a mosaic floor. The depictions in the mosaic do not number eight, they number seven. Although the church represents the eight beatitudes, the mosaic floor depicts the seven virtues (justice, charity, prudence, faith, fortitude, hope and temperance).

The gardens are expansive, with trails that have small benches or areas for reflection. Our group visited a serene spot with an incredible view and spent a few minutes reading Matthew 5:1-12:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

After sharing the story related to this historic area, we departed back toward the entrance before boarding our bus for our next destination. We had a few minutes to use the restrooms, which I believe were free. It is not uncommon in Israel to be charged a shekel to use the restrooms. There was also a small gift shop run by the order who maintains this church. I picked up a few inexpensive postcards to commemorate our visit. The prices were not expensive. My recollection was that the gift shop was in a rather large room, but the items for sale were a bit sparse. But there were several items available that commemorate the significance of the church.

A Christian Guide to Israel

Hotels
Cinema Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel
Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
Prima Park Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel

Attractions
Caesarea National Park Caesarea, Israel
Mount Precipice Mount Kedimum, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat Ride Tiberias, Israel
Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) Ginosar, Israel
Capernaum, Israel
St. Peter’s Restaurant Kinneret, Israel
Caesarea Philippi Banias Springs, Israel
Israeli 6-Day War Memorial
Jordan River Baptismal Site, Yardenit, Israel
Beit She’an National Park, Beit She’an, Israel
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel
Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Tunnels, Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem, Israel
Bethlehem New Store Gift Shop
Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
House of Caiaphas the High Priest, Jerusalem, Israel
The Upper Room, Jerusalem, Israel
Tomb of King David, Jerusalem, Israel
Masada National Park, Masada, Israel
The Dead Sea, Masada, Israel

Churches
Discalced Carmelite Monastery Muhraqa, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation Nazareth, Israel
St. Peter’s Church Capernaum, Israel
Church of the Multiplication Tabgha, Israel
Church of the Beatitudes Tabgha, Israel
Church of All Nations, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Anne, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel

These photos are my own. They may be used with permission.