Mount Arbel, Magdala & Capernaum Hiking Tour

Mount Arbel National Park is in the lower Galilee region. This towering cliff is 593 feet above the sea level with the Sea of Galilee at its base 650 feet below the sea level, providing breathtaking panoramic views.

The park is home to diverse plants, birds and cliff-dwelling animals including a small species of snail which lives only at the Arbel.

There are interesting ruins of the synagogue and the caves from the Roman period. I will share the exciting and tragic story of Jewish resistance to Rome. We will hike to the bottom of the hill by the special stone steps equipped with handrails. 

At the end of the trail we will come to Magdala (Midgal in Hebrew) which is believed be the home of Mary Magdalene to whom Jesus appeared following His resurrection (John 20:14-18).

The ruins were discovered and excavated in 2009. On this site, we will see the walls of a synagogue which dates to the time of Jesus.

The Magdala Stone from the Second Temple era was another important discovery on the site. It bears the image of a seven-branched candelabra (Menorah) and the Temple, making this carving one of the oldest ever discovered. 

We can either walk or drive to the next destination which is the area called Seven Springs by Greek pilgrims in the fourth century (Heptapegon in Greek and Tabhga in local Arabic).

According to tradition, this is believed to be where many Gospel events occurred such as the miracle of feeding of five thousand people, miraculous catch of fish by the disciples and the Sermon on the Mount (at the Eremos site).

Within walking distance lay the ruins of Capernaum, where Jesus chose to live after leaving Nazareth (Matthew 9:1). The ruins on this site include the largest ancient synagogue in the Galilee and the house believed to have belonged to Apostle Peter. This trip is an exciting experience for Christians both young and mature to walk in the footsteps of Jesus!