Biblical Geography and HistoryKent, Charles Foster
History
Biblical Geography and History
Kent, Charles Foster
Bible -- Geography; Palestine -- History
=Probable Scene of the Feeding of the Multitudes.= At this secluded
point, which commanded a marvellous view of the Sea of Galilee to the
south, lived three of Jesus' disciples, Andrew, Peter, and Philip. The
waters of the lake immediately below the delta are still the best
fishing grounds^{(123)} in all the Sea of Galilee. Eastward and
northward of the Jordan delta is a wealth of grass which covers the
rich plain and runs up the slopes of the eastern hills. This point,
which was a lonely place beyond the limits of the city, fully accords
with the statement of the Fourth Gospel, "Now there was much grass in
this place." Although early Christian tradition fixes the scene of the
feeding of the multitudes on the northern borders of the Plain of
Gennesaret, it is probable that here on the northeastern side of the
sea Jesus, undisturbed, was able to teach the multitudes and to
satisfy their great spiritual as well as physical needs.
=The Night Voyage of the Disciples=. The evidence that there was a
Bethsaida west of the Jordan breaks down on close examination. The
crucial passage, Mark 6:45, which states that after feeding the
multitude Jesus told his disciples to cross over in advance to
Bethsaida, would perhaps mean that they were simply to go in the
direction of Bethsaida. The continuation of the narrative in Mark, as
well as the parallel passage in Matthew 14:34, states that they
crossed over and landed on the Plain of Gennesaret, while John 6:17
adds that their destination was Capernaum. The physical
characteristics of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee throw much
light upon the night voyage of the disciples. The actual distance from
the lonely spot southeast of Bethsaida to Capernaum was only about six
miles. Their course was almost due westward toward the point where the
Plain of Gennesaret and the wadies behind lead to the heights of upper
Galilee. Through this open gateway sudden wind storms rushed down
across the lake with terrific violence. While we were riding by this
spot one beautiful day in March a storm of this kind suddenly swept
down across the valley near Khan Minyeh, transforming the placid lake
into a mass of windswept waves and compelling some men in a sail-boat
to lower their sails and drive before the storm. Even the members of
our own party had difficulty for a time in keeping in the saddles, so
fierce was the wind, although at the same time the southern part of
the lake was almost undisturbed. Against such a western gale the weary
disciples struggled all night until morning. At last, as the Fourth
Gospel states, Jesus, ever solicitous for the welfare of his friends,
came out to meet them as they were near to the land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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