“And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying: This is a desert place, and the hour is now past: send away the multitudes, that going into the towns, they may buy themselves victuals.

But Jesus said to them, They have no need to go: give you them to eat. They answered him: We have not here, but five loaves, and two fishes. He said to them: Bring them hither to me. And when he had commanded the multitudes to sit down upon the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. And they did all eat, and were filled. And they took up what remained, twelve full baskets of fragments.” (Matthew 14: 15-20, Luke 9: 10-17, Mark 6: 30-44)

A small hill located near Tabgha and rising about 180 meters above the Sea of Galilee. It offers a magnificent view of the landscape made holy during the first years of Jesus’ activity.  According to the tradition, it is the site where Jesus delivered his famous Sermon on the Mount.

“1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. 2 And opening his mouth, he taught them, saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. 5 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5: 1-5)

It’s a Franciscan Chapel, located in Tabgha, about 300 meters east of the Church of the Multiplication, on the northwest shores of the Sea of Galilee. It stands over the place where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time following his resurrection, and invested Peter with his authority and commended him to “Feed my sheep”. (John 21:17)

The area of the Sea of Galilee can be divided into two areas. The fertile valleys suited on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee are known by Tabgha. This area is located about 2.5 miles (4km) southeast of Capernaum. The Arabic name “Tabgha” is derived from the Greek “Heptapegon” that means seven springs. In ancient times, many springs flow in this area that helped operating water mills.

The Sea of Galilee General Overview

The Sea of Galilee, as mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 4:18, Mark 1:16), is known by many different names; Sea of Tiberias – Called after the major city at the western shores, city of Tiberias, that was built in the Roman period to honor the Roman emperor Tiberius. Sea of Kinnereth (Joshua 19:35) – Called after the city of Kinnereth/ Chinnereth in olden times, the shape of the lake resembles a Kinor which is a harp in Hebrew.  Lake of Gennesaret - Called after the Land of Gennesaret (Matthew 14:36) then it was known as Lake of Gennesar, which means the “gardens of the prince” – Called after the fertile plains located on the north west side of the lake that contained royal gardens to honor the roman Caesar Herod. Today, it’s known as Yam Kinneret (Hebrew) and Buhayrat Tabariyya, بحيرة طبريا (Arabic) by the locals.