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)

Lady Egeria, the Spanish pilgrim from the 4th century, had mentioned the place of the Beatitudes to be on the hillside, above the road leading to Capernaum, northeast of the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. The present church was built in 1938 and located in a more convenient site up the hill north of the Chapel of the Primacy of St Peter.

The Church of Beatitudes is a Roman Catholic Church operated by Franciscans. It was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi in neo-renaissance style (Byzantine style).

It is octagon-shaped and crowned by a copper dome. The octagonal shape symbolizes the eight beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. There are eight windows beneath the dome adorned with verses from the Sermon.

The seven spiritual virtues appear in the tiles below the altar.

Windows in the outer walls and the quiet gardens of the church overlook the Sea of Galilee.

More photos of Sea of Galilee sites are available at HolyLand Photo Gallery