According  to the testimony in John 6 Jesus and his disciples had gone to the other side of the lake and went up a mountain and sat down with his disciples.  In Matthew 14 and Luke 9 the crowds had seen Jesus and his disciples going and followed on foot.  In Mark 6 some of the people saw where Jesus was going and got there ahead of him.  Assuming the other side was backed by a mountain or ridge, and that it was not the north shore, the east or west shore would be two probable locations for the miracle.  In Luke it was said that Jesus and his disciples went to the area of Bethsaida as if that was where the 5,000 were fed.

January 2006

This ridge in the photo above extended from the Tzelon/Zelon Beach in the south to Ramot/Kinnar Beach almost two kilometers to the north.

January 2006

This amphitheater type structure above Tzelon Beach may have seated thousands.  Sound traveled through a hollow without being diminished.  The crowd was sitting on the green grass (Mark 6), about the time of the Passover (John 6).

Ramot and Zelon photos

January 2006

This was the theater at Caesarea Maritima south of Haipha.  I was reading the tourist pamphlet describing the site and learned this theater seated 4000 people.  Caesarea was founded by Herod during Roman times as he disliked the harbor at Joppa (Yafo).

Mark 6:

34 And he came forth and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. 35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, The place is desert, and the day is now far spent; 36 send them away, that they may go into the country and villages round about, and buy themselves somewhat to eat. 37 But he answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred shillings' worth of bread, and give them to eat? 38 And he saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 39 And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 41 And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.

 

January 2006

This is the view from the W. Capernaum boat landing.  The view is across to the mountains of the Golan.  The edge of the Bethsaida delta/plain is seen along the upper left shore.

January 2006

This was the view from the parking lot at Capernaum.  To the left of the notch was where the plain some called Ginosar intersected the slope of the cliffs below Arbel. 

As the sky darkened, Jesus sent his disciples away in a boat and went up on a mountain to hide from those seeking to take him and force him to be king on their terms. 

 

Parable of the Mustard Seed
     A Mustard Field Along Highway 87-North Shore of Galilee
     Mustard Seeds in the Palm of a Hand
     A Branching Mustard Plant Near the Jordan River/Bethsaida
     Mustard Field March 1999
     Mustard Flowers
     Chukar Partridges
Upper Most Seats of the Synagogue
The Fig Tree
     Mt of Olives Fig Tree April 12-13, 2005
     Fig and Pomegranate trees below Siloam in Jerusalem
     Israel Photos II fig tree page
     Sycomore Fig Tree
The Good Shepherd
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats
     Goat Herder
Camels
Eye of the Needle
Ritual Cleansing
Shechem
     The Olive Harvest of Samaria
     Mt. Ebal
     Olive Tree
Pearl of Great Price
A First Century Synagogue at Gamala
     View from the Vulture Overlook
     Overview of Gamala
     Roman Artillery Replica
A First Century Boat on Display at Kibbutz Ginosaur
     Modern Galilee Fishing Boats
Kursi
     Caves and/or tombs
     Steep Slope near the Lake
Hippos
Feeding the 5,000
     On the Mountain
     Walking on Water
     Ramot-Zelon area
     Alternate location
Mt. Hermon
The Pool(s) of Bethesda in Jerusalem
     Healing Pools
     Southern Pool
     Crusader Chapel and St. Ann Church
The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem
     Gihon Spring
     Hezekiah's Tunnel
     Overlook of  Siloam
Tower of Siloam
A Watch Tower in a Vineyard/Olive Grove
     Grape Vines at Beth Horan
     Towers
Mt. Precipice
     South Face
     Summit
     Over the edge
     Measuring Line
     View of Nazareth from near Megiddo
Nazareth
     The Basilica of the Annunciation
Capernaum
Healing a Paralytic in Capernaum
Bethsaida  
First Century Artifacts from Qumran and Masada
     Qumran -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century glassware
     Masada -- 1st century pottery
     Masada -- 1st century stoneware
Waterskins and Wineskins
The Fish and the Coin
A Denarius
Casting out a demon
The Road to Jericho
     Old Roman Road
     Wilderness Above Jericho
     Old Jericho
Western Wall
Gethsemane and the Cave of  Gethsemane
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Rolling Stone Tombs - Jerusalem
     Other Rolling Stone Tombs
Tiberias
Solar Power in Israel
Salt of the earth
Chorazin

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