Tabgha
Tabgha Galilee
Tabgha is located southwest of Capernaum. Tabgha isn't a town, but simply a
spot near the shores of Galilee and according to the locals, Jesus fed 5000 men
"besides women and
children" with 2 fish and 5 barley loaves as per Matthew
14:15-21. Today, a Dominican (a Roman Catholic order) monastery stands over
Tabgha. Do I believe Jesus fed thousands with 2 fish and 5 loaves, and that
he did it at Tabgha?
Let's leave Tabgha aside and start with the miracle. I don't believe a baby can break bricks, but that Bruce Lee can. The point? We call something a "miracle" when someone does something that exceeds our estimate of that person's power. But our estimate can in fact be an underestimation. If Jesus created the universe (Colossians 1:16), for him to feed a few thousand people would have been a piece of cake.
Now, do I believe that the black rock in this photo, taken inside the Tabgha monastery is where Jesus laid the 2 fish and 5 loaves to bless them as the monastery claims? Well, the Bible simply identifies the location as a "deserted place" (Matthew 14:15), not Tabgha, there is no mention of him laying the food on anything, and the Bible never says Jesus blessed or preached from behind a rock.
Travel Tip
Before you get into a taxi in Israel, negotiate the fare in advance. And if you're paying with a large bill, have the driver acknowledge its amount before it leaves your hand. A couple of other travelers reported being short-changed by unscrupulous taxi drivers, who of course aren't unique to Israel.
Let's leave Tabgha aside and start with the miracle. I don't believe a baby can break bricks, but that Bruce Lee can. The point? We call something a "miracle" when someone does something that exceeds our estimate of that person's power. But our estimate can in fact be an underestimation. If Jesus created the universe (Colossians 1:16), for him to feed a few thousand people would have been a piece of cake.
Now, do I believe that the black rock in this photo, taken inside the Tabgha monastery is where Jesus laid the 2 fish and 5 loaves to bless them as the monastery claims? Well, the Bible simply identifies the location as a "deserted place" (Matthew 14:15), not Tabgha, there is no mention of him laying the food on anything, and the Bible never says Jesus blessed or preached from behind a rock.
Travel Tip
Before you get into a taxi in Israel, negotiate the fare in advance. And if you're paying with a large bill, have the driver acknowledge its amount before it leaves your hand. A couple of other travelers reported being short-changed by unscrupulous taxi drivers, who of course aren't unique to Israel.