On the slopes of the Carmel Mountains lies Haifa, capital of North Israel. Haifa is a special city due to its diversity of landscapes and culture. Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Druze and Bahai, are actively practiced in Haifa and the surrounding area: creating a multi-cultural social fabric. Haifa also has breathtaking scenery. From itse beaches and curved bay to the forested range of the Carmel Mountains, Haifa is delightful to look at. Haifa is located about an hour away from Tel-Aviv. Haifa is a good starting point for exploring the North Western part of Israel. Haifa’s history was determined by its strategic location on its natural harbor located on the Mediterranean Sea. Haifa can be traced back to 4th century C.E when a small fishing and trading port was built near the present day location of the Rambam Hospital. The Persians occupied Haifa during the 6th century C.E developing the costal areas including cites such as Jaffa, Acre, and Haifa. Then in 1099 the Crusaders reached Eretz, Israel (Palestine) and after taking Jerusalem they laid siege to Haifa and sacked it destroying its docks and shipyards. Haifa was later sacked again by the Mamluke invaders and grew back to life under the Ottomans in the 16th Century. Today Haifa is a diverse metropolitan area and Israel’s third largest city. We visited the Reuven and Edith Hecht Archaeological Museum at the University of Haifa to see the Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck. The Ma'agan Mikhael shipwreck is about 12 m long and it is dated to the 5 th century B.C.. It was investigated from 1985 - 1990, by Elisha Linder, it is believed to be Phoenician. The exhibit also contains a display of the various finds which were found with the ship in situ, and the actual conserved timbers, such as the keel, the anchor, and the mast step. In the Haifa area, on a small hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, near Tabgha, is the Mount of the Beatitudes. It is the traditional site of Jesus' " Sermon on the Mount." Pilgrims have been drawn to this scenic place since the 4th century A.D.. There is no evidence for identification of this site before the 4th century, but it is possible that Jesus' Sermon was here since he lived in Capernaum not too far away. The Church of the Beatitudes stands in the correct general area and in a similar setting to where Jesus would have stood, as he delivered His famous sermon. Ruins of a small church which dates to the late 4th century A. D. have been discovered downhill from the present church. We stopped near Tabgha at the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, where tradition says is the place where Jesus created the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fishes, as described in the Bible. The existing church was built in 1982 upon the ancient foundations of a Byzantine church destroyed in 614 A.D.. The floors of the aisles of the church are ornamented by mosaics depicting flora and fauna. The actual stone upon which Jesus placed the loaves, and the mosaics showing the loaves and fishes are located in front of the altar making up the center of the church.
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| Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck | Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck |
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| Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck | Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck |
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| Haifa Church Of The Beatitudes | Haifa Church Of The Beatitudes |
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| Inside Haifa Church Of The Beatitudes | Altar Inside Haifa Church Of The Beatitudes |
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| Altar Inside Haifa Church Of The Beatitudes | Stone Where Jesus Placed The Loaves Of Bread |
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| Tabgha Church Of The Multiplication Of The Loaves and Fishes Mosaic About The Mutiplication Of The Loaves And Fishes | Tabgha Church Of The Multiplication Of The Loaves and Fishes Mosaic About The Mutiplication Of The Loaves And Fishes Mosaic About The Mutiplication Of The Loaves And Fishes |
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| Tabgha Church Of The Multiplication Of The Loaves and Fishes | Tabgha Church Of The Multiplication Olive Oil Press |
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