Mount of Beatitudes

The Mount of Beatitudes (Hebrew: הר האושר‎, Har HaOsher) is a hill in northern Israel, in the Korazim Plateau. It is where Jesus is believed to have delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

Mount of Beatitudes, seen from Capernaum

Location

The traditional location for the Mount of Beatitudes is on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, between Capernaum and the archeological site of Gennesaret (Ginosar), on the southern slopes of the Korazim Plateau. Its negative altitude (around 25 metres below sea level, nearly 200 metres above the Sea of Galilee) makes it one of the lowest summits of the world.[1]

The actual location of the Sermon on the Mount is not certain, but the present site (also known as Mount Eremos) has been commemorated for more than 1600 years. The site is very near Tabgha. Other suggested locations for the Jesus' Sermon on the Mount have included the nearby Mount Arbel, or even the Horns of Hattin.

View of the Lake of Tibériade (Sea of Galilee) from the Mount of Beatitudes

History
Roman Catholic chapel at Mount of Beatitudes

A Byzantine church was erected lower down the slope from the current site in the 4th century, and it was used until the 7th century. Remains of a cistern and a monastery are still visible. The current Roman Catholic Franciscan chapel was built in 1937-38 following plans by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi.

Pope John Paul II celebrated a Mass at this site in March 2000. The Jesus Trail pilgrimage route connects the Mount to other sites from the life of Jesus.

See also

References
  1. Survey of Israel, 1:50000 topographic series, grid 252529/754954 ; Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research .
  • Macmillan Bible Atlas, ISBN 0-02-500605-3
  • Oxford Archaeological Guide: The Holy Land (paperback, fourth edition (1998)), pg 279. ISBN 0-19-288013-6

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