A Georgia Girl in Germany

Our next stop in Galilee was to Tabgha, what our tour guide called the Church of the Heptapegon. “Heptapegon” is a Greek word that means “Seven Springs.” I’ve also seen references calling it the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes. In the past, seven springs met at this point and flowed into the Sea of Galilee, although only five remain today. This is the traditional site of where Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish.

This is an old olive press, used to press olives into olive oil. It’s the same system that was once used for crushing grapes to make wine.

This is the inner courtyard of the church. There’s a fountain in here that represents the seven springs that were once in the area.

The interior of the church was nice and bright -- from wonderful natural light flowing in through the windows. As is common in the area, successive churches were built on the site. The original one here was built in the 4th century and was replaced a century later by a larger one. The current one was built in 1982 for the German Benedictines in Byzantine style, while keeping the original mosaic pavement.

The detail of water birds and plants in the original mosaic is amazing! The mosaics are relatively colorful, especially for being as old as they are. Part of the original church is visible under the glass square here -- this is in the left transept.

The mosaic in front of the altar symbolizes the loaves and fish. The rock where this wonder took place has been the altar of the successive churches built here. The glass square allows another peek at the original church below.

“Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.”
-- Luke 9: 16-17