Mount of Beatitudes
About Mount of Beatitudes
The Mount of Beatitudes is believed to be the place where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. It offers a captivating vista of the northern part of the Sea of Galilee and across to the cliffs of the Golan Heights. Just below is Sower’s Cove where it is believed Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9) from a boat moored in the bay.
The Sermon of the Mount
The spacious slope of the mount would have provided ample space to accommodate a large crowd and the excellent natural acoustics of the area enabled the people to hear Jesus deliver the sermon (Matthew 5:3-11).
Church of the Beatitudes
The Church of the Beatitudes is an elegant octagonal building with colonnaded cloisters built in 1938 for a Franciscan order of nuns. The octagonal floorplan represents the eight beatitudes which are also shown in Latin in the upper stained-glass windows. The seven virtues are written on mosaics on the floor around the central altar. The inner dome is beautiful with mosaics.
The Garden
The church is surrounded with a beautifully landscaped garden. In the garden are statues and small assembly areas for group worship. Along the path that leads to the church are verses taken from the Sermon on the Mount.
Interesting Facts
- The Church of Beatitudes is said to be built on the site of some 4th century Byzantine ruins.
- The chapel was designed by Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi and partially funded by the Italian dictator Mussolini.
- Mount of Beatitudes is one of the stops on the Jesus Trail which is a 65km hiking route in the Galilee region that connects important sites from the life of Jesus as well as other historical and religious sites.
