Special training of the Twelve around Galilee

North to Tyre and Caesarea Philippi

Mark 6:30 to 9:50; Matthew 14:13 to 18:35 · 13 stops · 16 readings

Four withdrawals out of Herod's reach — to the far shore, to Gentile Tyre, through the Decapolis, and finally to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter says who he is.

After John the Baptist is executed, the ministry stops chasing the crowds. Four times Jesus withdraws with the twelve, and three of the four take him outside the territory of Herod Antipas altogether. The first retreat, across the lake near Bethsaida, is overtaken by five thousand people and ends with the loaves and fish, a night storm, and Jesus coming to the boat across the water. The crowd follows him back to Capernaum, where the discourse on the bread of life empties the movement out, many disciples leaving for good, and where Pharisees down from Jerusalem pick a fight about ceremonial handwashing. The second withdrawal goes north into Gentile country near Tyre, where a Syro-Phoenician woman argues her way to her daughter's healing. The third loops east and south through the Decapolis, where four thousand are fed. The last runs far north to Caesarea Philippi at the foot of Hermon: Peter says who he thinks Jesus is, Jesus answers by predicting his own rejection and death, and days later three of them see him transfigured on the mountain. The route turns south again through Capernaum, where there is a dispute about the temple tax and an argument about which of the twelve is greatest, and then goes privately through Samaria toward Jerusalem.

The stops

1. 1

   Bethsaida vicinity

   DebatedRepresentative point between major candidates · Northeast Sea of Galilee

   • The first retirement. The twelve return, and Jesus retires with them beyond the lake to rest. Feeding of the five thousandMark 6:30-44; Matthew 14:13-21; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-13
2. 2

   Sea of Galilee

   High confidenceSea of Galilee center · Northern Israel

   • The peril to the twelve in the storm at sea and Christ's coming to them on the water in the darknessMark 6:47-52; Matthew 14:24-33; John 6:16-21
3. 3

   Plain of Gennesaret

   ProbableGinosar plain representative point · Northwest Sea of Galilee

   • The reception at gennesaretMark 6:53-56; Matthew 14:34-36
4. 4

   Capernaum

   High confidenceTell Hum / Kfar Nahum · Sea of Galilee, north shore

   • The collapse of the galilean campaign because Jesus will not conform to popular messianic expectationsJohn 6:22-71
   • Pharisees from Jerusalem reproach Jesus for allowing his disciples to disregard their traditions about ceremonial defilement of the hands. A puzzling parable in replyMark 7:1-23; Matthew 15:1-20; John 7:1
5. 5

   Tyre

   High confidenceTyre / Sour · Lebanon

   • The second withdrawal to the region of Tyre and Sidon and the healing of the daughter of a syro-phoenician womanMark 7:24-30; Matthew 15:21-28
6. 6

   Decapolis

   DebatedHippos/Sussita as regional representative · East of Sea of Galilee

   • The third withdrawal north through Phoenicia and east towards hermon and south into Decapolis (keeping out of the territory of Herod antipas) with the healing of the deaf and dumb man and the feeding of the four thousandMark 7:31-8:9; Matthew 15:29-38
7. 7

   Magadan / Dalmanutha

   DebatedRepresentative western lakeshore vicinity · Sea of Galilee

   • The brief visit to magadan (dalmanutha) in Galilee and the sharp attack by the Pharisees and the Sadducees (note their appearance now against Jesus)Mark 8:10-12; Matthew 15:39-16:4
8. 8

   Bethsaida vicinity

   DebatedRepresentative point between major candidates · Northeast Sea of Galilee

   • The fourth retirement to bethsaida julias in the tetrarchy of Herod Philip with sharp rebuke of the dulness of the disciples on the way across and the healing of a blind man in bethsaidaMark 8:13-26; Matthew 16:5-12
9. 9

   Caesarea Philippi

   High confidenceBanias / Banyas · Golan/Hermon foothills

   • Near cæsarea philippi Jesus tests the faith of the twelve in his messiahshipMark 8:27-30; Matthew 16:13-20; Luke 9:18-21
   • Jesus distinctly foretells that he, the Messiah, will be rejected and killed, and will rise the third dayMark 8:31-37; Matthew 16:21-26; Luke 9:22-25
10. 10

    Mount Hermon region

    DebatedRepresentative point on Mount Hermon · Lebanon/Syria/Israel border region

    • The transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain (probably hermon) near cæesarea philippiMark 9:2-8; Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36
11. 11

    Caesarea Philippi

    High confidenceBanias / Banyas · Golan/Hermon foothills

    • The demoniac boy, whom the disciples could not healMark 9:14-29; Matthew 17:14-20; Luke 9:37-43
12. 12

    Capernaum

    High confidenceTell Hum / Kfar Nahum · Sea of Galilee, north shore

    • Jesus, the Messiah, pays the half-shekel for the templeMatthew 17:24-27
    • The twelve contend as to who shall be the greatest under the Messiah's reign. His subjects must be childlikeMark 9:33-37; Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 9:46-48
13. 13

    Samaria

    DebatedRepresentative point in central Samaria · West Bank

    • He goes privately to Jerusalem through SamariaLuke 9:51-56; John 7:10

The line drawn on the map connects these stops in narrative order. It is schematic: it does not claim to trace the exact road between them, and each place carries its own confidence rating.

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