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No one knows exactly where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount

Mount of Beatitudes

 

No one knows exactly where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. But since early Christian times, a hill near the northwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee has been identified as the Mount of the Beatitudes. Nearby is the town of Capernaum, which was Jesus’ headquarters in Galilee. The Mount of the Beatitudes gets its name from the blessings, or beatitudes, that Jesus described in his most famous sermon.

 

Over the centuries pilgrims have visited the mount and have even built churches on its slopes to commemorate Jesus’ teachings. The church that stands there today was built in 1936 by a group of Italian Christians, and it is run by a group of Franciscan nuns. It occupies a beautiful spot with a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee.

 

Called the Shrine of the Beatitudes, this magnificent stone buildings has eight sides. One the inside each wall bears a Latin inscription of one of the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. They bless the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers, as well as those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. The dome over the shrine is inscribed with a blessing to those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake, for their “reward is great in heaven” (Mt 5:12).

 

*  Did you know?   

  Some scholars believe that Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount from the Horns of Hattin, a hill several miles west of Tiberius, not far from the Mount of the Beatitudes.