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.