Tabgha

Tabgha - Israel

Tabgha is located southwest of Capernaum in Israel. Tabgha isn't a town, but simply a spot near the shores of the Sea of Galilee. According to the local Israelis, Tabgha is where Jesus fed 5000 men "besides women and children" with two fish & five barley loaves in Matthew 14:15-21. Today, a Dominican (Roman Catholic) monastery stands over the spot. Do I believe Jesus fed thousands with two fish and five loaves, and that he did it at Tabgha?

Let's leave Tabgha aside and start with the miracle. I don't believe a baby can break bricks, but that Bruce Lee can. What's the point? We call something a "miracle" when someone does something that exceeds our estimate of that person's power. But our estimate can in fact be an underestimation. If Jesus created the universe (Colossians 1:16), for him to feed a few thousand people in Israel would have been a piece of cake.

Now, do I believe that the black rock in this photo, taken inside the monastery is where Jesus laid the two fish and five loaves to bless them as the monastery claims? Well, the Bible simply identifies the location as a "deserted place" (Matthew 14:15), there is no mention of him laying the food on anything, and the Bible never says Jesus blessed or preached from behind a rock.

Travel Tip
Before you get into a taxi in Israel, negotiate the fare in advance. And if you're paying with a large bill, have the driver acknowledge its face value before it leaves your hand. A couple of other travelers reported being short-changed by unscrupulous taxi drivers, who of course aren't unique to Israel.

* For more scientific evidences on this, watch and listen to a couple of former atheists. One is an MD and the other is a JD / former Legal Affairs Editor of Chicago Tribune.