In Tabgha, 2km southwest of Capernaum along the coastal road, the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter marks the spot where Jesus made Peter “Shepherd of his People.” Tabgha (Tabba in Hebrew) is an Arabic distortion of the original Greek name for the site, Heptapegon, meaning seven springs. According to the Book of John, after the Resurrection Peter led the apostles on a fishing expedition 100m offshore from Tabgha.

A man on shore called to them to throw their nets over the starboard side and assured them of a catch. When the nets hit the water, a swarm offish swam in. Jumping off the boat and swimming to shore, Peter found the man, whom he now realized was Jesus, preparing a meal for the Twelve. When the others sailed in, Jesus charged Peter, “Feed my lambs…. Tend my sheep…. Feed my sheep.” (John 21: 15-19) This episode is widely regarded as the basis for the primacy of St. Peter. The Church of the Primacy is built around a rock said to be the table of this feast; the building itself dates only to the 1930s. On the seaward side of the church are the steps from which Jesus called out his instructions, and on the shoreline is a series of six double or heart-shaped column bases built by early Christians and called the “thrones of the Apostles” (tel. 72 47 67; open 8am-5pm).

Just west of the Church of the Primacy along the northern coast of the sea lies the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes. A mosaic inside relates how Jesus fed 5000 pilgrims with five loaves and two small fish (Matthew 15:29-30). A section of the mosaic has been removed so you can see the original 4th-century foundations. (Church open Mon.-Sat. 8:3Oam-5pm, Sun. 10am-5pm. Modest dress required.) Around the right side of the church past the “private” sign and up the stairs is a small hospice (tel. 72 10 61), a giant tent with mattresses inside. Mainly for groups of 10-20, not individual travelers (MS 17).