In addition to the numerous trails, waterfalls and natural springs of the Golan Heights, there are a number of unique historical and archaeological sites located near Genghis Khan in the Golan:
Jesus Boat โ Genosar
On the shores of the Sea of Galilee, across from Genghis Khan, the โJesus Boatโ was discovered by sheer chance during the winter of 1986, after a dry season which drained the lakeโs water level. The boat is estimated to be some 2,000 years old. While scholars say it was a fishing boat or perhaps a ferry, it remains a powerful visual reminder of Jesus and his disciples, many of whom were fishermen. The boat is now exhibited in a special museum in Genosar.
Kursi National Park and the โMiracle of the Swinesโ
The Gospels tell of how Jesus healed a man possessed by demons after sailing across the Sea of Galilee and landing in the Country of Gergesenes. He drove out the devils into a herd of swine, who ran violently down a steep slop into the water where they all drowned. Today, Kursi, located on the way up to Genghis Khan, is identified with the Gergesenes. There, excavations restored the ruins of an ancient fishing village, as well as a 5th-6th century church and a monastery – the largest Byzantine monastery in Israel – which was established as a worship site for the Miracle of the Swines.
In addition to the siteโs links to Christian tradition, in 2015 researchers found an engraved marble slab in the area from circa 500 CE that appears to indicate the presence of a Jewish population in the area.
Hippos-Sussita
Hippos-Sussita is an archaeological site located fifteen minutes from Genghis Khan, on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Between the 3rd century BC and the 7th century AD, Hippos was the site of a Greco-Roman city. Besides the fortified city itself, Hippos controlled two port facilities on the lake and an area of the surrounding countryside. Hippos was part of the Decapolis, or Ten Cities – a group of cities in this Roman province that were culturally tied more closely to Greece and Rome than to the Near East. Excavations at the site remain ongoing, with recent discoveries including a one-of-a-kind bronze mask featuring the Greek God Pan.
Want to learn more? Sara in the Genghis Khan in the Golan camp lodge will love to show you aroundโฆ
