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Tabcha, or Ein Sheva, is a site
on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. In this
site there is the Church of the first feeding of the
multitude, with beautiful mosaics of an old church,
including two fish and a basket - the symbols of the
miracle.
The area of Tabcha (Ein Sheva)
was one of the best places in the Sea of Galilee for
fishing. Some of the seven springs are warm sulfuric
springs, such as Ein Nur. This caused the fish to
gather here, especially in the cold winter months, and
so were an easy catch for the fishermen.
The waters from the springs were delivered to the
nearby fields and villages using aqueducts. Near the
springs there are pools that were used to raise the
level of the water in order to deliver them via the aqueducts. The waters were also used for powering water
based bread mills. The last bread mill worked here
until 1948.
The site is an important pilgrimage place: according
to the tradition, Jesus performed two miracles here:
first, the feeding of the multitude and, second, the
appearance of
Jesus to the Apostles after the resurrection.
For more info on Tabcha - click
here.
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Mk 6:35-44: "And
when the day was now far spent, his
disciples came unto him, and said, This is
a desert place, and now the time is far
passed: Send them away, that they may go
into the country round about, and into the
villages, and buy themselves bread: for
they have nothing to eat. He answered and
said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And
they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two
hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them
to eat? He saith unto them, How many
loaves have ye? go and see. And when they
knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. And
he commanded them to make all sit down by
companies upon the green grass. And they
sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by
fifties. And when he had taken the five
loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to
heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves,
and gave them to his disciples to set
before them; and the two fishes divided he
among them all. And they did all eat, and
were filled. And they took up twelve
baskets full of the fragments, and of the
fishes. And they that did eat of the
loaves were about five thousand men".
Mt 14:14-21
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great
multitude, and was moved with compassion
toward them, and he healed their sick. And
when it was evening, his disciples came to
him, saying, This is a desert place, and
the time is now past; send the multitude
away, that they may go into the villages,
and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus
said unto them, They need not depart; give
ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We
have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
He said, Bring them hither to me. And he
commanded the multitude to sit down on the
grass, and took the five loaves, and the
two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he
blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to
his disciples, and the disciples to the
multitude. And they did all eat, and were
filled: and they took up of the fragments
that remained twelve baskets full. And
they that had eaten were about five
thousand men, beside women and children".
Lk 9:11-17:
"And the people, when they knew it,
followed him: and he received them, and
spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and
healed them that had need of healing. And
when the day began to wear away, then came
the twelve, and said unto him, Send the
multitude away, that they may go into the
towns and country round about, and lodge,
and get victuals: for we are here in a
desert place. But he said unto them, Give
ye them to eat. And they said, We have no
more but five loaves and two fishes;
except we should go and buy meat for all
this people. For they were about five
thousand men. And he said to his
disciples, Make them sit down by fifties
in a company. And they did so, and made
them all sit down. Then he took the five
loaves and the two fishes, and looking up
to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and
gave to the disciples to set before the
multitude. And they did eat, and were all
filled: and there was taken up of
fragments that remained to them twelve
baskets".
Jn 6:5-13:
"When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and
saw a great company come unto him, he
saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy
bread, that these may eat? And this he
said to prove him: for he himself knew
what he would do. Philip answered him, Two
hundred pennyworth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one of
them may take a little. One of his
disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother,
saith unto him,There is a lad here, which
hath five barley loaves, and two small
fishes: but what are they among so many?
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now
there was much grass in the place. So the
men sat down, in number about five
thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and
when he had given thanks, he distributed
to the disciples, and the disciples to
them that were set down; and likewise of
the fishes as much as they would. When
they were filled, he said unto his
disciples, Gather up the fragments that
remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore
they gathered them together, and filled
twelve baskets with the fragments of the
five barley loaves, which remained over
and above unto them that had eaten".
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50
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Jesus feeds the
5,000 with five loaves of bread and two
fish
(first
feeding of the multitude)
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(back) (next)
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