Visiting Israel to see the Christian sites must involve visiting the beautiful, serene, placid area around the Sea of Galilee where Christ began his three years of public ministry and performed many miracles. Visiting the sites with three priests made it possible to attend Mass and the historic churches and sites built and revered over the grounds that Christ walked more than 2,000 years ago.

Our first mass was in Tabgha, in the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a church built in 1930 by Benedictine brothers on the site of two earlier churches.

As with many churches and other buildings in Israel, the building has a long history of venerations and destructions by numerous nations and religions, the Byzantines, Persians, and many others over the centuries, in some cases, even before Christ’s time.

Today, at the Church of the Multiplication, the altar is constructed over a block of limestone found during an earlier excavation and venerated as the stone on which Christ served the meal to 5,000 or more from the two loaves and seven fishes of a youngster in the crowd listening to His message. As wonderful and meaningful as that is, the fifth century mosaics, Christian art, depicting birds and fish, and the mosaic in front of the altar of the two fish flanking a basket of bread are also striking and memorable.

An afternoon boat ride on the Sea itself was light-hearted, fun, and far more commercial than the church and monastery visits that were made throughout the tour. Sailing on the water when Christ recruited his first disciples was especially meaningful to the bayshore visitors who appreciate hardworking fishermen and watermen, and listening to live music from a friendly group, singing along, and joining in dance made a delightful afternoon under glorious sunshine. The heart is picturesque, heart-shaped and fed by the Jordan River; today, with very little changing in appearance of either the lake or surrounding area from 2,00 years ago, it serves as a reservoir for Israel. The Israelis in charge of the entertaining on the little boat made it clear they love Americans and welcome them at every chance…..it’s something to hear the US national anthem while enjoying a mini-cruise on the Sea of Galilee in Israel!

We also visited St Peter’s Primacy, a modern church built in 1933 over the remains of a 4th century church; a projection of limestone rock in front of the altar, known as Mensa Christi, or table of Christ, is regarded as the site where Christ prepared a meal for his apostles and named Peter to head His church. The church is located in Capernaum, a town that archeologists have dated back 2,000 years before Christ, and where Christians believe brothers Peter and Andrew, brothers James and John and tax collector Matthew, all Apostles, lived.

This is the town where Jesus performed many miracles, including curing Peter’s mother-in-law, casting out demons, and curing an official’s son. The ruins of an ancient temple tell stories of their own about the rich and long history of this very unique country in the middle of a barren desert. The town is one of the few that is mentioned in the Gospels of all four Evangelists, and is known as the town of Jesus because of the time He spent there during the last three years of His life.

An absolute must for tourists in the area is a sampling of St. Peter’s Fish, though it’s up for discussion whether the fish actually lives in the Sea of Galilee.

The delicacy is mindful of the New Testament story about St. Peter, the fisherman, being asked if Christ paid the temple tax. In response, Christ told Peter to go fishing, and when Peter caught a fish, it had a silver coin in its mouth, enough to pay the temple tax for both Jesus and Peter.

Today, however, there are about 20 different species of fish in the Sea, and of those, only about half could possibly be the kind Peter caught. Of those, popular belief is it’s a barbel that Peter caught, a bottom feeder that fishermen have for centuries, caught on a baited hook.

Regardless of the story or the specific type of fish, we all enjoyed a wonderful luncheon of St. Peter’s fish, which in actuality tastes a lot like tilapia, served in the traditional style: deep fried, on the bone, with slices of lemon. We enjoyed the luncheon in a relaxed setting at long tables facing the water and captivated by the scores of sea gulls who came up to the open windows to feast on the remains waiters tossed out for them.

In the evening, back at the Restal Hotel in Tiberius, our buffet dinner included everything from fresh vegetables, served both hot and gold, tilapia, chicken, desserts and fruits…apples, tangerines, pears and oranges. An evening stroll around the town below the hotel showed plenty of happy shoppers, lots of little eateries with arrays of fresh vegetables and condiments offered tapas style, and little coffee shops for lattes, wines, beer, and friendship. Closing out the evening seated in comfortable chairs in front of the hotel and soaking up clean, refreshing warm air and soft breezes among friends gave us all time to appreciate everything Israel has to offer.

I wrote this in 2017 when I was in my one-woman battle to have the Medal of Honor earned by Pvt. Thomas Fallon of Freehold during the CIvil War returned to its rightful owners rather than being displayed, wrongfully, as a Medal of Honor earned by another outstanding military hero at Dickinson College. I was joined in my battle by Congressman Chris Smith after the Army declined to return it to Freehold, and then by Glen Cashin who is the rigthful keeper of this highest award given to a military hero. The Medal of Honor is now in Cashin’s family and they have generously given in on loan to the Monmputh County Historical Association for their exhibition on New Jersey’s Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen is also a descendant of the Fallon family and can claim, rightfully so, relationship to a hero of an earlier era.

CARLISLE, PA. It’s only a three-hour car trip along beautiful roads especially at this time of year, but for historians who like to expand their knowledge of people whose names became known through Monmouth County connections, this is a neat little community with pleasant people, lots of great restaurants, and charming B&Bs at reasonable prices.

Carlisle, located in Cumberland County about 20 miles west of Harrisburg, the state capital, dates to the 1700s when John Armstrong laid out a plan for the city to accommodate the Scot-Irish who settled in the area to farm the land. It’s about five miles in size with just under 20,000 residents and is named for its sister city in England, also located in Cumberland.

For Monmouth Countians, probably the most famous name associated with Carlisle is Molly Pitcher, the legend of the Battle of Monmouth who carried water for the cannons and soldiers when her husband was injured during this turning point of the Revolution. She died in Carlisle in 1832 and is buried in the local cemetery, her monument large and imposing complete with cannon and surrounded by fencing. Almost adjacent to the cemetery is the Molly Pitcher Brewery where any number of brews with fascinating names like Cannonball Kolsch, Redcoat, Patriot Pale Ale, Black Powder Stout and The Minuteman remind visitors of Molly’s days of fame. There’s also the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion restaurant, highlighting the day when President George Washington himself led his troops to squash the insurrection of farmers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey who objected to the whiskey tax. The rebels left before any encounter with the troops, but the tax was not repealed until Thomas Jefferson became President.

Every Wednesday through December, there’s also a terrific Farmer’s Market set up in the heart of town, where you can purchase numerous products from the Amish, like pickled beets and Cole slaw, along with great cheeses; other booths offer unique varieties including Alpaca fur products, salmon from Alaska and fresh produce.

It’s also a great area for wineries, and the Castleriff in the heart of town offers daily wine tastings, and great company.

The city is also home to Dickinson College, named by Benjamin Rush after the Pennsylvania delegate to the Continental Congress who declined to sign the Declaration of Independence. President James Buchanan, the nation’s only bachelor President, is also an alumnus of Dickinson, despite almost being kicked out for bad behavior before being given a second chance at finishing his education.

And it’s in the Museum at the college where there is a Medal of Honor which had been given to a Freehold resident for his service in the Civil War. The Medal of Honor received by the Freehold resident, Pvt. Thomas Fallon, doesn’t honor the Freehold tailor and father of three children, but rather is being used to show the type of Medal of Honor that a Dickinson College alumnus earned during the Civil War.

Nor is there any indication the Medal of Honor on display belongs to our local hero. Rather, the sign simply denotes it was given to Cornelius King to replace the one he had received, also during the Civil War. Of course, that isn’t true either. The Medal of Honor earned by Pvt. Fallon was given to Dickinson College, not General King, in 1957, long after both Civil War heroes had died. In making the presentation to the College named for a non-signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Army simply said they gave the College the honor at their archivist’s request because “among the few old medals on hand we have found one which is of the appropriate type.” The Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest and most esteemed honor for a military person, was ‘salvaged’ the Army said. But there is no indication from where, how, or when it was ‘salvaged,’ or whether in fact any effort had been taken to locate a descendant of the true recipient of this great national honor. It was just one of “a few old medals on hand.” The Congressional Medal of Honor!

Just outside of town is the U.S Army Heritage Education Center and Carlisle Barracks, where Washington went to review the troops for that Whiskey Rebellion. Today it is an outstanding museum with displays, information and artifacts from every war in which the Army has participated from the Civil War to the present. The Barracks is part of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command and the site of the Army’s War College. It’s also the second oldest still active military base in the nation and, had Washington had his way, would have been the site for the Military Academy now at West Point. The Archives has a wealth of information on another famous New Jerseyan, Civil War General Philip Kearny, the same general who recommended Pvt. Fallon for his Congressional Medal of Honor.

Hotels and B&Bs in town look inviting and charming, but even more so is an 18th century B&B set on 1,500 acres of land complete with a handful of horses and rolling hills. The Fallen Tree Farm B&B is minutes from the heart of Carlisle as well as the quaint village of Boiling Springs, a 19th century settlement complete with ironworks stables, an iron furnace, grist mill, and walking tours past great historic homes. B&B Hosts Kim and Brent Hanlin, along with their daughters, give you the privacy you want in a luxurious retreat but the warmth and friendliness of the community..to say nothing of terrific breakfasts including poached pears and caramelized Texas grapefruit before servings of homemade pastries and breads.