Israel to Arbel cliffs

The Gospel writers tell us repeatedly that Jesus often escaped to the hills for quiet times of prayer. On one occasion, he prayed all night before choosing his 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-15). So where did Jesus pray? We don’t know. That was, after all, the point. Jesus needed to get away from the crowds. His options for solitude were nearly unlimited. Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee are surrounded by hills and “lonely places.” One of the most dramatic places that fits the description is Mt. Arbel, on the northeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee. As the highest peak around the lake, it offered solitude and a beautiful view of the communities where Jesus would invest most of his teaching ministry. Mt. Arbel is 594 feet (181 m) above sea level. The lake is 704 feet (214 m) below sea level, an elevation difference of some 1,300 feet (400 m). It would have taken Jesus about three hours to hike from Capernaum to the peak of Arbel.