14:19-21 He blessed, and brake
―(19) 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. (20) And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained
twelve baskets full. (21) And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children
‖
One of the common misconceptions is that Y‘shua ―blessed the food" (here, and at the "Last Supper" where
it is said He ―blessed the bread and the wine"). This is an incorrect understanding of what was being done,
and has led to many unscriptural traditions (such as blessing of pets, cars, etc.) Some even teach that by
"blessing" unkosher food, this makes it permissible to eat. What Y‘shua did, and what Jews did and do today,
is to bless YHWH. The prayer over the food is actually a prayer thanking YHWH for his sustenance and
because He is the Creator of all good things.
A typical prayer Y‘shua would have said (which is still said today), is:
―Baruch attah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, haMotzi lechem min ha'aretz.‖
Which may be translated (note who is being blessed):
―Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.‖
Tabgha - The place of the miracle
There is no place around the Sea of Galilee where the traditions of Y‘shua and his disciples are more
prevalent than at Tabgha on the Northwest coast. There is also probably no place with more natural beauty:
with lovely flowers, the flowing of pleasant springs, and abundant shade trees. The site is today probably one
of the most popular pilgrim sites in the land of Israel. Some New Covenant events commonly associated with
the Tabgha area are the reinstatement of Peter, the miracle of loaves and fishes here in verses 19-21, and
the miraculous catch of fish. It is thought that early believers at nearby Capernaum may have kept these
traditions alive until Catholics enshrined them with church buildings in the Fourth Century.
The dual site of Tabgha today contains two Catholic shrines built in the Twentieth Century; The Church of
the Multiplication and the Church of the Primacy of Peter. These modern churches are built over the ruins of
ancient Fourth and Fifth Century structures. Parts of the ancient Fourth Century foundations can still be seen
in the Church of the First Feeding. In that church can also be seen some of the finest mosaic floors in Israel.
These mosaics from the Fifth Century include the famous one of the loaves and fishes.
How did Tabgha get its name?
Where did the name "Tabgha" come from? Apparently it is a corruption of the Greek name "Heptapegon"
meaning "seven springs". In time, it was shortened to Et-Tapega and then simply to Tabgha. There is still
plenty of evidence of the springs from which the area is named. Spring-fed streams still meander through the
church grounds. In several places, the springs can be seen emptying into the Sea of Galilee. Just a short
walk from the Primacy of Peter Church there is a large spring, which at one time was capable of turning a
flour mill.
The springs of Tabgha are unique in that they are warm, with temperatures varying from 84-86 degrees (29-
30 C). It was at these springs that New Covenant fishermen often gathered in pursuit of the Talipia (also
known as the St Peter's Fish). The Talipia, being a tropical fish, found it difficult to survive the cold winter
months in the Sea of Galilee. In order to do so, the fish swam in great numbers to the warm springs of
Tabgha.
One local fisherman and renowned expert on ancient fishing is Mendel Nun. Nun declares that until the
1940s, Tabgha was still a wonderful place to fill his nets with St. Peter's Fish. Even today, it is not an
uncommon sight to observe fishermen with their nets at Tabgha. Since the fish still arrive at the area in great
numbers, the biblical story of nets so full they were breaking is certainly verified. For modern pilgrims, the
good news is that the mouth-watering Talipia are still served at many restaurants around the sea.
An interesting thing can often be observed along the shoreline at Tabgha. The Jewish fishermen, who still
work in the area, often toss catfish onto the bank to decompose. These large and lazy fish are plentiful in the