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Study Section 9: The Transfiguration

9.1 Connect.

This last year I had the opportunity to visit Israel and went to Mount Tabor. At the very top they
have built a church honoring the transfiguration of Jesus. It is a very beautiful cathedral
surrounded by a gorgeous courtyard. From the top of the mountain you can see northeast to
the fertile Hula Valley and to the southeast you can see the Jezreel Valley also called the Valley
of Megiddo. It is about a day’s walk from Capernaum. Tradition says that Jesus was translated
on the top of this mountain.

Other scholars note that Jesus and His disciples were up in Caesarea Philippi. The logical location for the
high mountain described in the Gospels is Mount Hermon. Today we are going to look, not only at the
event of the transfiguration, but also the possible locations that it could have occurred.

9.2 Objectives.

1. The student should be able to propose the probable geographic location of the transfiguration.

2. The student should be able to explain why Jesus concluded His ministry in Galilee and set His eyes
to begin a journey toward Jerusalem.

3. The student should be able to describe the Feast of Tabernacles and why Jesus went to Jerusalem at
that time of year.

9.3 The Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; and Luke 9:28-36; Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9-10;
and Luke 9:36; Matthew 17:10-13 and Mark 9:11-14; Luke 9:37-43; Mark 9:14-29; and Matthew
17:14-21)

It is extremely important to understand the event of the Transfiguration against the backdrop of
Jesus’ prophecy about His death and the apostle’s response. The disciples reacted strongly
against this news because it was so offensive to them. They began to doubt Jesus’ messianic
identity. The transfiguration was a spectacular strategy to reinforce the faltering faith of three
of the disciples.

Matthew and Mark tell us that six days after visiting Caesarea
Philippi, Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain.
Luke says it was “about” eight days. Luke included the day in
Caesarea-Philippi and on the mountain, while Matthew and
Mark reference the days between these two events. There is no
contradiction of time.

Exactly where was the “high mountain” where this took place?
Two main sites have been suggested by Bible scholars; other

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Mt. Tabor east of Nazareth