Matthew 17:1
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and Led them up a high mountain by themselves.

Matthew 17:4-6
Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; if you want me to, I will make three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud covered them with shadow, and from the cloud there came a voice which said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour. Listen to him.’  When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear.

he Church of St. Elias, the new Franciscan Basilica built on top of the mountain, is beautiful in its loftiness and simple design. Terraces on the two sides of the Basilica offer magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Nearby is a Greek Orthodox monastery.

isiting the mountain is an inspiring experience because of the magnificent views. At the foot of the mountain lies the village of Daburia where, according to tradition, the nine apostles waited while Jesus ascended the mountain with Peter, James and John. Descending from the mountain, he healed the lunatic boy.
Matthew 17:14-21
As they were rejoining the crowd a man came up to him and went down on his knees before him. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘take pity on my son: he is a lunatic and in a wretched state; he is always falling into the fire or into the water. I took him to your disciples and they were unable to cure him.’ ‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ And when Jesus rebuked it the devil came out of the boy who was cured from that moment. Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ they asked. He answered, ‘Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.’

he Franciscan Monastery on top of Mount Tabor was first built in 1873 and includes a residence for the monks, as well as a hospice and large dining room for pilgrims. A short distance west of the monastery is a small chapel called “the Descent from the Mountain.” The chapel commemorates Jesus’ instructions to his disciples not to reveal to anyone what they had seen.
Mark 9:9
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

he present Church of the Transfiguration, built by the Franciscans and inaugurated in 1924, was designed by Antonio Barluzzi, who drew inspiration for his design from the churches of northern Syria. The church is built on the foundations of a church from the Crusader period. Inside is a mosaic by the artist G. Viliani, describing the transfiguration of Jesus in front of his three disciples. He stands between Moses and Elijah, representing law and prophesy. The architect preserved and integrated the ruins of the old church, including the chapels. The two towers in front were built on top of two chapels dating from the Middle Ages. One is dedicated to Moses and the other to Elijah. In the chapel on the left, Moses is depicted carrying the two tablets on Mount Sinai. In the chapel on the right, Elijah is shown battling the priests of the idols of Baal on Mount Carmel.