Church of the Beatitudes, Byzantine Revival church on Mount of Beatitudes near Sea of Galilee, Israel

The Church of the Beatitudes is a church building in Byzantine Revival style perched on a hilltop above the Sea of Galilee, commanding wide views over the water below. The building has an octagonal footprint with marble walls and is adorned with golden mosaics that stand out beneath its central dome.

The building arose in the 1930s as a new structure at a site where a fourth-century chapel had stood many centuries before. The decision to build this new church followed the desire to properly honor the traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount.

The octagonal plan recalls the eight Beatitudes, and eight dome windows carry their Latin text. The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as the Sisters of Egypt, care for the church and offer hospitality. A 1983 mosaic in the forecourt shows saints, biblical figures and the gates of Jerusalem.

Visitors should be aware that the site sits on a hilltop, which means an uphill walk is required to reach it. It is wise to wear sturdy footwear and prepare for changing light as you move between outdoor areas and the interior.

Jerome Murphy-O'Connor argued the hill was not chosen for archaeology but because this shaded, well-watered shore was already linked to two food episodes in the Gospels; localizing the Sermon on the Mount on the nearby hill then became convenient. The octagon's eight sides stand for the eight Beatitudes, and the dome's eight windows carry their Latin text.