SEA OF GALILEE

The Sea of Galilee is a heart-shaped or harp-shaped fresh water lake some 13 miles long and 7.5 miles wide at its widest point. In the Bible it is called by several names...Chinnereth or Chinneroth, Lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberias, and the Sea of Galilee. It is 60 miles north of Jerusalem. It lies 680 feet below sea level (the Mediterranean), and its depth is up to 160 to 180 feet deep. On its east side are the mountains of the Golan Heights which rise to over 2,000 feet. There are warm sulphur springs around the lake, and the sick have sought these springs for centuries for medicinal value. There were something like nine cities around the Sea of Galilee in Jesus’ time with an estimated population of 15,000 in each. Jesus spent two-thirds of His ministry in this area where so many had come to the waters to be healed in the hot springs. Only the city of Tiberias remains today. The lake is still subject to violent storms (Matthew 8:24) due to the cool air coming down from the mountains on the east to mix with the warm air on the lake itself being so far below sea level. Jesus was closely associated with the boats, people, and towns around the Sea. The towns included Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin, Magdala, and Gadara. The sea is still full of fish today as it was in the time of Jesus. Commercial fishermen still go out and fish all night. The beauty of the Sea of Galilee to the Christian is second to none. No wonder the ancients said, "Galilee is like a teardrop on the cheek of God."