GALILEE, SEA OF

Freshwater lake located in northeast Israel.

Measuring 64 square miles (166 sq km) in area, the Sea of Galilee (also Lake Tiberias or Kinneret) is located 680 feet (207 m) below sea level and is formed by waters flowing down from the Jordan River. The lake was the source of a thriving fishing industry in the time of Christ, but today only small numbers of fish (called "St. Peter's fish") are caught for local consumption. Deganya, the first Israeli kibbutz, is located on the shore. From the beginning of the British mandate in 1920, the Sea of Galilee was located within the borders of Palestine and, after 1948, the state of Israel. It acts as the principal freshwater source for Israel and supplies the National Water System.

See also National Water System (Israel); Water.

Bibliography

Atlas of Israel: Cartography, Physical and Human Geography, 3d edition. New York: Macmillan, 1985.

Bryan Daves

Galilee, Sea of (Lake Tiberius or Yam Kinneret) Freshwater lake in n Israel, fed by the River Jordan. Israel's major reservoir, it is an important fishing ground and the source of water for irrigation of the Negev Desert. The surface is c.215m (705ft) below sea level. Area: 166sq km (64sq mi).