Sea of Galilee

Sea of Galilee   Lake Tiberias , or Lake Kinneret , lake, 64 sq mi (166 sq km), 14 mi (23 km) long, and 3 to 7 mi (4.8-11.3 km) wide, NE Israel; its surface is c.700 ft (210 m) below sea level. The lake, occupying a downwarped basin, is fed and drained by the Jordan River. The Syria border follows part of the eastern shore, now occupied by Israel as part of the Golan Heights . Mineral springs, some of them hot, discharge into the lake, giving it a saline character. Israel's National Water Carrier Project uses the Sea of Galilee as a reservoir for water pumped south, via the National Water Conduit, to the Negev desert for irrigation and to the coastal plain to recharge the overdrawn watertable. However, despite the project, Israel's water supply in the late 20th cent. was restricted by a drop in the water level due to seasonal drought and increasing demand. In the time of Jesus there was a flourishing fishing industry in the lake; some fishing is still carried on. In the Old Testament the Sea of Galilee was called the Sea of Chinnereth or Chinneroth. In the New Testament it is named variously from nearby geographical features—Galilee, Gennesaret, or Tiberias.

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).

Galilee, Sea of In northern Palestine; also called ‘the Lake of Gennesaret’ (Luke 5: 1) and ‘the Sea of Tiberias’ (John 6: 1), a freshwater lake separating two parts of the River Jordan. It spreads out to 12.8 km. (8 miles) across and its length is about 21 km. (13 miles). The situation between hills causes sudden changes of temperature and squalls (Mark 4: 35–41). Fishing has always been an important industry and pickled fish used to be sent up to Jerusalem. What Mark regards as a ‘sea’ (Mark 4: 39), Luke from the wider perspective of a world traveller designates a mere ‘lake’ (Luke 8: 22). It is of great importance in the narratives of Jesus' ministry.