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Sea of Galilee

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Geography

   Sea of Galilee
   Sea of Galilee - The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out
   of it to the south and into the Dead Sea

   The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out of it to the south
                            and into the Dead Sea

   Coordinates 32°5′N 35°4′E
   Lake type Monomitic
   Primary sources Jordan River
   Primary outflows Jordan River
   Catchment area 2,730 km²
   Basin countries Israel
   Max-length 21 km
   Max-width 13 km
   Surface area 166 km²
   Average depth 25.6
   Max-depth 43 m
   Water volume 4 km³
   Shore length^1 53 km
   Surface elevation -209 m
   ^1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized
   for this article.

   The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake, approximately
   53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about 21 km (13 miles) long,
   and 13 km (8 miles) wide; it has a total area of 166 km², and a maximum
   depth of approximately 43 meters. At 209 meters below sea level, it is
   the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the
   world after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake. It is not a sea by any
   normal definition; it is called a sea by tradition. The lake is also
   known on modern maps as Lake Galilee or Lake Tiberias. The name Galilee
   refers to the region of Galilee in which it is located. In modern
   Hebrew it is known by its biblical name, Yam Kinneret  (ים כנרת), "Sea
   of Kinnereth" (Numbers 34:11; Joshua 13:27). The name may originate
   from the Hebrew word kinnor ("harp" or "lyre") - which the lake's shape
   resembles. It has also been called the Lake of Gennesaret or the Sea of
   Gennesaret ( Luke 5:1) after the name of a small fruitful plain which
   lies on its western side. The Arabic name for the lake is Buhairet
   Tabariyya  (بحيرة طبريا) meaning Lake Tiberias. Other names of the Sea
   of Galilee: Ginnosar, Lake of Gennesar, Sea of Chinneroth, Sea of
   Tiberias (Roman) and Waters of Gennesaret.

   The Kinneret is fed by underground springs, but its main source is the
   Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south. The lake is
   situated deep in the Jordan Great Rift Valley, the valley caused by the
   separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Consequently the area is
   subject to earthquakes and, in the past, volcanic activity. This is
   evidenced by the abundant basalt and other igneous rock that define the
   geology of the Sea of Galilee region.

   Due to its low-lying position in the rift valley, surrounded by hills,
   the sea is prone to sudden violent storms; hence the New Testament
   story about Jesus calming the storm. Indeed, the main feature of the
   lake seems to be its ever-changing character. It is still noted, as in
   New Testament times, for its rich fish stocks, and in today's
   restaurants, "St. Peter's Fish" ( tilapia) is very popular.

Antiquity

   The Sea of Galilee lies on the ancient Via Maris which linked Egypt
   with the northern empires. The Greeks, Hasmoneans, and Romans founded
   flourishing towns and settlements here: Gadara, Hippos, Tiberias and
   others. The first-century historian Flavius Josephus was so impressed
   by the area that he wrote, "One may call this place the ambition of
   Nature." Josephus also reported a thriving fishing industry at this
   time, with 230 boats regularly working in the lake.
   The Sea of Galilee
   Enlarge
   The Sea of Galilee

   Much of the ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of Lake Galilee.
   In those days, there was a continuous ribbon development of settlements
   and villages around the lake and plenty of trade and ferrying by boat.
   The Synoptic gospels of Mark (1:14-20), Matthew (4:18-22), and Luke
   (5:1-11) describe how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the
   shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and
   the brothers John and James. One of Jesus' famous teaching episodes,
   the Sermon on the Mount, was given on a hill overlooking the lake. Many
   of his miracles were also recorded to occur here: his walking on water,
   calming a storm, feeding five thousand people (in Tabgha), and many
   others.

   In 135, the second Jewish revolt against the Romans, called Bar
   Kokhba's revolt, was put down. The Romans responded by banning all Jews
   from Jerusalem. The centre of Jewish culture and learning shifted to
   the region of the Kinneret, particularly the city of Tiberias. It was
   in this region that the so-called " Jerusalem Talmud" was probably
   compiled.

   In the time of the Byzantine Empire, the lake's significance in Jesus'
   life made it a major destination for Christian pilgrims. This led to
   the growth of a full-fledged tourist industry, complete with package
   tours and plenty of comfortable inns.

   Panoramic from North
   Enlarge
   Panoramic from North

Medieval times

   Political map of the Sea of Galilee region today.
   Enlarge
   Political map of the Sea of Galilee region today.

   The lake's importance declined when the Byzantines lost control of it.
   The area came under the control of the Umayyad Caliphate and subsequent
   Islamic empires. Except for Tiberias, the major towns and cities were
   gradually abandoned. In 1187, Saladin defeated the armies of the
   Crusades at the Battle of Hattin, largely because he was able to cut
   the Crusaders off from the valuable fresh water of the Sea of Galilee.

Modern times

   In 1909 Jewish pioneers built their first cooperative farming village (
   kibbutz), Kvutzat Kinneret which trained Jewish immigrants in farming
   and agriculture. Later, Kinneret pioneers established Kibbutz Degania.
   Kinneret was the cradle of the Kibbutz culture of early Zionism and was
   the birthplace of Naomi Shemer and the burial site of Rachel - two of
   the most prominent Israeli poets.

   In 1923 an agreement between the United Kingdom and France established
   the border between the British Mandate of Palestine and the French
   Mandate of Syria. The British handed over the southern Golan Heights to
   the French in return for the northern Jordan Valley. The border was
   re-drawn so that both sides of the Jordan river and the whole of the
   Sea of Galilee, including a 10-meter wide strip along the northeastern
   shore, were made a part of Palestine . The 1947 UN Partition Plan put
   this territory area inside the Jewish state.
   Fisherman in the Sea of Galilee, 1890-1900
   Enlarge
   Fisherman in the Sea of Galilee, 1890-1900

   During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Syria occupied the lake's
   northeastern shore. This map illustrates the border lines and the
   Demilitarized Zones at the time the 1949 Armistice Agreements were
   signed. In 1967, the State of Israel took control of the entire Sea of
   Galilee as well as the Golan during the Six Day War. Syria still claims
   the northeastern shore of the sea , arguing it is a part of the Golan
   Heights.

   Israel's National Water Carrier, built in 1964, transports water from
   the lake to the population centers of Israel, and is the source of most
   of the country's drinking water. Israel also supplies water from the
   lake to the West Bank and to Jordan (under the terms of the
   Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace). Increasing water demand and some dry
   winters have resulted in stress on the lake and a decreasing water
   line, at times to dangerously low levels.

   Today, tourism is again the Kinneret's most important economic
   activity. The entire Sea of Galilee is a popular holiday resort area.
   The many historical and spiritual sites around the lake, especially its
   main town Tiberias, are visited by millions of local and foreign
   tourists annually. Other economic activities include fishing in the
   lake and agriculture, particularly bananas, in the fertile belt of land
   surrounding it.

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