is one of the most well-known bodies of water in the world. It was on the shores of this lake that Jesus delivered sermons and performed miracles. Many Biblical sites are located around the lake, including Capernaum, home to at least five of the twelve disciples; the Church of the Beatitudes, where the Sermon of the Mount is said to have been preached; Tabgha, believed to be the site where Jesus fed 5,000 followers from five loaves of bread and two fish; and, Migdal, the hometown of Mary Magdalen.

This freshwater lake lies on the Jordan Plain, about 30 miles from the Mediterranean, in a trench of probable volcanic origin. It is enclosed on all sides but the south by high hills. On the eastern shore is a narrow strip of beach that separates the mountains from the sea, and on the west is the wide plain of Gennesaret.

With a total surface area of 64 square miles, the lake is 12½ miles long and 4 to 7½ miles across. It lies 682 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea, and is 80 to 150 feet deep. It is fed and drained by the River Jordan. The waters teem with freshwater fish. Figs, olives, dates, and pomegranates are grown on the southern hills.

In ancient times this lake was known as the Sea of Chinnereth, a name derived from its overall shape, which looks somewhat like a harp. In the first century A.D. no fewer than sixteen harbors were located around the lake, and fleets of fishing and cargo boats plied the waters. The city of Tiberias, located on the southwest shore, was founded by the Romans around 16 A.D. and named for Tiberius by Herod Antipas.

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