A large body of water in Palestine. It has had many names in its history. In the Old Testament, the Sea of Galilee was known as:
the Sea of Chinnereth,
Chinneroth (Joshua 12:3), or
Kinnereth (Numbers 34:11).
It was named for a nearby town called Chinnereth (Joshua 19:35).
Later, the name was changed to Lake of Gennesaret. The city of Gennesaret was located on the site of Chinnereth or Tell Ureime (Luke 5:1; 1 Maccabees 11:67). The most familiar name, the Sea of Galilee, was because of its connection with the province of Galilee to the west (Matthew 4:18).
It was also sometimes called the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1, 23; 21:1) because the town of Tiberias was located on its southwestern shore. In about AD 26, Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, built the town near the warm springs of Hamath by the sea and named it for the emperor Tiberias. In the Gospels "the sea" usually means the Sea of Galilee. Its modern Hebrew name is Yam Kinneret.
Where Is the Sea of Galilee?
The sea is in the lower section of the Jordan Valley about 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) north of Jerusalem, located in a range of mountains. The mountains of Upper Galilee are northwest of the lake. The mountains rise to a height of 1,219.2 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The mountains on the east and west reach lower elevations, about 609.6 meters (2,000 feet). On the west, south, and east is the Decapolis, a group of influential city-states founded during a period of Greek settlement.
At the northwest corner of the lake, the mountain wall flattens into the rich plain of Gennesaret. On the east at 609.6 meters (2,000 feet) above sea level, it gives way to the fertile El Batihah (a marshy plain) in the northeast, where the Jordan enters the sea. At the time of the New Testament, the Sea of Galilee was surrounded by the towns of Capernaum, Bethsaida, Korazin, Magdala, Tiberias, and others.
The sea is a major part of the Jordan River. The Jordan River feeds it with water from the snow-covered Mount Hermon (over 2,743.2 meters, or 9,000 feet, above sea level) and the Lebanon mountains. In its 104.6-kilometer (65-mile) course from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, the Jordan River drops 179.8 meters (590 feet), an average of about 1.7 meters per kilometer (or nine feet per mile).
What Is the Sea of Galilee Like?
The lake is about 20.9 kilometers or 13 miles long and 9.7 kilometers or 6 miles wide. It is 12.1 kilometers (7.5 miles) at its broadest point opposite Magdala. Its elevation is almost 213.4 meters (700 feet) below the Mediterranean Sea. Its greatest depth is 60.9 meters (200 feet). Its shape resembles a harp (a musical instrument with strings stretched over a triangular frame). Some scholars think the name Chinnereth comes from a Hebrew word meaning "harp."
The climate is semi-tropical. Because of this climate, and the sulphur springs at Tiberias, the lake became a resort site for healing. The rich fish population made fishing an important industry (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:9–11). Sudden and violent storms, caused by the meeting of warm and cold air, are common (Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–25).
Why Is the Sea of Galilee Important?
Most of the events of Jesus’s life took place in Galilee, most especially around Gennesaret, a densely populated area of Palestine. Jesus may have lived in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13). He performed many miracles in this area (11:23).
Because the area on the west of the lake was a health resort, Jesus found many sick people there and healed them (Mark 1:32–34; 6:53–56). Other important events in the area included:
the Sermon on the Mount, traditionally near Capernaum (Matthew 5:1 and following; compare 8:1, 5)
the drowning of the swine in the region of the Gadarenes (Matthew 8:28–34)
the curse on Korazin (Matthew 11:21)
the calming of the sea (Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 4:35–41; Luke 8:22–24)
Jesus walking on the water (Matthew 14:22–23; Mark 6:45–51; John 6:16–21)