Lake Tiberias is the largest source of fresh water. Sights of Lake Tiberias

The Sea of Galilee (the Sea of Galilee - its other name) in Israel is often called the Kinerite. Its coast is one of the lowest land areas on the planet (relative to the level of the World Ocean). According to legends, 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ read on his shores preaching, resurrecting the dead and healing the suffering. Also it was there that I walked on the water. The lake is the main freshwater source for all of Israel.

Lake name history

Lake Tiberias takes its name from the city of Tiberias (now Tiberias). Although it has other names. For example, in ancient times it was spoken of as the Sea of Galilee. There is another name, in the locality, - Gennesaret Lake. In modern times, it is often called the Kinneret. According to one version, it received such a name from a musical instrument called the film, on the other - in honor of the pagan deity Kinara.

Location

Lake Tiberias is located in the north-east of Israel, between the Golan and Galilee. It is in the northern part of the Syrian-African fault. Its coast is below the level of the World Ocean by 213 meters. The area of the lake is 165 square kilometers, the depth is 45 meters. Its coastline has a length of 60 kilometers. On its western side the city of Tiberias was built.

On the north side, several rivers flow into the Tiberias Lake, which begin on the Golan Heights. One of them is the Jordan, flowing from the reservoir from the south. Tiberias Lake is considered to be the lowest flowing freshwater reservoir on the planet.

Features of Tiberias Lake

Lake Tiberias is one of the main fishing places in Israel. Now every year almost two thousand tons of fish are caught there. In it, in total, there are more than 20 species. And some, for example, Kineret sardines or tilapia (St. Peter's fish), live only in the Tiberias Lake.

Sometimes the banks of the lake are attacked by hordes of fiery ants. Its surface is usually calm, but there are small sudden storms. The water is dark blue due to basalt sand on the bottom of the reservoir. And despite the fact that it is fresh, it has a weak salty aftertaste.

Tiberias Lake as part of the legend

The Tiberias Lake (Israel) was mentioned in the Old Testament. According to legend, on his shore, in the city of Kfar Nahum (now Capernaum), Jesus Christ lived. In the lake, his apostles Peter and Andrew fished. Jesus Christ preached on its banks. And baptized him, according to legend, where the Jordan River flows out of the lake. This place is called Yardenit. Since ancient times, pilgrims come there. The water in this place is considered sacred. Therefore, pilgrims are still performing ablutions there and praying to the Almighty.

What are the attractions on the shores of Lake Tiberias?

Sights of Lake Tiberias are found all along the coast. On the north side there is a small Franciscan church. The monastery stands on a hill called the Sermon on the Mount.

Tiberias Lake (Israel) is known for its kibbutzim. One of them - Ein Gev - is located on the shore, 13 kilometers from Degania. Earlier there was a border with Syria. It often hosts annual traditional music festivals, which are held on Easter week. They are visited by the best musicians of Israel and foreign artists. Concerts are held in the amphitheater, which is located in the open air.

On the south side, 1.5 km from the lake, on the bank of the Jordan, there is a Jewish kibbutz Dganiya. It was founded in 1909 by a group of Ukrainian youth. At its gate is a small Syrian tank, which was hit in the war.

Near the lake you can see the ancient city of the Romans Beit She'an. On the Golan Heights there are Gamla and the graves of the great Jewish rabbis. There, where the Jordan River flows into the lake, an amusement park with water attractions was built. There are a lot of picturesque waterfalls on the Golan Heights. And just a short distance away is the fortress of the Crusaders Belvoir.

What attracts Lake Tiberias tourists?

There are many beaches along the coast of Lake Tiberias. Some of them are paid. There are many hot springs, rich in mineral salts and sulfur. Some of them are used by tourists for medical purposes. There are many delicious and rare fish in the lake that attract gourmets. The most popular and popular fish is tilapia.

Tourists are very attracted by the Hamat Gader nature reserve. There are thermal springs in the bath, where pains in the joints and the body, skin diseases and a number of other ailments are treated. Water there keeps the temperature all the year round 42 degrees. In Hamat-Gader during the archaeological excavations were found Roman baths. And it houses the largest in the Middle East crocodile cattery in which 200 individuals of the most diverse species live.

The importance of Lake Tiberias for Israel

Tiberias Lake is the largest source of fresh water for Israel. It is considered the main reservoir of the country. One third of the water consumed by the whole of Israel is taken from Lake Tiberias. In 1994, between Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan, an agreement was signed, according to which 50 million cubic meters of fresh water are supplied to it annually. Most of it is taken from Lake Tiberias. Deliveries do not stop even during the onset of local conflicts between these countries.

In recent years, the water level has been decreasing in Lake Tiberias. And if it goes further, then Israel promises hard times. The level of water in the Dead Sea also decreases. And it feeds on the waters of the Jordan River, which, as mentioned above, flows from Lake Tiberias.

Reducing the consumption of water from the Tiberias Lake is only possible after the construction of desalination facilities on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Or it is necessary to drill wells to groundwater. But all these works are very inconvenient in financial terms, since they will require a lot of expenses, and a lot of time is needed to build them.

Vasily Polenov, "On the Sea of Tiberias"

The artist Polenov came to Tiberias Lake during his journey to the East. He planned to write a series of paintings about Jesus Christ. Therefore, Polenov wanted personally to see these historical places where the Savior lived, preached and walked on the water.

In 1888, Polenov wrote the second picture from the cycle dedicated to the Savior. He called her "Christ is walking by the sea". Otherwise - "On the Sea of Tiberias". Now she is exhibited in the Tretyakov Gallery.

To write his picture, Polenov used the impressions of visiting Lake Tiberias. The beauty of these places and the thought that Jesus walked here helped create a peaceful and at the same time majestic landscape. It reflects the "soul" of the lake with its calm blue water and small mountains in the distance. Polenov described the ideal, eternal beauty of the lake.