Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-20
THE GAZETTE.
THE SEA OF GALILEE.
WEDNESDAY MORNING.. APRIL 20, 1855

IL 'lLt vi
This lake is also known in the gospels as
the sea of Titerias, and Gennesareth; and IN
the Old Testament as the sea ct Chinnereth.
1t is about thirteen miles IN length, anu
six i'm breadth, and is formed by the Jordan,
which trayerses it from north to south, and
then flows on to the Dead Sea, sixty miles
south.
No other sheet Of water in the world is en-
deared to the Christian by so manyp pleasing
associations. Some ten miles to the west
lay Nazareth. the home Of Christ during his
childhood and youth. On it's western shore
lay Capernaum. Churazin, and Bethsaide OF
Galilee, where ''most of his mighty works
were done;" while the other Bethsaide was
but a few miles north Of it's northeastern
shore. Around this lake a large part of the
Saviour's public life was spent. More than
one blind man there experienced his mira
culous power. and opened his eyes to behold
first of all his benefactor's face, and then
the blue waters of this charming lake
Here the majority of his disciples lived; and
by its side, while Sitting at the receipt of
CUSTOM" or "%mending their nets" they
were called to become fishers of men,
1t was on these waters, sitting in Simon
Peters boat, that Christ preached to a null
titudc on shore. Upon one Of the neighbor-
ing hills he taught many thousands at once,
healed their diseases, and fed them all with
five loayes and two fishes. Here, too, on two
occasions-at the commencement Of his min
iStry and after his resurrection-his COM
mand filled the nets of the apostles with un-
precedented draughts of fishes. Somewhere
on the southeast side Of the same sea is the
.,steep place" down which the frightened
Gadarenes saw their whole herd of swine
plunge, and perish in the waters. The Saw
our often crossed this lake in his labors of
love; and twice he had occasion to allay the
fears of his disciples by calming the storm
tossed waves; once walking from his quiet
sleep in the hinder part of the boat, to chlds
them for their lack Of faith; and once coming
out TO them by walking on the sea. In the
fourth watch of the night, as they were toll
ing in rowing
Thus the whole region is rendered sacred
by incidents in the life Of our Lord. The
traveller irresistibly feels that His footsteps
and smile have for ever hallowed these hills.
that his voice yet echoes from these shores,
and his Peace, be still" yet rests on these
pure and peaceful waters. In many res
poets, however, a great change has here taken
place since the time of Christ. Then the
shores were filled by a teeming population !;
towns and villages crowded the banks. and
boats swarmed ON the waters. Now the only
remaining town is Liberals. a city in ruins,
containing about 1000 inhabitants, and
wretched and filthy to the last degree. 1t is
common saying, that "the king of the t1eas
holds his court at Tiberias." Instead Of u
large feet of fishing boats, only one can now
De found on its waters. The round hills
that come boldly down to the sea are now
bare of trees; and though covered with y de-
lightful verdure after the wintry rains, be-
come parched and desolate under the sum
mer sun. Yet this sea and these hills arc
the same that our Saviour himself beheld;
the main features ofthe scene are unchanged.
The lake lies embosomed in a deep basin,
more than three hundred feet below the level
of the Mediterranean, and enclosed on all
sides. except near the inlet and outlet OF
the Jordan, by hills that rise steeply hun
dreds of feet in height; while in the back
ground on the east side are mountains over
a thousand feet high. The range of heights
stretching around the sea itself is broken by
occasional shady rayines and water-courses;
and here and there is separated from the
sea by a level and exceedingly fertile plain.
In one of these plains Capernaum used to
stand, but now it has wholly disappeared
Far away in the north Mount Hermon lifts
its s%now-capped crown to the sky, with the
majesty of q summit that has looked down
on the coming and going ola hundred gener-
ations.
The region of this sea bears marks OF vol
canic action and hot springs still exist on the
.lo.n .nnkb &c Tihariaa The WAtQrS still
swarm with fishes, as in the days of the apos-
tolic fishermen. The whole scene is marked
by a grand but serene beauty. and the Chris
tian Visitor reluctantly tears himself away
from it. A recent American traveller, while
out upon the sea, encountered Il tempest hke
those described in the gospels, sudden swift
and violent, it swept down on the sea from the
upper hills, aud threw it into commotion as
in a moment. lie was unable to make head
against it, and was driven over to 1.-The coast
Of the Gadarenes." The same traveller bath
ed several times in its clear and sweet waters
and was reminded Of the words of an old
Scotch friend of his boyhood, who said to
him: when We graw up to DO Il mon, may
hap veil 20 wanderin' up and doom the hills
of the warld. But doan We forget that gin
we're thursty, there's the sea O'Galilee; and
gin we're hungry, there's the loaves that fed
feeye thoosand there by the sea; and when ye
get tired and tired out, and want to lay your
head doom on any stoun and rest it-but the
stouns are a. hard-there's Heem that sayed
on the same sea, 'Cume unto me, all ye that
labor andare heevy-laden, and wull geeve 20
rest"
WE WOULD inform all in want Of BRO0Ms,
w BUCKETS, and CEDAR WARE, that We