Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-06-18
The Sea OF Galilee.

This lake is also known in the gospels as
the sea of Tiberias, and Gennesareth and
in the Old Testament as the sea of Chinner-
eth. 1t is about thirteen miles in length,
and six in breath and is formed by the Jor-
dan, which traverses 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 many pleasing
associations. Some ten miles to the westlay
Nazareth, the house of Christ during His
childhood and youth. On its western shore
Law Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida of
Galllee, where most of his mighty works
were done;" while the other Bethsaida was
but few miles north of its northeastern
shore. Around this lake large part of our
Saviour's life was spent. More than one
blind man there experienced his miraculous
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 ma
jority of his disciples lived; and by its side,
while "sitting at the receipt of CUSTOM" or
"mending their nests" they were called to
become "fishers of men,"
1t was on these waters, sitting in Simon
Peters boat, that Christ preached to multi
tude on shore. Upon one of the neighboring
hills he taught many thousands at once, heal
ed their diseases, and fed them all with five
loaves and two fishes. Here, too, on two oc-
casons-at the commencement of His minis
try and after His reSurrectiOn-His command
filed the nets of the apostles with unprece-
dented draughts of fishes. Somewhere on
the southeast side of the same sea is the
"steep place. down which the frightened Ga
darenes saw their whole herd ofswine plunge,
and perish in the waters. The Saviour Of
ten 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 waking from His quiet sleep in
the hinder part of the boat, to chide 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 ''toiling 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 forever 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 respects
however, a great change has here taken
place since the time of Christ. Then the
SHUTS NClC llllCu Will eSSiiAiii5 PoPuiAeAOi
towns and villages crowded the banks, and
boats swarmed on the waters.
Now the only remaining town is Tiberias, a
city in ruins, containing about 1000 inhabit-
ants, and wretched and filthy to the last de-
gree. 1t is common saying, that 1.-THE king
of 1eas holds his court at TiberiaS." Instead
of large fleet of fishing boats, only one can
now be found On its waters. The round hills
that come boldly down to the sea are now
bare of trees, and though covered with de-
| Eghtfu verdure after the wintry rains, be-
come parched and desolate under the sum
mer sun. Yet this sea and these hills are
the same that our Saviour Himself behcld
the main features of the scene are unchanged
The lake lies embosomed in deep basin
more than three hundred feet below the leve
of the Mediterranean, and enclosed on all sides
except near the inlet and outlet Of Jordan, by
hills that rise steeply hundreds Of feet il
hight; while in the background on the cas-
side are mountains oyer a thousand feet high
The range of heights stretching around ,h'
sea itself is broken by occasional shady IA
vines, and water-courses; and here and ther
is separated from the sea by a level and eX
ceeding fertile plain. In one of these plain
Capernaum used to stand, but now it ha
wholly disappeared. Far away in the north
Mount Herman lifts its snow-capped crown t
the sky, with the majesty of a summit tina
has looked down on the coming and going {
hundred generations:
The region of this sea bears marks of vo
canic action, and hot springs still exist on tn
shore south of Tberias. The waters sti
swarm with fishes, as in the days of tn
apostolic fishermen. The whole scene
marked by grand beauty, and the Christia
visitor reluctantly tears himself away from j
A recent American traveller, while out uno
the sea, encountered a tempest like those de
cribed in the gospels sudden, swift and VII
lent, and threw it into commotion as in m
ment. He was unable to make head again.
it, and was driven over to the coast of Il
Gardarenes,"
The same traveller bathed several times
its clear and sweet waters, and was remn
ed of the words of an old Scotch friend of h
boyhood, who said to him: "When ,
graw up to be mon, mayhap yen 60 wa
derin' up and doom the warld. But don't
forget that gin ye're thursty, there's the s
o Gallilee and gin ye're hungry, there's t
loves that fed feeve thoosand there by t
sea; and whom ye got tired and tired out al
and want to lay your head doom on al
stoun and rest it-but the stouns are a ha
there's Heem that sayed on the 81
"Cume unto me, all We thot labur and a
heevy-laden, and will geeve ye rest"