The Shasta courier., 1859-06-11
The Sea of GaIiIee.

This lake IS also known IN the O0SpelS rs the
Sea of Tiberias and Gennesareth; and in the
Old Testament rs the Sea of Chnnerlth. 1t is
about thirteen miles in length and six in breadth,
and is formed by the Jordan, 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 endear-
cd to the Christian by so many pleasing associ
ations Some ten miles to the west hay Naza-
reth, the home of Christ during his childhood
and youth. On its western shore lay Capernaum
Chorazin and Bethsaida, of Galilee where ''most
of his mighty works were done :" while the other
Bethsaida was but few miles north of its north
eastern shore. Around this lake large part of
the Sayiour's public 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 majority of his
disciples lived and by Its side, while " sitting
at the receipt of CUSTOM or Intending their
nets" they were called to become fishers of
men," 1t was on these waters, sitting on Simon
Refers boat, that Christ preached to a multitude
on shore. Upon one of the neighborng hills he
taught many thousands at once, healed their
diseases, and fed them all with five loaves and
two fishes. Here, too, on two occasions-at the
commencement of his ministry and after his re-
surrection-his command filled the nets of the
Apostles with unprecedented draughts of fishes.
Somewhere on the southeast side OF the same
sea is the " steep place" down which the fright
ened Gadarenes saw their whole herd of swine
plunge and perish in the waters. The Saviour
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 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 regicn 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
vet, t,ecfoes from these shores, and His Peace,
be stiH,p yet rests on these pure and peaceful
waters. In. many respects, however, a great
change has taken place since the time of Christ
Then the shores were filled by teeming popu-
lation towns and villages crowded the banks
and boats swarmed on the waters. Now the only
remaining town is -Tiberias, n city in ruins CON
tanning about 1000 inhabitants, and wretched
and filthy to the last degree. 1t is common
saying that " the king of the leas 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 now bare of trees and though covered |
with delightful verdure after the wintry rains,
become parched and desolate under the summer |
sun. Yet this sea and these hills are the same |
that our Saviour himself beheld the main fea-
lures OF the scene are unchanged. The lake lies |
imbosomsd-i in deep basin, more than three |
hundred feet below the level of the Mediterra- |
mean, and inclosed on all sides, except near the |
inlet and outlet of the Jordan, by hills that rise
steeply hundreds Of feet in height; while in the
background, On the east side, are mountains
over thousand feet high. The range of heights |
md tIo~ l,n1~ hrn
casonal shady ravines and water courses and
here and there is separated from the sea by
level and exceedingly fertile plain. In one OF
these plains Capernaum used to stand, but now
1t has wholly disappeared. Far away in the
north Mount Hermon lifts its snow-capped crown
TO the sky, with the majesty of summit that
has looked down on the coming and going OF
hundred generations.
The region of this sea bears marks of volcanic
action, and hot springs still exist on the shore
south of Tiberias The waters still swarm with
fishes, as in the days of the Apostolic fishermen.
The whole scene is marked by grand but Sc
rene beauty, and the Christian visitor reluctant
iy tears himself away from it a recent Amer
lean traveller, while out upon the sea, encoun-
tered tempest like those described IN the
Gospels sudden, swift and Violent 1t swept
down on the sea from the upper hills, and threw
it into commotion in moment. He was un-
able to make head against it, and was driven
over to q the coast of the Gadarenes." The same
traveller bathed several times in its clear and
sweet waters, and was reminded ofthe words OF
an old Scotch friend of his boyhood, who said to
him: /" When We graw up to be man, mayhap
veil 90 wanderin up and down the hills of the
warld. But doan We forget that gin ye're thurs
ty, there's the sea o Galilee; and gin yere hun
gry, there's the loaves that fed feeve thousand
there by the sea and when We get tired out, and
want to lay your head doom on any stoun and
rest it-but the stouns are a hard-theres Heem
that sayed on the same sea, Cume unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and | will
geeve ye rest