The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-08-25
From the Sunday at Home.
THE LAKE OF GENNESARETH, AND
TIBERIAS.

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TIBERIAS.
The road from Nazareth to Tiberias leads
over the low ridge which bounds the valley
on the north. west, across broken table,
land, and through the village of Kenna, re-
garded by geographers as the traditional site
of Cana in Galilee. Sefurieh, the ancient
Sepphoris, is passed. 1t played an impor-
tant part in the heroic but unsuccessful re-
sistance of the Jews to the Romans under
Titus, and hither the Sanhedrim retired after
the fall of Jerusalem. The battlefield of
Hattin is likewise distinctly seen, where the
last great battle was fought between the
Crusaders and Saladin, issuing in the total
destruction of the Christian army and the
establishment Of the Moslem power in the
East. The bills which enclose the lake soon
come into view, but the lake itself is not seen
till we reach the summit of nsdescentl
which leads down to TibSSlias, a thousand
feet below us. The clear, blue, placid wa
ters lie in deeply depressed basin nearly
seven hundred feet below the level Of the
sea. Some geologists have supposed it to
be the crater Of an extinct volcano. More
careful investigation, however, proves that
this is mistake. 1t is but a part of that
long line Of depression which, starting from
the sea-level near the lake Huleh, sinks down
along the whole Ghor or valley of the Jor-
dan till at the Dead Sea it has reached the
unparalleled depth of thirteen hundred feet.
The lake is about thirteen miles in length,
by about six or seven in breadth at the widest
part. The mountains on the eastern side
rise to height of two thousand feet but they
are fiat and monotonous, destitute alike of
color and of foliage. The scenery has neith-
er the bold outline of the Swiss lakes, nor
the rich verdant lovelness of our own. The
tanner ports of Windermere, stripped of their
glorious mantle of forests, would give not
unapt illustration of the shores of the Sea of
Galilee. We do not read that our Lord
ever entered Tiberias. The reason is doubt
less to be found in the fact that it was prac-
tically heather city, though standing upon
Jewish soil. Herod, it's founder, had
brought together the arts of Greece, the idol
airy of Rome, and the gross lewdness of
Asia. There was theatre for the perform
ance of comedies, forum, stadium,
palace rooted with gold, in imitation of those
in Italy, statues of the Roman gods, and
busts of the deifed emperors. He who "was
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house
of Israeli" might we'll hold himself aloof
from such scenes as these. Modern Tiberi-
as is village of about two thousand inhab-
itants. A large proportion of these are
Jews, who regard it as one of their holy
places and have here rabbinical school
1t is filthy and squalid, beyond even the av-
erage of eastern towns. From the swarms
of vermin with which it is infested, the
Arabs have proverb that "the king of the
Aeas lives at Tiberias.' Wilson says that
on spending a night here he was literally
covered with them, and plucked them from
his coat by handfuls. In common with other
places in the valley of the Jordan, it suffers
severely from earthquakes. In the great
shock of January, 1887, the Turkish walls
which surround the town were shattered, and
in many places laid PROSTATE. AS, under
the present government, nothing is ever re-
paired, the fortifcetions remain in the dilap-
idated condition in which they were left
nearly forty years ago. Northward from
Tiberias the hills on the western side slope
gently down nearly to the edge of the lake.
The strip of shore is of extraordinary fer
tility. Though now uninhabited and uncul-
tivated, it is easy to believe that the glowing
descriptions of Josephus were in no degree
exaggerated. In about an hour after leav-
ing Tiberias we find the hills gradually re-
cede leaving broad open plain-that of
Gennesareth. The only sign of human hab-
itation is cluster of mud novels near the
waters edge. There are few remains of
other buildings, one of which seems to have
been watch-tower (Migdol.) A palm-tree
rises from the centre of the village, and a
few thorn. bushes cluster round it. The mod
ern name Mejal reminds US that this was
Magdala, the place where our Lord came
ashore after feeding the multitude on the
opposite bank, and the home of Mary Mag
dalene. Into the disputed question as to her
history we do not enter here. We know
how great debt of gratitude she owed to
her Lord, who had delivered her from de-
moniacal possession in its most aggravated
form; and how fondly and deVotedly she at
tached herself to his service, ministering to
Him of her substance, waiting at his cross,
present at his entombment, watching at his
sepulchre, and frat to welcome her risen
Lord when He had burst I" the bonds Of
death" and "led captivity captive"