The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-06-20
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Associations, Geographic Location,
and Surroundings Of the Sea of
Galilee. "a.

Galllee, esSt
Sunday, June So is assigned for Review. No
lesson is prescribed. ! knowledge of the
Sea of Gailee is so often in demand that We
shall devote our Meditation to an account of
that body of water Teachers should save
this article for use from time to time
saying exists, originating with the Rabbs.
that though God made seven seas in the land
of Canaan ho reserved only one for himself.
| There is no doubt but that the nearness of
the Dead Sea, so dreadful, dismal. and fearful,
by mere contrast rendered the Sea of Galiee
| so much more attractive.
Much study has been given to this sea. Ex-
plorations have been made; surveys analyses.
soundings, etc, have cast light on tho subject.
The associations of the region with the ORR
gins of Christianity, apart from its mere geo.
| graphic location and surroundings, have
prompted researches into its history and Pecu-
| liaEities.
1t is clear the lake was the result Of volcanic
| eruptions and depressions. That section has
been often visited by earthquakes. In 1887
| Tiberias was practically thus ruined. Very hot
| springs In tho region Of the lake bear witness
| TO its volcanic origin. These are greatly in
| creased in temperature in connection with
| earthquake.
| About one mile south of Tiberias are the hot
| springs of Emmaus. These are salt and bitter
| and mpregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen.
Below Gergesa there are also hot springs.
There seven springs at Emmaus. The
temperature is 1877 degrees I.
Names.
a. Sea of Galilee. st. Mt, 4: 10; st. Mark,
l: l6 The northwestern province of Palestine
| was called Gailee, and the body of water
| which was its eastern boundary received one
of its names from the name of the province.
This was probably the most frequent name.
! b. Sea of Tiberias. st. John, 6: 1; 81: /.
This name was from the city Tiberias, found
| on the western side Of the sea.
| G. Lake Genncsareth. or Genesaret tSt
| Mark, g.: So; st. Luke, 5: ~, or Gennezareth,
| or Genesar.
d. Sea of Chinnercth (Nu, 81: II; Deu.,
III, or Chinneroth Jos, IL: 81, or Gin
neroth Il XII, ID: 20)
e. The modern name is Bahr Tubariyeh.
| !. Pliny called it the Lake of Taricheae, or
| modern Kerak, the name of city at the
| southern end of the lake.
Q. 1t has been called The Eye of Galilee.'
h. DR.. A. P. Stanley said Of it, in contrast
| with the Dead Sea- that it was the Sea of Life
the sea where he lived who gives life.
Shape.
1t is of the shape of pear. tho large end
| being the northern part Of the lake. A writer
in Blackar00ds Magazine said it was of the shape
| Of n leg of mutton the foot end down to the
| south, the straight side corresponding with the
| like the western shores of the Galiean Sea.
Lepet.
We may fix the surface at about ESQ feet be-
low the level of the Mediterranean Sea.
Dimensions.
| a. Length. Varying distances are given by
writers. This is due to the fact miles of different
| lengths used by. different travellers. Then
| the length may vary somewhat at different
seasons. We find estimates from ~ to 10 miles
| B. Width. This varies. as is natural with q
body pesr-shaped. We put the widest part at
| seven miles.
c. Depth. soundings have been taken. The
greatest depth is l56 feet. Then We have 1872,
12o. 90, ~, 80 feet etc.
| Source aud Outlet.
| The River Jordan flows from the north into
| the Sea OF Galilee Very many streams besides
run from the slopes cast sud west into 1t. The
| water of the Jordan IS yellow with mud, while
! the waters Of tlis sea are delightfully."- clear
| From this fact. and because the Jordan flows
with such force IL is possible to distinguish the
| Jordan stream from the water all the way
| from where IL enters to where it Is discharged.
| The inlet is at almost the apex end (north) of
the pear-shaped sea, and only little east of q
| line due north Of the outlet.
Coasts.
| Hills and mountains arc on all sides They
| do not reach down to the lake. On the east
| side the slope comes down at one point to with
| in 40 feet of the water The flats the west
side average about 200 feet in width. On the
| east side the average between the foot of the
hills and the beach is about three-fourths of a
mile On all sides there is quite perpendic-
nlar shelving from the surrounding tablelands.
At the north there numerous pretty bays.
| On the south the hills give way and open into
broad plains. At The northeast there is largo
plain, named Plain Of Butaiha"; at The west
bulge of the lake is the Plain of Gennesaret."
Between it and the end of the lake the hills
recede giving place for TIberias.
| Cities
| The cities on the west side are given below
| in their order, beginning at the north. We
| follow the map known as the Macgregor Map"
| Many places in Palestine have gone TO such
ruin that il is difficult in some cases to identify
| the locations With certainty, and hence We find
| differences in opinions.
Chorazin, 81 miles from inlet.
Betbsaida, 1t miles from Chorazin.
Capornaum. mile from Bethsaida.
| Magdala, 3 miles from Cspernaum.
Tiberias, 81 miles from Magdala.
Tarichea, 81 miles from Tiberias.
| The only city which We need notice on the
east side is Gergesa which is about one-third
of the distance from inlet to outlet, or, say, AZ
miles from the inlet
ChOraziD. The city was on the north side.
It Was the first of the cities on the lake west of
reach along the coast for about one-half an
| English mile, and extend back for n quarter OF
| a mile. Some of the ruins show a former rich
| ness Of architecture. There are the remains
of synagog. We have the names kerazeh,
Tell Hum, etc.
Bethsaida Now the name is Tabiga. Tho
| word Bethsasa means the house Of food. Ref |
erence. it is thought. is made to the plentiful
ness of fishes found there.
Capcrnaum. We find tho form Capharnaum.
| 1t WAS called 1.-THE City of Comfort" The
| Field of Repentance" 1t was Christs head |
quarters during his ministry of three and one
| half years. 1T WAS the scene of many OF his
miracles.
| Magdaa. Also written Mejdel-home of
| Mary Magdalene. Some ruins are found there
1t is the southern end of the plain of Gennes- |
| aret. "a.
Tiberias. 1t Is on the west side, somewhat
| below the middle Of the lake. There found
remains of the wall along the coast, aqueducts,
canals, fallen and broken, columns, showing il |
must have once been, . grand city. 1t is said
about 5000 persons, mostly Jews. live there
now. Tho place is very uuclean, even pro-
verbally so. The tomb OF the famous Maimon-
| ides is there. ,b.f4
The only place on the east side we neod notice
is Gergesa; written also Gerasa, Gersa. At
that place there is projecting spur of the hill,
and we are reminded OF ST. Mt, 8: 81.
Ge,siessdref.