The record-union., 1895-09-07
FISHES OF THE APOSTLES.
Modern Catches of the Kind Caught
in the Time of Christ.
Is the Sea of Galilee sinking.-An
Interesting Visit to the Spot Made
Memorable by Miracles Told OF In
the Bible-The Pestiiential Atmos-
phere of the Dead Sea.


covered? Lieutenant Lynch of the
United States Navy established the fact,
previously not known with accuracy,
that the depression Of the Dead Sea, also
known as the Sea of Lot and in the
Scriptures as the Salt Sea, is over 1900
feet below the level of the Mediterranean,
while that of Lake Gennesaret is 800 feet
lower than the ocean. It was in Lake
Gennesaret, or the Sea of Galilee, that
the Apostles lshed, and the place is asso-
ciated with many memorable events in
the life of Christ.
The measurements were made twenty
years ago. Lake Gennesaret is connected
with the Dead Sea by the historic River
Jordan, flowing from north to south.
The region is semi-vOlcanic, and engi-
neers and scientists from recent observa-
tions are satisfied that the bed of the
Jordan is gradually sinking. A World
correspondent who has visited the
shores of Lake Gennesaret and talked
with the Inhabitants of the neigh boring
towns and villages writes that the lake Is
continually falling towards the bottom,
while the water is becoming denser year
borhood are growing constantly. aud
sulphur springs are becoming frequent
on the plains surrounding ii.
In the north and east of the lake the
tops OF palm trees, some alive, but most
of them dead and barren, rise above the
water from twenty to forty feet from the
shore. That they should have taken root
in the water is impossible. and the sup
position is that originally they stood on
little islands that were submerged with
the sinking of the lakes bottom.
The catastrophe which resulted in the
destruction of the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah. which were located near the
shore of the Dead Sea, is computed to
have occurred about 1000 years before
Christ. The Dead Sea has ever puzzled
scientists, and its remarkable features
have never been explained. Its depres-
sion below the level of the Mediter-
ranean is the deepest of all known bodies
OF water. The bottom of Lake Genne
saret is on much higher level at present,
but il it continues to sink as it has done
in the last twenty years a repetition of
the events of $500 years ago is not inn
probable. AS the world has not been
treated 10 a spectacle of terrestrial evolu-
tions on grand scale within hundreds
of years, the creation of a second Dead
Sea within the compass of ordinary travel
would surely attract the attention of all
civilized nations and at the same time
help to solve many problems of scien
tIfic nature.
1t mas been said by typographical his
torians of the Holy Land that the water
of Lake Gennesaret was as clear IS crys-
tai, sweet and wholesome. The World
correspondent tried to drink of it, but
found it putrid and nauseating. 1t LETT a
salty taste in the mouth. The fishermen
who ply their trade on the lake as in
Biblical days, said the water was always
unfit Tor drinking purposes, and declared
that il grew more and more foul every
year.
This would indicate that the surmises
as 10 the change of conditions In the lake
are correct. The water of the Dead Sea,
as is we'll known, is entirely unfit for use
by man. The stencil arising from il cre-
ates a peStilential atmosphere for many
miles around. Approach 10 the lake in
summer is impossible, and the natives
say that about this time OF the year the
water to foot below the surface acquires
a temperature of go, and holds it even at
night,
There is, however. one false impress
sion To be corrected; the Dead Sea is not
dead as to animal life. Hawks, part
ridges, frogs and pigeons are numerous
upon its shores, aud all sorts of crawling
insects abound there. The sluggish
waters are covered with ducks-in fact,
the fauna are the same as those nhabiting
the shores of Lake Gennesaret, except
that all living things about the Dead Sea
are slate-colored. while those enlivening
the shores and the surface of Lake Gem
nesaret wear their natural plumage and
scaly dress.
Lake Gennesaret, also called the Sea of
Tiberias or Sea OF Galilee, is situated
siXty-hve miles north of the Dead Sea.
Its extreme length is fifteen miles. its
greatest width six and three fourth
miles. The water is very deep even at
the shores In some spots it's depth is 100
feet; in others 100 and more. The corre-
spondent writes that palms, papyrus
plants and oleanders flourish near the
shore. The stones at the edge of the water
are literally covered with turtles, some of
which grow over a foot and a half long.
Ducks are plentiful, and the pelican is
found in large numbers. Big Holsters are
also in evidence. The inhs bitants of the
many ruined clties-now mere villages
on the western shore, filled with mud
huts and novels, notably Tiberias, Cap
ernaum and Magdala-su bsist almost en-
tirely upon the lake product, just as the
Apostles did. 1t was at Capernaum that
Christ lived-it was "His own oityu-and
there il was that He taught the multitude
and performed many miracles. But the
correspondent met not man who with
Simon would say: 1--WE have toiled all
the night and taken nothing" Luke v,
81 On the contrary, the lake seems to
be overfiowing with fish, and many that
come fill their ships with them at the ex-
pense of little labor, $50 that they begin
to sink" luke ", ~
The place is still pointed out where the
Lord stood by the Lake of Gennesaret
and saw two ships standing by the lake;
but the fishermen were gone out of them,
and were washing their nets.''
And, "says Luke. ''He entered into one
Of the ships which was Simon's and
prayed him that ne thrust out a little
from the land. And He sat down and
taught the people out of the ship"
Verse four, in the fifth chapter of Luke
continues: 'Now when He had left
speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch
out into the deep and let down your nets
for draught.''' The sort of nets en-
ployed by Simon. Peter James and John
previous to the time when they forsook
all and followed Him to catch men hence
forth" is still in use at Lake Gennesaret.
There are nets spread upon the watersu
isaiah XIX, 81, but there are also fisher
men THAT cast angles into the water"
When speaking to one of the natives on
the economical aspects OF the country, he
drew the correspondents attention TO
Mark l., 20-'and they left their father
Zebedee in the ship with the hired serv-
ants, etc." "Our foreiathers were better
to do than we are," said the old man,
"None of US can afford to keep servants"
Flavius Josephus, in his History of
the jewish Wars" says, 1.-The Lake
Gennesaret contains peculiar specimens
of fish, which differ in taste and form
from those of other waters.' One OF the
species by him referred to is the chromis,
popularly known in this neigh borhood as
the apostle fish," The legend has it
that Siinon's bark became loaded with
them when the Lord commanded him to
throw out his nets. In single draught
of the net the World correspondent
landed many species of the genus
Z. i.l, LIE,