Palestine and Syria:  Handbook for Travelers (page 286)

Accommodation. Hotel Tiberias (landlords, Herren Krafft & Grossmann), newly fitted up, in a picturesque and lofty situation. — Good quarters are found also in the Latin Monastery (Franciscans; guardian, Father Norbert), pens. incl. wine 10 fr., previous notice necessary in the season. — The Greek Monastery, at the S. end of the town, is perhaps not quite so good, pens. 6-8 fr., wine extra. — Sea of Galilee Hotel (landlord, A. K. Nassâr). — Tents had better be pitched on the bank of the lake, to the S. of the town. In case of necessity, accommodation and Jewish fare may be obtained at Benjomen's Loganda, an ancient vault near the convent and market-place, 5-6 fr., wine extra. The wine sold, by the Jews is cheap but bad. Tiberias is notorious throughout Syria for its fleas; the Arabs say the king of the fleas resides here.

Turkish Post Office; international Telegraph.

Physician. Dr. Torrance (Edin.), physician-in-chief of the Hospital of the Scottish Medical Mission. — There are several chemists and two Jewish physicians.

Boats are best obtained through the guardian of the Latin monastery or from the Hotel Tiberias. An exact bargain as to voyage and price advisable. Charges for a boat and 6-8 travellers: to Tell Hûm (p. 291 ; about 3 hrs.), in summer 15-20 fr., in winter 25-30 fr. ; round trip (to the mouth of the Jordan on the N. and back, 1 day), 30 fr., in bad weather 40 fr.

History, (a). The name of Galilee ('district of the heathens'; Isaiah ix. 1; Matth. iv. 15) was originally applied to the highlands only which extend from the N. of the Lake of Gennesaret to the W. The tribes of Asher, Zebulon, and Issachar dwelt here, but the land was colonised anew after the captivity by Jews from the South. The population, however, retained its mixed character, and the name of Galilee was extended to the whole province lying between the plain of Jezreel and the river Lîtânî. The N. part was called Upper Galilee, to the S. of which was Lower Galilee.  The country was famed for its fertility, rich pastures and luxuriant forest - trees being its chief features. The tract situated to the W. of the lake was the most beautiful part of the country. In the Roman period Galilee formed a separate province and was densely peopled (see p. lvii). The Jewish element still continued predominant, but was more affected by foreign influences than in Judæa. The language also varied from that spoken in Judæa (Matth. xxvi. 73). The Jews of this district seem to have been less strict and less acquainted with the law than those of Judæa, by whom they were consequently despised. Their revolt against the Romans in A.D. 67 proved, however, that their national spirit was still strong. — Galilee attained the height of its prosperity about the time of Christ. Sepphoris (p. 276) had for a time been its chief town; but Herod Antipas determined to build a new and magnificent capital.

(6). Tiberiaa is said by the rabbinical writers to occupy the site of a place called Rakkath , but there is no authority for this statement.  According to Josephus the building of the city began between A.D. 16-19 and was finished in A.D. 22. Herod, the founder of the new city, named it Tiberias after the Roman emperor Tiberius, a name which is preserved in the modern Tabariyeh and has also been given to the lake. In the construction of the'foundations a burial-place was disturbed. As, according to the Jewish law, contact with graves denied the person for seven days, but few Jews could be persuaded to live in the place; and Herod was, therefore, obliged to people it chiefly with foreigners, adventurers, and beggars, so that the population was of a very mixed character. The town was, moreover, constructed in entire accordance with Græco-Roman taste, and even its municipal constitution was Roman. It possessed a race-course, and a palace adorned with figures of animals, probably resembling that of `Arâk el-Emir (p. 173). These foreign works of art were an abomination to the Jews, who were for the most part rigidly conservative; and thus it happens that the new city is only once or twice mentioned in the New Testament (John vi. i, 23; xxi. 1). It is probable, too, that it was never visited by Christ. During the Jewish war, when Josephus be came commander-in-chief of Galilee, he fortified Tiberias. The inhabitants, however, voluntarily surrendered to Vespasian, and the Jews were therefore afterwards allowed to live here. After the destruction of Jerusalem Galilee, and Tiberias in particular, became the chief seat of the Jewish nation. The Sanhedrim (or Sanhedrin) was transferred from Sepphoris to Tiberias, and the school of the Talmud developed itself here in opposition to Christianity, which was also gaining ground. Here, too, about A. D. 200, the famous Jewish scholar Rabbi Juda Hak-Kadôsh published the ancient traditional law known as the Mishna. In the first half of the 4th cent, the Palestinian Gemara (the so-called Jerusalem Talmud) came into existence here, and between the 6th and 7th cents, the 'Western' or `Tiberian' pointing of the Hebrew Bible, which is now universally accepted. It was from a rabbi of Tiberias that St. Jerome (p. 125) learned Hebrew. Christianity seems to have made slow progress here, but bishops of Tiberias are mentioned as early as the 5th century.  In 637 the Arabs conquered the town without difficulty. Under the Crusaders the bishopric was re-established, and subordinated to the archbishopric of Kazareth. The town was long in possession of the Christians, and it was an attack by Saladin on Tiberias which gave rise to the disastrous battle of Hattin, on the day after which the Countess of Tripoli was obliged to surrender the castle of Tiberias. About the middle of last century it was again fortified by Zâhir el-`Amr.

Tabariyeh, the modern Tiberias, lies on a narrow strip of plain between the lake and the hill at the back, while the original town extended more southwards. On the land-side the town is defended by a thick wall, furnished with towers. The terrible earthquake of 1st Jan., 1837, seriously damaged the walls and houses.  Tiberias has improved considerably of late years. It is the seat of a Kâimmakâm who is subordinate to the Mutesarrif of Acre. Of the 4000 inhabitants about two-thirds are Jews (with 10 synagogues), about 1200 are Muslims, 200 Christians (orthodox Greeks, United Greeks, Latins, and Protestants).

As we approach by the carriage-road from Nazareth, we first observe the government-building with its numerous domes, to the left, and the recently restored mosque with its handsome minaret, to the right. Below the Serâi, at the N. town-gate , are the large hospital and the physician's and pastor's dwellings, belonging to the mission-station of the Free Church of Scotland. — The church and monastery (with school) of the Orthodox Greeks adjoin the townwall at the S.E. end of the town, near the lake, and were built in 1869 among ruins, said to date from the Crusades. — The small church and parsonage of the United Greeks are built against the town-wall in the S.W. of the town. — St. Peters Church and the Franciscan monastery (with school) lie close to the lake on the N, side of the town. The tradition that the miraculous draught of fishes (John xxi. 6-11) took place here, is comparatively modem.  — In spring the vicinity of the lake is a veritable paradise, in summer the heat is excessive both by night and day, while after the first rains of autumn fever is prevalent. Otherwise Tiberias is healthy. The environs (lava soil) are fertile, and a few palms occur.

In walking through Tiberias the traveller will be struck by the predominance of the Jewish element. Many of the Jews are immigrants from Poland. Most of them live on alms sent from Europe (comp. p. 33). They wear large black hats and fur-caps (even in summer). There are two synagogues on the bank of the lake; the Frank synagogue, built on a square ground-plan, is vaulted and borne by columns. Its ornamentation is in Arabian style. The synagogue of the German Jews is a long rectangle with ancient columns and round arches; there is an ancient Greek inscription on the exterior. — The study of the Talmud still flourishes in Tiberias.

On the S. side the town is unenclosed. In order to visit the extensive ruins of the castle on the N. side, we either traverse the bazaar, or walk round the outside of the town, along the wall, which, with its two old towers, is best preserved on this side.  Near it is a dilapidated mosque with a few palms. The spacious Castle is now entirely in ruins. The ruins command a beautiful view of the little town, the blue lake, and the mountains to the N.  Here, for the first time, we encounter buildings of the black basalt which is the material invariably used beyond Jordan. The basaltic formation extends to the W. of the river also, including the regions of Tiberias, Beisan, and Safed.

The Lake of Tiberias [Sea of Galilee] was anciently called Kinnerei or KinnerSt, a name commonly (but probably erroneously) derived from the supposed resemblance of the irregular oval form of the lake to a lute (Kinnor). In the time of the Maccabees it was called the Lake of Gennezar, or Gennesaret, from the plain of that name at its N.W. end. Its surface is 681 ft. below that of the Mediterranean; its greatest depth is 130-150 feet. The height of the water, however, varies with the seasons. The lake is 13 M. long, its greatest width nearly 6 M. The banks are beautifully green early in spring, and the great heat consequent on the low situation of the lake produces a subtropical vegetation, although for a short period only. The hills surrounding the blue lake are of moderate height, and the scenery, enlivened by a few villages, is of a smiling and peaceful character without pretension to grandeur. Its basin is sometimes visited by violent storms. We learn from the Gospels that the lake was once navigated by numerous vessels, but there are now a few miserable flshing-boats only. The water is drunk by all the dwellers on its banks; it is cooled by being placed in porous jars and allowed to stand a night. Near the hot springs (see below) it has an unpleasant taste. A pleasant bath may be enjoyed in the lake. The bottom is for the most part covered with fragments of basalt of various sizes, and near the bank with ancient building material.

A Sail on the Lake should not be omitted (boats and charges, see p. 286). Voyagers should keep close to the shore , on account of the sudden squalls. An expedition to Et- Tâbigha and Tell Hûm is recommended to those who do not make the tour to Safed (R. 30).

The lake still contains many good kinds of fish. Several do not occur elsewhere except in the tropics. Of particular interest are the Chromis Simonis, the male of which carries the eggs and the young about in its mouth, and the Clarias macracanthus, the Coracinus of Josephus and the barbûr of the Arabs, which emits a sound.

About 1/2 hr- to the S. of Tiberias lie the celebrated Hot Baths, reached by a good road (seat in a carriage 1/2 fr-)- On our way we pass numerous ruins of the ancient city, including the remains of a thick wall, fragments of buildings and. of a fine aqueduct towards the hill on the right, and many broken columns. The site of the baths is somewhat elevated. Nearest the town is a bath-house built by Ibrâhîm Pasha in 1833 and recently restored; farther to the S.  lies another bath-house, dating from 1890. The latter contains several dirty general rooms , and also two private baths which may be recommended when cleaned and freshly filled (1 1/2-2 fr.; in April and May, during the season, 3-4 fr.). Bathers are recommended to douche themselves with lake-water after the warm bath, as otherwise the strongly saline spring-water is apt to induce an uncomfortable irritation of the skin. Still farther to the S. is the oldest bath-house of all, with its spring. The general bathroom in the N. bath should be avoided. The water is much extolled as a cure for rheumatism and cutaneous diseases. The principal spring has a temperature of -143 Fahr.; other similar springs flow into the lake unutilised, leaving a greenish deposit on the stones. The water has a disagreeable sulphureous smell, and a salt, bitter taste. It contains sulphur and chloride of magnesium.

Beyond the baths is a synagogue of the Sephardim, and close by a school of the Ashkenazim, with the graves of the celebrated Talmudist Rabbi Meir and two of his pupils. 5 min. to the N. of the town, beneath the new road to Nazareth, is shown the tomb of the famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides (Rambam, d. 1204); near to it are the tombs of Rab Ami and Rab Jochanan Ben Sakai; 1/4 hr. farther up the hill, the tomb of the celebrated Rabbi Akiba who took such a prominent part in the revolt of Bar Coohba (p. lxii).

Excursions to the E. Bank of the Lake are unsafe, owing to the Beduins, and must, therefore, either be made by boat, or with an escort. The price of a boat is 20-30 fr., according to the length of the excursion. Crossing the lake obliquelv from Tiberias, we may land near the ruin of —

Kal'at el-Hoan. Kal'at el-Hoan is most probably the ancient Gamala.  The place was conquered by Alexander Jannæus, and Herod was afterwards defeated here by his father-in-law Aretas. Gamala was taken and destroyed by Vespasian. The situation of the town was very secure, and Josephus compares the hill on which it stood to the back of a camel (Heb. 'gâmâl').

The plateau, on which the town and castle stood is precipitous on three sides, and is accessible from the E. only. The walls ran round the brink of the plateau. Caves, columns, and other interesting remains may be seen. Even after its destruction by the Romans the place seems to have been inhabited. — About 1/2 hr- S.E. of Kal'at el-Hosn is Sûsiyeh, the ancient Hippos of the Decapolis.

From this point we proceed northwards to Kersa, lying on the left bank of the Wâdi es-Samak. The extensive ruins are enclosed by a wall.  An attempt has been made to identify Kersa with Gergesa (Matth. viii.  28), although Mark v. 1 and other passages read Gadara. — We may next proceed to the plain of El-Batîha, at the N. end of the lake. At the N. end of this plain, on the slope of the hill, and 3/4 hr. from the lake, lie the ruins of Et-Tell, the ancient Bethsaida (Luke ix. 10; John i. 44), the birthplace of Peter, John, and Philip, which was rebuilt by Philip, the son of Herod, in the Roman style, and named Julia* in honour of the daughter of Augustus (but comp. p. 291). They consist only of a few ancient fragments, then building material used being basalt. From this point we may skirt the W,. bank of the lake to Tell Hûm (p291).