Bible Translations

Using Multiple Translations is a Great Idea

I believe Christians are making a huge mistake when they limit themselves to one translation. You will have a much more comprehensive knowledge of God’s word if you compare, and read from, various translations. So here are a few personal recommendations:

1. For your primary Bible – the Bible you use for Bible classes, worship services, and personal Bible study – I recommend a more literal “word-for-word” translation.
2. But when you’re just reading the Bible to get the “big picture,” you might want to occasionally use a “thought-for-thought” translation so you can more easily understand the narrative aspect of Scripture.
3. Anytime you are studying, and especially when you don’t understand a passage, it’s a good idea to compare translations. And rather than having four or five Bible open when you study, you can use a parallel Bible or a website like BibleGateway.com to easily compare the same passage in various translations.
4. Paraphrase versions are not evil, but if you use a paraphrase version, I recommend using it not like a Bible, but like a commentary.

Any good bible student can take any good translation and teach the truth of the Word of God. Those who have any Bible language skills can take even a paraphrase and correctly teach the truth. A paraphrase tries to achieve greater clarity of the text. Which is what any preacher tries to do. Its the responsibility of the preacher to read the text, give understanding of the text as it was original meant, and then give a good application of the text.

What you should not do is to use a bad paraphrase and try to prove your opinion.

You have Word for word, then thought for thought, and others paraphrase bibles. So just remember the purpose of the bible publishers.

how you would read John 3:16 in the Greek
“Thus indeed loved God the world that the Son the only begotten he gave that everyone beliving in him not should perish but might have life eternal”

So the KJV had to ADD words to make sense of the language.
pas πᾶς everyone ( the word KJV used was whosoever) But the word “whosoever” can be “whoever” or everyone” and mean the same thing.

…

So don’t fall into the thinking that added words can’t be updated. You have not committed a sin if you change of word that was not even in the original Greek.

 

Bible Growth History

Thomas Hobbs Christ-Rejecter

Thomas Hobbs, the famous English philosopher of the 17th century, was totally a godless person, an atheist, a Christ-rejecter; and his biographer describes his death in these words.

	(1588-04-05)5 April 1588 Westport near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, England
Died	4 December 1679(1679-12-04) (aged 91) Derbyshire, England
Alma mater	Magdalen Hall, Oxford
Era	17th-century philosophy
Region	Western Philosophers
School	Social contract, classical realism, empiricism, determinism, materialism, ethical egoism
Main interests	Political philosophy, history, ethics, geometry
Notable ideas	Modern founder of the social contract tradition; life in the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”

“When the atheist Hobbs drew near to death, he declared loudly, ‘I am about the take a leap into the dark.'”…Voltaire…the French atheist who openly mocked God felt the stroke which he realized would terminate in his death. He was overpowered with grief. He called in all of his unbelieving friends; and his biographer says, “He cursed them to their faces, and he loudly repeated, ‘Begone, begone, it is you that have brought me to my present condition. Leave me, I say, begone. What a wretched glory is this which you have produced for me.'” The writer says that, “He hoped to allay his anguish by a written recantation of his unbelief. He had it prepared. He signed it, and saw it witnessed; but it was unavailing. For two months he was tortured with such an agony as led him at times to gnash his teeth, in impotent rage against God and man, and at other times in plaintive accents, he pleaded, ‘Oh, Christ, oh, Christ, oh, Lord Jesus,’ and then, at last, he turned his face and cried, ‘I die abandoned by God and man.'” No wonder Jesus called hell outer darkness. It is near… it is merely the perpetuation of a life that never sees spiritual realit

---

Political Philosophy or political theory, is the study of topics such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever.

In a vernacular sense, the term “political philosophy” often refers to a general view, or specific ethic, political belief or attitude, about politics, synonymous to the term “political ideology“.

Political philosophy is considered by some to be a sub-discipline of political science; however, the name generally attributed to this form of political enquiry is political theory, a discipline which has a closer methodology to the theoretical fields in the social sciences (like economic theory) than to philosophical argumentation (like that of moral philosophy or aesthetics).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_philosophy

First Peter 5 1 to 4 Outline

FIRST PETER 5:1-4

A FLOCK OF “SHEEP” Graze, Guide and Guard

we ask four basic questions. The questions are: What, who, how and why

number one, what. What is he saying? What is he asking of us in this responsibility of shepherding? What is he asking the Elders, Pastors, Oversers to do? ‘what is the primary objective of shepherding?

Elders (4245) (presbuteros )

It should be emphasized that in the context of its Biblical use the concept of elder had less to do with age per se than with the quality of one’s spiritual character (reputation is what others think about you but character is what those most intimately associated know is really true about you) and possession of the ability to teach. Simply being older, including even being older in the faith, does not by itself qualify a man for leadership in the church.

I would just call your attention also to the fact that he uses elder in the plural sense. Why?

(1) What he meant by that was don’t let anybody act independently of the group.

(2) Secondly, where you have a plurality of godly leaders in a church it preserves against imbalance

(3) Also, a plurality of godly men in a church preserves against undue elevation of one man.

(4) It also, a plurality of leaders, preserves against an evil dominance, an evil dominance

(5) One other good reason for plurality of leadership in a church is it preserves against discontinuity.

Now it is a serious task to shepherd.

So serious a task that Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”

 

We have an accountability to God. When you are given oversight and you are given the responsibility to teach, there is an immense accountability.

 

The primary responsibility of shepherding is to feed. I Timothy 3 and Titus 1

(1) There is a protecting work. (2) There is a sort of oversight that sort of keeps the flock together, but the primary function for protecting them and keeping them together is (3) to lead them to green pastures and still waters. John 21

Now, the command to shepherd here in 1 Peter 5 carries a sense of urgency with it.

What is it that I appeal to you to do? The word “exhort” means to appeal.

 

I exhort (3870) (warn, counsel, beseech, encourage) not “I command,” marks Peter’s attitude in addressing these leaders. He does not stress his own authority but rather appeals to their own sense of what is right. He avoids any implication of the imposition of a higher authority but uses instead the method of spiritual persuasion.

The form of the Greek verb indicates that there’s an urgency here. And as I said, it’s the most serious task in the world. Did you hear me say that? It’s the most serious task in the world. And it is never defined as an administrative duty. It is always defined as a pastoral, spiritual duty.

It is not primarily a paper pushing responsibility, it is a teaching responsibility. There is an element of oversight, there is an element of shepherding, but that primarily means giving attention to the needs of the people. Jeremiah 23:1-4, Ezekiel 34:2-7

But in order to feed them adequately you have to lead them to green pastures and you have to protect them from invading dangers.

Now I want you to notice the motivation behind what Peter said.

First motivation by identification. “Therefore I exhort ^{3870 the elders 4245 among you as your fellow elder.” ₄₈₅₀}

Second motivation by authority. “I am a witness 3144 of the sufferings of Christ.”

Third: motivation by anticipation: And a partaker 2844 also of the glory 1391 that is to be revealed. 601

 

You need to be motivated as a shepherd, a pastor?

Do I? One of the things that can motivate me is other faithful pastors who are doing their shepherding work with excellence and commitment and devotion and who set a pattern for me to follow even as an equal.

And then I need to be motivated by one over me who speaks for God such as an apostle, who commands me to do this as one who speaks the very truth of God.

And then I need to be motivated to do my shepherding by the eternal reward that shall be mine if I am faithful when I see Him in the glory.

In short, the shepherd’s role concerning the flock is to…

Graze, Guide and Guard

is used 11 times in the NAS ( ^{_{Matt. 2:6; Lk. 17:7; Jn. 21:16; Acts 20:28; 1 Co. 9:7; 1 Pet. 5:2; Jude 1:12; Rev. 2:27; 7:17; 12:5; 19:15) and is translated: caring, 1; rule, 3; shepherd, 5; tending sheep, 1; tends, 1.}}

 

 

First Peter 5:1-4 John Calvin

Verse 1 First Peter 5  By John Calvin

In exhorting pastors to their duty, he points out especially three vices which are found to prevail much, even sloth, desire of gain, and lust for power. In opposition to the first vice he sets alacrity or a willing attention; to the second, liberality; to the third, moderation and meekness, by which they are to keep themselves in their own rank or station.

He then says that pastors ought not to exercise care over the flock of the Lord, as far only as they are constrained; for they who seek to do no more than what constraint compels them, do their work formally and negligently. Hence he would have them to do willingly what they do, as those who are really devoted to their work. To correct avarice, he bids them to perform their office with a ready mind; for whosoever has not this end in view, to spend himself and his labor disinterestedly and gladly in behalf of the Church, is not a minister of Christ, but a slave to his own stomach and his purse. The third vice which he condemns is a lust for exercising power or dominion. But it may be asked, what kind of power does he mean? This, as it seems to me, may be gathered from the opposite clause, in which he bids them to be examples to the flock. It is the same as though he had said that they are to preside for this end, to be eminent in holiness, which cannot be, except they humbly subject themselves and their life to the same common rule. What stands opposed to this virtue is tyrannical pride, when the pastor exempts himself from all subjection, and tyrannizes over the Church. It was for this that Ezekiel condemned the false prophets, that is, that they ruled cruelly and tyrannically. (Ezekiel 34:4.) Christ also condemned the Pharisees, because they laid intolerable burdens on the shoulders of the people which they would not touch, no, not with a finger. (Matthew 23:4.) This imperious rigour, then, which ungodly pastors exercise over the Church, cannot be corrected, except their authority be restrained, so that they may rule in such a way as to afford an example of a godly life.

1The elders By this name he designates pastors and all those who are appointed for the government of the Church. But they called them presbyters or elders for honor’s sake, not because they were all old in age, but because they were principally chosen from the aged, for old age for the most part has more prudence, gravity, and experience. But as sometimes hoariness is not wisdom, according to a Greek proverb, and as young men are found more fit, such as Timothy, these were also usually called presbyters, after having been chosen into that order. Since Peter calls himself in like manner a presbyter, it appears that it was a common name, which is still more evident from many other passages. Moreover, by this title he secured for himself more authority, as though he had said that he had a right to admonish pastors, because he was one of themselves, for there ought to be mutual liberty between colleagues. But if he had the right of primacy he would have claimed it; and this would have been most suitable on the present occasion. But though he was an Apostle, he yet knew that authority was by no means delegated to him over his colleagues, but that on the contrary he was joined with the rest in the participation of the same office.

A witness of the sufferings of Christ This may be explained of doctrine, yet I prefer to regard it as referring to his own life. At the same time both may be admitted; but I am more disposed to embrace the latter view, because these two clauses will be more in harmony, — that Peter speaks of the sufferings of Christ in his own flesh, and that he would be also a partaker of his glory. For the passage agrees with that of Paul, “If we suffer together, we shall also reign together.” Besides, it avails much to make us believe his words, that he gave a proof of his faith by enduring the cross. For it hence appears evident that he spoke in earnest; and the Lord, by thus proving his people, seals as it were their ministry, that it might have more honor and reverence among men. Peter, then, had probably this in view, so that he might be heard as the faithful minister of Christ, a proof of which he gave in the persecutions he had suffered, and in the hope which he had of future life. (53)

But we must observe that Peter confidently declares that he would be a partaker of that glory which was not yet revealed; for it is the character of faith to acquiesce in hidden blessings.

　

Verse 2

2Feed the flock of God We hence learn what the word presbyter imports, even that it includes the office of feeding. It is for a far different end that the Pope makes presbyters, even that they may daily slay Christ, there being no mention made of feeding in their ordination. Let us then remember to distinguish between the institution of Christ and the confusion of the Pope, it being as different as light is from darkness. Let us also bear in mind the definition given of the word; for the flock of Christ cannot be fed except with pure doctrine, which is alone our spiritual food.

Hence pastors are not mute hypocrites, nor those who spread their own figments, which, like deadly poison, destroy the souls of men.

The words, as much as it is in you, mean the same as though he had said, “Apply all your strength to this very thing, and whatever power God has conferred on you.” The old interpreter has given this rendering, “Which is among you;” and this may be the sense of the words: more correct, however, is the rendering of Erasmus, which I have followed, though I do not reject nor disapprove of the other. (54)

The flock of God, or, of the Lord, or, of Christ: it matters little which you take, for the three readings are found in different copies. (55)

Taking the oversight, or, discharging the office of a bishop. Erasmus renders the words, “Taking care of it,” (curam illius agentes ;) but as the Greek word is ἐπισκοποῦντες I doubt not but that Peter meant to set forth the office and title of the episcopate. We may learn also from other parts of Scripture that these two names, bishop and presbyter, are synonymous. He then shews how they were rightly to perform the pastoral office, though the word ἐπισκοπεῖν generally means to preside or to oversee. What I have rendered “not constraintally,” is literally, “not necessarily;” for when we act according to what necessity prescribes, we proceed in our work slowly and frigidly, as it were by constraint.

　

Verse 3

3Neither as being lords, or, as exercising dominion. The preposition κατὰ in Greek is taken, for the most part, in a bad sense: then Peter here condemns unreasonable exercise of power, as the case is with those who consider not themselves to be the ministers of Christ and his Church, but seek something higher. And he calls particular churches “lots,” (cleros ;) for as the whole body of the Church is the Lord’s heritage, so the churches, scattered through towns and villages, were as so many farms, the culture of which he assigns to each presbyter. Some very ignorantly think that those called clergy are meant here. It was, indeed, an ancient way of speaking, to call the whole order of ministers, clergy; but I wish that it had never occurred to the Fathers to speak thus; for what Scripture ascribes in common to the whole Church, it was by no means right to confine to a few men. And this way of speaking was spurious, at least it was a departure from apostolic usage.

Peter, indeed, expressly gives the churches this title, in order that we may know that whatever men ascribe to themselves is taken away from the Lord, as in many places he calls the Church his peculiar treasure, and the rod of his heritage, when he intends to claim his entire dominion over it; for he never delivers to pastors the government, but only the care, so that his own right remains still complete.

　

Verse 4

4When the chief Shepherd shall appear Except pastors retain this end in view, it can by no means be that they will in good earnest proceed in the course of their calling, but will, on the contrary, become often faint; for there are innumerable hindrances which are sufficient to discourage the most prudent. They have often to do with ungrateful men, from whom they receive an unworthy reward; long and great labors are often in vain; Satan sometimes prevails in his wicked devices. Lest, then, the faithful servant of Christ should be broken down, there is for him one and only one remedy, — to turn his eyes to the coming of Christ. Thus it will be, that he, who seems to derive no encouragement from men, will assiduously go on in his labors, knowing that a great reward is prepared for him by the Lord. And further, lest a protracted expectation should produce languor, he at the same time sets forth the greatness of the reward, which is sufficient to compensate for all delay: An unfading crown of glory, he says, awaits you.

It ought also to be observed, that he calls Christ the chief Pastor; for we are to rule the Church under him and in his name, in no other way but that he should be still really the Pastor. So the word chief here does not only mean the principal, but him whose power all others ought to submit to, as they do not represent him except according to his command and authority.

First Peter 5 1 t o4 Study

http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/1-peter/1-peter-5-4.html

First Peter 5:1

Who am a fellow-elder (o sunpresbutero). Earliest use of this compound in an inscription of B.C. 120 for fellow-elders (alderman) in a town, here only in N.T., in eccles. writers. For the word presbutero in the technical sense of officers in a Christian church (like elder in the local synagogues of the Jews) see Acts 11:30 ; Acts 20:17 . It is noteworthy that here Peter the Apostle ( 1 Peter 1:1 ) calls himself an elder along with (sun) the other “elders.”

A witness (martu). This is what Jesus had said they must be ( Acts 1:8 ) and what Peter claimed to be ( Acts 3:15 ; Acts 10:39 ). So Paul was to be a martu ( Acts 22:15 ).

Who am also a partaker (o kai koinwno). “The partner also,” “the partaker also.” See Luke 5:10 ; 2 Corinthians 1:7 ; 2 Peter 1:4 . See same idea in Romans 8:17 . In Galatians 3:23 ; Romans 8:18 we have almost this about the glory about to be revealed to us where mellw as here is used with the infinitive.

First Peter 5:2

Tend (poimanate). First aorist active imperative of poimainw, old verb, from poimhn (shepherd) as in Luke 17:7 . Jesus used this very word to Peter in the interview by the Sea of Galilee ( John 21:16 ) and Peter doubtless has this fact in mind here. Paul used the word to the elders at Miletus ( Acts 20:28 ). See 1 Peter 2:25 for the metaphor.

Flock (poimnion). Old word, likewise from poimhn, contraction of poimenion ( Luke 12:32 ).

Exercising the oversight (episkopounte). Present active participle of episkopew, old word (in Hebrews 12:15 alone in N.T.), omitted here by Aleph B.

Not by constraint (mh anagkastw). Negative mh because of the imperative. Old adverb from verbal adjective anagkasto, here alone in N.T.

But willingly (alla ekousiw). By contrast. Old adverb, in N.T. only here and Hebrews 10:26 .

Nor yet for filthy lucre (mhde aiscrokerdw). A compound adverb not found elsewhere, but the old adjective aiscrokerdh is in 1 Timothy 3:8 ; Titus 1:7 . See also Titus 1:11 “for the sake of filthy lucre” (aiscrou kerdou carin). Clearly the elders received stipends, else there could be no such temptation.

But of a ready mind (alla proqumw). Old adverb from proqumo ( Matthew 26:41 ), here only in N.T.

First Peter 5:3

Lording it over (katakurieuonte). Present active participle of katakurieuw, late compound (kata, kurio) as in Matthew 20:25 .

The charge allotted to you (twn klhrwn). “The charges,” “the lots” or “the allotments.” See it in Acts 1:17 Acts 1:25 in this sense. The old word meant a die ( Matthew 27:25 ), a portion ( Colossians 1:12 ; 1 Peter 1:4 ), here the charges assigned (cf. Acts 17:4 ). From the adjective klhriko come our cleric, clerical, clerk. Wycliff translated it here “neither as having lordship in the clergie.”

Making yourselves ensamples (tupoi ginomenoi). Present active participle of ginomai and predicate nominative tupoi (types, models) for which phrase see 1 Thessalonians 1:7 . Continually becoming. See 1 Peter 2:21 for upogrammo (writing-copy).

To the flock (tou poimniou). Objective genitive.

First Peter 5:4

When the chief Shepherd shall be manifested (panerwqento tou arcipoimeno). Genitive absolute with first aorist passive participle of panerow, to manifest, and genitive of arcipoimhn, a compound (arci, poimhn) after analogy of arciereu, here only in N.T., but in Testam. of Twelve Patrs. (Jud. 8) and on a piece of wood around an Egyptian mummy and also on a papyrus A.D. 338 (Deissmann, Light, etc., p. 100). See Hebrews 13:20 for o poimhn o mega (the Shepherd the great).

Ye shall receive (komieisqe). Future of komizw ( Hebrews 1:9 , which see).

The crown of glory that fadeth not away (ton amarantinon th doxh stepanon). For “crown” (stepano) see James 1:12 ; 1 Corinthians 9:25 ; 2 Timothy 4:8 ; Revelation 2:10 ; Revelation 3:10 ; Revelation 4:4 . In the Gospels it is used only of the crown of thorns, but Jesus is crowned with glory and honor ( Hebrews 2:9 ). In all these passages it is the crown of victory as it is here. See Hebrews 1:4 for amaranto, unfading. Amarantino is made from that word as the name of a flower amaranq (so called because it never withers and revives if moistened with water and so used as a symbol of immortality), “composed of amaranth” or “amarantine,” “the amarantine (unfading) crown of glory.”

^{http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/}

 

The Power of Jesus on The Sea Of Gal

The material that is put in this post covers only a small portion that I used in this one sermon, which has taken about four weeks to cover.

Let’s open our Bibles to the 8th chapter of the gospel of Luke as we examine God’s precious Word and another magnificent portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ presented to us by the Spirit-inspired historian, Luke. we’re looking at a section in this chapter from verse 22 through verse 25.

23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. And he awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And being afraid they marvelled, saying one to another, Who then is this, that he commandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

　

And the theme is power, power beyond anything man can do.

Not power to harness natural forces, but power to stop them. Massive power is exhibited in this passage by Jesus to control wind and water, forces that man has never ever been able to control.

And modern history is as full of devastating hurricanes and tornadoes and destructive winds and waves and floods as ancient history because man throughout all of the millennia has achieved virtually no ability to do anything about these powerful forces.

And yet in this account given to us by Luke, also given to us by Matthew and Mark, other gospel writers who described the same event, we see Jesus has complete power over these forces.

Verse 22: “Now it came about on one of those days that He and His disciples got into a boat and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.’ And they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep and a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. And they came to Him and woke Him up saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing.’ And being aroused He rebuked the wind and the surging waves and they stopped and it became calm. And He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this that He commands even the winds and the water and they obey Him?'”

Now the Lord of creation chose the ideal place on the planet for this display of astonishing power.

A town of Naphtali, called Chinnereth ( Joshua 19:35 ), sometimes in the plural form Chinneroth ( 11:2 ). In later times the name was gradually changed to Genezar and Gennesaret ( Luke 5:1 ). This city stood on the western shore of the lake to which it gave its name. No trace of it remains. The plain of Gennesaret has been called, from its fertility and beauty, “the Paradise of Galilee.” It is now called el-Ghuweir.

Galilee, Sea of. _{http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/smiths-bible-dictionary/galilee-sea-of.html}

So called from the province of Galilee, which bordered on the western side. ( _{Matthew 4:18 ) It was also called the “Sea of Tiberias,” from the celebrated city of that name. ( John 6:1 ) At its northwestern angle was a beautiful and fertile plain called “Gennesaret,” and from that it derived the name of “Lake of Gennesaret.” ( Luke 5:1 ) It was called in the Old Testament “the Sea of Chinnereth” or “Cinneroth,” ( Numbers 34:11 ; Joshua 12:3 ) from a town of that name which stood on or near its shore. ( Joshua 19:35 )}

Its modern name is Bahr Tubariyeh .

Most of our Lords public life was spent in the environs of this sea. The surrounding region was then the most densely peopled in all Palestine. no less than nine very populous cities stood on the very shores of the lake.

The Sea of Galilee is of an oval long and six broad. It is 60 miles northeast of Jerusalem and 27 east of the Mediterranean Sea. The river Jordan enters it at its northern end and passes out at its southern end. In fact the bed of the lake is just a lower section of the Great Jordan valley. Its more remarkable feature is its deep depression, being no less than 700 feet below the level of the ocean.

The scenery is bleak and monotonous, being surrounded by a high and almost unbroken wall of hills, on account of which it is exposed to frequent sudden and violent storms. The great depression makes the climate of the shores almost tropical. This is very sensibly felt by the traveller in going down from the plains of Galilee.

In summer the heat is intense, and even in early spring the air has something of an Egyptian balminess. The water of the lake is sweet, cool and transparent; and as the beach is everywhere pebbly is has a beautiful sparkling look. It abounds in fish now as in ancient times. There were large fisheries on the lake, and much commerce was carried on upon it. [E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton’s Bible Dictionary

=========================================

GALILEE, SEA OF _{http://bibleatlas.org/chinneroth.htm}

(he thalassa tes Galilaias):

1. The Name:

This is the name 5 times given in the New Testament (_{Matthew 4:18; Matthew 15:29 Mark 1:16; Mark 7:31 John 6:1) to the sheet of water which is elsewhere called “the sea of Tiberias” (John 21:1; compare John 6:1); “the lake of Gennesaret” (Luke 5:1); “the sea” (John 6:16, etc.), and “the lake” (Luke 5:1, etc.).}

The Old Testament names were “sea of Chinnereth” (yam-kinnereth: _{Numbers 34:11 Deuteronomy 3:17 Joshua 13:27; Joshua 19:35), and “sea of Chinneroth” (yam-kineroth: Joshua 12:3; compare 11:2; 1 Kings 15:20). In 1 Maccabees 11:67 the sea is called “the water of Gennesar” (the Revised Version (British and American) “Gennesareth”). It had begun to be named from the city so recently built on its western shore even in New Testament times (John 21:1; John 6:1}); and by this name, slightly modified, it is known to this day-Bachr Tabariyeh.

2. General Description:

The sea lies in the deep trough of the Jordan valley, almost due East of the Bay of Acre. The surface is 680 ft. below the level of the Mediterranean. It varies in depth from 130 ft. to 148 ft., being deepest along the course of the Jordan (Barrois, PEFS, 1894, 211-20). From the point where the Jordan enters in the North to its exit in the South is about 13 miles. The greatest breadth is in the North, from el-Mejdel to the mouth of Wady Semak being rather over 7 miles. It gradually narrows toward the South, taking the shape of a gigantic pear, with a decided bulge to the West. The water of the lake is clear and sweet. The natives use it for all purposes, esteeming it light and pleasant. They refuse to drink from the Jordan, alleging that “who drinks Jordan drinks fever.” Seen from the mountains the broad sheet appears a beautiful blue; so that, in the season of greenery, it is no exaggeration to describe it as a sapphire in a setting of emerald. It lights up the landscape as the eye does the human face; and it is often spoken of as “the eye of Galilee.” To one descending from Mt. Tabor and approaching the edge of the great hollow, on a bright spring day, when the land has already assumed its fairest garments, the view of the sea, as it breaks upon the vision in almost its whole extent, is one never to be forgotten. The mountains on the East and on the West rise to about 2,000 ft. The heights of Naphtali, piled up in the North, seem to culminate only in the snowy summit of Great Hermon. If the waters are still, the shining splendors of the mountain may be seen mirrored in the blue depths. Round the greater part of the lake there is a broad pebbly beach, with a sprinkling of small shells. On the sands along the shore from el-Mejdel to `Ain et-Tineh these shells are so numerous as to cause a white glister in the sunlight.

The main formation of the surrounding district is limestone. It is overlaid with lava; and here and there around the lake there are outcrops of basalt through the limestone. At eT-Tabgha in the North, at `Ain el Fuliyeh, South of el-Mejdel, and on the shore, about 2 miles South of modern Tiberias, there are strong hot springs. These things, together with the frequent, and sometimes terribly destructive, earthquakes, sufficiently attest the volcanic character of the region. The soil on the level parts around the sea is exceedingly fertile. See _{GENNESARET, LAND OF. Naturally the temperature in the valley is higher than that of the uplands; and here wheat and barley are harvested about a month earlier. Frost is not quite unknown; but no one now alive remembers it to have done more than lay the most delicate fringe of ice around some of the stones on the shore. The fig and the vine are still cultivated with success. Where vegetable gardens are planted they yield plentifully. A few palms are still to be seen. The indigo plant is grown in the plain of Gennesaret. In their season the wild flowers lavish a wealth of lovely colors upon the surrounding slopes; while bright-blossoming oleanders fringe the shore.}

Coming westward from the point where the Jordan enters the lake, the mountains approach within a short distance of the sea. On the shore, fully 2 miles from the Jordan, are the ruins of Tell Chum. See _{CAPERNAUM. About 2 miles farther West are the hot springs of eT-Tabgha. Here a shallow vale breaks northward, bounded on the West by Tell `Areimeh. This tell is crowned by an ancient Canaanite settlement. It throws out a rocky promontory into the sea, and beyond this are the ruins of Khan Minyeh, with `Ain et-Tineh close under the cliff. Important Roman remains have recently been discovered here. From this point the plain of Gennesaret (el-Ghuweir) sweeps round to el-Mejdel, a distance of about 4 miles. West of this village opens the tremendous gorge, Wady el Chamam, with the famous robbers’ fastnesses in its precipitous sides, and the ruins of Arbela on its southern lip.}

From the northern parts of the lake the Horns of ChaTTin, the traditional Mount of Beatitudes, may be seen through the rocky jaws of the gorge. South of el-Mejdel the mountains advance to the shore, and the path is cut in the face of the slope, bringing us to the hot spring, `Ain el-Fuliyeh, where is a little valley, with gardens and orange grove. The road then crosses a second promontory, and proceeds along the base of the mountain to Tiberias. Here the mountains recede from the shore, leaving a crescent-shaped plain, largely covered with the ruins of the ancient city.

The modern town stands at the northern corner of the plain; while at the southern end are the famous hot baths, the ancient Hammath. A narrow ribbon of plain between the mountain and the shore runs to the South end of the lake. There the Jordan, issuing from the sea, almost surrounds the mound on which are the ruins of Kerak, the Tarichea of Josephus Crossing the floor of the valley, past Semakh, which is now a station on the Haifa-Damascus railway, we find a similar strip of plain along the eastern shore.

Nearly opposite Tiberias is the stronghold of Chal`-at el Chocn, possibly the ancient Hippos, with the village of Fik, the ancient Aphek, on the height to the East. To the North of this the waters of the sea almost touch the foot of the steep slope. A herd of swine running headlong down the mountain would here inevitably perish in the lake (_{Matthew 8:32, etc.). Next, we reach the mouth of Wady Semak, in which lie the ruins of Kurseh, probably representing the ancient Gerasa. Northward the plain widens into the marshy breadths of el-BaTeichah, and once more we reach the Jordan, flowing smoothly through the fiat lands to the sea.}

3. Storms:

_{The position of the lake makes it liable to sudden storms, the cool air from the uplands rushing down the gorges with great violence and tossing the waters in tumultuous billows. Such storms are fairly frequent, and as they are attended with danger to small craft, the boatmen are constantly on the alert. Save in very settled conditions they will not venture far from the shore. Occasionally, however, tempests break over the lake, in which a boat could hardly live. Only twice in over 5 years the present writer witnessed such a hurricane. Once it burst from the South. In a few moments the air was thick with mist, through which one could hear the roar of the tortured waters. In about ten minutes the wind fell as suddenly as it had risen. The air cleared, and the wide welter of foam-crested waves attested the fury of the blast. On the second occasion the wind blew from the East, and the phenomena described above were practically repeated.}

4. Fish:

The sea contains many varieties of fish in great numbers. The fishing industry was evidently pursued to profit in the days of Christ. Zebedee was able to hire men to assist him (_{Mark 1:20). In recent years there has been a considerable revival of this industry. See FISHING. Four of the apostles, and these the chief, had been brought up as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Peter and Andrew, James and John.}

The towns around the lake named in Scripture are treated in separate articles. Some of these it is impossible to identify. Many are the ruins of great and splendid cities on slope and height of which almost nothing is known today. But from their mute testimony we gather that the lake in the valley which is now so quiet was once the center of a busy and prosperous population. We may assume that the cities named in the Gospels were mainly Jewish. Jesus would naturally avoid those in which Greek influences were strong. In most cases they have gone, leaving not even their names with any certainty behind; but His memory abides forever. The lake and mountains are, in main outline, such as His eyes beheld. This it is that lends its highest charm to “the eye of Galilee.”

The advent of the railway has stirred afresh the pulses of life in the valley. A steamer plies on the sea between the station at Semakh and Tiberias. Superior buildings are rising outside the ancient walls. Gardens and orchards are being planted. Modern methods of agriculture are being employed in the Jewish colonies, which are rapidly increasing in number. Slowly, perhaps, but surely, the old order is giving place to the new. If freedom and security be enjoyed in reasonable measure, the region will again display its long-hidden treasures of fertility and beauty.

W. Ewing

CHINNERETH; CHINNEROTH

kin’-e-reth, kin’-e-roth (kinnereth (_{Deuteronomy 3:17 Joshua 19:35, etc.)), (kinaroth; Codex Vaticanus, Kenereth, Codex Alexandrinus, Cheneroth (Joshua 11:2)): Taking the order in which the towns are mentioned, this city seems to have lain North of Rakkath (?Tiberias). It may have occupied the site of el-Mejdel, at the Southwest corner of the plain of Gennesaret. From this city the sea took its Old Testament name (Numbers 34:11, etc.).}

_{http://bibleencyclopedia.com/gennesaret.htm}

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_{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee}

The Sea of Galilee lies on the ancient _{Via Maris, which linked Egypt with the northern empires. The Greeks, Hasmoneans, and Romans founded flourishing towns and settlements on the land-locked lake including Hippos and Tiberias. The first-century historian Flavius Josephus was so impressed by the area that he wrote, “One may call this place the ambition of Nature.” Josephus also reported a thriving fishing industry at this time, with 230 boats regularly working in the lake. Archaeologists discovered one such boat, nicknamed the Jesus Boat, in 1986.}

Much of the _{ministry of Jesus occurred on the shores of Lake Galilee. In those days, there was a continuous ribbon development of settlements and villages around the lake and plenty of trade and ferrying by boat. The Synoptic gospels of Mark (1:14–20), Matthew (4:18–22), and Luke (5:1–11) describe how Jesus recruited four of his apostles from the shores of Lake Galilee: the fishermen Simon and his brother Andrew and the brothers John and James. One of Jesus’ famous teaching episodes, the Sermon on the Mount, is supposed to have been given on a hill overlooking the lake. Many of his miracles are also said to have occurred here including his walking on water, calming the storm, the disciples and the boatload of fish, and his feeding five thousand people (in Tabgha).}

In 135 CE _{Bar Kokhba’s revolt was put down. The Romans responded by banning all Jews from Jerusalem. The center of Jewish culture and learning shifted to the region of the Galilee and the Kinneret, particularly the city of Tiberias. It was in this region that the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled.[11]}

Middle Ages

The lake’s importance declined when the Byzantines lost control and the area was conquered by the _{Umayyad Caliphate and subsequent Islamic empires. Apart from Tiberias, the major towns and cities in the area were gradually abandoned.[citation needed] The palace Khirbat al-Minya was built by the lake during the reign of the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I (705–715 CE). In 1187, Saladin defeated the armies of the Crusades at the Battle of Hattin, largely because he was able to cut the Crusaders off from the valuable fresh water of the Sea of Galilee.}

Modern era

Southern tip of the lake, seen from Mount Poriya

Throughout the early Ottoman era, the lake had little importance within the Ottoman Empire. Tiberias did see a significant revival of its Jewish community in the 16th century, but had gradually declined, until in 1660 the city was completely _{destroyed. In the early 18th century, Tiberias was rebuilt by Zahir al-Umar, becoming the center of his rule over Galilee, and seeing also a revival of its Jewish community.}

In 1909, Jewish pioneers established the first cooperative farming village (_{kibbutz), Kvutzat Kinneret in the immediate vicinity of the lake. The settlement trained Jewish immigrants in farming and agriculture. Later, Kvutzat Kinneret pioneers established Kibbutz Degania Alef. The Kvutzat Kinneret is considered the cradle of the kibbutz culture of early Zionism and is the birthplace of Naomi Shemer and the burial site of Rachel—two of the most prominent Israeli poets.}

In 1917, the British defeated Ottoman Turkish forces and took control of Palestine, while France took control of Syria. In the carve-up of the Ottoman territories between Britain and France, it was agreed that Britain would retain control of _{Palestine, while France would control Syria. However, the allies had to fix the border between the Mandatory Palestine and the French Mandate of Syria.[12] The boundary was defined in broad terms by the Franco-British Boundary Agreement of December 1920, which drew it across the middle of the lake.[13] However, the commission established by the 1920 treaty redrew the boundary. The Zionist movement pressured the French and British to assign as many water sources as possible to Mandatory Palestine during the demarcating negotiations. The High Commissioner of Palestine, Herbert Samuel, had sought full control of the Sea of Galilee.[14] The negotiations led to the inclusion into the Palestine territory of the whole Sea of Galilee, both sides of the River Jordan, Lake Hula, Dan spring, and part of the Yarmouk.[15] The final border approved in 1923 followed a 10-meter wide strip along the lake’s northeastern shore,[16] cutting the Mandatory Syria (State of Damascus) off from the lake.}

The British and French Agreement provided that existing rights over the use of the waters of the Jordan by the inhabitants of Syria would be maintained; the Government of Syria would have the right to erect a new pier at Semakh on Lake Tiberias or jointly use the existing pier; persons or goods passing between the landing-stage on the Lake of Tiberias and Semakh would not be subject to customs regulations, and the Syrian government would have access to the said landing-stage; the inhabitants of Syria and Lebanon would have the same fishing and navigation rights on Lakes Huleh, Tiberias and River Jordan, while the Government of Palestine would be responsible for policing of lakes._[17]

On May 15, 1948, Syria invaded the newborn State of Israel,_{[18] capturing territory along the Sea of Galilee.[19] Under the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Syria, Syria occupied the northeast shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. The agreement, though, stated that the armistice line was “not to be interpreted as having any relation whatsoever to ultimate territorial arrangements.” Syria remained in possession of the lake’s northeast shoreline until the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.}

In the 1950s, Israel formulated a plan to link the Kinnereth with the rest of the country by _{National Water Carrier, in order to supply the water demand of the growing country. The carrier was completed in 1964. The Israeli plan, in line with the Headwater Diversion Plan (Jordan River) of the Arab League, sparked political and sometimes even armed confrontations over the Jordan River basin.}

Archaeology

During a routine sonar scan in 2003 (finding published in 2013),_{[20] archaeologists discovered an enormous conical stone structure. The structure, which has a diameter of around 230 feet (70 m), is made of boulders and stones. The ruins are estimated to be between 2,000 and 12,000 years old, and are about 10 metres (33 ft) underwater.[21] The estimated weight of the monument is over 60,000 tons.}

Researchers explain that the site resembles early burial sites in Europe and was likely built in the early Bronze Age.

Water use

Israel’s _{National Water Carrier, completed in 1964, transports water from the lake to the population centers of Israel, and in the past supplied most of the country’s drinking water}._{[22] Nowadays the lake supplies approximately 10% of Israel’s drinking water needs.[23]}

In 1964, _{Syria attempted construction of a Headwater Diversion Plan that would have blocked the flow of water into the Sea of Galilee, sharply reducing the water flow into the lake.[24] This project and Israel’s attempt to block these efforts in 1965 were factors which played into regional tensions culminating in the 1967 Six-Day War. During the war, Israel captured the Golan Heights, which contain some of the sources of water for the Sea of Galilee.}

The Israeli government monitors water levels and publishes the results daily at _{this web page. The level over the past eight years can be retrieved from that site.[25] Increasing water demand in Israel, Lebanon and Jordan, as well as dry winters, have resulted in stress on the lake and a decreasing water line to dangerously low levels at times. The Sea of Galilee is at risk of becoming irreversibly salinized by the salt water springs under the lake, which are held in check by the weight of the freshwater on top of them.[26]}

Up until the mid-2010s, about 400,000,000 cubic metres (1.4×10^{10 cu ft) of water was pumped in the National Water Carrier each year._{[27] Under the terms of the Israel–Jordan peace treaty, Israel also supplies 50,000,000 cubic metres (1.8×109 cu ft) of water annually from the lake to Jordan.[28] In recent years the Israeli government has made extensive investments in water reclamation and desalination infrastructure in the country. This has allowed it to significantly reduce the amount of water pumped from the lake annually in an effort to restore and improve its ecological environment, as well as respond to some of the most extreme drought conditions in hundreds of years which the lake’s intake basin has frequently experienced since 1998. Therefore, it is expected that in 2016 only about 25,000,000 cubic metres (880,000,000 cu ft) of water will be drawn from the lake for Israeli domestic consumption.[23]}}

Tourism

ourists on a boat at Tiberias, 1891

The beach of the Sea of Galilee ^{_{Tourism around the Sea of Galilee is an important economic branch. Historical and religious sites in the region draw both local and foreign tourists. The Sea of Galilee is an attraction for Christian pilgrims who visit Israel to see the places where Jesus performed miracles according the New Testament, such as his walking on water, calming the storm and feeding the multitude. Alonzo Ketcham Parker, a nineteenth-century American traveler, called visiting the Sea of Galilee “a ‘fifth gospel’ which one read devoutly, his heart overflowing with quiet joy”.[29]}}

In April 2011, Israel unveiled a 40-mile (64 km) ^{_{hiking trail in the Galilee for Christian pilgrims, called the “Jesus Trail“. It includes a network of footpaths, roads and bicycle paths linking sites central to the lives of Jesus and his disciples. It ends at Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus espoused his teachings.[30]}}

Another key attraction is the site where the Sea of Galilee’s water flows into the ^{_{Jordan River, to which thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to be baptized every year.[citation needed]}}

Israel’s most well-known open water swim race, the Kinneret Crossing, is held every year in September, drawing thousands of open water swimmers to participate in competitive and noncompetitive events.[^{_{citation needed]}}

Tourists also partake in the building of rafts on Lavnun Beach, called Rafsodia. Here many different age groups work together to build a raft with their bare hands and then sail that raft across the sea.[^{_{citation needed]}}

Other economic activities include fishing in the lake and ^{_{agriculture, particularly bananas, dates, mangoes, grapes and olives in the fertile belt of land surrounding it.[citation needed]}}

Flora and fauna

The warm waters of the Sea of Galilee support various flora and fauna, which have supported a significant commercial fishery for more than two millennia. Local flora include various reeds along most of the shoreline as well as ^{_{phytoplankton. Fauna include zooplankton, benthos and a number of fish species such as Acanthobrama terraesanctae. Fish caught commercially include Tristramella simonis and Sarotherodon galilaeus, locally called “St. Peter’s Fish”.[3] In 2005, 300 short tons (270 t) of tilapia were caught by local fishermen. This dropped to 8 short tons (7.3 t) in 2009 due to overfishing.[31]}}

However, low water levels in drought years have stressed the lake’s ecology. This may have been aggravated by over-extraction of water for either the National Water Carrier to supply other parts of Israel or, since 1994, for the supply of water to Jordan (see “Water use” section above). Droughts of the early and mid-1990s dried out the marshy northern margin of the lake.^{_{[32] A fish species that is unique to the lake, Tristramella sacra, used to spawn in the marsh and has not been seen since the 1990s droughts.[32] Conservationists fear this species may have become extinct.[32] It is hoped that drastic reductions in the amount of water pumped through the National Water Carrier will help restore the lake’s ecology over the span of several years. As such, the amount planned to be drawn in 2016 for Israeli domestic water use is expected to be less than 10% of the amount commonly drawn on an annual basis in the decades before the mid-2010s.[23]}}

^{_{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Galilee}}

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He chose the little lake of Chinneroth, (Joshua 19:35,)Gennesaret, or modern times Lake Chinnereth in the Galilee section of Israel, usually in the Bible referred to as the Sea of Galilee, though it’s just a lake thirteen miles at its longest length and seven or eight miles at its widest point.

Lake Chinnereth, as it is known today, is one of the most fascinating and most studied bodies of water on the earth. We become sort of superficially familiar with it as the Sea of Galilee and we know about the fishing boats and about the agriculture around the sea, but we really, for the most part in kind of going through the stories of the Bible, never come to grips with the amazing properties of this lake which make this story so believable and so important.

It is one of the most studied lakes in the world. It is studied by scientific experts from all over the globe. All you have to do is look on your Worldwide Web for Lake Chinnereth and you will be flooded with all of the studies that have been done through the years to try to come to grips with the amazing, amazing, unique elements of wind and water that function on this lake.

It is the lowest freshwater lake in the world at 682 feet below sea level. There is no lake lower on the planet. It is only thirty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, situated in a bowl-shaped valley. To the west are the hills of Galilee which rise to a height of about 1,500 feet and so they are 1,500 feet plus 682 feet above the surface of the lake. To the north and west, as I said, are those hills of Galilee. To the east of the Sea of Galilee is a plateau. In fact, it’s a plateau that runs for forty-two miles down that part of the land of Israel. It is a plateau sixteen miles wide known today as the Golan Heights. It is a no-man’s land. The Israelis have pushed the Arabs back many miles against the…against the countries to the east and away from the heights because for so many years they were being shelled in the villages below the Golan Heights. The Golan Heights rise to an elevation of 3,000 feet, so they are quite high above the surface of the lake, a perfect place to bombard the people in the villages below. This plateau is sheer at some points and sloped at other points. To the north of the lake are the mountains of southern Lebanon that rise 10,000 feet above the surface of the water.

So there it exists on three sides surrounded by mountains from 1,500 feet all the way up to 10,000 feet.

The lake itself is supplied by the snow melt that comes from the Lebanese mountains, Mount Hermon being the most familiar one at 9,200 feet above sea level. The snow melts and sends the clean, clear water down the small Jordan River and it fills up the lake.

But that’s not the only water supply. That whole area is geothermal (produced by the internal heat of the earth) energy: and at the north and west part of the lake there are hot springs, fresh clear water bubbling up out of the ground that also supplies the marvelous and unique lake. Because the water is so pure, 50 percent of all drinking water in Israel comes from that lake, providing wondrously good water for all the inhabitants of Israel and it’s always been that way.

The lake is amazingly stratified. i.e. to form, arrage, or deposit in layers.

There are literally three sections of water, three different temperatures that are remarkable. The lake goes to a depth of 150 feet. Go down fifty feet and the temperature drops to about fifty-nine degrees. Go down another fifty feet and it drops to under fifty degrees, and those various sections of the lake have their own movements and their own motion, which contribute to the surface turbulence, to some degree.

Because of the freshness of the lake and the agitation of the lake, it is a wonderful place for algae to flourish and algae flourishing causes the fish population to flourish so that catching fish in the Sea of Galilee is about as easy as catching them anywhere.

Fishing in the Sea

^{_{http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/13965/}}

^{_{http://exploringbiblelands.com/2013/01/27/fishing-in-the-sea-of-galilee/}}

For millennia, fishing has been a very prosperous industry around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus spent most of the early years of his ministry in this area. He soon asked twelve men to help him. The first men He selected were local fishermen.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. – Matthew 4:18-22

Have you ever wondered what type of fish was caught? I have. Of course, we can’t know for sure because the Bible doesn’t tell us. But, generally, there were three different species of fish in the sea during the First Century. The most common was a species called ^{_{Tilapia. It is primarily a fresh water fish and lives in lakes and seas in warmer climates. As an adult, these fish are about 7-8 inches long and weigh about a pound.}}

Tilapia, a common fish found in the Sea of Galilee, being served at a restaurant in Magdala.

Over time, this species of fish has been nicknamed “St. Peter’s Fish”. This is an obvious reference to the passage mentioned above as well as a couple of others in Scripture. Present day visitors to the area can have the opportunity to eat this at a few restaurants around the shore. On my first trip to Israel, we ate at a small restaurant near the ancient city of Magdala. I have attached a picture of my plate. Being from the southeastern part of the United States, the opportunity to eat fried foods while I was over there was definitely a highlight of the day.

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Israel Bars Fishing In Sea of Galilee

Posted on ^{_{April 25, 2010 by Arieh O’Sullivan – The Media Line in Travel}}

^{_{https://www.greenprophet.com/2010/04/israel-fishing-ban-sea-galilee/}}

Shaul the fisherman hoses down a load of imported sea bream flown in from Greece, speaking nostalgically of the good old days when the catches were plenty: “When I was a kid, fishermen would toss out 150 hooks and haul in 100 kilos of fish,” says Shaul Rokach, a 57-year-old fishmonger from Jaffa.

“Today the fishermen toss out 3,000 hooks. He starts letting them out and doesn’t know when it will finish and in the end he hauls in 15 kilos, maybe. They can’t even cover the cost of the bait let alone the fuel. “Once my smile spread from ear to ear,” he adds. “My pockets were full of money. We’d strut down the piers. Now, they’re just trying to kill off the profession.”

Rokach is not the first fisherman to complain there are no longer any fish to catch in the holy land. Tradition holds that Jesus and his disciples fished the Sea of Galilee. According to the New Testament, Apostle Simon Peter ran a fishing business on the shores of the lake and complained that his net kept coming up empty. Jesus told him to cast his net again and it came up bursting with fish (Luke 5:4).

Generations have carried on this tradition, and today the most popular fish in the lake is dubbed St. Peter’s Fish, or Tilapia. But after being almost overfished to death, in the coming six weeks the Israeli government will gradually enforce a total ban on fishing in the biblical lake an effort to bring it back to life.

The new, two-year ban will force some 200 licensed fishermen out of the Sea of Galilee in search of a new trade.

“We will support the fishermen and make sure the lake is restocked with fish,” Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said when announcing the ban after his weekly cabinet meeting

The Sea of Galilee has witnessed a dramatic decline in fish, largely due to illegal practices such as catching breeding fish and preventing fish populations from growing. Millions of hungry migratory birds also feed heavily on the fish.

The ban on fishing in the fresh water Sea of Galilee in northern Israel has been discussed for some time. A joint, formal plan was recently formulated by Israel’s Agriculture Ministry, Environment Ministry and Treasury.

“There is a world wide trend in the decline of fish,” Hagay Noyberger, chief fishing ranger from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture tells The Media Line. “In Israel it’s the same. It’s caused by pollution, overfishing, global warming and other phenomena.”

Prof. Menachem Goren, an aquatic biologist from ^{_{Tel Aviv University, says overfishing was the principal problem in the declining fish stocks.}}

“There are too many fishermen, too many boats, over fishing and no management,” he says, speaking in his laboratory with shelves full of bizarre sea creatures preserved in jars. “The situation has become very bad not just in the reduction in the numbers of fish, but also in the size of those which remain.”

The Ministry of Agriculture reports that there has been a steady 20 percent decline each year in Israeli fish catches. In 2000, for example, there was almost 4,000 tons of fresh catch recorded. By 2006, just over 2,000 tons of fresh fish were caught.

Unlike neighboring countries, Israel does not ban fishing during the three to four month fish reproduction season, thus denying the fish population a chance to recover.

“In most Mediterranean countries, fishing is banned during the summer time and this allows the fish to breed and to grow,” says Prof. Goren. “Here in Israel we don’t have any regulation of this kind right now. So the fishermen fish all year round and they don’t give the fish any chance. They remove the mothers while they are small before they get to maturity and that is it.”

Noyberger says this too was about to change.

“We want to close areas to fishing in order to replenish the stock. It is a long process and not something that takes a day or two,” the fish ranger reveals.

Noyberger refuses to elaborate, but reports say these no-fishing zones will be off the coast of Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and the rich breeding grounds of Achziv just south of the Lebanon border.

The result of these changes is that Israeli fishermen are a dying breed, and the few who do remain say many have quit the trade out of frustration.

Rokach, known as “Shaul the fishmonger” from Jaffa, abandoned his boat to make a living importing fish.

“I’ve got salmon from Norway, grouper from Egypt, and cod and mackerel and sea bass,” he says, rattling off his imported stock. “People love fish a lot. All the fishermen I know are retiring and there are no new fishermen. I miss it, but let me remain with my good memories.”

The Ministry of Agriculture admits it has a plan to encourage the retirement of at least a third of the country’s legal fishing fleet. There are about 400 licensed boats in the Mediterranean, Sea of Galilee and Red Sea and about 3,000 registered fishermen.

“In order to improve fishing for the coming generations there is a trend to try and reduce the fishing fleet,” says Noyberger. “It is not something that will happen tomorrow, but if possible we will in the coming years reduce it by a third so that those who do remain will be able to make a living… The fishermen who are less active might find it worth their while to leave the profession.”

^{_{A Luxurious Vacation Near the Galilee Sea}}

(This story was first published by ^{_{The Media Line)}} Image via ^{_{the lees}}