The Sea of Galilee, Lake Gennesaret, the Sea of Tiberias.
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
By these names is meant one and the same lake, situated in the region of Galilee, in Palestine. In antiquity it was called the Sea of Chinnereth, from its outward oval shape (Num. 34:11; Josh. 12:3); now it is called the Sea of Gennesaret, from the city of Gennesar, and for the beauty of its sceneryand the surrounding countryside, is called Tiberias, from the name of the nearby Galilean city of Tiberias (Matt. 14:34; John 6:1; Mark 8:31 [as given]). It is sometimes also called simply “the sea” (Matt. 8:24; 24:13, and elsewhere), or “the lake” (Luke 8:22, 23).
It stretches 30 versts in length and 8 in breadth; at its northern end the Jordan flows into it, and at its southern end flows out again. The climate here is tropical; among the basalt cliffs grow oleanders, very tall palms, and other trees, and indigo is cultivated in the fields. It appears to owe its origin to some volcanic upheaval. The water in the lake is pleasant to the taste, clear, and cool. The lake abounds in fish, and for this reason the local inhabitants for the most part were engaged, and still are engaged, in fishing.
The lake is usually calm and still, but from the winds off the nearby mountains it sometimes becomes stormy and dangerous for vessels sailing on it. These storms may serve to explain certain passages of the Gospel (Matt. 13:2; Mark 4:35; Luke 8:22; John 6:18). How many sacred and touching memories are bound up with this expansive, preeminently Gospel lake! Here, or not far from it, took place the chief events of the Savior’s earthly life. On its shores stood proud Capernaum, so often visited by the Lord. It was from the fishermen of this lake that He chose His disciples and called them to apostolic service (Matt. 4:18–22; Luke 5:1–11), making them fishers of men.
After the death of their divine Teacher, the Lord’s disciples returned to their customary occupation of fishing, and when the Lord appeared to them after His resurrection, they were casting their nets in the waters of this lake (John 21:1, 14). The country surrounding the lake, in the days of the Lord, was the most populous of the regions of Palestine. No fewer than nine cities stood on its shores, while numerous villages occupied the fertile and picturesque plains and slopes of the nearby hills.
At present, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, which once teemed with life and activity, reigns a mournful, unbroken silence. Seven of the nine cities that once existed are now entirely uninhabited; of the remaining two, Magdala (birthplace of St. Mary Magdalene, equal to the apostles) is occupied by half a dozen squalid hovels, and only Tiberias preserves a small remnant of its population.