X-Dreamers · Lab sheet

The Sea of Galilee

The freshwater lake ringed by hills and fishing towns where much of Jesus' Galilean ministry took place: the calling, the storm, the feeding and the breakfast on the shore.

Scan to open the lab

The lake from above, with the hills around it

Key facts

The lake is about 21 km long and 13 km wide, its surface about 210 m below sea level, and about 43 m deep at its deepest.
The Gospels call it the Sea of Galilee, the lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Tiberias.
Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John from their boats by the lake (Mark 1:16–20).
A great storm rose while Jesus slept in the boat; he rebuked the wind and there was a great calm (Mark 4:35–41).
Towns around the shore included Capernaum, Magdala, Bethsaida, Tiberias (founded by Antipas about AD 18–20) and the Decapolis city of Hippos.
A boat of the period, found in 1986, measures 8.27 × 2.30 m.

Key verses

16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. 18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
Mark 1:16–18 · King James Version

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:37–39 · King James Version

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
John 21:4–6 · King James Version

Talk about it

The disciples asked, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” When have you felt like that, and what did you learn?
Jesus called fishermen in the middle of their work. What would it mean to follow him from where you are this week?
After the resurrection Jesus met his friends again by this lake and cooked them breakfast. Why do you think he came back here?

How sure can we be?

The Bible says

The calling, the storm, the walking on water, the feeding and the breakfast on the shore are told in the Gospels.

Our reconstruction

The lake's size and depth come from modern survey; the far shore and hills in the model are approximate, not a survey.
The boats follow the Galilee Boat and the Magdala mosaic; the rig is plausible.

Still debated

The Mount of Beatitudes is the traditional spot only; the site of Bethsaida and of the herd's plunge (Kursi?) are debated.