Perillo Tours

Tiberias sits on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, about 650 feet below sea level.

Named for the emperor Tiberius, the town figures importantly in Jewish and Israeli history, and is home to a number of Christian pilgrimage sites as well.  Tiberias has also been a thriving recreation spa since Roman times; it is built around 17 natural mineral hot springs.

Tiberias was part of the land bequeathed to Naphtali in the Old Testament, and later Tiberias was an important Jewish spiritual center. The Mishna was completed here in 200 C.E., and the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in 400 C.E.  Early Zionists established some of Israel's first kibbutzim in the area around the turn of the century, and following the establishment of Israel, people flocked to the city, quadrupling the population. Today, Tiberias is home to about 30,000 people.

The ancient town of Hammat, nearby, has a synagogue dating to the 4th century, with an unusual and magnificent mosaic floor depicting nude human figures. Synagogues rarely display human representations and nudity is even rarer. Hammat also boasts the hottest mineral springs in Israel and remains a popular spa.

The Sea of Galilee and the towns on its shores are mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament – Jesus calmed its stormy seas and walked on its water. The ancient fishing village of Capernaum, on the northeast shore, is said to be the home of apostles Peter and Andrew, and the town of Migdal is near the ancient settlement where Mary Magdalene was born. Further north is the town of Tabgha, considered to be the site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, and the Mount of the Beatitudes, where Jesus is believed to have preached the Sermon on the Mount. Of course, scholars debate to this day the exact locations of many of these events.