Tiberias

TIBE'RIAS, a town of Galilee, situated on the western bank of the Sea of Galilee, which is called "the Sea of Tiberias " only by John, who was the last of the N.T. writers. John 6:1; Jud 21:1. History. - The city is only once mentioned in the N.T. John 6:23. Although it was an important and busy town in Christ's time, there is no record that he ever visited it. It was then a new city, built by Herod Antipas, a.d. 16-22, and named in honor of the emperor Tiberias. Josephus, who mentions the city very frequently, says that Herod built it on a site where were ancient sepulchres belonging to an extinct and forgotten city. Thus it was unclean to the Jews, and Herod brought in many strangers, foreigners, and slaves. A palace was erected, with an amphitheatre, bathhouses, temples, and costly works of art. An aqueduct 9 miles long brought in fresh water. During the Jewish wars Josephus fortified Tiberias. After Jerusalem was destroyed the Sanhedrin settled here, and for many centuries it was one of the most celebrated seats of Jewish learning. The Jewish Mishna or ancient traditional law, and the Masorah were compiled here. Present Condition. - The modern city called Tubariyeh stands on the southwestern shore of the lake, some 4 miles from its southern extremity, in lat. 32░ 46' 14". It occupies only a small portion of the ground covered by the ancient city, the remains of which stretch southward for a mile and a quarter, to the hot springs. Many of the old stones have been removed for use in the modern buildings, but some very fine specimens of polished marble and black basalt remain. For view, see Galilee, Sea of. The modern city is surrounded on the land-side by a wall much broken and not repaired. The great earthquake on New Year's day, 1837, overthrew the city and destroyed six hundred lives. A small church standing on the reputed site of St. Peter's house, and a mosque half in ruins, are the principal buildings to attract attention. Although the town is extremely picturesque as seen from the distance, with its wall, minaret, and palm trees, it is found on closer acquaintance to be in a state of filth which even in the East can be scarcely paralleled. This is aggravated by the excessive heat, the temperature often attaining 100 Fahr. Tiberias is still one of the four holy cities of the Jews, and more than one-half of the inhabitants are Jews of the poorer class, who live, in great measure, on the alms sent by their coreligionists in various parts of the world. Many of the Jews are immigrants from Poland. There are also Mohammedans and Christians. The population is some 3000 or 4000. The famous hot springs, to the south, are still much resorted to for medicinal purposes. The temperature ranges from 131 to 142 Fahr. On a slight eminence, 1 mile west of the town, lies the Jewish burial-ground, in which some of the most celebrated of the Jewish Talmudists are interred.