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TIBERIAS
This
area has been a popular destination for tourists for over 2000 years. As
early as Roman times this thriving recreation spa, built around 17 natural
mineral hot springs more then 600 ft. below sea level, extended a warm
welcome to visitors from every part of the ancient world. Built by Herod
Antipas, the city was named Tiberias in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius.
Tiberias plays an important role in Jewish history. It was part of the land
bequeathed to Naphtali (Joshua 19.35). In the Mishnaic and Talmudic period,
Tiberias was an important spiritual center. The Sanhedrin (the High Court of
Israel during the period of the Second Temple) relocated to Tiberias from
Sepphoris, and the Talmud was compiled there. A Samaritan center existed in Tiberias
in the middle of the 4th century. The New Testament contains several references to the lake which is also known as the Sea of Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee, Lake Tiberias, and the Sea of Gennesa ret. No other area in the world is so closely associated with the life and times of Jesus. Today Tiberias and the surrounding shores of the Sea of Galilee are a year-round vacation spot. The Sea of Galilee offers every conceivable water sport. Its 32-mile shoreline abounds with natural trails, hills to climb and caves to explore. Tiberias is famous for its hot springs and health resorts. It is also a religious center for Christians and Jews alike, with man)’ religious shrines and historical sites. In this area, some of Israel’s first kibbutzim (collective farms) were established by the early pioneers at the turn of the century.
PLACES OF INTEREST THE OLD CITY WALLS The
remains of the ancient city nails, ramparts and round towers built of black
basalt date from the Crusader and later periods, although some were obviously
built over earlier walls. During
the rule of the Bedouin Sheikh Daher al-Omar, in the mid-1700s, the walls
still standing today were erected. Al-Omar’s son Chulabi and the Egyptian
Mameluke ruler Ibrahim Pasha, added to the construction. The 1837 earthquake
badly damaged their work. The city walls indicate the small size of the
medieval city, which covered only 37 acres. Fragments of the walls can be
seen at the traffic light, at Hayarden and Habanim Streets, near the Lev
Hagalil buildings. The major section of the southern wall winds from the edge
of the Sea near the Moriah Plaza and Galei Kinneret hotels. The northwest
section of the wall, traditionally called the ‘Crusader Castle” or Citadel”
is located at Donna Gracia St. THE CRUSADER CASTLE OR CITADEL The
northwestern corner of the old town wall is traditionally called the Crusader
Castle or Citadel. Today it houses artists’ studios and restaurants and is
called the Donna Gracia complex after the great lady who re-established
Jewish Tiberias in the 16th century. Actually constructed by the Bedouin
Chulabi in 1745, it is obviously post-Crusader, however its style is
reminiscent of that period. Donna Gracia St. imp HAMMATH TIBERIAS A
historic site on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, on Highway 90, the ruins
of this ancient Jewish city were uncovered alongside the Tiberias Hot
Springs. Outstanding among the ruins is a synagogue from the fourth century
C.E., with exquisite mosaics among the most beautiful in the country. There
is a garden at the site. Nearby, the Tiberias Hot Springs Corporation has set
up the Ernest Lehman Museum of the History of the Baths of Tiberias. Open
every day. Apr. - Sept. 8 am - 5pm. Oct. - Mar. 8 am - 4 pm. On Fridays and
the eves of holidays, the site closes one hour earlier. On the eve of Rosh
Hashana, Passover, and Yom Kippur, the site closes two hours earlier. On Yom
Kippur it is closed. Tel. 06-6 725287 MAIMONIDES’ TOMB Rabbi
Moses ben-Maimon (Maimonides), also known as the leading Rambam, born in
Spain in 1135, was the leading sage and philosopher of his time. In Jewish
tradition the Rambam is so central that Rabbis say. “From Moses to Moses
there was none like Moses.” He studied medicine in Cairo and his brilliant
medical works were widely translated. He became an outstanding court
physician and legend has it that Richard the Lion-Heart tried to convince him
to come to England. In the
field of Jewish learning, the Rambam wrote the celebrated Mishne Torah in
which he simplified the whole of traditional Jewish teaching as expressed in
the Talmud. His Guide For the Perplexed, a presentation of the
philosophy of Judaism, is his greatest and best-known work. On his death in
1204 he was buried in Tiberias where his tomb is still a major pilgrimage
site. Open all day. Rabbi Abulafiya St. RABBI AKIVA ‘S TOMB One of
Judaism‘s fabled heroes, Rabbi Akiva had a long and eventful life. Born to a
poor Judean family in 50 CE., as a small boy the illiterate Akiva tended the
flocks of a wealthy Jerusalemite whose pretty daughter, Rachel, fell in love
with the young shepherd and encouraged him to study. Akiva married Rachel
only to leave her for many years, in order to study. He became one of
Israel’s outstanding scholars and formulators of Jewish thought and ethics. A
great nationalist, Akiva identified himself with the revolt of Bar Kochva
against the Romans, and in 135 CE. the Romans, to make an example of him,
tortured and executed him. His white-domed tomb can be seen on the hillside
above Tiberias. Open all day. Kiryat Moshe. THE TOMB OF RABBI MEIR BA’AL HA-NESS Looking
down on the Tiberias Hot Springs is the traditional tomb of 2nd-century Rabbi
Meir Ba’al Ha-Ness. A student of Rabbi Akiva, his wisdom and knowledge,
original wit, and particularly his skill as a teacher, earned him the
nickname of “Meir” – the illuminator. Legends tell how he miraculously
rescued his sister-in-law from the Romans, subsequently becoming known as
“The Miracle Worker” (Ba’al Ha-Ness). Two synagogues, one Sephardi built in
1873, and the other Ashkenazi, built 25 years later, mark the rabbi’s tomb.
Believers throng to his tomb to pray for help in overcoming personal
problems. During Maimuna, celebrated by Moroccan Jews, the day after
Passover, a visit to his tomb is mandatory. Open 7.30 am - 6.30 pm. Near
Hamei Tiberias Hot Springs Tel. 06-6 720795 THE GREAT EL OMRI MOSQUE Tiberias’
Great Mosque in the heart of the city, erected by the Bedouin Sheikh Dahr al
Omar in 1743, is one of the last few buildings dating from pre-1948 still
standing in Tiberias. Experts claim that the mosque was built on the model of
the Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey. During the 18th and 19th centuries it was
the most prominent building in the town and was often depicted in official
pictures of Tiberias. The Great Mosque now stands at the center of a complex
of stores and arcades and is no longer a place of worship. JAMI AL BAHR MOSQUE & MUSEUM The
lakeside Jami al Bahr Mosque, housing the local Museum of Antiquities, was
built about 1880, probably on Crusader remains. No longer a place of worship,
the mosque, with its arcaded courtyard and high vaulted walls, has served for
20 years as the local museum, displaying a variety of archaeological finds
and documents, maps and prints. The Mosque is called the Sea Mosque because it
once served the Muslim fishermen of pre-State Tiberias. There was a special
entrance where fishermen could enter by boat, before the construction of the
Promenade pushed back the lake. THE GREEK ORTHODOX MONASTERY The
contemporary monastery was built in 1862 on several layers of ruins and was
restored during its centennial year. A walled garden serves as a forecourt to
the four chapels - one dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, one to the twelve
apostles, one to Mary Magdalene, and - in the ancient round tower - one to
St. Nicholas. The original monastery was probably established during the
third or fourth century G.E. Historians believe that the original was razed
by the Persians in 614 CE. and later repeatedly rebuilt and redestroyed. It
is encompassed by the southernmost walls of the Old City and includes a
hostel which once served scores of Christian pilgrims. Open Sat.-Mon.8 am - 5
pm. Located on the Promenade near Habanim St. Tel. 06-6720042, THE SCOTTISH CENTER OF THE GALILEE At one
time the only hospital in the Tiberias area, this center was established in
1885 by a young Scottish Protestant doctor, Dr. David Torrence, and treated
Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. When Dr. Torrence passed away, Tiberias’
Chief Rabbi stated -“Tiberias was blessed with three things: the Sea of
Galilee, the Hot Springs and Dr. Torrence.” The building served as a
maternity hospital until the end of the 1950s when it was converted into a
hostel. It is surrounded by a lovely walled garden, one of the most tranquil
spots in Tiberias. The
Church Open Sun. 8am - 9am, 6pm - 7pm, other days of the week by appointment.
The Garden Open daily 7am - 7pm. Hayarden St. corner Dana Gracia St. Tel,
06-6723769, ST. PETER’S CHURCH (TERRA SANCTA) The
Franciscan Church of St. Peter, commemorating Jesus’ miraculous catch of
fishes, stands on the lakeshore close to the Moriah Plaza and Caesar Hotels.
Built by the Crusaders in the 12th century it became a mosque under Muslim
rule, later a khan or caravansarai, and finally, once again, a church.
Rebuilt in 1870, enlarged in 1903, and then restored in 1944 to its present
form, the church has an apse in the shape of a boat. In the courtyard is a
monument erected by Polish soldiers, who were quartered in the hostel during
World War II The adjoining hostel, the Casa Nova, once served many Christian
pilgrims and today is run by two monks. One can visit the church every day
except Sunday and Christian holidays. Open
8am - 11.45 am, 2pm - 5pm. Hayarden St. Tel. 06-6720516 THE
CRADLE OF CHRISTIANITY Capernaum The
towering white limestone pillars in the synagogue at the fishing village of
Capernaum mark the seat of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. The apostles Peter,
Andrew, James and John lived here. Open
8.30 am. – 4 pm. Tel. 06-6721059 KURSI On the
eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, this Second Temple period Jewish town is
the traditional site of Jesus’ Miracle of the Gaderene Swine. In the fifth
century, a Christian town was founded here and the remains of a monastery
from that period can he seen on the site. Near the rock where the miracle is
said to have taken place, there is a reconstructed Byzantine church and
chapel. Open every day Apr. - Sept. 8 am - 5pm, Oct. - Mar. 8 am - 4pm. On
Fri. and eves of holidays the site closes one hour earlier. On the eves of
Rosh Hashana, Passover and Yom Kippur, the site closes two hours earlier.
Closed on Yom Kippur. Tel. 06-6731983 MAGDALA (MIGDAL) Hundreds
affect below the sheer cliffs of Mt. Arhel lies Magdala, traditionally the
home of Mary Magdalene. MOUNT OF BEATITUDES The
ruins of a Byzantine chapel on the Mount of Beatitudes mark the place where
Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. There is a small and very beautiful
chapel here today. Open
daily 8 am - 12 pm, 2.30 pm – 5 pm. Tel. 06-6790978 TABGHA (HEPTAPEGON -“SEVEN SPRINGS”) Tabgha
commemorates the traditional site of the Multiplication of the Loaves and
Fishes. A small chapel marks the site of the Mensa Christi where Jesus told
Peter to “feed my flock.” Open 8.30 am – 5 pm. Tel. 06-6721061 OTHER LANDMARKS BAPTISMAL SITE, RIVER JORDAN On a
particularly calm stretch of water on the southwest shore of the Sea of
Galilee, at its outlet to the legendary River Jordan, a specially constructed
baptismal site has been established. MOUNT TAVOR · The traditional site of Jesus’ transfiguration. Mt.
Tavor Church is open Sun. - Fri. 8am - 12pm, 2pm - 5pm, Sat. closed. · The village of Kfar Tavor,
east of Mount Tavor, was founded in 1901 and originally called Mescha after
the neighboring Arab village. In the village is a museum, Hatzerot Ha‘ikarim,
depicting its history. Museum open Sun. - Fri. 8.30 am - 2 pm, Sat. 9 am - 2
pm. Tel. 06-6765844 Tel. of the local council 06-6769991 CANA Where
Jesus performed his first miracle. Baptist Church, Haknesiyot St. Catholic
Church, open Mon. - Fri. 8 am - 12pm, in winter 2pm - 5pm, and in summer 2 pm
– 6 pm. Sat. mornings only, Sun.
closed. Haknesiyot St. Tel. 06-6517011 YIGAL ALLON HOUSE - THE MAN OF THE GALILEE MUSEUM This
museum, named after Yigal AlIon, an Israeli statesman and military commander,
features a sound and light show on the Galilee landscape, a computer center
with programs showing sites and tours in the Galilee and stories of heroes;
exhibition on the Jewish community in the time of the Mishnah and the Talmud
and on the Arab village; an interactive exhibit on Man at War; an exhibition
on Jewish settlements. There is also a memorial room and a film about Yigal
Allon. Near a
eucalyptus grove on the shore of the Sea of Galilee a 2,000 year-old boat was
found. The boat was transferred to a specially constructed pavilion at the
museum. A film is screened about the discovery and presentation of the boat.
Open Sun. - Thurs. 8.30 am - 5pm, Sat. 9 am - 5pm. Fri. and holiday eves the
museum is open 8.30 am - 1 pm, the boat site. 8.30 am – 4 pm. Kibbutz
Ginosar. Tel. 06-6 722905 TOURIST INFORMATION Habanim
St., Archaeological Park, Tiberias Tel. 06-6 725666 |