During the three years of his public ministry, Jesus spent most of his time traveling and teaching around the northern end of the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee is also called Lake Tiberias or Lake Gennesaret in the Gospels—all of these names refer to the same large body of water in northern Israel (see it on a map here). It is about 13 miles long and eight miles wide. Capernaum, Jesus' home base during much of his public ministry, is located on its shores. The Jordan River flows into it from the north, and flows out of its southern end. It is the lowest freshwater lake in the world.

When one visits the Sea of Galilee today, one is struck by the fact that this lake and landscape would have been what Jesus saw during his life on earth. He died and rose in Jerusalem, but that is a very different place now than it was in his time. The landscape of Galilee has remained mostly the same—he would have been familiar with the sight of these hills and valleys, and the color of this water.

The landscape around Galilee has broad, fruitful valleys where farmers grow crops of wheat and corn, bananas, mangoes, hay, tomatoes, olives, plums, peaches, cherries, and almonds. The land and the climate are conducive to growth, which stands in contrast to the very arid land south of Jerusalem. Wild grapes and capers are easy to find here. The land and the people would not have had difficulty welcoming and supporting an itinerant preacher like Jesus and his followers.

This large lake is the site of many Gospel stories, such as Jesus’ walking on the water, calming the storm, preaching from boats, and calling the disciples. It also provides the setting for many of his parables—he taught by drawing upon imagery from the natural world and work life familiar to his listeners in this region, such as seeds, fish, nets, sheep, and vineyards.

(The boats shown in this historical photo date from the 1800s, but roughly approximate the shape and size of fishing boats Jesus’ disciples might have used.)

In Jesus’ time, the area was a crossroads where trade routes intersected, so there were always new ideas and people and products coming through. At the same time, the centers of wealth were elsewhere—people in this region worked to survive. It was not an intellectual center. Faith was not a mental exercise for these people—it was a daily, lived experience with real consequences.

A pilgrim might ponder how this region shaped Jesus, and why he chose this area for his public ministry. Galilee is far removed from the political and religious center of power in Jerusalem, so this was blue-collar territory, so to speak—“everyday” people lived here. Also, the fertile land is refreshing—the air smells clean. Everything in Jerusalem is densely packed together, but you can breathe in Galilee.

Spend a few moments in quiet prayer on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with this video.

Scripture Passages Associated with the Sea of Galilee

Mt 14:22-36 , Jn 6:16-21 (Jesus walks on water)

Mt 17:22-27 (the tale of the fish and the coin; see the Holy Land connection to this story here)

Lk 5:1-11 (The calling of Peter)