[30] See John ii, 1; also iv, 46, i, 47 and xxi, 2.
[31] Tiberias was built by the Romans in A.D. 20. It is only once mentioned in the Bible (John vi, 23). The modern town is much smaller than was the ancient one. In 1837, half the population perished by a great earthquake.
[32] Lake Tiberias in the Old Testament was called the "Sea of Chinnereth," and the "Sea of Chinneroth" (Numb. xxxiv, 11; Deut. iii, 17; Josh. xii, 3, xix, 35).
In the New Testament, in addition to the names in the text above, it is called the "Lake of Gennesaret" from the plains of that name on its north-western shore.
In the vicinity of the lake our Lord spent the larger portion of his life, thus we find it continually mentioned throughout the four Gospels. Some of the references are: Matt. iv, 13, viii, 24, 28, xiii, 1, xiv, 25, xvii, 27; John vi, 1, xxi; Luke v, 1. At that time other towns stood upon its shores, including Capernaum and Bethsaida.
The lake is nearly seven miles across at its greatest width and its extreme length is just over 12 miles.
[33] It is a strange coincidence that a stream close to Jedeide is called "El Maut," which means "Death".
[34] "Lebanon" means "White," probably employed because of the snow which can be seen most of the year on the Lebanon range of mountains, on the western side of the valley (see Jer. xviii, 14). Lebanon is stated in the Bible to be on the northern border of the Promised Land (Deut. i, 7, iii, 25, xi, 24; Josh. i, 4, ix, 1). King Solomon's palace and temple were built of cedars and firs from Lebanon (I Kings ix, 19), also the second temple (Ezra iii, 7). Other references to Lebanon are Josh. xi, 17, xiii, 2; Judges iii, 1; Deut. iii, 25; II Chron. ii, 2; Psalms xxix, 5, xcii, 12; Isa. xiv, 8, xxxv, 17, xl, 16; Solomon's Song iv, 8, 11, 15.
[35] After the massacre of 1860, Lebanon was made an independent province, governed by a Christian Pasha, nominated by the Sultan of Turkey and approved by the European Powers.
[36] Rayak is the junction of the railway from Beirut to Damascus and Aleppo to Damascus.