Tiberias has been a popular destination for tourists for more than 2,000 years. As early as Roman times this thriving recreation spa, built around 17 natural mineral hotsprings more than 600 feet below sea level, welcomed visitors from every part of the ancient world. Built by Herod Antipas (one of Herod the Great's three sons who divided up Palestine after their father's death), the city was named Tiberias in honor of the Roman Emperor Tiberius.

Tiberias plays an important role in Jewish history. It was part ofthe land bequeathed to Naphtali (Joshua 19:35). The Sanhedrin (the HighCourt of Israel during the period of the Second Temple) relocated to Tiberias from Sepphoris. In the Mishnaic and Talmudic period, Tiberias was an important spiritual center. The Mishna was completed in Tiberias in 200 C.E. under the supervision of Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi ("Judah the Prince"). The Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in 400 C.E.

Tiberias sits along the 32-mile shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. TheSea lies roughly 650 feet below sea level and is 14 miles long and 7 ½miles wide at its widest point. The Sea is the major source of fresh water for the entire country. The Sea, really a lake, lies on the ancient "Via Maris," a route that linked Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Israelis call the Sea by the biblical name Kinneret. This was the name of a city on the northwestern edge of the lake during the Canaanite and Israelite periods. The reference to the Sea of Tiberiasis attributable to the newer riparian city.

Learn more about Tiberias.

Virtual Tour content provided by the American-Israeli CooperativeEnterprise(AICE). To find more information about the sites on our tripand general facts about Israel visit the Virtual Israel Experience at AICE's Web site.