Our next stop: the Sea of Galilee. Talk about a beautiful body of water! We stopped at a lookout point to the southwest of the lake -- we were at sea level, with the lake 685 feet below us. It’s the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea). Behind me to the left is the Golan Heights, and to the right are two original kibbutzes in the area. These kibbutzes grow date palm trees and also make honey from palm trees.
The colorful scenery was simply stunning, and quite a contrast to southern Israel and the West Bank. We ended up circling the Sea of Galilee, going counterclockwise.
It’s only 13 miles long by 7 miles wide, which hardly qualifies it as a “sea,” so it is more accurately a lake. It is the only freshwater water supply in Israel and sits deep in the Jordan Great Rift Valley, which is caused by the separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Its main source of water is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south, although it is fed partly by underground springs.
When we drove up to the Golan Heights, we were literally a stone’s throw from Jordan (although my cell phone didn’t warn me of per-call charges from Jordan this time). This double fence is on the border, and had signs posted at regular intervals warning of mines between the border fence.
This turret was left behind from the war of 1967, when the Golan Heights was part of Syria.
If you look closely in the valley below, you can see Gadera, Jordan, and a spa that was once a Roman bath. You can also see the switchback road we were traveling. Some of the hairpin turns were quite hairy for our bus!
Once we made it to the top of the Golan Heights, we passed several other kibbutzes. There’s lots of agriculture up there.
This view of the Sea of Galilee is from the Golan Heights, looking southeast. The Mount of Transfiguration is in the center on the horizon.
Tiberias is on the western bank of the lake -- it’s the lowest city in the world.
On the horizon to the north is Safed, what our tour guide called the home of mysticism of Judaism. This village sits atop a mountaintop (see the steep drop to the left of center -- just below the huge piece of dust from my lense that appears to be floating in the sky) and is home of he Kabbala -- a medieval philosophy of direct communication between man and God. Further to the right, and nearer the shore, is where Jesus gave his sermon on the mount.
Looking southeast again, with the Mount of Transfiguration behind the cactus. From this vantage point, you can easily understand why Israel cannot give up the Golan Heights -- it’s a very strategic location overlooking much of northern Israel to the west.
Slightly more to the right of this photo is the snow-capped Mount Hernon, the highest mountain in Israel (lying partially in Lebanon and Syria as well). The rain and snow that falls here affects the water supply of the entire region. Israel's National Water Carrier, built in 1964, transports water from the lake to the population centers of Israel, and is the source of most of the country’s drinking water. Israel also supplies water from the lake to Jordan, under the terms of the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty. However, increasing water demand and dry winters have stressed the lake causing a decreasing water line, at times to dangerously low levels.
More beautiful flowers growing in the Golan Heights.
The view of the northern area of the Sea of Galilee, as we drove down from the Golan Heights.
Labels: Israel, Travel
Our next stop: the Sea of Galilee. Talk about a beautiful body of water! We stopped at a lookout point to the southwest of the lake -- we were at sea level, with the lake 685 feet below us. It’s the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea). Behind me to the left is the Golan Heights, and to the right are two original kibbutzes in the area. These kibbutzes grow date palm trees and also make honey from palm trees.
The colorful scenery was simply stunning, and quite a contrast to southern Israel and the West Bank. We ended up circling the Sea of Galilee, going counterclockwise.
It’s only 13 miles long by 7 miles wide, which hardly qualifies it as a “sea,” so it is more accurately a lake. It is the only freshwater water supply in Israel and sits deep in the Jordan Great Rift Valley, which is caused by the separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Its main source of water is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south, although it is fed partly by underground springs.
When we drove up to the Golan Heights, we were literally a stone’s throw from Jordan (although my cell phone didn’t warn me of per-call charges from Jordan this time). This double fence is on the border, and had signs posted at regular intervals warning of mines between the border fence.
This turret was left behind from the war of 1967, when the Golan Heights was part of Syria.
If you look closely in the valley below, you can see Gadera, Jordan, and a spa that was once a Roman bath. You can also see the switchback road we were traveling. Some of the hairpin turns were quite hairy for our bus!
Once we made it to the top of the Golan Heights, we passed several other kibbutzes. There’s lots of agriculture up there.
This view of the Sea of Galilee is from the Golan Heights, looking southeast. The Mount of Transfiguration is in the center on the horizon.
Tiberias is on the western bank of the lake -- it’s the lowest city in the world.
On the horizon to the north is Safed, what our tour guide called the home of mysticism of Judaism. This village sits atop a mountaintop (see the steep drop to the left of center -- just below the huge piece of dust from my lense that appears to be floating in the sky) and is home of he Kabbala -- a medieval philosophy of direct communication between man and God. Further to the right, and nearer the shore, is where Jesus gave his sermon on the mount.
Looking southeast again, with the Mount of Transfiguration behind the cactus. From this vantage point, you can easily understand why Israel cannot give up the Golan Heights -- it’s a very strategic location overlooking much of northern Israel to the west.
Slightly more to the right of this photo is the snow-capped Mount Hernon, the highest mountain in Israel (lying partially in Lebanon and Syria as well). The rain and snow that falls here affects the water supply of the entire region. Israel's National Water Carrier, built in 1964, transports water from the lake to the population centers of Israel, and is the source of most of the country’s drinking water. Israel also supplies water from the lake to Jordan, under the terms of the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty. However, increasing water demand and dry winters have stressed the lake causing a decreasing water line, at times to dangerously low levels.
More beautiful flowers growing in the Golan Heights.
The view of the northern area of the Sea of Galilee, as we drove down from the Golan Heights.
