Place Old and New Testament
Sea of Galilee
Also known as Lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberias, Chinnereth
The Sea of Galilee is the freshwater lake in northern Israel, also called Gennesaret and Tiberias, around which most of Jesus's Galilean ministry took place. He called fishermen on its shore, taught from boats, calmed its storm, and walked on its water.
Why it matters. Many of the events in which the disciples learned who Jesus is happened on or beside this lake.
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.807, 35.589 (region, within about 12 km)
A freshwater lake about 21 km long; coordinates mark its center (TIPNR, Chinnereth). Precision is regional because the lake, not a shore point, is the place.
Modern name: Lake Kinneret
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The calling of the first disciples occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe Synoptics place the call beside the Sea of Galilee, which Luke calls the Lake of Gennesaret.
Evidence:The parables of the Kingdom occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJesus teaches from a boat beside the sea while the crowd stands on the shore.
Evidence:The calming of the storm occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe storm strikes while the disciples cross the lake by boat.
Evidence:The feeding of the five thousand occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureMedium confidenceJohn places the feeding on the far shore of the Sea of Galilee; Luke names Bethsaida nearby.
Jesus walks on the water occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe disciples are rowing across the sea when Jesus comes to them on the water.
Evidence:Jesus appears by the Sea of Galilee occurs at Sea of Galilee
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceJohn names the Sea of Tiberias, another name for the Sea of Galilee.
Evidence:
Appears in Scripture
Named in 10 verses across 6 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.