Tiberias

Tiberias

Tiberias is the largest city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and is considered a holy city in Judaism. The Tiberias Hot Springs are located in the city, and are ancient pools filled with water from 17 natural springs. It was an important Jewish center in late antiquity. Since the 16th century, it has been considered one of the four holy cities of Judaism, together with Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safe. According to Jewish tradition, Tiberias was established on the site of the ancient Israelite village of Rakkath, which was first mentioned in the Book of Joshua. During the Talmudic period, the Jews continued to refer to the city by this name. Archaeological sites abound around the city. At the foot of Mount Bernike, south of modern Tiberias, a 2,000-year-old Roman theater was discovered 15 meters below layers of rubble and garbage. It once held more than 7,000 people. In 2004, Israel Antiquities Authority digs in Tiberias revealed a structure from the 3rd century AD which could be the seat of the Sanhedrin. Back then it was called Beit Hava'ad. An underground Jewish mausoleum was discovered in June 2018. According to archaeologists, the mausoleum is between 1,900 and 2,000 years old. The names of the dead, carved on the ossuaries in the Greek language. In January 2021, archaeologists led by Katia Cytryn-Silverman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem unearthed the foundations of a mosque dating back to the earliest years of Muslim rule just to the south of the Sea of Galilee. It is believed to be the first purpose-built mosque in the city and was constructed around 670 CE.