The Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee, known to Israelis as Lake Kinneret, is only 13 miles by 7 miles, but is one of the most well-known bodies of water in the world. It was on these beautiful shores that Jesus delivered sermons and performed miracles. Many famous sites are located around the lake, including Capernaum, home to at least five of the twelve disciples. The Church of the Beatitudes is said to be where the Sermon of the Mount was preached and Tabgha, believed to be the site where Jesus fed 5,000 followers from five loaves of bread and two fish, is marked by The Church of Multiplication. The nearby lakeside town of Migdal is the hometown of Mary Magdalene.

The Israeli Water Authority announced plans to replenish the Sea of Galilee with desalinated water in December 2017. The Sea of Galilee provides approximately 1/4 of Israel's drinking water, and due to years of below average rainfall the sea had dropped to dangerously low levels. The low water level has increased the salinity of the reservoir, harming the water quality. The Israeli Water Authority extracts about 17,000 tons of salt from the Sea of Galilee each year to ensure it's potability. The plan to pump in desalinated water and replenish the sea is estimated to take two years and cost $290 million.

Sources: Israeli Foreign Ministry;
Parched Sea of Galilee to be replenished with desalinated water, Times of Israel, (December 19, 2017).