Sea of Tiberias

Biblical Text

The Sea of Tiberias is the name the Gospel of John gives to the large lake in the region of Galilee. John 6:1 uses both names together: "the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias." John 21:1 says only "the sea of Tiberias."

John 21 recounts how the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples on the shore of this lake. The disciples who went out on the lake were Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other unnamed disciples.

• They fished all night but caught nothing.
• At dawn Jesus, standing on the shore, told them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, and they caught 153 great fish (John 21:11).
• When "that disciple whom Jesus loved" recognized him and said, "It is the Lord," Peter cast himself into the sea.
• Jesus prepared fish and bread over a fire of coals and ate breakfast with the disciples. The text records that this was the third time he showed himself to his disciples after the resurrection (John 21:14).
• Jesus then asked Peter three times, "Lovest thou me?" and charged him, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15–17).

Name and Geography

Tiberias was originally the name of a city. Herod Antipas, who ruled Galilee, founded the city on the western shore of the lake in the early first century and named it after the Roman emperor Tiberius. The Tiberias mentioned in John 6:23 is this city. In the New Testament, the name Tiberias appears only in the Gospel of John.

The Bible refers to the same lake by several names:

• Old Testament: Chinnereth (Numbers 34:11; Joshua 13:27)
• Gospel of Luke: the lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1)
• Other Gospels: usually the Sea of Galilee

Although the lake is freshwater, the Greek text uses the word for "sea" (thalassa). It is a little over 20 km (about 13 miles) long from north to south, and its surface lies more than 200 m (about 650 feet) below sea level. The Jordan River flows into it from the north and out of it to the south. Fishing has flourished there since ancient times, and Peter and Andrew, as well as James and John, were fishermen on this lake.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

The area around the lake was the central setting of Jesus' Galilean ministry. Here Jesus called his disciples, calmed the storm, and walked on the water. The feeding of the five thousand also took place on the far side of this lake (John 6).

John 21 portrays Jesus recommissioning his disciples at the very lake where he had first called them. Many commentators note that this scene resembles the miraculous catch of fish in Luke 5:1–11. In addition, the word for "fire of coals" (anthrakia) occurs only twice in the New Testament: once in the courtyard of the high priest's house, where Peter denied Jesus (John 18:18), and once in this scene. For this reason, many interpreters read this scene in connection with Peter's denial.

Interpretation and Issues

• Status of chapter 21: Because John 20:30–31 appears to function as the book's conclusion, many scholars regard chapter 21 as a later epilogue. Conservative scholars hold that chapter 21 was part of the book from the beginning. No known manuscript lacks chapter 21.
• The 153 fish: The text gives only the number and does not explain its meaning.
• Augustine observed that 153 is the sum of the numbers from 1 to 17 and interpreted it as symbolizing the Law (10) and the Holy Spirit (7).
• Some interpreters see it as representing mission to all nations.
• Others regard it not as a symbol but as a concrete detail remembered by an eyewitness.
• The questions about love: Jesus' questions and Peter's answers alternate between the Greek verbs agapaō and phileō. Some interpreters distinguish the meanings of the two verbs, while others regard them as stylistic variations with the same meaning.
• Peter's status: The Catholic Church reads this passage as one of the grounds for Petrine primacy (the claim that Peter was first among the apostles). Protestants generally read it as the scene in which Jesus restored Peter, who had denied him three times, and entrusted him with a shepherd's mission.
• Location of the event: One tradition identifies Tabgha, on the northwestern shore of the lake, as the site of this event, and a memorial church stands there. The text, however, does not specify the exact location.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, John 21 is frequently used as a sermon text at installation services for pastors and at ordination services because of the words "Feed my sheep." The scene of casting the net on the right side is often cited in sermons on obedience. Korean Christians on pilgrimages to the Holy Land frequently visit the Sea of Galilee and the modern city of Tiberias.