Tiberias

Here I am on our hotel balcony in Tiberias, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.  The "sea" is actually a large freshwater lake, 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.  It supplies most of the fresh water for Israel.  It is also a big stopping point for Americans doing tours of the "Cradle of Christianity", as the Galilee area is where Jesus spent a lot of time. Ironically, only 1.5% of the Israeli population is now Christian, according to my Fodor's guide. On the Jewish side, Tiberias is considered one of Judaism's four holy cities, being the home of the Jewish Talmud (Jewish oral law).  The great Jewish philosopher Maoimonides is also buried here, though he never lived here. His remains were transported from Egypt.  Tiberias was established 2,000 years ago by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great.  Herod Antipas, like his father, knew where his bread was buttered, and named the town after the ruling Roman emperor of the time, Tiberius.  My Fodor's guide describes this city of 40,000 as having "little beauty and less charm", and I have to agree that most streets look dirty and neglected.  On the other hand, it does have row upon row of row of falafel stands, and yes, the falafel is delicious.