A. The Iyon Valley (Ayoun)
1. Border between Israel and Phoenicia and Aram (Syria)
2. Biblical Valley of Mizpah - Joshua 11:3, 8
3. The city was smitten by Ben Hadad - I Kings 15:20; II Chronicles 16:4
4. The city was taken by Tiglath Pileser III - II Kings 15:29
5. In 1948, the valley became part of Lebanon
6. One of four sources for Jordan River, the Baragit or Ayoun flows through here
a. Also known as Hatanur, meaning “oven” because one
of the high waterfalls has formed the shape of a chimney in the rock
b. The Ayoun River begins in Lebanon but flows into Israel
c. The waterfalls of the Ayoun River (Wadi Dardara)
(1) The Ayoun Falls - About 30 feet high
(2) The Mill Falls - About 65 feet high and named after the nearby flour mill
(3) The Cascade Falls - Double falls about 30 and 15 feet high
(4) The Oven Falls - About 30 feet high |
B. The Hulah Valley
1. Size: About 20 miles long and four-five miles wide
2. Descends from 600 feet above sea level to 180 feet above sea level
3. Guarded by Abel Beth Maacah on the north and Hazor on the south
4. The northern side which is now the Israel-Lebanon border is 1200 feet above sea level
5. The Lake of Hula was drained in 1957
6. The four head waters of the Jordan River flow through this valley:
a. Banyas or Hermon River - 122 million cubic meters
b. Dan River - 252 million cubic meters
c. Hatzbani or Snir River - 117 million cubic meters
d. Iyon River - 8 million cubic meters
7. A total of 1,480 million cubic meters of water drains into this valley
every year
8. In the Talmud it is known as Hulata
9. In the Midrashim it is called Hulat Antokhia
10. Settled by the Tribes of Dan and Naphtali
11. First modern Jewish settlement began in 1883 with the village of Yesod Ha-Maalah |
C. The Sea of Galilee
1. Measurements
a. 13 miles long
b. 5 to 8 miles wide
c. 32 miles around
d. 150 feet deep (varies 60-156 ft.)
e. 630 feet below sea level - The lowest sweet water lake in the world
2. Names
a. The Sea of Chinnereth (Kinneret) - Numbers 34:11; Joshua 11:2; 12:3;
13:27
b. The Lake of Gennesaret - Luke 5:1
c. The Sea of Tiberias - John 6:1; 21:1
d. The Sea of Galilee - Matthew 4:18; 15:29
3. Marked the eastern border of the Land - Numbers 34:11
4. Marked the boundary of the Transjordanian Tribes - Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 12:3; 13:27
5. Major area of Jesus’ ministry - Matthew 4:18; 15:29; Mark 1:16; 7:31
6. Site of the drowning of the pigs - Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39
7. Jesus frequently crossed this sea - Matthew 8:23; Mark 8:10; Luke 8:22; John 6:1
8. The miracle of the stilling of the waters - Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25
9. Jesus walked on the water - Matthew 14:22-33; John 6:16-21
10. Miracle of the enormous catch - Luke 5:1-11
11. Miracle of Peter’s fish - Matthew 17:24-27
12. Jesus gave Peter his lesson on feeding the sheep - John 21:1-23
13. Jesus’ Ministry
a. 19 of 32 parables
b. 25 of 33 miracles
14. The rabbis teach: The Lord created seven seas but the Sea of Gennesaret
is His delight
15. The sudden storms on the sea are called Sharkia, Arabic for “east”
16. Key Cities
a. Tiberias
b. Migdal-Magdala (Tarichae)
c. Caparnaum
d. Chorazin
e. Bethsaida
f. Gergasa
g. Gamla
h. Hippos-Susita
i. Kinneret
17. The Fishing Industry
a. Contains 18 species, 10 of which are commercially important
b. The edible fish fall into three main categories
(1) Musht - Five species including St. Peter’s fish
(2) Biny (Barbels) - Three species of the carp
(3) Sardines - Two species
c. It contains catfish which cannot be eaten by Jews and so they are not
as
commercially important |
D. The Jordan Valley
1. Extends from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea
2. Distance of 70 miles
3. 4-14 miles wide
4. The Zor
a. 100-150 feet lower than main valley
b. 600 feet to two miles wide
5. River bed within Zor is 90-200 feet wide
6. Fed by other rivers
a. From east: Yarmuk and Jabbock
b. From west: Nahr Jalud and Wadi Faria
7. Place where Lot settled - Genesis 13:10-11
8. Israelite encampment before crossing the Jordan River - Numbers 31:12; 33:50; 35:1; Deuteronomy
1:1
9. Part of the area that Moses was allowed to see - Deuteronomy 34:3
10. Area of Jewish settlement - Deuteronomy 4:46, 49
11. Involved in the defeat of Ai - Joshua 8:14
12. Part of the northern confederacy against Joshua - Joshua 11:2
13. Defeated and taken by Joshua - Joshua 11:6-8
14. Eastern part of it was given to Gad - Joshua 13:27
15. The route for murderers of Ishbosheth - II Samuel 4:7
16. Solomon made his furniture for the Temple - I Kings 7:46; II Chronicles 4:17
17. Area where Elijah hid - I Kings 17:3-5
18. Area of John the Baptist’s ministry - Matthew 3:5; Luke 3:3; John 1:28
19. Where Zedekiah was captured - II Kings 25:4-5; Jeremiah 39:4-5; 52:7-8
20. A section of it known as “The Pride of the Jordan” was once the abode of
many lions: The Zor - Jeremiah 12:5; 49:19; 50:44; Zechariah 11:3
21. In the Psalms: 42:6 |
E. The Dead Sea
1. It has a number of names given in the Scriptures
a. The Salt Sea - Genesis 14:3; Deuteronomy 3:17
b. The Eastern Sea - Joel 2:20; Ezekiel 47:18
c. The Former Sea - Zechariah 14:8
d. The Sea of the Arabah - Deuteronomy 3:17; II Kings 14:25
e. Arabic (1) Bahr Lut - Sea of Lot (2) Bahr el-Mivet - Dead Sea
f. Greek and Roman - Lake Asphatites
2. The basic measurements
a. 48 miles long
b. 11 miles wide - Average 9½ miles
c. 124 miles around
d. 189 square miles on the surface
e. It is 1,292 feet below sea level
f. It is 1,319 feet deep
g. The bottom is 2,600 feet below sea level
3. Divided by The Lishon (the “Tongue”) which, in biblical
times, crossed over the entire Dead Sea and divided it in two, though today it only protrudes
about two-thirds of the way
4. Area of the battle of the five kings against the four - Genesis 14:1-12
5. Border of the Transjordanian tribes - Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 12:3
6. When Israel crossed the Jordan River, its waters were cut off from entering the Dead Sea
- Joshua 3:16
7. It marked the southern and eastern border of the land of settlement Numbers 34:3, 12
8. Taken by Israel - Joshua 12:3
9. Beginning of the southern border - Joshua 15:2
10. East border of the Tribe of Judah - Joshua 15:5
11. East border of the Tribe of Benjamin -Joshua 18:19
12. The southern border of the Land was restored under Jeroboam II II Kings 14:25
13. In the Kingdom, the Dead Sea waters will be healed and will have and contain life - Ezekiel
47:6-12
14. Today it is very rich in minerals:
a. Potassium chloride - 2 billion metric tons
b. Magnesium bromide - 980 million metric tons
c. Sodium chloride - 11 billion metric tons
d. Magnesium chloride - 22 billion metric tons
e. Calcium chloride - 6 billion metric tons
f. Gypsum - 81 million metric tons |
F. The Arabah Proper
1. 110 miles long, 6-12 miles wide
a. Begins at 1,292 feet below sea level
b. After 62 miles, it rises to 650 feet above sea level
c. Highest point above sea level is at Jebel er Rishe
d. After 48 miles, it descends to sea level
2. Borders:
a. The mountains of Edom on the east change colors during the day from
light pale in the morning to pink, red and purple in the evening
b. The Negev Hills in the west made up limestone and flint ridges
3. Area of the battle of the five kings against the four - Genesis 14:1-12
4. Cities of the Arabah destroyed - Genesis 19:1-29
5. Part of the Wilderness Wanderings - Deuteronomy 1:1; 2:8
6. Part of the area that Joshua took over - Joshua 11:16; 12:1-3
7. Taken by Israel - Deuteronomy 1:7; 3:10, 17; 4:49
8. Eastern border of the Land - Joshua 18:18
9. David defeated the Syrians - II Samuel 8:13
10. David defeated the Edomites - I Chronicles 18:10-13; Psalm 60: superscription
11. Route of the Queen of Sheba
12. Amaziah defeated the Edomites - II Kings 14:7; II Chronicles 25:11
13. First Jewish settlement: Yotvatah - 1948 |
G. The Red Sea
1. Israelite crossing from Egypt - Exodus 13:18; 14:1-31; 15:4,
22; Numbers 33:8; Deuteronomy 11:4; Joshua 2:10; 4:23; 24:6; Judges 11:16; Nehemiah 9:9-11;
Psalms 106:7, 9, 22; 136:13, 15; Acts 7:36; Hebrews 11:29
2. One of the borders of the Promised Land - Exodus 23:31
3. Area of the Wilderness Wanderings - Numbers 14:25; 21:4; 33:10-11; Deuteronomy 1:1, 40;
2:1
4. King Solomon’s ships - I Kings 9:26
5. Part of Armageddon - Jeremiah 49:21 |
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