GENNESARET

(garden of the prince), Land of. It is generally believed that this term was applied to the fertile crescent-shaped plain on the western shore of the lake, extending from Khan Minyeh (two or three miles south of Capernaum (Tel-Hum) on the north to the steep hill behind Mejdel (Magdala) on the south, and called by the Arabs el-Ghuweir, "the little Ghor." Mr. Porter gives the length as three miles, and the greatest breadth as about one mile. Additional interest is given to the land of Gennesaret, or el-Ghuweir, by the probability that its scenery suggested the parable of the sower. It is mentioned only twice in Scripture - (Matthew 14:34; Mark 6:53) Compare Luke 5:1