Lake Tiberias, located in the Galilee region of northern occupied Palestine, is facing a new wave of threats endangering the freshness of its waters — and its very existence — due to climate change, annual rainfall fluctuations, and other factors. Some believe these dangers are linked to Jewish religious beliefs tied to the prosperity or potential downfall of “Israel.”
Certain Jewish circles believe that when Lake Tiberias fills to its maximum, it signals the imminent arrival of the “Messiah” — a sign of the “approaching time of salvation.” In contrast, its severe drought or nearing the so-called “black line” is seen as a sign of “God’s anger” or the approach of the end times.
According to Jewish belief, the “Messiah” (or Mashiach) is a king from the lineage of David who will come at the end of days to return the Jews to the land of Israel, establish global peace, rebuild the so-called Third Temple in Jerusalem, and fulfil divine justice.
Lake Tiberias
Also known as Tabariyya or Kinneret in Hebrew, and the Sea of Galilee, it is a freshwater lake located between the Galilee region in northern Palestine and the Golan Heights, at the northern part of the Jordan River’s course. The lake’s shoreline stretches 53 km, its length is about 21 km, and its width is about 13 km, covering an area of roughly 166 km².
Its maximum depth reaches 46 metres. The waters descend from the snow-capped Mount Hermon, and geologists connect the lake and its surrounding depression as part of the Syrian-African Rift.
Various coloured lines describe the lake’s water level to indicate abundance or drought risks:
- Upper Red Line: 208.90 metres below sea level — the full capacity mark.
- Lower Red Line: 213.00 metres below sea level — a critical level.
- Full Capacity Level: 208.80 metres below sea level — where discharge channels from the lake begin operating.
- Black Line: 214.87 metres below sea level — represents severe environmental danger, rendering the water undrinkable and unfit for marine life.
The lake’s water level has fluctuated sharply in the past decades. In 1969, it overflowed at 208.30 metres below sea level, 60 cm above the upper red line at the time. Despite the continued flow into Israel’s “National Water Carrier” and the full opening of the Degania Dam to allow the Jordan River’s flow, the lake still flooded low-lying areas.
In December 2001, after consecutive drought years, the lowest level was recorded at 214.87 metres below sea level, marking the “black line” below which the level must not fall. In 2004, the water level nearly reached its maximum, just 37 centimetres below full capacity — meaning it rose over 5.5 metres in about two years, according to Israel’s Ynet.
Religious Significance
Rabbi Dov Kook Ben Shoshana, known for his symbolic interpretations, said that the filling of Lake Tiberias to its banks is a definite sign of the Messiah’s arrival. He noted that a rise in the lake’s level by one centimetre during a rainy winter (2020 figures) strengthened this belief.
In statements reported by Israel News, he described the lake’s fullness as a “spiritual state connected to salvation.” The rabbi said a news report caught his attention when Water Authority officials confirmed the lake had risen by one more centimetre due to heavy rainfall in the north. He explained his calculations — that the lake’s full level approximates “209 plus 11 minus 198,” which he called a symbolic “laugh.”
He added that “salvation” is symbolically tied to the final Hebrew letter “ץ” and that when salvation comes, joy and laughter will prevail. He elaborated that adding the letter Yod to the word “צחק” (laugh) forms the name “יצחק” (Isaac), which he interprets as pointing to a depth of 208 metres — the level the lake should reach.
He noted that what remains is just 91 millimetres, a number equivalent to the word “Amen,” symbolising unity connected to the lake in his calculations.
The rabbi claimed that Lake Tiberias was filled with rain this winter (2020) and reached a depth of 220 metres, still about 22 cm below full capacity. He explained that the number 220 corresponds to the word “Crown” (Keter), and at the same time, the coronavirus pandemic (“crown virus”) appeared, resembling a crown under the microscope.
He interpreted this to mean that “when Lake Tiberias rises from the ‘crown’ depth, the Messiah King will appear to reveal God’s kingdom in the heavens and the earth and confirm there is no god but Him.” He noted that the name Kinneret (Israel’s name for Tiberias) is composed of “crown and nun,” which he said numerically equates to “the crown of salvation.”
He concluded that “the level of Lake Tiberias represents the standard for salvation for the people of Israel and the entire world.”
In the Babylonian Talmud, a text links the destruction of the Galilee region (which includes Lake Tiberias) to the coming of the “Son of David” (the Messiah according to Jewish belief) with phrases such as: “The Galilee will be destroyed and the Golan will be desolate when the Messiah King comes.”
In an article by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu titled “The Drought of Tiberias: A Divine Message for Repentance,” published by Makor Rishon in October 2018, the drop in Lake Tiberias’ water level to alarming lows was described as “not merely a water crisis but a sign from heaven.” He stressed that this drought “constitutes a spiritual warning to Israeli society,” citing the Book of Amos, where the lack of rain is linked to straying from God’s path.
The article highlighted the lake’s religious significance, calling it the “Holy Sea of Galilee” because of its pure water suitable for “ritual purification,” stressing that the drying up of the “heart of the land” is a danger that goes beyond environmental impact.
In Islam
In Islamic creed, the drying up of Lake Tiberias is tied to the major signs of the end times after the return of the Messiah (Jesus, peace be upon him). According to authentic hadiths narrated in Sahih Muslim, Gog and Magog will pass by the lake’s waters and drink it until none remains, then they will say, “There was once water here.”
One part of an authentic narration in Sahih Muslim, in the Book of Tribulations and Signs of the Hour, under the chapter “The Story of Al-Jassasa,” quotes Fatimah bint Qais saying:
“He asked: ‘Tell me about Lake Tiberias.’ They said: ‘What do you wish to know?’ He said: ‘Does it have water?’ They said: ‘It has abundant water.’ He said: ‘Indeed, its water is soon to disappear.’”
In Islamic belief, the drying up of Lake Tiberias is one of the major signs of the end times after the second coming of the Messiah (Jesus, peace be upon him), when Gog and Magog will drink its waters until it is gone.
