Fish in the Sea of Galilee
Fishing in the Sea of Galilee played an important role at the time of Jesus. There was a fishery in Magdala, where the fisherman living alongside the seashore pickled the fish. Eighteen types of fish are home in the Sea of Galilee; ten of them are important for commercialization. At the top: The catfish (clarias lazera) is the biggest fish in Palestine. It can reach a length of 1.25 m, and a weight of 10 kg. Since it does not have scales, Jews are not allowed to eat that fish (Lev 11:9; Deut 14:9). Therefore its value was limited for commercial use. Perhaps the term “bad fish” in Matt 13:48 refers to the catfish. Bottom left: The Hafafi (varicorhinus damascinus) also belongs to the barbs. Since it originated in the region of the springs of the Jordan River, it swims up-stream for spawning there in the winter. Bottom right: The barb.
Lev 11:9; Deut 14:9; Matt 4:18; 7:10; 13:47–48; 14:17, 14:19; 15:34, 15:36; Mark 1:16; 6:38, 6:41, 6:43; 8:7; Luke 5:2, 5:6; 9:13, 9:16; 11:11; 24:42; John 6:9, 6:11; 21:3–13
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