Yam Kinneret is a freshwater lake situated in North-East Israel, near the Golan Heights, in the Jordan Rift Valley, the valley caused by the separation of the African and Arabian Plates. Consequently the area is subject to earthquakes and, in the past, volcanic activity. This is evident by the abundant basalt and other igneous rocks that define the geology of the Galilee region. Owing to its abundant water supply, warm climate, the fertile land in its vicinity, and the numerous fish in the lake, Lake Kinneret has attracted man since prehistoric times. Kinneret serves as a prominent boundary mark: its western shores are in the possession of Naftali, whose cities of Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth are situated along its banks; most of the eastern shore belongs to the eastern half of the tribe of Menashe, and the tribe of Gad extends up to its southern end.
