Fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus found his Apostles, calmed the stormy sea and walked on water

Terrace agriculture is now common in the Holy Land.  This is a comparatively recent form of intensive cultivation on hillside sites.

The importance of fish to the people on the shores of Galilee in Roman times is shown by many biblical stories.  The one illustrated here is the miraculous draught of fishes.

Fishing was one of the earliest sources of food, and fishing continued after the development of agriculture, as a useful supplement to the diet.  The Assyrians kept supplies of fish in speically made lakes or "vivaria".