The archaeological site of Bet Yerah (“house of the moon”), also known as Khirbet Kerak, is not mentioned in either Biblical or Egyptian records, but excavations here have uncovered evidence of a settlement dating from the Bronze Age right through to the period of Arab rule.
The site, 10 kilometers south of the Hamat-Tiberias hot springs, includes a jumble of remains dating from various eras. The best preserved remnants include a bath complex dating from the 4th or 5th century and a 3rd century Roman fort. There is also a Byzantine church and a three-aisled synagogue dating from the 5th century. The tell of Khirbet Kerak lies where the Sea of Galilee empties into the Jordan river and the terrain rises 15 meters above the level of the lake. It is triangular in shape and approximately 1.2 km by 380 m (at its widest point), covering 60-75 acres. The Jordan river runs to the south, although it previously (until at least the medieval period) ran north and west of it.
The tell of Khirbet Kerak was at certain times the site of two twin towns, Bet Yerah and Sinnabris.
