Mount Arbel, in the Lower Galilee near Tiberias, is a striking mountain of sheer cliffs and sweeping views over the Sea of Galilee and surrounding highlands. Though only 181 metres above sea level, it rises about 380 metres above the lower land around it and dominates the landscape. Formed as part of the Jordan Rift Valley, it also preserves a long human history. Its caves were enlarged into Jewish dwellings in the Second Temple period and later fortified in conflicts involving the Seleucids, Herod’s opponents, and the First Jewish–Roman War. Nearby ruins include an ancient Jewish settlement and synagogue, and the area is now both a nature reserve and a popular hiking destination.