A river of southwest Asia rising in Syria and flowing about 322 km (200 mi) south through the Sea of Galilee to the northern end of the Dead Sea. River, Middle East. It rises in Syria, flows through the Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee), and then receives its main tributary, the Yarmk River. It drains into the Dead Sea at 1,312 ft (400 m) below sea level after a total course of 223 mi (360 km). In Christianity it is known as the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus