Christianity became the state religion in the fourth century CE. Christians soon began to establish communities and build churches, particularly at sites associated with Jesus' activities, such as the Sea of Galilee. At the time, Tiberias was the major Jewish city in the country, and opposition from the established Jewish community there somewhat halted the rate of conversion to Christianity in the city.
In the late Byzantine Era (sixth century) Tiberias, then at the peak of its expansion, was surrounded by a wall, sections of which have been discovered. The walled area included Hammat Tiberias to the south and also the steep slopes marking the city's western border. The highest point of these slopes is known as Mount Berenice (after Agrippa II's sister - there is no known historical connection and the reason for the name is a mystery).
Toward the end of the sixth century a church was built on a spur east of the summit of Mount Berenice, at a point affording a view of the entire Sea of Galilee and the Christian holy places around its shores. It was a typical Byzantine church: a rectangular building with nave and two aisles, ending in the east in an apse before which stood the altar. The floor was paved with mosaics. The church was probably destroyed in a great earthquake in the mid eighth century. Later it was repaired and remained in use till the final defeat of the Crusaders late in the twelfth century.