Then the valley flattens into the Hula Basin, causing the waters of the Jordan to spread, creating a broad, marshy area. In ancient times much of the water collected in a shallow body known as Lake Hula (or Huleh). But Lake Hula is not there anymore because in recent times the upper Jordan was straightened, canals were added to drain the marshy area, and the outlet of the lake was deepened. Hence, if you look at a map of the area and see, north of the Sea of Galilee, a lake (Hula), you will know that the map is of the region in ancient times, not of how you will find it today.

If you visit, though, you will find a nature reserve that can give you an idea of how the area looked in Biblical days, when it was home to special types of plants, such as waving forests of papyrus and reeds.​—Job 8:11.

The area was home to a constantly changing assortment of birds. Herons, storks, pelicans, turtledoves, and other birds abounded, in part because the swamp and lake formed an excellent resting area on the migration route between Europe and Africa. (Deuteronomy 14:18; Psalm 102:6; Jeremiah 8:7) Other creatures appropriate to the area would have been less visible, but their presence made passage across the Hula Basin uninviting. These likely included the lion, the hippopotamus, the wolf, and the wild boar. (Job 40:15-24; Jeremiah 49:19; 50:44; Habakkuk 1:8) During some periods mosquito-borne malaria prevailed, evidently one of the fevers mentioned in the Bible.

Understandably, both individual travelers and large caravans would skirt this swampy area.

The Hula Basin is today a fertile agricultural area; there are even fishponds. All of this is possible because of the abundant waters that flow down this part of the Jordan River.