The Galilee
The Galilee
The Galilee is perhaps the finest laboratory in the world to study the
various components of complete Jewish national life - perhaps even
better than Jerusalem! For while Jerusalem has been the spiritual and
political capital of Israel since the time of David, inspiring Jews in Eretz
Yisrael and throughout the world, life in Jerusalem never typified the life
of Jews in their land. In fact, there were times when Jews were not
allowed in Jerusalem and the Galilee became the focal point and living
center of Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael. Of all the regions in the country,
the Galilee had the most continuous presence of Jewish day-to-day life
throughout the centuries.
The Galilee is the northern area of Israel. lts borders are clear:
- To the west: the Mediterranean Sea.
- To the east: the Jordan valley.
- To the north: the northern border of Israel
- To the south: the Jezreel valley.
The Acco-Tsfat road divides the Galilee in two:
The upper Galilee is the area north of the road, through the valley of
Beit Hakerem
the lower Galilee runs south of the road to the Jezreel valley, and
includes the basin of Lake Kinneret.
The Galilee is a hard, difficult area. Today it looks fertile but the
appearance is deceptive. The area is full of mountains and valleys,
stubborn hard earth, and riverbeds that have been blocked for long
periods of time, causing waters to fan out into stagnant swamps. these
natural factors have demanded a lot from the people who have lived in
the Galilee and worked its land. the people have had to be as stubborn
as the land itself, but those who have worked the land with care and
determination have been rewarded.
In addition to supporting Jewish life over the ages, the Galilee hosted
millions of foreign visitors during the course of history. During the past
3,000 years, many of the great empires of the world exercised control
over the land of Israel. A close examination of the Galilee is therefore
an exploration of the ways Jews learned from other cultures,
accommodated them - and vice versa! The ebb and flow of foreign
influence on Jewish life is a basic theme in the story of the Galilee. In
the Galilee we can see how the Jews resisted the incursions of cultures
and empires - often unsuccessfully and how the Galilee has responded
to the social, cultural, economic, and military demands of Jewish
national life.
Pictures by: Pinhas Baraq