Pictures from the Galil

A two minute walk fromKibbutz Nof

        Known as the  "Jesus"boat as it the style of fishing boat used on the Sea of Galilee

        2000 years ago. During a drought the sea level dropped and portions of the boat

        were sticking out of the mud on the lake bed. The think mud has preserved wood

        that was buried but unfortunately a lot had rotted away.  The boat was very fragile

        so a plan was devised to remove it from the lake in one piece. It was cleaned off in

        place and covered in a spray foam and it was then removed in one big chunk of

        foam and wood.  It was then painstakingly thoroughly cleaned and preserved and

        mounted on this custom stand.

                                              A short drive up the hills to the MT of Beatitudes.

                            Beautiful gardens and breathtaking views from the Mt of Beatitudes.

                                         Capernaum. The home base of the Jesus Ministries

                                  Capernaum, The streets between the house are original. The city 
                                  was totally buried for centuries and when dug out revealed the 
                                  remains of the streets and houses.

                                                                The Synagogue at Capernaum


                        The foundations of this synagogue reveal  some interesting information. The 
                        synagogues were always built facing North-South East-West. The bottom layer 
                        of foundation stones are all squared off and in alignment. The second 
                        layer are run at an angle to the first layer and run out of alignment by about
                       18 inches and are also tapered in thickness but the top is level. This indicates 
                       that there has been a large earthquake there and that there have been two
                       synagogues on the site.

                         A sample of the ornate carvings on the headers on the Temple columns

The Galilee

The Galilee

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee from Kibbutz Nof  Ginosar Hotel

Mountains, fertile valleys, water sources, and green landscapes, make up the scenery  of the Galil, the northern part of Israel. It is traditionally divided into two geographical units. The Upper Galil and the Lower Galil with the Bet Hakerem Valley running between them. In the Lower Galil, the mountain peaks reach a maximum height of 600 m (1968ft) The upper Galil has peaks reaching double that height with the tallest mountain, Mount Mernon measuring 1200 m (3937ft) The region borders the Mediteranian Sea to the west and thee Jordon Valley to the east. The northern part of the Galil borders Lebanon and the southern parts run along the Jezereel valley.

Humans have settled in the Galil since prehistoric times. The Galil has always been a prominent stage for Jewish history, at times even more than Jerusalem. When Jews were exiled from Jerusalem and its environs at various times in the past, Jewish settlements flourished in the Galil. Jews settled in the Galil ever since the conquest of the Land of Israel by the twelve tribes in the days of Joshua and the judges. Important Biblical battles were fought in the Galil, such as the battle of Deborah and Barak against Siserah, the battle of Gideon against the Medianites, and the fateful battle of King Saul against the Philistines in which he was killed. After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Jewish governing body, the Sanhedrin, moved its center to the Galil. During the , Arab and Crusader periods, the pulse of the Jewish world moved to Babylon and Jewish settlements dwindled. Only small communities of Jews existed in and around Zefat and Tiberias. Only in the 16^th century, after the Spanish Inquisition and subsequent expulsion did Jews come back to Eretz Yisrael. Many settled in Zefat, making it the first city and the Galil as a whole a Jewish center again. It is no wonder that the settlers of the First Aliyah in 1882 chose to live in the Galil, establishing Rosh Pina (the cornerstone). It was also in the Galil that the first Kibbutz, Degania, was established in 1910 and the first Moshav, Nahalal, founded by pioneers of the Second Aliyah, is also located here. Even today the Galail remains the home of the pioneering spirit and new settlements are continually forming.

In the Galil you will meet diverse types of people such as Hassidim and Kaballists inZafat, secular farmers on different kibbutzim, new immigrants from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union in the development towns Kiryat Shemona and Carmiel, as well as Sabras whose families originate from the four corners of the world. Christianity was born in the Galil and many Christian holy sites attract thousands of pilgrims every year. Christian and Muslim Arab villaes dot the Galil. Other minorities also live in the Galil – the Druze and Bhai, both breakaway religions from Islam, settled in the mountains in order to escape the scrutinizing eyes of the Muslim rulers.