Our virtual tour of Israel continues around the Sea of Galilee to a small Kibbutz with a history larger than life. For those who do not know what a kibbutz is, I will explain later in this article. For now, let’s go back in time 2,000 years and hear a beautiful description of the area in and around the town of Gennesareth from the historian, Josephus: “One may call this place the ambition of nature, where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together; it is a happy contention of the seasons, as if every one of them laid claim to this country…” (Wars Book 3:10)
Flavius Josephus, the Jewish Historian who documented much of the Jewish history in his time. (tngchristians.ca)
We know that Gennesareth was a flourishing fishing town in the 1st century CE. The lake that is referred to today as the Sea of Galilee, or its Israeli name, the Kinneret, was at that time known as Lake Gennesareth. We also know from last week’s tour, in Migdal, that a great deal of the towns dotting the Galilee shoreline were destroyed in 66-67 CE during the Great Revolt of the Jews against Roman occupation in the land of Israel. Josephus, whose Jewish given name was Yosef Ben Mattityahu, was the commander of the rebels in the Galilee during the time of the Great Revolt. However, he was captured during this revolt and became the personal captive of Flavius Silva, the Roman Commander. Yosef Ben Mattityahu was given a new name during his captivity and became known as Josephus. He documented the wars as they happened and history as he understood it.
Some 2,000 years later, the writings of Josephus are the sole historical accounts of the events between the Jews and the Romans in those days. Because he wrote his works while in captivity, many modern historians have tried to filter through his writings to understand what might have been written from a slanted Roman viewpoint. Many Jews refer to him as a traitor to his people because of some of the things he wrote. But in fact, since he is our only source of the historical accounts, we can also be thankful that his life was spared to tell his story. What we can know from his description of Gennesareth is that he acknowledged the struggle to live amongst one’s enemies and that sometimes the force of nature makes it impossible not to. This is not much different than today, where Jews and Arabs lay claim to the same land, making them natural enemies, but living side by side and trying to make it work.
The early years at Kibbutz Ginnosar, circa 1941. (museums.gov.il)
For 2,000 years we do not hear anything about Gennesareth until March 1937 when a group of young Zionists established a kibbutz just north of Migdal and named it Ginnosar, after the ancient town whose remains have still yet to be found. A kibbutz is a socialist type of communal living environment, mostly associated with farming, whose hope was to establish farming communities throughout Israel. In the early 1900s, young Jews from Eastern Europe began pioneering their way to their ancestral homeland to build new lives for themselves. These young emigrants felt that self-reliance would be their sustenance and so these city folks put the plow to the ground, worked the soil and learned how to farm. They established the first kibbutz at the southwestern end of the Sea of Galilee and taught newcomers how to farm. Then they established kibbutzim (plural for kibbutz) all over the country. The kibbutz members shared everything together. They all farmed, they all cooked, they all cleaned, they all did laundry and they all took turns raising the children. They believed that together, they could develop the land and share the responsibilities of life. You can see a few more pictures from this time here.
The hull of the ancient boat found on the shores near Kibbutz Ginnosar. (archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com)
In 1986 there was a big drought in Israel. Yuval and Moshe, brothers from the kibbutz, were walking along the shore when they found some nails and looked further to see the shape of a boat. They brought in a team of archaeologists to investigate their findings. And low and behold a 2,000-year-old boat had come to the surface. As they uncovered the boat they could see that it had been well preserved. The boat was buried under the silt of the sea for 2000 years and was not exposed to oxygen, which makes wood disintegrate. Ironically, the winter of 1986 was the rainiest winter on record and so they had to get the exposed boat out of the elements quickly. They dug out the boat with spoons, bulldozed a ditch to divert the water, filled the boat with polyurethane foam to preserve the wood, and pulled it out with a crane. They lowered it in a bathtub of chemicals to fossilize the wood and 10 years later they put it on display here in Kibbutz Ginnosar. The final resting place is a Museum dedicated to Yigal Allon that houses this boat and many other educational items that are well worth your time.
The boat dates back to the 1st century and the time of Jesus of Nazareth. It could have been one of the boats that Jesus and his disciples fished from, or it could have been one of the boats that sank in the sea when Jews were trying to escape the Romans during the Great Revolt. But for whatever purpose the boat was used 2,000 years ago, we have the awesome privilege to see history come to life with our own eyes. To reflect on the stories we have read in the New Testament, to ponder the writings of Josephus, or to touch the ancient past and wonder whatever became of Gennesareth.
The Yigal Allon Centre at Kibbutz Ginnosar, where the “Jesus Boat” is housed. (kiechle.com)
Today, Kibbutz Ginnosar is a thriving tourist site. Christian groups come and board boats and float on the Sea of Galilee reading stories of the miracles of Jesus and singing worship songs to honour the God of Israel. Jewish families still live and work on the kibbutz. But the communal lifestyle has begun to fade. More and more kibbutzim are becoming privatized. The people own their own homes and many work in jobs outside of the kibbutz. The members no longer have shared responsibilities, but they share their lives, holidays and traditions with one another. And on this kibbutz, in particular, they have found much to celebrate as they have literally discovered a piece of history to share with the world.
Once again, it would be my pleasure to meet you in Israel and share more stories of this amazing land and the people who developed it.
Happy Hanukkah from Israel!
