Gush HaLav
In the eastern Upper Galilee,
only seven kilometers north-west of Safed
(Tsfat),
an Arab village is located on the ruins of
a city that once prospered.
Gush Halav, known by the Arabs as el-Jish,
or simply Jish, is today a mixed village,
the majority of whose residents are Christian
Maronites living an exemplary life of co-existence
with Moslems and Catholic Greeks.
However, Arabs haven’t lived here from
time immemorial. Its first inhabitants arrived
approximately 5,000 years ago, but the place
became renowned during the time of the Second
Temple (about 2,000 years ago), when
there was an ancient Jewish center here.
In that period, the area surrounding Gush
Halav was famous for its choice olives, olive
oil and rare silk.
The most famous personality from Gush Halav
was Yokhanan ben Levi (or, Yokhanan of Gush
Khalav), born locally and one of the leaders
of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans.
In a daring move, Yokhanan and his men had
opposed the Roman occupation and defended
the town, and fled to Jerusalem only
when they could no longer withstand the siege.
The Jewish presence in Gush Halav continued
until the fourteenth century, and the present
village was established in the eighteenth
century.
The village boasts authentic Lebanese restaurants,
and within its expanses are several graves
held sacred by Jews (including the graves
of the prophet Joel, and of the rabbinical
sages Shmaya and Avtalyon).
In the center of the village, in the beautiful
lanes of the Old City, you can walk among
the ruins of the Byzantine period, and see “the
statues of yearning,” the threshing-floor,
and “the vale of tears.”
Gush Halav has three churches: The Butrus
(Peter) Church, located on the peaks of the
settlement, is the largest building in the
village. However, it is closed and you can
only visit its courtyard. The church stands
on the ruins of a magnificent synagogue,
the remains of whose heart-shaped columns
lie nearby. The small Maronite Church, which
was destroyed in a large earthquake in the
nineteenth century, opens for worship in
the afternoons, though you can also visit
it during the day. The Elias Church, which
is the largest, most central, and most modern
of the three churches, has a convent, a spacious
courtyard, and a statue of the Virgin Mary.
A mausoleum, a fourth-century non-Jewish
sepulchral monument, has been uncovered on
the western slope, containing a chamber tomb
with a double sarcophagus, a revolving door
weighing 200 tons (yet revolving easily),
and small burial cells where the ossuaries
were placed.
In addition to the interesting sites, tourists
will meet friendly inhabitants, including
an aged novice who relates wonderful stories,
his son who plays the oud, and a local jam-maker.
The village is also famous for its figs and
vines, and if you ask for permission, you
can enter the residents’ courtyards
and refresh yourself with the summer’s
sweet fruits. Music lovers will be pleased
to hear that the musician, George Sam’an,
lives in the village. He plays the fiddle
and the oud at his home, and visitors can
enjoy authentic music to the accompaniment
of colorful stories, drink choice coffee
and stay in guest rooms.
The Ein Gush Halav spring flows east of Gush
Halav. Next to it are the beautiful remains
of a synagogue from the Roman
period, with two rows of columns with
foyers at the sides, the remains of a roof,
and a pillar with an ancient inscription.
In the area of the settlement, as well as
further away, are additional sites where
you can enjoy nature walks and the green
lush Galilean scenery.
Sources: GoIsrael |