Jish

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Jish (Arabic: الجش‎; Hebrew: גִ'שׁ, גּוּשׁ חָלָב‎ Gush Halav) is an Arab town located on the northeastern slopes of Mt. Meron, 13 kilometres north of Safed in Israel's North District.^[1]

Though Jish was largely depopulated of its Muslim inhabitants during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, those expelled from the nearby Arab Christian villages of Iqrit and Kafr Bir'im in the years following took up residence in Jish. These internally displaced Palestinians form the majority of Jish's population today.

According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Jish had a population of 2,600 inhabitants in 2005.^[2] The majority of the population are Maronite Christians and Greek Catholics, though there is a significant Muslim minority.^[3]

[edit] History

Settlement in Jish dates back 3,000 years. The village is mentioned in the Mishnah as Gush Halav, a city "surrounded by walls since the time of Joshua Ben Nun". The Hebrew name, which can be roughly translated as "block of milk" is thought to refer to the chalky white limestone characteristic of the village's geological structure, or perhaps to the fertility of its soil. Classical sources written in Greek, including the Wars of the Jews by Josephus, call the village Gischala. Both Josephus and later Jewish sources from the Roman-Byzantine period mention the fine olive oil the village was known for.

After the fall of Gamla, Gush Halav was the last Jewish stronghold in the Galilee and Golan region during the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (66-73 CE). Gischala was also the home of a key figure in the revolt both there and in Jerusalem thereafter, a certain Yohanan of Gush Halav (יוחנן מגוש חלב), known in English as John of Gischala. As told by Josephus:

1. NOW no place of Galilee remained to be taken but the small city of Gischala, whose multitude yet were desirous of peace; for they were generally husbandmen, and always applied themselves to cultivate the fruits of the earth. However, there were a great number that belonged to a band of robbers, that were already corrupted, and had crept in among them, and some of the governing part of the citizens were sick of the same distemper. It was John, the son of a certain man whose name was Levi, that drew them into this rebellion, and encouraged them in it. He was a cunning knave, and of a temper that could put on various shapes; very rash in expecting great things, and very sagacious in bringing about what he hoped for. It was known to every body that he was fond of war, in order to thrust himself into authority; and the seditious part of the people of Gischala were under his management, by whose means the populace, who seemed ready to send ambassadors in order to a surrender, waited for the coming of the Romans in battle-array. Vespasian sent against them Titus, with a thousand horsemen, but withdrew the tenth legion to Scythopolis, while he returned to Cesarea with the two other legions, that he might allow them to refresh themselves after their long and hard campaign, thinking withal that the plenty which was in those cities would improve their bodies and their spirits, against the difficulties they were to go through afterwards; for he saw there would be occasion for great pains about Jerusalem, which was not yet taken, because it was the royal city, and the principal city of the whole nation, and because those that had run away from the war in other places got all together thither. It was also naturally strong, and the walls that were built round it made him not a little concerned about it. Moreover, he esteemed the men that were in it to be so courageous and bold, that even without the consideration of the walls, it would be hard to subdue them; for which reason he took care of and exercised his soldiers beforehand for the work, as they do wrestlers before they begin their undertaking. 2. Now Titus, as he rode ut to Gischala, found it would be easy for him to take the city upon the first onset; but knew withal, that if he took it by force, the multitude would be destroyed by the soldiers without mercy. (Now he was already satiated with the shedding of blood, and pitied the major part, who would then perish, without distinction, together with the guilty.) So he was rather desirous the city might be surrendered up to him on terms. Accordingly, when he saw the wall full of those men that were of the corrupted party, he said to them, - That he could not but wonder what it was they depended on, when they alone staid to fight the Romans, after every other city was taken by them, especially when they have seen cities much better fortified than theirs is overthrown by a single attack upon them; while as many as have entrusted themselves to the security of the Romans' right hands, which he now offers to them, without regarding their former insolence, do enjoy their own possessions in safety; for that while they had hopes of recovering their liberty, they might be pardoned; but that their continuance still in their opposition, when they saw that to be impossible, was inexcusable; for that if they will not comply with such humane offers, and right hands for security, they should have experience of such a war as would spare nobody, and should soon be made sensible that their wall would be but a trifle, when battered by the Roman machines; in depending on which they demonstrate themselves to be the only Galileans that were no better than arrogant slaves and captives. 3. Now none of the populace durst not only make a reply, but durst not so much as get upon the wall, for it was all taken up by the robbers, who were also the guard at the gates, in order to prevent any of the rest from going out, in order to propose terms of submission, and from receiving any of the horsemen into the city. But John returned Titus this answer: That for himself he was content to hearken to his proposals, and that he would either persuade or force those that refused them. Yet he said that Titus ought to have such regard to the Jewish law, as to grant them leave to celebrate that day, which was the seventh day of the week, on which it was unlawful not only to remove their arms, but even to treat of peace also; and that even the Romans were not ignorant how the period of the seventh day was among them a cessation from all labors; and that he who should compel them to transgress the law about that day would be equally guilty with those that were compelled to transgress it: and that this delay could be of no disadvantage to him; for why should any body think of doing any thing in the night, unless it was to fly away? which he might prevent by placing his camp round about them; and that they should think it a great point gained, if they might not be obliged to transgress the laws of their country; and that it would be a right thing for him, who designed to grant them peace, without their expectation of such a favor, to preserve the laws of those they saved inviolable. Thus did this man put a trick upon Titus, not so much out of regard to the seventh day as to his own preservation, for he was afraid lest he should be quite deserted if the city should be taken, and had his hopes of life in that night, and in his flight therein. Now this was the work of God, who therefore preserved this John, that he might bring on the destruction of Jerusalem; as also it was his work that Titus was prevailed with by this pretense for a delay, and that he pitched his camp further off the city at Cydessa. This Cydessa was a strong Mediterranean village of the Tyrians, which always hated and made war against the Jews; it had also a great number of inhabitants, and was well fortified, which made it a proper place for such as were enemies to the Jewish nation. 4. Now, in the night time, when John saw that there was no Roman guard about the city, he seized the opportunity directly, and, taking with him not only the armed men that where about him, but a considerable number of those that had little to do, together with their families, he fled to Jerusalem. And indeed, though the man was making haste to get away, and was tormented with fears of being a captive, or of losing his life, yet did he prevail with himself to take out of the city along with him a multitude of women and children, as far as twenty furlongs; but there he left them as he proceeded further on his journey, where those that were left behind made sad lamentations; for the farther every one of them was come from his own people, the nearer they thought themselves to be to their enemies. They also affrighted themselves with this thought, that those who would carry them into captivity were just at hand, and still turned themselves back at the mere noise they made themselves in this their hasty flight, as if those from whom they fled were just upon them. Many also of them missed their ways, and the earnestness of such as aimed to outgo the rest threw down many of them. And indeed there was a miserable destruction made of the women and children; while some of them took courage to call their husbands and kinsmen back, and to beseech them, with the bitterest lamentations, to stay for them; but John's exhortation, who cried out to them to save themselves, and fly away, prevailed. He said also, that if the Romans should seize upon those whom they left behind, they would be revenged on them for it. So this multitude that run thus away was dispersed abroad, according as each of them was able to run, one faster or slower than another. 5. Now on the next day Titus came to the wall, to make the agreement; whereupon the people opened their gates to him, and came out to him, with their children and wives, and made acclamations of joy to him, as to one that had been their benefactor, and had delivered the city out of custody; they also informed him of John's flight, and besought him to spare them, and to come in, and bring the rest of those that were for innovations to punishment. But Titus, not so much regarding the supplications of the people, sent part of his horsemen to pursue after John, but they could not overtake him, for he was gotten to Jerusalem before; they also slew six thousand of the women and children who went out with him, but returned back, and brought with them almost three thousand. However, Titus was greatly displeased that he had not been able to bring this John, who had deluded him, to punishment; yet he had captives enough, as well as the corrupted part of the city, to satisfy his anger, when it missed of John. So he entered the city in the midst of acclamations of joy; and when he had given orders to the soldiers to pull down a small part of the wall, as of a city taken in war, he repressed those that had disturbed the city rather by threatenings than by executions; for he thought that many would accuse innocent persons, out of their own private animosities and quarrels, if he should attempt to distinguish those that were worthy of punishment from the rest; and that it was better to let a guilty person alone in his fears, that to destroy with him any one that did not deserve it; for that probably such a one might be taught prudence, by the fear of the punishment he had deserved, and have a shame upon him for his former offenses, when he had been forgiven; but that the punishment of such as have been once put to death could never be retrieved. However, he placed a garrison in the city for its security, by which means he should restrain those that were for innovations, and should leave those that were peaceably disposed in greater security. And thus was all Galilee taken, but this not till after it had cost the Romans much pains before it could be taken by them. (Wars of the Jews, Book IV, Chapter 2)

The Galilee received additional Jewish population from Judea itself and the Jerusalem region as a result of the failure of both revolts against Rome, the First Jewish Revolt and the Bar Kokhba Revolt.

Archaeologists have excavated a synagogue at Gush Halav, in use from the 3rd to 6th centuries. Earthquakes in 306 CE and 363 CE punctuated different construction phases, and an earthquake in 551 CE may have led to the site's abandonment. An inscription carved into one of the synagogue's columns in either the middle of the 3rd century or the early 4th century, in Jewish Aramaic reads, "Yosei son of Nahum built this. A blessing be upon him." Coins indicate that Gush Halav's trade connections were strongest with the nearby city of Tyre.

On Jish's western slope, a mausoleum was excavated, with stone sarcophagi similar to those seen at the large Jewish catacomb at Beit She'arim. The inner part of the mausoleum contained ten hewn loculi, burial niches also known as kokhim in Hebrew. In the mausoleum, archaeologists found several skeletons, a few oil lamps and a glass bottle, dating to the fourth century CE.

In the Middle Ages, Gush Halav was famed among Jews for its graves of rabbis and ruins of ancient synagogues.

During the Islamic rule of the Levant, the town adopted its modern name of Jish. However, it had a large Jewish population. In the 17th Century, the town was settled by Druze but was abandoned before the end of the century. In the beginning of the 18th Century, Maronites, Greek Catholics and Muslims began settling in the town. An earthquake in 1837 caused widespread damage and over 200 deaths.^[4]

[edit] 1948 war

The population of Jish in 1945 numbered 1,090 inhabitants and the village spanned 12,602 dunams, 12,430 of which were owned by Palestinian Arabs.^[5] Israeli forces captured Jish from the Arab Liberation Army on October 29, 1948 in Operation Hiram^[6] after what Benny Morris terms "a hard-fought battle".^[7]

After the battle was over, a number of civilians and prisoners of war were massacred by Israeli forces, though it is unclear exactly how many.^[7] Handwritten notes from the 11 November 1948 meeting of the Mapam Political Committee, documented by Morris in his book The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited read: "Jish - woman and her baby killed. Another 11 [murdered?]". Morris also notes that the initial IDF intelligence report after the capture of Safsaf and Jish recorded the taking of "150 - 200 prioners", while a report the day following read:

"The number of prisoners given in report Activities 'B' is based on a mistake. [Only] a small number of prisoners is in our hands."^[7]

Jish's inhabitants left the village as a result of the assault, becoming Palestinian refugees, many of whom reside today in Lebanon. Hundreds of Arabs expelled from the nearby towns of Iqrit and Kafr Bir'im in the year following the 1948 war ended up residing in Jish.^[8][4] Now Arab citizens of Israel, they continue to demand the right to return to their former villages.^[8]

One of the villagers expelled from Kafar Bir'em to Jish; Elias Chacour, (present Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church), relates in his autobiography "Blood Brothers" how he just after they had settled in Jish discovered a mass-grave:

I bent down and pulled on the thing. It came up stiffly, the sand falling back from a swollen finger, a blue-black hand and arm. The odor gripped my throat. . . .
"Elias, What's wrong?" Someone was hollering in the reeling distance.
Numbness dulled all feeling. the stiff arm lay in the sand at my feet-a boy's arm. I imagined the face--sand in the sealed eyes--gagging the slack mouth. I thought I was yelling. No sound could escape my throat. Vaguely, I could hear Charles beside me calling. . . .
Later, the shallow graves were uncovered. Buried beneath a thin layer of sand were two dozen bodies. The gunfire that the old man had heard had done its bitter work.
The victims were hastily re-buried in honorable graves. ^[9]

[edit] Christian significance

According to Christian tradition, the parents of Saint Paul lived here.^[10]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of Arab localities in Israel
• List of massacres committed during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war

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