Arbel
Encyclopedia
Arbel is a moshav
in northern Israel. Located on Mount Arbel
next to the Sea of Galilee
near Tiberias, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council
. In 2006 it had a population of 364.
Arbel was established in 1949 by demobilized
soldiers on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Hittin
, whose residents fled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
. It was initially a moshav shitufi (a collective smallholder's settlement that combines the economic features of a kibbutz with the social features of a moshav. Farming is done collectively and profits are shared equally), but became a moshav ovdim (a workers co-operative settlement) in 1959.
In Second Temple times, the village of Arbel was the home of the sage Nitai the Arbelite, to whom the Mishnah ascribes the saying: "Keep your distance from a bad neighbor, do not associate with the wicked, and do not despair of retribution" (Avot 1:7).
that stands amid the remnants of an ancient Jewish village on the western edge of the moshav. The door of the synagogue, still standing, was carved form a massive natural outcropping of limestone, and the synagogue itself situated so as to make use of the stone as a handsome door. It is carved with decorative floral motifs and medallions. A carved groove for a mezuzah can be seen. Three sides of the building had carved stone benches. The two story building had three rows of columns with Corinthian capitals on the first floor and Ionic capitals on the second floor.. It was also a site fortified by Daher al-Omar.
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
in northern Israel. Located on Mount Arbel
Mount Arbel
Mount Arbel is a mountain in The Lower Galilee near Tiberias in Israel, with high cliffs, views of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights, trails to a cave-fortress, and ruins of an ancient synagogue. Mt...
next to the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
near Tiberias, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council
Lower Galilee Regional Council
The Lower Galilee Regional Council is a regional council in northern Israel that encompasses most of the settlements in the Lower Galilee. Over 9000 people live in the three kibbutzim, ten moshavim and two communal settlements located in its municipal territory.The council building is situated in...
. In 2006 it had a population of 364.
Arbel was established in 1949 by demobilized
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
soldiers on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian Arab village of Hittin
Hittin
Hittin was a Palestinian village, located approximately west of Tiberias. The site of the Battle of Hattin in 1187, in which Saladin conquered most of interior Palestine from the Crusaders, Hittin is a nationalist symbol for Arabs and Palestinians...
, whose residents fled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. It was initially a moshav shitufi (a collective smallholder's settlement that combines the economic features of a kibbutz with the social features of a moshav. Farming is done collectively and profits are shared equally), but became a moshav ovdim (a workers co-operative settlement) in 1959.
Ancient Arbel
It existed already during the First Temple Period as Beit Arbel (Hosea 10:14), probably on the Tel north of today's moshav.In Second Temple times, the village of Arbel was the home of the sage Nitai the Arbelite, to whom the Mishnah ascribes the saying: "Keep your distance from a bad neighbor, do not associate with the wicked, and do not despair of retribution" (Avot 1:7).
Ancient synagogue
Arbel is notable for the ruins of an ancient synagogue, one of the oldest synagogue in the worldOldest synagogues in the world
The designation oldest synagogue in the world requires careful definition. Many very old synagogues have been discovered in archaeological digs. Some synagogues have been destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site, so, while the site or congregation may be ancient, the building may be...
that stands amid the remnants of an ancient Jewish village on the western edge of the moshav. The door of the synagogue, still standing, was carved form a massive natural outcropping of limestone, and the synagogue itself situated so as to make use of the stone as a handsome door. It is carved with decorative floral motifs and medallions. A carved groove for a mezuzah can be seen. Three sides of the building had carved stone benches. The two story building had three rows of columns with Corinthian capitals on the first floor and Ionic capitals on the second floor.. It was also a site fortified by Daher al-Omar.