Heritage
We
loved it here! What a clean and impressive site Ein Keshatot is. We started
the day with a homemade brunch in their
spotlessly clean and quiet picnic grounds (located on the southern
Golan Heights,
just east of the Kineret), and then explored the impressive
archaeological site
– complete with a clever audio-visual introduction.
This
is a national heritage site that features a Jewish
village from the
period of the Mishnah and the Talmud, with a synagogue at its center
that was
excavated and reconstructed with advanced technological methods – the
audio-visual presentations about it were fascinating! Inside the
synagogue is
an ark complex that is the most magnificent ever to be discovered in
Israel.
The
synagogue at Ein Keshatot was built in the 6th
century CE,
approximately 500 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the
Temple. The
center of Jewish life during this period was in the Galilee, and the
Golan
village at Ein Keshatot was also connected culturally and spiritually
to the
Galilee. The synagogue and the entire village were destroyed in a fierce
earthquake in the 8th century CE.
The
ancient village is situated above the Samech riverbed and has scenic
views
towards Lake Kinneret and the hills of the Galilee. There is a lovely
spring with
impressive arches (thus the name Ein Keshatot) that flows into ancient
pools,
which are surrounded by shaded areas.
We
had a lovely day in this quiet and remote part of the Golan – well
worth a
visit off the beaten path!