The Upper Galilee Trivia Quiz

Answer: Metula

This city certainly has an international flair! The land was bought from Druze farmers by Baron Rothschild in France. The first settlers were primarily Russian Jews who escaped the pogroms of their former homeland and today there sits the Canada Center a gift from that country hoping to inspire peace. What's unique about the Canada Center is that it house both a giant indoor pool along with an indoor ice skating rink.

Answer: Mount Meron

It is due to the legend of Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai that this early spring holiday is celebrated at Mount Meron. Legend has it that he died on this particular day and buried on this mountain. Sorting out fact from fiction is never easy in these cases. One such point regarding R'Yochai is his penning the mystical work entitled The Zohar.

More probably done by the Spanish Rabbi Moses de Leon one thousand years later, R' Yochai remains a favorite of many and is celebrated as hero of Jewish learning.

Answer: Tzfat

One of the many problems with transliteration of names is consistency of spelling them. Tzfat as I spelled it is only one of several varieties that you can come across in the city alone! Other forms are Safed and Zefat and the unlimited ways it's pronounced too.

But good news is on the way, the Knesset [Israel's government body] has put into effect a measure that will make naming places uniform throughout the land so that tourists are better able to navigate the roads.

Answer: Tiberias

Sad to say Tiberias is a bit run down and leaves a person wanting to leave rather quickly. It has the honor of being one of the four holy cities in Israel and buried here are such Jewish greats like Rambam [Rabbi Moses Maimonides], Rabbi Akiva the lively figure of the Talmud and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai also a famous figure from the Talmudic Period.

Answer: Capernaum

Capernaum is a bastardization of the actual name Kefar Nahum. Many have made the connection with the Old Testament prophet of the same name but there is no connection.

Answer: Kedesh

From the passage in Numbers 35:1-34 we learn that the six cities were commanded to exist for the purpose of allowing accidental murderers flee from avenging families. Deuteronomy 4:41-43 gives us three of the names Bezer, Ramoth,Golan in Bashan,and Joshua 20:7-8 for the remaining three: Kedesh,Shechem,and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron).

Answer: false

Although it sure does fit the description for a few months of the year, the term Galilee or in Hebrew HaGalil means circle or circuit. The name is ancient and who named it is unknown. Today Galilee covers one third of the State of Israel and ,true to its name, it is a circuit of sorts with all the places it rolls between as a region.

Answer: Bar Am

One of the interesting facts concerning this synagogue is that its doors were orientated to the direction of Jerusalem. This was a development in the building of synagogues in the third century CE. This trait of orientating towards Jerusalem became a standard of synagogue building around the world.

Answer: true

Are you surprised? Well just remember that geographical features and regions are not bothered by politics like people are.

Answer: Yehiam Fortress

Probably the most interesting fact about this fortress is the not knowing when it was built. Like the fortress in Montfort it was occupied by the Crusaders but the majority of the standing portion that can be seen today is from the 1760's.