Giscala
The rabbinical training center.
Inhabitants or natives
Anna the possessive mother-in-law, her son Jacob and his grandchildren Levi and Anna, Mark, the adulterous lover who took refuge in Kedesh, Hillel, the great rabbi of Israel who had come here to retire in his old age, Uriel(Uziel), the sanhedrist, may originally be from here.
Description
"The fertile woody mountains where Giscala is situated afford refreshment of greenery, breezes, water and views which are varied and beautiful according to the different directions of the road. To the north there is a series of wooded summits covered with the most varied green shades."[1]
"They enter Giscala, a beautiful large well-kept town. There must be a flourishing rabbinical centre because I see many groups of doctors with disciples listening to their lessons."[2]
Notable events
The apostolic group is attacked by a group of about a hundred rabbis and students. A stone, thrown by Sadoc, wounds Jesus in the hand. He then prophesies his pierced hands.[3] Later, this becomes an occasion to discuss the respective duties between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.[4]
Its name
גוש חלב (Goosh Halav = block of milk)[5]
Gischala, Jiscala (Roman) Gush Halav (Hebrew) today Al-Jish in the Safad district northwest of Mount Merom in northern Palestine, not far from Hazor.
Where is it mentioned in the work?
GRM 160
GRM 340
GRM 470
GRM 581
GRM 632
Learn more about this place
This rabbinical center is the burial place of Rabbi Hillel. His teachings have had a lasting influence on Judaism. Rabbi Shammai, his contemporary and opponent, is buried nearby.
A little further away, in Meiron, is the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son, Eleazar, a prominent figure of the 1st century. Honored as a saint by the Kabbalists and some Sephardim, his tomb is the site of a great annual pilgrimage.
Giscala is above all the homeland of John of Giscala, one of the leaders of the revolt against the romans (66–70).[6] He supported internal struggles in besieged Jerusalem.
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