Kishon
Watercourse of the Esdraelon Plain, crossed several times by the apostolic group.
Description[edit | edit source]
The first times the apostolic group faces the Kishon, Maria Valtorta does not name the river she describes:"A lovely little river which flows towards the sea and is in flood because of the springtime rains and the thawing snow, prevents them from proceeding. […] Peter runs towards them and says: 'The bridge is further up, where the road from Ptolemais to Engannim passes'".[1]Again:
"there is a narrow valley with a deep torrent, which must certainly be imposingly impetuous in time of floods, but is now reduced to a tiny silvery foaming stream in the middle of its bed. The torrent flows towards the sea along the foot of Mount Carmel."[2]It is finally from a traveler questioning Peter that the name is learned. "Is the Kishon here?".[3] The Kishon is mentioned several more times, which is not surprising since this river cut the north-south route along the entire length of the Esdraelon Plain.
"near the wide bay of Sicaminon, after forming a sheet of water at the confluence with another little stream near its mouth."[4]
Its name[edit | edit source]
Kishon, Qishon. The exact etymology of the word "Kishon" (קישון in Hebrew) is not clearly established. It could derive from the Hebrew root "kashah" (קשה), which means "hard" or "difficult". This could refer to the nature of the riverbed or its rapid flow.
Where is it mentioned in the work?[edit | edit source]
GRM 334.1.
Learn more about this place[edit | edit source]
An intermittent river 70 km long, originating at Mount Gilboa, and flowing into the Mediterranean near Haifa, after crossing the Esdraelon Plain. Only the last eleven kilometers have a permanent course today. It is quite remarkable that Maria Valtorta describes “a narrow valley with a deep torrent” when the apostles and Jesus descend from the hill where they had rested before continuing towards Sicaminon. For it is precisely only at that place that the Kishon flows “over a length of five km, inside a narrow valley bordered by the heights of Tivon, Mount Carmel and Alonim”.[5] In biblical times, it was (during the rainy season) a river “impassable like the ocean”. In the 18th century, in normal times, Victor Guérin stated: “it can be crossed on foot, even at its mouth”.[6]
On its banks, two significant events of the Bible took place:
Explore[edit | edit source]
- 32° 49’ 00’’ N / 35° 02’ 00’’ E /
- +50m.
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
Article partially based on the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel by Jean-François Lavère.
- ↑ GRM 192.2.
- ↑ GRM 249.5.
- ↑ GRM 255.1.
- ↑ GRM 325.1.
- ↑ See Kishon River on Wikipedia.
- ↑ GUÉRIN, Holy Land Vol. 2, p. 162.
- ↑ Sisera was a young general of the Canaanite army oppressing Israel. He was defeated by the Hebrew army raised at the instigation of the prophetess Deborah and led by Barak. Sisera took refuge in a friendly tent where Yael the Homemaker hid him, but taking advantage of his sleep, she killed him with a tent peg. (Judges 4:2-22 | Judges 5:20-22).
- ↑ Elijah, the sole prophet of the God of Israel, challenged 450 priests of Baal. The trances and incantations of Baal’s priests remained unanswered by Heaven. At the end of the day, the offerings prepared by Elijah on an altar of 12 stones are immediately consumed. Elijah then orders the extermination of Baal’s priests: “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape! And they seized them. Elijah brought them down to the torrent of Kishon, where he slaughtered them” (1 Kings 18:22-40).