History of Galilee, 1538–1949

This study of Galilee in modern times reaches back to the region's Biblical roots and points to future challenges in the Arab-Jewish conflict, Israel's development, and inter-faith relations. This volume covers an array of subjects, including Kabbalah, the rise of Palestinian nationalism, modern Christian approaches to Galilee's past and present, Zionist pioneering, the roots of the Arab-Jewish dispute, and the conflict's eruption in Galilee in 1948. The book shows how the modernization of Galilee intertwined with mystical belief and practice, developing in its own grassroots way among Palestinians, Orthodox Jews, Christians, and Druze, rather than being a byproduct of Western intervention. In doing so, The History of Galilee, 1538–1949: Mysticism, Modernization, and War offers fresh, challenging perspectives for scholars in the history of religion, military history, theology, world politics, middle eastern studies, and other disciplines.

Matt Silver has written a fascinating history of the Galilee region where cultures and religions have both clashed and collaborated for thousands of years, and where many of these same conflicts and layers of cooperation continue until today. Beyond being such a gifted writer and wonderful historian, Matt has lived in the Galilee for decades and was one of the founders of a remarkable and inspiring initiative: the Galilee Jewish-Arab school, where a group of families and educators banded together over 20 years ago to create a school and community in which Arab and Jewish children and adults could learn and live together, creating coexistence and partnership instead of perpetuating the fear, hatred, ignorance and conflict between them.Matt’s scholarship and historical research of the Galilee is rooted in his belonging to the region and his commitment to helping build interfaith and intercultural collaboration among its diverse populations., One of the most comprehensive volumes of history on the medieval through the modern period of a region that is little known but very significant for the study of the Middle East and the study of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in this period. There is something for almost every discipline. From Geographers, Geologists, and Philosophers to Legal scholars, Historians, Religious studies, Political Scientists, as well as Economists, finance and anthropologists, rabbis, ministers of all Christian denominations, and even Islamic research scholars.

M.M. Silver is professor of Jewish history and world history at the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College and at the University of Haifa.