(JERUSALEM POST) — North of Tiberias on Route 90, Kibbutz Ginnosar lies on the shores of Lake Kinneret amongst its banana fields, cowsheds and chicken houses. It was named for the ancient Jewish fishing village of the same name mentioned in ancient Jewish text as well as “Gennesaret” in the New Testament. In the spring of 1937 it was created as one of the famous Wall and Tower settlements in order to defend the area during the Arab Revolt of 1936-39, and soon became a base of operations for the famous Palmah commander Yigal Alon.
The wonderful museum about nature and man in the Galilee, named after Yigal Alon after his death in 1980, is situated between the kibbutz hotel, Nof Ginnosar, and the kibbutz itself. Mostly visited by school groups, this museum would be of interest to anyone due to the fact that its center piece is an intact boat that dates to the first century C.E. The discovery of this boat has turned the kibbutz from a tranquil farming community to a hub of Christian tourism. However, the boat itself, the museum and the “cruises” from the kibbutz offer something for everyone.