Dalton, Israel

Dalton
Hebrew	דַּלְתּוֹן
Name meaning	Kite (geometry)
Founded	1950
Founded by	Hapoel Hamizrachi
Council	Merom HaGalil
Region	Upper Galilee
Coordinates	33°0′57.96″N 35°29′14.99″E / 33.0161°N 35.4874972°E / 33.0161; 35.4874972Coordinates: 33°0′57.96″N 35°29′14.99″E / 33.0161°N 35.4874972°E / 33.0161; 35.4874972
Dalton

Dalton (Hebrew: דַּלְתּוֹן‎‎) is a moshav near Safed in northern Israel under the jurisdiction of Merom HaGalil Regional Council. It was founded by immigrants from Tripoli in Libya in 1950 under the leadership of Hapoel Hamizrachi. On the grounds of the moshav is a tomb ascribed to Rabbi Yosi Haglili and his son Yishmael. The economy is based on agriculture, the Dalton winery and a guesthouse.

History

Dalton is mentioned in medieval literature and documents discovered in the Cairo Geniza. In the Geniza there is a portion of a letter sent from Dalton to Egypt which is signed by "Shlomo HaKohen from the city of Dalton, son of Yosef." Also, regarding the wise man Eliyahu HaKohen who died in Tyre in 1063, it is written that all of Israel carried his body on their shoulders to a mountain in the Galilee, to Dalton atop the mountain.^[1] According to local tradition, Rabbi Yosi HaGlili and his son Yishmael are buried in Dalton. The editors of a Hebrew book "Holy Places and Graves of Righteous Men in the Land of Israel"^[2] believe that Yosi Haglili's son is really Rabbie El'azar, a fourth-generation Tanna, and not Rabbi Yishma'el. The mistake apparently derives from the fact that there was also a Tanna named Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yose, but he was a fifth-generation Tanna and was not the son of Rabbi Yose Haglili but rather of Rabbi Yose ben Chalafta. Rabbi Yosi Haglili was a third-generation Tanna at the beginning of the 2nd century CE and was one of the scholars of Yavne. He was appointed to lead the four elders who led the yeshiva: Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya and Rabbi Akiva.

Archaeology

In a ruin outside the moshav are remnants of an old synagogue. Later a marble pillar was found in the synagogue with an Aramaic inscription which includes text found in other contemporary synagogues. It roughly translates as "The ruler of the world is remembered for good."^[3]

In May–June 2006, a salvage excavation was conducted near Moshav Dalton prior to the construction of a communications antenna. The excavation was carried out on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The site, about 500 m northeast of the moshav 50 m west of the local cemetery, is situated on a rise at the foot of Mt. Dalton, which overlooks the moshav. This area of the Galilee is noted for its numerous holy sites and pilgrimage destinations, among them the tombs of Rabbi Yossi Ha-Galili and Rabbi Yishma‘el ben Yossi, who according to legend was Rabbi Yossi Ha-Galili's son. The excavation area is on the edge of the abandoned Arab village of Dalata. Earlier explorations turned up remnants of a late Roman–Early Byzantine period synagogue whose exact location is unknown. During the Middle Ages, Dalata, as well as the nearby villages of Alma and Baram, were a destination for Jewish pilgrims. Dalata was mentioned in pilgrimage literature and a letter discovered in the Cairo Geniza.^[4]

Geology

Near the pond in Dalton is a long depression surrounded by hard basalt rocks which appears to be from a secondary explosion of the type found on the slopes of a volcanic mountain. Sometimes volcanic ash expelled in eruptions covers an area with standing water, creating secondary explosions and flows.

Dalton winery

Dalton winery, which released its first 50,000 bottles in 1993, is now producing 880,000 bottles annually, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.^[5]

References

1. ^ Vilnay, Zev (1980). Guide to the Galilee. Jerusalem: Ahiavar. p. 323.  (Hebrew)
2. ^ Hebrew name: מקומות קדושים וקברי צדיקים בארץ ישראל
3. ^ ראו: בתי כנסת קדומים בארץ ישראל, צבי אילן, משרד הביטחון - ההוצאה לאור, 1991; לחקר ארצנו, עבר ושרידים, יוסף ברסלבי, תל אביב, תשי"ד - עמ' 274 - 275; פסיפס ואבן, יוסף נוה, ירושלים, תשל"ח -עמ' 144-146.
4. ^ Archaeology News
5. ^ A small winery with a big reputation