Sea of Galilee Carpet

Miriam Cabessa, “Sea of Galilee Carpet”
The Kinneret, a silver freshwater mirror, the symbol of fulfilling the dream of being contained, embraced, hugged, welcomed, by the holy land. A feminine source of fresh water fed by the flow of the Jordan river, surrounded by trees and bamboo. A violin shaped, eye and body soothing lake merging sanctity and secular as a baptism and resort place all in one.
Having said that, a national anxiety is attached to the Kinneret, a basic survival dread of water sufficiency. The question of whether we have enough water to drink and use for agriculture brings the water level of the lake to the news and media with constant discussions about our water sources and rain amount. The Kinneret water level is an indicator of how blessed we were this winter, the country is in constant worry of how she, the Kinneret, is doing, like a mother worrying for her daughter’s well-being.
The Kinneret, whose name goes back at least 3500 years, holds the pride of such a long history, religion and holiness. It is a star in the Israeli poetry. Rachel, one of the mothers of Hebrew poetry, lived on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and her burial place, overlooking the beautiful blue waters, is to this day an attraction point in Israeli culture.
The Kinnereth is a sweet Israeli childhood memory, going there on weekends, enjoying the countryside of this beauty, the lake, swimming in the sweet water, wind surfing, fishing, sun-bathing.
I moved to Israel when I was 3 years old from Casablanca, Morocco. My parents bought a home in Tiberias and the Kinneret became my heroine, seeing her image from my balcony day in and day out. Preparing a topographic map is bringing the Kinneret home.