Fishing Festival at Jaffa

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Oil on canvas, 30 x 60cm.

 

 

 

This night-time view of Old Jaffa, with Tel-Aviv just discernible in the backgound, depicts the ancient annual fishing festival, when the fishermen of Jaffa traditionally celebrate their livelihood with gaily lit-up boats, and fireworks, for three consecutive nights in mid-summer. On shore, sumptuous fish dishes are consumed, with much music and merrymaking. It is said that this festival dates back to Canaanite times, and indeed Josephus (1st century) notes, in this very location, that "an unusually ribald celebration involving many fisher-folk and their offspring was the cause of much delay in arranging my passage..."