Kafr Kanna

Kafr Kanna (, kafr kanā; ) is an Arab town in the Galilee region of Israel that is associated with the New Testament village of Cana, where Jesus turned water into wineThe near-miracle in Kafr Kana.
==History==
The settlement of Kana was mentioned in the Amarna Letters, and was known in the times of the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. As with many Jewish towns in the Galilee, the town took in Jewish refugees fleeing Roman persecution in Jerusalem and JudeaExcavations uncover Galilee village of Kana. 
Nasir-i-Khusraw visited the village in 1047 C.E., and described the place in his diary:"To the southward [of Kafar Kannah] is a hill, on the top of which they have built a fine monastery. It has a strong gate, and the tomb of the prophet Yunis (Jonas) [..] is shown within. Near by the gate of the monastery is a well, and the water thereof is sweet and good. [..] Acre is 4 leagues distant.."leStrange, 1890, p.469
Also Ali of Herat wrote that you could see the Makam of Jonas, and also the grave of his son, at Kafr Kanna. This was repeated by Yaqut, who, however wrote of the tomb as being that of the father of Jonas. 
Around 1300 C.E Kafr Kanna was described as being a large village, in which lived the chiefs of various tribes. The head tribe is called Kais al Hamra (Kais the red). According to the cronicler, Al-Dimashqi, the district Buttauf, called "the Drowned Meadow", also belonged to the village. Al-Dimashqi further remarked that the waters of the surrounding hills drained into the area, flooding it; as soon as the land is dried up grain was sown.leStrange, 1890, p.470
Under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, the village flourished in the 16th century, as it lay on the trade route between Egypt and Syria. In 1596, Ottoman officials recorded the population as 475 Muslim households and 96 Jewish households, making it the 6th most populous locality in Palestine at the time.Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter and Kamal Abdulfattah (1977), Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft; page 187
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Kfar Kanna was captured by units of Israel's 7th Brigade in the second half of Operation Dekel (July 15-18, 1948). 
===Religious significance===
thumb|upright|"Wedding church" built on the site of the miracle
thumb|upright|"Wedding church" interior
The town is identified by Christians as the town of Cana, where Jesus performed a miracle at the Marriage at Cana(John 2,1-12). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914, the identification of Kafr Kanna with Cana dates back to at least the 8th century.
The town also contains the tomb of the Jewish sage, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, the Nasi (prince) of the Sanhedrin (legislative body of Ancient Israel), who became president of the Sanhedrin in 50 CE. His tomb has remained an important site for Jewish pilgrims for almost 2,000 years.
==Demographics==
Kafr Kanna achieved local council status in 1968. In 2005, there were 17,600 residents,Population of localities numbering above 1,000 residents and other rural populations on 31/12/2006 Central Bureau of Statistics 83.5% of whom were Muslim and 16.5% Christian. 
As is the case with many other mixed Muslim-Christian towns in the region, the Christians generally tend to live in the oldest part of town. In Kafr Kanna - and in Kafr Yasif and 'Abud, among others - there are two ancient nuclei in the town: the earlier one where Christians live, and another (also hundreds of years old) where Muslims live.
==Sport==
Maccabi Kafr Kanna currently play in Liga Artzit, the third tier of Israeli football, and have played at the second level in the past. Hapoel Kafr Kanna play in Liga Alef (the fourth tier), and Beitar Kafr Kanna play in Liga Bet (the fifth tier)
==Notable residents==
*Jamal Zahalka, resident, Knesset member, Balad party.
*Wasil Taha, resident, Knesset member, Balad party.
*Abdulmalik Dehamshe, resident, former Knesset member, United Arab List.
==See also==
*List of Arab localities in Israel
==References==
===Bibliography===
*, London,
*
*Thomson, William McClure, (1860): The Land and the Book: Or, Biblical Illustrations Drawn from the Manners and Customs, the Scenes and Scenery, of the Holy Land Vol II
==External links==
*Kafar Kanna on World Gazetteer
*
Category:Local councils in Israel
Category:Archaeological sites in Israel
Category:Arab localities in Israel
ar:كفر كنا
cs:Kafr Kanna
he:כפר כנא
pl:Kafar Kanna