Economic Lifestyles of the 1st Century Palestine Fisherman - Term Paper Example

Economic Lifestyles of a 1st century Palestine fisherman Palestine was known as the homeland of Jesus and is commonly referred as “ Holy Land” which was sought by Moses and the Israelites from Egypt. Geographically, it was located between the Mediterranean Sea and Jordan River. At the time of Jesus, Palestine was also called the land of Canaan, Promised Land ,and land of Israel. In fact, Jesus actually came from the small town of Nazareth in Galilee. During that period, Galilee was surrounded by Greek cities. The main language was Greek which the Palestine people had to acquire at the time of Jesus. Palestine fisherman lacked the knowledge of Greek and had no ownership of the land. They were restricted to life of ordinary peasants. They also suffered heavy taxation (Daily Life in Jesus Time. 2009). According to an article written by Petty ( 2008 ), fisherman suffered from bureaucracy as they need to get a license from a local tax collector, he concludes that: The first century Galilean fishing economy was not a "free market." Fishermen had to get a license from the local tax collector, quite likely in Capernaum. Capernaum had both a tax office, and a major harbor. In fact, it was probably the major fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. The tax collector might well have been Matthew, in fact, who was a tax collector in Capernaum. Licenses tended to be sold to associations of fishermen, quite often based in kinship--James and John, for example, who had a "kinship-based fishermans association," you might say, as did Peter and Andrew. Incidentally, all four of them were from Capernaum. It can be inferred then that money in the economy came from the bottom ( fisherman) and flowed to the top (government). No wonder, Jesus was branded a radical since government officials were aware of his influence to instigate a rebellion. Nevertheless, the family life of first century Palestine fisherman was nothing short of disaster. The Palestine fishermen were constantly attacked by Israel. Boats were taken away from them and they had to look at sea with no hope. They were prevented to work far distance from the sea. Under this prevention they were not able to even feed their families. Before the Invasion of Gaza, things were bright for the Palestine fisherman. However, all changed when Gaza invaded and the harassment of fishermen began. In fact, it reached the point that they ( Palestine fishermen) were prohibited from going deeper and richer area of sea (Quader, 2009). The family life of Simon peter who was a first century Palestine fisherman and a disciple of Christ would be a good example. The following sequence of events will show how his family life unfolded. As a fisherman, Peter had to be well versed with Aramaic and Greek. Since he is a fisherman, it was mandatory for him to know Greek since it was the language of ruling province. Peter and Jesus were raised in respective parts of Galilee. The children of Palestine fisherman had an opportunity to go to various festivals and learn much through observation and participation. Peter had been in Joppa for some time during the period of peace and number of believers were growing Joppa was the major seaport in the region, the home for fisherman and Peter felt he was at home. Peter had a vision of clean and unclean foods. He had interpreted the vision of clean and unclean foods referring to the people and the state of cleanliness. The food rules were strictly followed and those who were cast out of the community suffered from starvation. Harsh as it may seem, these were some of the prevailing philosophies during the time of first century Palestine fisherman. Such an interaction between the Jewish fisherman and Gentile centurion has directly contradicted to the social, political, and religious norms of the day. There was also a huge difference in terms of communities. The first century Palestine fisherman was not admitted to the entrance of the elite people since they belong to the lower classes. The fisherman was denied many privileges existing in the society. Since they were not powerful as the present middle class, they had to bear all the hardships. Many of them were illiterate which compounded the problem. The retainer class worked directly for the elite and so their case was different. The artisans, on the other hand, while still dependent on the overall system ruled by elites, had more autonomy in their lives than any other non-elite group. Historically, during times of great social agitation, these in-between classes are the ones who have the autonomy from power and the autonomy from paralytic poverty (Bower, Davis, Dongerdive & Nikont, 2009). In 1st Century Palestine, fishermen also had the same fate as peasants. A research made by Harland ( 2002) states the situation of Palestinian peasants : ....... 90% of Palestine’s largely Hebrew population lived as peasants. That term needs fleshing out to make it real. A peasant is someone who lives directly off the land. The peasant practices subsistence agriculture. In addition to subsistence agriculture, many peasants have historically served large landholders (so the peasant is a “tenant,” not an owner. Large landholders have typically protected their collective interests through direct of proxy state power — through government of some kind. Peasants who own their own land paid no taxes except to the state… mostly in tribute, not money. In the contemporary world, Palestine can be compared to Haiti today, where 70% of the population depends on fishing for subsistence. Sadly, the Palestine of Jesus was one where the peasant was overtaxed, overworked, and kept on the margin of survival by the rich, the priestly class, and the state — three parasitic social formations whose livelihoods were completely based on the suppression and utilization of the peasants. This type of discriminating strata lived in the city, which itself vacuums up the resources of the countryside. While the peasants worked hard to produce goods, the elite consumed heavily and wantonly. In addition to peasant production, urban Palestine practiced a good deal of trade — including imports and exports (Goff, 2009). Before mentioning the marketing, custom and taxation related to first century Palestine fisherman, it is important to know the significance of fish in Palestine society. The importance of fish is signaled by several geographical names such as Wuellner. Jerusalem had a fish gate where the ancient custom of fishing was carried out in Wuellner. It was a symbol of systematic approach how the fishing activity was operated. The political, economic, domestic, context all pertained to fishing in the enterprise of the Sea of Galilee. The scholars of Jesus tradition have seriously underplayed the role and significance of first century Palestine fisherman. This was vividly explained in the article titled The Galilean Fishing Economy and the Jesus Tradition : Fishing was an important part of the Galilean economy in the first century. But it was not the "free enterprise" which modern readers of the New Testament may imagine. Even fishers who may have owned their own boats were part of a state regulated, elite-profiting enterprise, and a complex web of economic relationships. (Hanson , 1997) Peasants, including Palestinian fishermen were part of a fixed economy. The peasants were not only responsible for producing crops, but they were the consumers as well. At the time, Herod Antipas was an autocratic ruler who inherited the kingdom from Herod the Great. He was mainly responsible for setting up the capital of Tiberius which was located near the western shore of Galilee. The Herodians’ were responsible for the construction of the harbors and breakwaters on the Sea of Galilee. The size of the stones and the required construction organization suggest state building projects. The known harbors corresponded directly to the locations where Jesus lived. The regional ruler controlling the Sea of Galilee, Dunkel notes that during the rule of the Ottoman Empire leases and taxes ensured that taxes were paid to the Pasha in Damascus. Tax collectors, toll collectors, and brokers are not organizationally differentiated in the ancient sources for Palestine. With regard to the model of First century Palestine fishing, all the above persons intruded in all transactions. There were at least two layers to the bureaucracy, tax and toll administrators. Fishermen received capitalization along with fishing rights, and were therefore indebted to local brokers responsible for the harbors and for fishing leases. In case there was shortage of sufficient number of family members in the cooperative, the fishermen had to hire laborers to help with all the responsibilities: manning the oars and sails, mending nets, sorting fish, etc. These laborers represent the bottom of the social scale in the fishing sub-system. For their work, the fishermen needed resources from farmers and artisans to flax for nets, cut stone for anchors, wood for boat building and repairs, and baskets for fish. Both the gospels and Josephus speak of boats on the Sea of Galilee for fishing and transportation. The primary function exercised by the Aristocratic family was the tax collection and warfare. While the small number of elites competed for honor and rights to control tax peasant families the fisherman was at the receiving end. The taxes, which the fisherman paid, were used for development of infrastructure. Since much of peasant family products were extracted by aristocratic families by using the fisherman. They were subject to extreme exploitation. In general, fishing was not just a form of livelihood but a commercial activity in the first century with great significance. There were several methods used in fishing. Some fishermen caught with bare hands. Some used wicker baskets or other kinds of fish traps made from nets while some used spears, arrows, or harpoons. Nevertheless, the most popular way of fishing was using the traditional net only. Because of this, there were also different types of net. One type was known as the “dragnet” , second one was cast net and third one was trammel net. Moreover, the rules of fishing were also stringent. With respect to banking activities, the fishing trade also entailed the processing of fish. During the Hellenistic era processed fish had become a food staple throughout the Mediterranean, in city and village alike. The result was the development of trade distinctions between those who caught fish, those who processed fish, and those who marketed fish. The distribution of the catch was also controlled by government approved wholesalers. Fish were processed for preservation and transportation as cured and pickled or dried and salted. The materials for fish-processing had to be supplied by government agents, merchants, farmers, and artisans. The banking activities also gained importance during this era. When the Palestine fishermen brought fish to the shore it had to be sorted into clean and unclean fish. Then they had to count which was essential for tax purpose, which ensured that each party received its due. Fish had to be sold when the water remained on them. Fish was the main source of protein and the market for fish was very extensive. The population of Palestine at the time of Jesus was 500,000. The ordinary masses depended on fish as a staple food. Satisfying the upper class at home with dried fish was a profitable business. The fishermen oversaw all aspects of the business. They furnished the boats and equipment for the actual fishing. They paid their help and paid the quota to the tax collector. They attended to the business of sale, were accountable for the preserving of the fish and shipment, and did their own bargaining. It was during this period that Jesus choose fisherman to spread his message. He may have done this for practical reasons. Fisherman had to develop attributes, which they did not have. They had to be a master of their trade and needed complete mastery over fishing. They needed to know why, where and how to do the fishing business. They had to judge their character as well as the market conditions. They need to have respect for the law and also needed to operate within their limitations. The first century fisherman brought these skills to their trade and that changed the entire world. The above analysis also teaches us a lesson. Our lives are filled with memories of people, place and events that have shaped us. What we believe, what we value and how we live and how we tell our story are all influenced by the sequence of events. For the Palestine fisherman they had a living God called Jesus who lived in the first years of first century AD. He had an enormous influence on the lives of the fisherman. We have to remember that Jesus came into the world at a certain time and place in history. He used ordinary things in people lives to make them understand the real world. We need leaders like Jesus Christ to change the world. The first century Palestine fishermen were really lucky to have Jesus by their side. He showed them the way, how to deal with a situation. He used them to spread his message. It shows what the leader can do the world. Even though the Palestine fisherman was put to tough tasks by the upper class people they have survived the test of time. But in the modern day the Palestine fisherman are really suffering and this is a sad state of affairs in Palestine. Palestine really needs a good leader to pick them up from the ashes, which has been created by the previous leaders. It was obvious that the fishermen’s life is in a pathetic stage, which was even considered as a major source of living. It also earned income and uplifted the economy of 1st century Palestine as a whole. In the contemporary world, the wars and its after effects have had a terrible after shock to the country which was made rich by its fishing business. In the latter days of World Wars, the Nazi invasion severely affected Palestine destroying a lot of natural resources. It had recovered considerably but the war has taken the nation backwards. The fishing industry has not received sufficient support from the government. The Government should take adequate measure to support the fishing industry and work towards the economic recovery of the fishing industry in Palestine. We know that a leader like Jesus Christ may never come, but at least a good government in Palestine can resolve so many issues which the country is facing today. Hopefully , the Government will move towards the right direction as Hanson ( 1997 ) hopes for. WORKS CITED Bower, A., Davis,B, Dongerdive, J , Nikont, M. ( 2009). Peter’s predicament: Grace to the Gentiles. Retrieved on 26 October 2009 from http://sonspring.com/files/nt_peter.swf. Daily Life in Jesus Time . (2009). Retrieved on 26 October 2009 from http://www.3waldens. com/Pages/HRE2O_Chapter_4.htm. Goff, S. (2009) Midrash on Money (draft). Retrieved on 26 October 2009 from www. insurgentamerican.net. Harland , P.( 2002). The Economy of First-Century Palestine: State of the Scholarly Discussion (York University, Toronto). Retrieved on October 26, 2009 from http://www.philipharland.com /publications/articlehandbook22.html Hanson, K.C. (1997). The Galilean Fishing Economy and the Jesus Tradition. Retrieved on 26 October 2009 from http://www.kchanson.com/articles/fishing.html. Quader , A. (2009). Gaza Fishermen-Daily Suffering with No Notice, Retrieved on 26 October 2009 from http://intifada-palestine.com/2009/09/09/gaza-fishermen-daily-suffering-with-no- notice/. Petty, J. ( May 13, 2008). Jesus Endorsed by Galileans Fishing Unions. Retrieved on October 27, 2009 from http://www.everyday citizen.com/2008/05/jesus_ endorsed_ by_ galilean_fis. html. Read More