Palestine - Fontaine a Cana en Galilee (Plate 37) (Fountain at Cana in Galilee)

Description

This engraving depicts a fountain scene attributed to Cana in Galilee, one of the most frequently referenced sites in Christian sacred geography. Cana is known as the site of the "turning water into wine" event described in the Bible, particularly in the Gospel of John, and considered Jesus' first miracle. Therefore, for 19th-century European travelers, painters, and engravers, Cana was not only a topography but also a site bearing the memory of miracles. The architectural remains of the walls and arched niches in the engraving are presented alongside the local people's daily water-drawing rituals, emphasizing the juxtaposition of the sacred past and local living practices.