Decapolis

General discussion of Cynic philosophers/writers hailing from Gadara in the Decapolis - Menippus, Meleager, Oenomaos - and the cynic-satiric literary background of these thinkers. Discussion also to Greek and Talmudic references to Gadara. While not comprising any Cynic school and separated chronologically these writers inherited a common background in humoristic satiric literature in this age of "arm-chair" cynicism

In the current paper, an attempt is made to gather the data on the limited corpus of Roman (second half of the 1st century BC – 4th century AD) basilicas, known in the cities of Decapolis and Judaea-Palaestina. The comparative description is given; wherever available – together with information on relationship with the urban context. The basilicas of Kanata, Hippos-Susita, Nysa-Scythopolis (2 structures), Beth She'arim, Sebaste and Ascalon are described in detail; the preference of the "ambulatory" type is apparent. The 2nd-3rd centuries reconstructions with monumentalization of features, conventionally called "tribunals", were likely related to the imperial visits to the region and to the growing importance of the imperial cult. The basilica of the Jewish town of Beth She'arim differs from the rest with its nave and double-aisled plan and was possibly influenced by the Royal portico of the Jerusalem temple. The tendency not to reconstruct basilicas damaged by the 363 earthquake and the general tendency of obsolescence of this architectural form towards the Byzantine period is noted.

The aim of this paper is to forward a pilot study of the beginning of coinage in the cities of the Decapolis in the Late Republican period from an administrative, historical, archaeological and numismatic point of view. Some of the administrative and fiscal arrangements of Roman Syria, Judaea and the Decapolis are also briefly discussed. This is done in order to understand how these mentioned conditions may have influenced the inception and movement of ancient coin in the area. One aspect is, of course, when the Decapolis was actually founded, and when the Romanization of the local coinages started, in addition to what economical significance did these minted coinages have in the region.

The paper deals with masterworks of Classical Greek sculptures in the Levant and in the Syrian Decapolis respectively. In particular, the article explores the question to what extent these famous prototypes transmitted to the Orient by the Roman copies, such as the Athena Parthenos of Phidias or the Nike of Paionios, had impact on the local production of sculpture in limestone and basalt

Abstract: Les archéologues ont hâtivement qualifié d'ayyoubide-mamelouke une céramique retrouvée dans des niveaux post-abbassides en Palestine et en Transjordanie, à défaut de disposer de plus de précision. Depuis peu, cette céramique a attiré l'attention des ...

During excavations of Tal Fortress, on the fringes of Hippos’ Southern Necropolis, a tombstone was found in secondary use. This Roman-period funerary stela depicts the bust of the deceased Eusebios engraved in an aedicula, with the name and short formula inscribed on the aedicula’s side. This tombstone is the first inscribed funerary portraiture to be unearthed in Hippos of the Decapolis, and the first to be published. It may have been produced by a local yet unidentified workshop.

Since the end of the 19th century so called chalkstone vessels of the Early Roman Period are known through various excavations in Jerusalem and Israel. They have been interpreted as signs of specific Jewish concerns for purity – concerns that were followed intensively by the Jewish community during the Late Second Temple Period/Early Roman Period. In the Jewish thought, following the Bible and early Rabbinic literature, stone is not susceptible to impurity in any form.
The archaeological finds of vessels made of chalkstone in Jerusalem have been put into this tradition, even more during the excavations after 1967 in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem where they have been found in direct vicinity of the Temple Mount.
Recent findings of those chalkstone vessels in the Galilee and all over the state of Israel challenged the assumption that the vessels are exclusively connected to the Jewish Temple and disappeared after its destruction 70 CE. Their concentration in household contexts suggest a more private and individual use and they use extended as late as the 2nd century CE.
While most of the archaeological finds of the recent years are concentrated in the region of Galilee and Iudaea as known Jewish religiously observant environment during the Roman Periods, Tall Zira’a, near Gadara (Northern Jordan), stands out in its geographical position and pagan environment.
These findings of Tall Zira’a bring up the question how purity obligations were practiced in the early Jewish Diaspora during the Roman Periods. Growing numbers of those finds in Jordan – also in small scale settlements - in general show a larger distribution than originally thought. I would like to discuss if we see here a religious concern, a certain ‘aesthetical’ trend or a matter of identity.
How have they been relevant to a community which had no frequent access to the Temple or Jerusalem as a holy centre? Could the indication of the objects change in a more Gentile environment like Jordan?
Perhaps more important – where should we draw the line for a definition of Diaspora? Would the community of Tall Zira’a consider itself outside the borders of ‘Biblical Israel’ as we do nowadays or would they feel connected to the area of Galilee and Iudeae more than towards the Decapolis of Gadara?
In an interdisciplinary approach regarding material finds and texts my work is trying to understand the daily life in the Diaspora – or where Diaspora began.