Beit She'arim necropolis: Difference between revisions
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[[Image: BeitShearimSarcophagus1-v.jpg |thumb|200px| Two lions facing each other – A Greek mythological scene decoration on sarcophagus]] |
[[Image: BeitShearimSarcophagus1-v.jpg |thumb|200px| Two lions facing each other – A Greek mythological scene decoration on sarcophagus]] |
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[[File:BeitShearimInscr1a.jpg|thumb|200px| Wall inscription (epitaph) in Greek: "The tomb of Aidesios, head of the council of elders, from Antiochia"]] |
[[File:BeitShearimInscr1a.jpg|thumb|200px| Wall inscription (epitaph) in Greek: "The tomb of Aidesios, head of the council of elders, from Antiochia"]] |
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==History== |
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Rabbi [[Judah HaNasi]], the head of the [[Sanhedrin]], lived in [[Sepphoris]] for health reasons, but planned his burial in [[Beit She'arim]] on land he received as a gift from his friend, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The most desired burial place for Jews was the [[Mount of Olives]] in [[Jerusalem]], but in 135 CE, when Jews were barred from the area, Beit She'arim became an alternative.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=GhPlUt1kz-wC&pg=PA196&lpg=PA196&dq=land+beit+she%27arim&source=bl&ots=IHnzWvgzpQ&sig=8ycK-VQl1S8C-BScn4fxQfR8iqI&hl=en&ei=czzcSp_6NqSwnQPvpKzaDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=&f=false The Holy Land: An Oxford archaeological guide, From earliest times to 1700, Jerome Murphy-O'Connor]</ref> |
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The hill within which the remains of Beth She'arim lie was the site of an Arab village [[Sheikh Bureik]] until the land was purchased by the [[Jewish National Fund]] in the 1920s. The archaeological importance of the site was recognised in the 1880s by the Survey of Western Palestine, which explored many tombs and catacombs but did no excavation.<ref>Survey of Western Palestine, Vol. I, pp. 325-328 and 343-351. [http://www.archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp01conduoft#page/343/mode/1up]</ref> However, little further professional attention was given to the remains until 1936, when a Jewish watchman [[Alexander Zaïd]] reported that he had found a breach in the wall of one of the caves which led to another cave decorated with inscriptions.<ref>Benjamin Mazar, ''Beth She'arim : Report on the Excavations during 1936-1940'', Vol. I, p27.</ref> In the 1930s and 1950s it was excavated by [[Benjamin Mazar]] and [[Nahman Avigad]]. |
The hill within which the remains of Beth She'arim lie was the site of an Arab village [[Sheikh Bureik]] until the land was purchased by the [[Jewish National Fund]] in the 1920s. The archaeological importance of the site was recognised in the 1880s by the Survey of Western Palestine, which explored many tombs and catacombs but did no excavation.<ref>Survey of Western Palestine, Vol. I, pp. 325-328 and 343-351. [http://www.archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp01conduoft#page/343/mode/1up]</ref> However, little further professional attention was given to the remains until 1936, when a Jewish watchman [[Alexander Zaïd]] reported that he had found a breach in the wall of one of the caves which led to another cave decorated with inscriptions.<ref>Benjamin Mazar, ''Beth She'arim : Report on the Excavations during 1936-1940'', Vol. I, p27.</ref> In the 1930s and 1950s it was excavated by [[Benjamin Mazar]] and [[Nahman Avigad]]. |
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Most of the remains date from the 2nd to 4th century CE. A large number of individuals was buried in the more than twenty catacombs of the necropolis. Geographical references in inscriptions on the walls of the catacombs reveal that the necropolis was used by people from the town of Beit She'arim, from elsewhere in Galilee, and even from cities as far away as [[Palmyra]] and [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]].<ref>''The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'' considers Beth She'arim of international importance (Volume 1, p. 309-11); Tessa Rajak considers its importance regional ("The rabbinic dead and the Diaspora dead at Beth She’arim" in P. Schäfer (ed.), ''The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman culture'' 1 (Tübingen 1997), p. 349-66); S. Schwartz however, in ''Imperialism and Jewish society, 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E.'' (Princeton 2001), p. 153-8, plays down the importance of Beth She'arim.</ref> |
Most of the remains date from the 2nd to 4th century CE. A large number of individuals was buried in the more than twenty catacombs of the necropolis. Geographical references in inscriptions on the walls of the catacombs reveal that the necropolis was used by people from the town of Beit She'arim, from elsewhere in Galilee, and even from cities as far away as [[Palmyra]] and [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]].<ref>''The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'' considers Beth She'arim of international importance (Volume 1, p. 309-11); Tessa Rajak considers its importance regional ("The rabbinic dead and the Diaspora dead at Beth She’arim" in P. Schäfer (ed.), ''The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman culture'' 1 (Tübingen 1997), p. 349-66); S. Schwartz however, in ''Imperialism and Jewish society, 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E.'' (Princeton 2001), p. 153-8, plays down the importance of Beth She'arim.</ref> |
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Together with the images on walls and [[sarcophagus|sarcophagi]], the inscriptions show that the necropolis was used mainly, or only, by Jews. According to the [[Jerusalem Talmud]] |
Together with the images on walls and [[sarcophagus|sarcophagi]], the inscriptions show that the necropolis was used mainly, or only, by Jews. According to the [[Jerusalem Talmud]] |
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<ref>Kelaim 9, 32a-b.</ref> Beit She'arim is the burial place of Rabbi [[Judah haNasi]] (Rabbi Judah the Prince) |
<ref>Kelaim 9, 32a-b.</ref> Beit She'arim is the burial place of Rabbi [[Judah haNasi]] (Rabbi Judah the Prince). This is believed to be a major reason for the popularity of the necropolis in Late Antiquity. One of the catacombs (nr. 14) has been identified as Rabbi Judah's burial site. |
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<ref>E.g. ''The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'', Volume 1, p. 309-11. For a more cautious view see M. Jacobs, ''Die Institution des jüdischen Patriarchen, eine quellen- und traditionskritische Studie zur Geschichte der Juden in der Spätantike'' (Tübingen 1995), p. 247, n. 59.</ref> |
<ref>E.g. ''The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East'', Volume 1, p. 309-11. For a more cautious view see M. Jacobs, ''Die Institution des jüdischen Patriarchen, eine quellen- und traditionskritische Studie zur Geschichte der Juden in der Spätantike'' (Tübingen 1995), p. 247, n. 59.</ref> |
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Revision as of 10:28, 19 October 2009
Beit She'arim (Template:Lang-he-n), also known as Beth She'arim or Besara (Greek), is the archeological site of a Jewish town and necropolis. The site is part of the Beit She'arim National Park, which borders the town of Kiryat Tiv'on on the northeast and is located close to the modern moshav of Beit She'arim. It is situated 20 km east of Haifa in the southern foothills of the Lower Galilee. The park is managed by the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority.
History
Rabbi Judah HaNasi, the head of the Sanhedrin, lived in Sepphoris for health reasons, but planned his burial in Beit She'arim on land he received as a gift from his friend, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The most desired burial place for Jews was the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, but in 135 CE, when Jews were barred from the area, Beit She'arim became an alternative.[1]
The hill within which the remains of Beth She'arim lie was the site of an Arab village Sheikh Bureik until the land was purchased by the Jewish National Fund in the 1920s. The archaeological importance of the site was recognised in the 1880s by the Survey of Western Palestine, which explored many tombs and catacombs but did no excavation.[2] However, little further professional attention was given to the remains until 1936, when a Jewish watchman Alexander Zaïd reported that he had found a breach in the wall of one of the caves which led to another cave decorated with inscriptions.[3] In the 1930s and 1950s it was excavated by Benjamin Mazar and Nahman Avigad.
Most of the remains date from the 2nd to 4th century CE. A large number of individuals was buried in the more than twenty catacombs of the necropolis. Geographical references in inscriptions on the walls of the catacombs reveal that the necropolis was used by people from the town of Beit She'arim, from elsewhere in Galilee, and even from cities as far away as Palmyra and Tyre.[4] Together with the images on walls and sarcophagi, the inscriptions show that the necropolis was used mainly, or only, by Jews. According to the Jerusalem Talmud [5] Beit She'arim is the burial place of Rabbi Judah haNasi (Rabbi Judah the Prince). This is believed to be a major reason for the popularity of the necropolis in Late Antiquity. One of the catacombs (nr. 14) has been identified as Rabbi Judah's burial site. [6]
References
- ^ The Holy Land: An Oxford archaeological guide, From earliest times to 1700, Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
- ^ Survey of Western Palestine, Vol. I, pp. 325-328 and 343-351. [1]
- ^ Benjamin Mazar, Beth She'arim : Report on the Excavations during 1936-1940, Vol. I, p27.
- ^ The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East considers Beth She'arim of international importance (Volume 1, p. 309-11); Tessa Rajak considers its importance regional ("The rabbinic dead and the Diaspora dead at Beth She’arim" in P. Schäfer (ed.), The Talmud Yerushalmi and Graeco-Roman culture 1 (Tübingen 1997), p. 349-66); S. Schwartz however, in Imperialism and Jewish society, 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E. (Princeton 2001), p. 153-8, plays down the importance of Beth She'arim.
- ^ Kelaim 9, 32a-b.
- ^ E.g. The Oxford encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East, Volume 1, p. 309-11. For a more cautious view see M. Jacobs, Die Institution des jüdischen Patriarchen, eine quellen- und traditionskritische Studie zur Geschichte der Juden in der Spätantike (Tübingen 1995), p. 247, n. 59.
External links
- Pictures of Beit She'arim Israel in Photos
- Beth She'arim, Suggestion to have Beth She'arim recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site, in 2002