The Decapolis (Greek: Δεκάπολις) was a group of ten Hellenistic - Roman cities in antiquity: Ten Hellenistic - Roman city-states in the former border area between Syria and Galilee (or in today's border area of Jordan, Syria and Israel went under the protection of the Roman emperor and thus formed a loose league of cities, which, however, had probably never been formally sealed in a deal letter.
.jpg/300px-Jerash,_Jordan_-_panoramio_(31).jpg)
The cities of the also mentioned in the Bible Decapolis are currently difficult to travel in their entirety, as the Arab states and Israel can refuse entry in the event of a documented previous stay in one of the other countries, in particular this applies to the border crossing from / to Syria to. Due to the refugee problem and the state of war in Syria, entry for tourist purposes is not permitted Syria currently hardly possible and generally not recommended.
background
Ten cities in the southeastern Levant, the former border area between Coele-Syria and Galilee, submitted to the protection of the Roman Empire resp. of the Roman emperor and thus belonged to the Roman province of Syria. The inhabitants of the cities, which were mostly Hellenistic foundations from the time of the Seleucids (one of the successor dynasties of Alexander the Great in the area of today's Syria), were predominantly Greek-speaking and differed not only linguistically, but also culturally and religiously from the Semitic-speaking Jews Galilee in the west, the Nabataeans in the south and the Aramaeans in the north.
Even if there is often talk of a league of cities, there was probably no formal alliance agreement, but rather the cities remained largely independent as an association of autonomous city-states (Poleis) and, in addition to their own language and culture, also had the right to coin money.
The Roman historian Pliny the Elderwho died in 79 at Vesuvius eruption died, lists the cities of the Decapolis.
- Damascus, the capital of the modern Syria
- Canatha (Qanawat) in Syria
- Hippos (also Hippus or Sussita; Al-Husn in Arabic) to the Golan Heights
- Capitolias, or Dion, possibly Beit Ras or Al Husn, both in Jordan
- Raphana, commonly identified as Abila in Jordan
- Gadara (Umm Qais) in Jordan
- Scythopolis (Bet She'an) in Israel, only city west of the Jordan
- Pella (west of Irbid) in Jordan
- Gerasa (Jerash) in Jordan
- Philadelphia, today's Amman, the capital Jordan
However, other cities were also designated as part of the Decapolis, so that the list should not be considered exhaustive.
history
Apart from Damascus All other cities of the Decapolis were Hellenistic foundations from the time of the Seleucids, the successor to one of the four Diadochi, the successor to Alexander the Great. The spirit of the Greek empire ruled in these cities, the Greek was colloquial, the gods of the Greek pantheon were worshiped, the Greek culture was lived.
The largely autonomous city-states, organized in the manner of the Greek polis, thus came into conflict, especially with the Galilean-Jewish empire of the Hasmoneans, which was expanding towards the east. There was a certain assimilation, local, Phoenician or Nabataean deities were increasingly equated with the Greek deities and also worshiped, for example the Nabataean supreme deity Dushara (Greek: Duares).
Against the expansion of the Hasmonean Empire, the advancing Romans were experienced as liberators, and with the conquest of the Levant by the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC The cities of the Decapolis of Rome received an extensive one autonomy and direct subordination under Roman protection.
Even during the time of the vassal kingdom of Herod the Great and the successor states of the Herodian tetrarchs, the cities remained independent under Roman protection, the country was crisscrossed by a network of Roman roads and trade flourished. The Roman imperial cult flourished. Calybe, open-air temple facades.
In these cities, which were mostly inhabited by "heathens", according to the biblical report (Mt 4,23-25 ) the work of Jesus among the Gentiles with healing miracles, etc. from - so also the healing of the possessed of Gerasa: only in the area of the Decapolis there were pigs in which the unclean spirits could go; the animals were not considered kosher by the Jewish population and were not kept.
With the conquest of the Levant by the Roman Emperor Trajan, the area of the Decapolis came under Roman rule and lost its independence. The area was divided between the Roman provinces of Judaea and Syria, respectively. later Palestina Secunda. The cities of the region were growing Christianized; for some, the process was faster (after Pella the apostles had fled to escape the persecution of the Great Revolt in Jerusalem; one of the earliest churches in the region was founded there), with some it took longer. Over the years, important churches were formed in all the cities of the Byzantine region, which became bishoprics and the prosperity of the Byzantine culture.
After the conquest of Palestine by the Muslim Omayyad caliphate in 641, Christianity perished in some cities of the earlier Decapolis, while in others it was able to last for centuries. The earthquake epicentered in Galilee in 649 caused enormous damage in many cities, and several were subsequently depopulated and decayed, examples are Scythopolis and Hippos.
Cities of the Decapolis
The ancient 1 Canatha (Greek: Κάναθα) possibly corresponds to that in the Bible (1.Chr. 2,23 ) mentioned Kenath; in any case, the place was one of the oldest cities in the region. In the Hellenistic period the city was very important, after Christianization it was the seat of a bishopric, and a titular bishopric is still named after it today, is a testament to this.
The ruins extend over an area of 1500 - x 750 m and include a Roman theater carved out of the rock, a nymphaeum, a cryptoporticus of an aqueduct as well as a temple of the prostylus type and the temple of the peripteros type, according to which there is an inscription local deity of Rabbos. Another building Seraya (Palace) was also originally a temple from the 2nd century. and was in the 4th / 5th Century converted into a Christian basilica.
Today's Qanawat is inhabited by around 8,300 Druze; the region in Syria currently (2019) cannot be visited by tourists due to the unrest of the Syrian civil war.
The Greek - Hellenistic city 2 Hippos (Greek Ἵππος, "horse") was on a range of hills on the Golan Heights above the east bank of the Sea of Galilee created. In Roman times it was called Hippus, Hebrew - Aramaic she was known as Susita (Hebrew: סוסיתא), this and the Arabic term Qal'at al-Hisn or Husn all refer to the term "horse".
From the city is the Decumanus maximus (the main street), pillars of the basilica, two churches with three apses each, a forum with an underlying cistern, a calybe and an odeion, a semicircular theater with a grandiose view over the Lake genezareth, receive. The city was destroyed after the 749 AD earthquake. depopulated and has been systematically excavated since 2000.
Even if the excavation work and processing for the public have not yet been completed, the ruins can be visited without any problems.
The town 3 Capitolias or Dion as the city of the historical Decapolis was with some probability in today's Bied Ras (at Irbid, Jordan).
As a Roman city, Capitolias was founded around 97/98 and in the 2nd century. surrounded by a wall. Remains of it are still preserved with traces of city gates, a street lined with columns, a Roman theater and the remains of a basilica, which was built in the 8th century. had been converted into a mosque.
The ruins of Capitolias were archaeologically examined for the first time around 1960 and systematically since the 1980s.,_Suk-Wady-Barada,_Holy_Land,-LCCN2002725063.jpg/200px-Suk-Wady-Barada_(Abila),_Suk-Wady-Barada,_Holy_Land,-LCCN2002725063.jpg)
4 Raphana (Abila) in the Decapolis (Greek Ἄβιλα Δεκαπολεος) had different names; the place was also known as Seleucia and is now located after Quwaylibah.
,_Suk-Wady-Barada,_Holy_Land,-LCCN2002725063.jpg/320px-Suk-Wady-Barada_(Abila),_Suk-Wady-Barada,_Holy_Land,-LCCN2002725063.jpg)
There, over two settlement mounds, the Tall Abila and the southern Khirbat Umm al-'Amad, extensive ruins, remains of a theater, of streets and basilicas and necropolises were found. The site has never been systematically archaeologically investigated, has hardly been developed for tourism, and illegal excavations by grave robbers are a problem.
5 Gadara (Umm Qais) (Greek Γάδαρα) was one of the Greek foundations as part of the campaign of Alexander the Great and received under the Seleucid king Antiochus III. the name Antioch Semiramis. Later the Ptolemies challenged the Seleucids for the region, the city, conquered under the Jewish Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus, was captured by the troops of Pompey and became part of the Decapolis.
The city with a well-preserved Decumanus maximus and two theaters was supplied with spring water in Roman times through an aqueduct with a 94 km long tunnel. In Byzantine times, the city was an important bishopric, on the "church terrace" remains of a five-aisled basilica and an octagonal chapel have been preserved.
With the spread of Islam, the nearby Jarmuktal became the scene of the decisive battle between the Byzantines and the Muslim troops, the city came under Muslim rule and was damaged by the earthquake of 749 AD after severe damage. leave.
In the area of today's Israeli city 1 Bet She'an an Egyptian administrative city already existed in antiquity under Pharaoh Thutmose III; around 1200 BC. a Canaanite city was built on the Tel, which perished during the Assyrian conquest of Galilee by Tiglath Pileser III.
In Hellenistic times, the city was rebuilt as Scythopolis (Greek: Σκυθόπολις) and was affected by the conflict between the diadochian empires of the Ptolemies in the south and the Seleucids in Syria. After being destroyed again after participating in the Maccabean rebellion, the city was rebuilt after the conquest of Galilee by the Roman legions of Pompey under Gabinius and took a leading role in the Decapolis as the only city west of the Jordan that it was able to maintain in Byzantine times.
After the conquest by the Muslim Arabs in 634, a period of coexistence with the Byzantine Christians began, the devastating earthquake of 749 AD. hit the city with full force; she did not recover from the damage.
The town has a theater, the main streets Decumanus and Cardo with shops, the agora, thermal baths, some of the columns are still there as they came to be after the earthquake of 749. There has been intensive excavation activity in the area of the city and the archaeological site has been made accessible to tourists by the Israel National Park Organization.
Whether Alexander the Great really laid the foundation stone for the re-establishment of the city here on his campaign 6 Pella placed, can no longer be clarified today, at least the place got its Greek name Πέλλα based on the place of birth of Alexander's father. The city, located on important trade routes at the time, was founded under the Jewish Hasmonean king Alexander Jannäus in 80 BC. destroyed and rebuilt after the conquest of the region by the Roman general Pompey, it held an important position in the League of Cities of the Decapolis. In the first century, after the destruction of Jerusalem, many of the first Christians fled to the city and one of the earliest churches was built here.
During the Byzantine period, the city grew and reached a maximum population of 25,000 inhabitants, in Pella one of the first episcopal see was built in 451. In the Battle of Pale (or Battle of Pella) the Muslim troops faced the Byzantines in 635 and defeated them. The city lost its importance and the earthquake in 749 finally sealed the fate of the ancient city.
Alexander the Great left here in 332 BC. create a military post, under the Diadochus ruler Antiochus IV. from the Seleucids dynasty, a Hellinist city was founded on the river, which was named in honor of the founder Antioch on the Chrysorhoas (Antioch on the Gold River).
The town 7 Gerasa came 84 BC. under the rule of the Jewish Hasmonean king Alexander Jannäus and was made by the conquests of the Roman general Pompey in 63 BC. integrated into the Roman province of Syria and subsequently part of the League of Cities of the Decapolis. During this time the city developed into a strong trade and transport hub and experienced brisk construction activity. With the annexation of the Kingdom of the Nabataeans by Emperor Trajan in AD 106. Gerasa was defeated to the Roman province of Arabia Petra. With the Christianization under Emperor Constantine changed from 324 AD. the image of the city. The temples dedicated to the Roman deities fell into disrepair or were given a new use as Christian churches; In the 5th and 6th centuries the city experienced a brisk building activity with the construction of Byzantine churches with the typical mosaic floors.
After a brief reign of the Persian Sassanids in 613/30, the city came under Muslim rule in 636, until it suffered the fatal blow after a decline from the strong earthquake in 749.
At the place of today 8 Amman existed in the 13th century B.C. under the name of Rabbat Ammon the capital of the Bible-mentioned kingdom of Ammonite. In the 4th century the region was conquered by Alexander the great, from then on the Greek - Hellenistic influence dominated. Under the Diadochi, the city came under the rule of the Ptolemies; Ptolemy King Ptolemy II. Philadelphos fundamentally renewed the city, which it bore the name for the next 900 years Philadelphia.
Under the Roman general Pompey the city was 63 BC. conquered and under the name Philadelphia integrated into the Decapolis as the southernmost city. The remains of the theater and the citadel date from the time of Roman rule. During the reign of Kaiser Marcus Aurelius the Temple of Hercules was built on the citadel. After Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine, the cityscape was also Christianized, the city became a bishopric and numerous churches were built.
Around 635 the city was conquered by Muslim troops, the city was named Amman '. Under the rule of the Umayyad caliphs, the Umayyad Palace was built on the citadel in 720. An earthquake in 749 severely damaged the palace and numerous buildings in the city, resulting in a decline.
Was in the Ottoman Empire Salt the capital of the region, in 1806 Amman is described in a report as quasi-depopulated. The history of modern Ammann only began with the decision of Abdallah Ibn Husain I to make the city the capital of the newly founded emirate of Transjordan.
security
The various sites with their similarities, which are fascinating for friends of antiquity, are difficult to visit. Generally speaking, the archaeological sites are the Decapolis- Visiting cities in Israel with relative ease; also regarding the cities in Jordan The same applies, at least in guided tour groups. To Syria with Damascus and Canatha are currently (2019) no tourist trips are possible due to the conditions similar to the Bruges War.
The border crossing procedure between Israel and Jordan is somewhat complex; Entry stamps in passports from Israel or from a border crossing between Jordan and Israel mean that entry into practically all Arab states in the Middle East is denied.
