Archaeologists Discover 2,000 Year Old Amphitheater
A 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater has been fully uncovered, 19 years after it was discovered and excavation began.
The amphitheater was 15 meters below ground. Remnants poked through the sand at what Israel Antiquities Authority Archaeologist Walid Atrash called “a central meeting point.”
The initial finding in 1990 surprised the archaeologists digging near Mount Bernike, in the Tiberias hills, since nothing there is referenced in the scriptures.
The efforts to fully excavate the theater began this year.
The late Professor Izhar Hirschfeld and Yossi Stepansky, the archaeologists heading the excavation, initially stated the structure was from the 2nd or 3rd century C.E., but later quickly realized that they go all the way back to the beginning of the 1st century C.E., closer to the founding of Tiberias.
“The most interesting thing about the amphitheater is its Jewish context,” said Hirshfeld at the time of the initial discovery. “Unlike Tzipori, which was a multicultural city, Tiberias was a Jewish city under Roman rule. The findings demonstrate the city’s pluralistic nature and cultural openness, something uncommon in those days.”
In light of the findings, Tiberias apparently was a particularly liberal city for its time, more than 2,000 years ago, said Atrash. “The theater was enormous, and thus attracted a lot of attention. It seated more than 7,000 people, and appears to have been a prominent landmark for the entire area.”
Tiberias Mayor Zohar Oved said the amphitheater discovery is undoubtedly “one of the most important findings in the history of the Jewish people.” The site will be opened to the public in the near future, he said.
The site will be named after Amir Drori, the first director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Article from Haaretz
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Great discovery; so interesting to see the remnants of ancient society that was similar to ours.
I agree – what always gets me is how, especially in Caesarea, the amphitheatre is used constantly for modern day concerts. How many other structures are still used in the same form as thousands of years ago!
It's fantastic – not like London's amphitheatre which was used as an out-of-town rubbish dump for centuries after the Romans left Britannia. Archaeologists were almost more intrigued by the waste piled on top than the actual structure itself!
BIggest find since the 1985 Galilee boat discovery. I wonder if this might be the "stadium" of Tiberias, even if not directly in town? Tiberias was founded by Herod Antipas around 22 AD. Orthodox Jews avoided the city because it was allegedly built over the burial ground of the ancient city of Rakkath ("Coast"), although some suggest Rakkath is located at the foot of Tell Eqlatiyeh (Joshua 19:35). Herod Antipas therefore attracted a Gentile population by making land grants and equipping houses there at his own expense (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII 36-38. Coins honoring this new foundation, named for the Roman Emperor Tiberias, featured reeds, which are native to the shore there.
The then General (later Emperor) Vespasian during the Jewish War slew 6,500 people at nearby Tarichaea. He then offered mercy to any who would assemble in the stadium of Tiberias. Of those who arrived, Vespasian had 1,200 of the oldest and weakest killed. About 30,400 were sold into slavery, many dying trying to cut Nero's Corinth Canal. I wonder if the "stadium" could be the nearby ampitheater, which is said to be able to accomodate over 7,000 people. I do not believe a "stadium" has been found at Tiberias so far, but there are many places there unexcavated.
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